Labour Lens

TOAST

Lacks transparency

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

Clothing & footwear

Partly verified: what this means

Last researched 3 November 2026 · 6 sources

British label selling clothing, knitwear and homewares.

There's no proof TOAST pays more than the legal minimum, which in China is below a living wage.

See better everyday fashion options

Know something we've missed? Send evidence. Represent TOAST? Send a right of reply.

Compare TOAST with another brand

Why it's graded Lacks transparency

  • Not met: Meets 3 of 6 Good requirements.
  • Holds the grade back: It doesn't show that workers are paid a living wage, and isn't certified as working towards one. On Track needs at least one of these.
  • 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 3 of 6

  • Not met: Pays a living wage, or holds a strong fair-pay certificationLiving wage: no evidence
  • Not met: Respects worker rightsJudged on where its products are made: worker rights are poorly protected in China, India and Türkiye.
  • 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, silk and cashmere) traced or certified, or not a major part of its rangeNot traced or certified: cotton

Red flags 1

  • Red flag: No evidence it pays a living wage

Stars it would earn as Good

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

Where it's made

From TOAST's own disclosure: it publishes its supplier list. Its list covers only part of its range. The rest is shown as where clothes and shoes are usually made.

Where it's made, and conditions there
CountryWorker rightsLegal minimum wageForced labour risk
ChinaNo guarantee of rightsBelow a living wageModerate
IndiaNo guarantee of rightsWell below a living wageHigh
TürkiyeNo guarantee of rightsBelow a living wageVery high
BulgariaRegular violationsBelow a living wageHigh
ItalyStrong protectionsClose to a living wageLow
PortugalStrong protectionsClose to a living wageLow
RomaniaRegular violationsBelow a living wageModerate
BangladeshUsual for the industryNo guarantee of rightsFar below a living wageModerate
VietnamUsual for the industrySystematic violationsWell below a living wageModerate
CambodiaUsual for the industryNo guarantee of rightsFar below a living wageModerate
IndonesiaUsual for the industryNo guarantee of rightsWell below a living wageModerate
PakistanUsual for the industryNo guarantee of rightsFar below a living wageHigh

Evidence

What we found

  • Publishes supplier list
  • Modern slavery statement
  • Independent social audits of all its main factories
  • 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 silk 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 TOAST publishes a list of 22 factories making most of its clothing (about 80% of spend), in Bulgaria, China, India, Italy, Portugal, Romania and Turkey (no split by country is given), with each factory's audit grade. It says all suppliers get an annual third-party social audit (Sedex and amfori BSCI methods). Its policy requires at least legal minimum or industry wages and says wages should cover living costs, but it has no living wage programme or proof of wages paid. Homeworkers and bought-in brands are a further, less checked part of its supply chain.

What independent sources say

SourceResultDetails
UK Modern Slavery Statement RegistryListedPublishes a UK modern slavery statement; the latest found covers the year to July 2023 and names Türkiye as its biggest supply chain risk. View
Baptist World Aid Ethical Fashion ReportListedBestseller, owner of TOAST, is rated F in Baptist World Aid's Good Shopping Guide; its ethical.org.au page shows no Ethical Fashion Report score, including for the 2026 edition. View
Fashion Transparency Index (Fashion Revolution)ListedBestseller scored 41% in the 2023 Fashion Transparency Index, the latest full index. View

Sources and actions

Sources 6

Show all 6 sources
  1. Bestseller - Good Shopping Guide (ethical.org.au) · search the archive · Bestseller (TOAST's owner): F rating; no Ethical Fashion Report score; FTI 2023 41%
  2. Bestseller acquires Toast from its founders and French Connection · search the archive · Bestseller bought TOAST in 2018; it runs as an independent company

Published by TOAST or its owner

  1. Suppliers | TOAST · search the archive · List of 22 factories (80% of spend) by country with audit grades, including silk and cashmere suppliers in China
  2. Ethical Policy | TOAST · search the archive · Annual third-party social audits of all suppliers; wage standard of legal minimum or industry benchmark; cashmere and silk sourcing
  3. Modern Slavery Statement | TOAST · search the archive · 2023 statement: about 80 suppliers, Türkiye named as biggest risk, homeworker and audit plans
  4. Modern Slavery Statement | TOAST Australia · search the archive · TOAST runs an Australian online store with prices in AUD and delivers to Australia

Company details

Headquarters
United Kingdom
Last researched
3 November 2026
Cite this page
Labour Lens, "Is TOAST ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/toast, last researched 3 November 2026, accessed [date].
Method
Researched with AI assistance against published rules. How we check · What Lacks transparency means

Better-graded everyday fashion

14 op shops and resale platforms, Good by ruleBuying second-hand or refurbished: Blue Spinach and SWOP Clothing Exchange and 12 more · See them allGoodbassikeMissing: a full independent supply chain audit, where its earlier stages happen and 2 more · Clothing & footwearOrganic cotton casual wearPays or is working towards a living wage, with gaps still to close.On TrackPartly verifiedKeeganMissing: traced raw materials · Clothing & footwearHandmade Australian womenswear and jewelleryPays or is working towards a living wage, with gaps still to close.On TrackVerifiedMandatoryMissing: 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

None of the everyday fashion brands we know to make knitwear is Good yet. These are the strongest so far. The Social Studio, Middlemost and The Social Outfit are Good, but we don't know that they make knitwear. Second-hand and refurbished goods create no new factory work, so they're Good by rule and come first.

See every everyday fashion brand

Something missing or wrong?

Grades are opinions based on the evidence listed here. Send us evidence, or a right of reply if you represent TOAST.

Send evidenceSend a right of reply