Theory

Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.

Last researched 3 November 2026 · 7 sources

New York brand selling tailoring and knitwear.

Theory can't show that the workers who make its products in Bangladesh and Vietnam earn a living wage, which workers there are very unlikely to.

Also worth knowing

It has no full independent audit.

Better-graded suits and tailoring

Graded higher than Theory, selling the same kinds of things. Second-hand first.

7 op shops and resale platforms, Good by ruleBuying second-hand or refurbished: Blue Spinach and Vestiaire Collective and 5 more · See them allGood Bianca SpenderMissing: where its earlier stages happen and a named supplier list · Clothing & footwearSydney-made women's designer fashionPays or is working towards a living wage, with gaps still to close.On TrackPartly verified MandatoryMissing: where its earlier stages happen and traced raw materials · Clothing & footwearWellington-made menswear and suitingPays or is working towards a living wage, with gaps still to close.On TrackPartly verified SuitsupplyMissing: living wage proof and traced raw materials · Clothing & footwearMen's and women's suitsPays or is working towards a living wage, with gaps still to close.On TrackVerified

No suits and tailoring brand selling new goods is Good yet. These are the strongest so far. Second-hand and refurbished goods create no new factory work, so they're Good by rule and come first.

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Why it's graded Lacks transparency

Not met: Meets 2 of 6 Good requirements.
Holds the grade back: It has 2 red flags: no evidence of a living wage and unaudited production in high-risk countries. Two or more red flags means a poor grade.
It isn't Harm on record, because there's no serious confirmed problem on its record.
Lacks transparency is still a poor grade: in supply chains like this, workers who can't be seen to be treated fairly are usually underpaid or unprotected.

How grades are decided

Good requirements 2 of 6

Not met: Pays a living wage, or holds a strong fair-pay certificationLiving wage: no evidence
Not met: Respects worker rightsMost of its products are made in countries such as China and Bangladesh, where unions are heavily restricted, and it has no full supply chain audit.
Not met: Supply chain independently audited or certified, or at least 80% made in countries with strong labour standards
Met: No child or forced labour findings or links
Met: Names the factories or farms that make its products, or is fully certified by a scheme that holds and audits that listPublishes its supplier list
Not met: High-risk raw materials (cotton, leather and cashmere) traced or certified, or not a major part of its rangeNot traced or certified: cotton

Red flags 2

Red flag: No evidence it pays a living wage
Red flag: Made mostly in countries with poor worker rights, without a full independent audit of its supply chain

Stars it would earn as Good

None yet. Stars only show on Good companies. About stars

Where it's made

From Fast Retailing's supplier list, which covers Theory and its sister brands. Theory publishes no breakdown of its own, so the countries shown are the group's. The rest is shown as where clothes and shoes are usually made.

Where it's made, and conditions there
Country	Worker rights	Legal minimum wage	Forced labour risk
China	No guarantee of rights	Below a living wage	Moderate
Bangladesh	No guarantee of rights	Far below a living wage	Moderate
Vietnam	Systematic violations	Well below a living wage	Moderate
India	No guarantee of rights	Well below a living wage	High
Cambodia	No guarantee of rights	Far below a living wage	Moderate
Indonesia	No guarantee of rights	Well below a living wage	Moderate
Italy	Strong protections	Close to a living wage	Low
Japan	Strong protections	Close to a living wage	Low
Malaysia	No guarantee of rights	Below a living wage	Moderate
Thailand	No guarantee of rights	Below a living wage	Moderate
TürkiyeUsual for the industry	No guarantee of rights	Below a living wage	Very high
PakistanUsual for the industry	No guarantee of rights	Far below a living wage	High

Evidence

What we found

Publishes supplier list
Modern slavery statement
Signed the International Accord on garment factory safety
Doesn't show where its cotton comes from. Cotton is linked to forced labour in Xinjiang and Turkmenistan, and child labour in several growing regions, so it can't be graded Good until it traces or certifies it.
Uses leather and cashmere in only a few products and doesn't show where they come from. That doesn't count against it for Good, but the "Open supply chain" star needs all of them traced, certified or upcycled.

Research notes Theory's clothing is made by contract suppliers that Fast Retailing monitors under a group code of conduct, with audits at least yearly. Fast Retailing publishes a group-wide garment factory list that has included Theory's factories since 2019, but it does not show which factories make Theory, so country shares are unknown; group partners are mainly in Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam. The group has signed the International Accord and made a public living wage commitment, but there is no evidence of living wages being paid. No Theory-specific labour abuses have been reported.

What independent sources say

Source	Result	Details
Baptist World Aid Ethical Fashion Report	Listed	Fast Retailing's Uniqlo scored 57 out of 100 in the 2026 Ethical Fashion Report (average 31.5); the score is group-level and Theory is not listed. View
Fashion Transparency Index (Fashion Revolution)	Listed	Fast Retailing brands scored 50% in the 2023 Fashion Transparency Index. View
Australian Modern Slavery Register	Listed	Covered by Fast Retailing's FY2025 group modern slavery statement, which names Theory LLC as a wholly owned subsidiary. View

Sources and actions

Sources 7

Show all 7 sources

Uniqlo - Good Shopping Guide (ethical.org.au) · search the archive · Ethical Fashion Report 2026 score 57/100 (average 31.5); FTI 2023 50%; Theory not listed
just-style: Fast Retailing discloses all garment supplier factories · search the archive · List covers factories supplying Theory as well as Uniqlo and GU; 242 factories, China more than half, then Vietnam
Modaes: Fast Retailing restructures Theory with a new CEO · search the archive · Theory founded 1997 by Andrew Rosen and Elie Tahari; wholly owned by Fast Retailing since 2009; group employs about 2,000
Theory Hilles cashmere quarter-zip sweater (David Jones) · search the archive · David Jones department stores stock Theory, including cashmere knitwear
Theory (clothing retailer) - Wikipedia · search the archive · Founded New York 1997; wholly owned by Fast Retailing since 2009; about 2,100 staff (2021); sells clothing, shoes and handbags

Published by Theory or its owner

Fast Retailing Group Modern Slavery Statement FY2025 · search the archive · Covers Theory LLC; 668 production partners mainly in 10 countries; audits; recruitment fee refunds to 16 migrant workers in Japan
Enhancing Traceability and Production Partners List (Fast Retailing) · search the archive · Group list of all garment factories as of 31 August 2026, updated every six months; no brand column

Company details

Owned by: Fast Retailing Co., Ltd. (Japan)
Headquarters: United States
Employees: About 2,100
Last researched: 3 November 2026
Cite this page: Labour Lens, "Is Theory ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/theory, last researched 3 November 2026, accessed [date].
Method: Researched with AI assistance against published rules. How we check · What Lacks transparency means

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