Varley
Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.
Last researched 3 November 2026 · 7 sources
London women's activewear and loungewear brand.
We couldn't confirm where Varley makes most of its women's activewear and knitwear.
Also worth knowing
Most clothes and shoes are made in countries such as China and Bangladesh, where pay is usually below a living wage and unions are heavily restricted.
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Why it's graded Lacks transparency
- Not met: Meets 1 of 6 Good requirements.
- Holds the grade back: It has 2 red flags: no evidence of a living wage and a hidden, unaudited supply chain, probably 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.
Good requirements 1 of 6
- Not met: Pays a living wage, or holds a strong fair-pay certificationLiving wage: no evidence
- Not met: Respects worker rightsWhere clothes and shoes are usually made, such as China and Bangladesh, 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
- Not met: Names the factories or farms that make its products, or is fully certified by a scheme that holds and audits that list
- Not met: High-risk raw materials (cotton) 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: Hidden supply chain, probably mostly in countries with poor worker rights
Stars it would earn as Good
None yet. Stars only show on Good companies. About stars
Where it's made
We couldn't confirm where Varley makes most of its products, so this shows where clothes and shoes are usually made.
| Country | Share | Worker rights | Legal minimum wage | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| China | 30% | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| Bangladesh | 20% | No guarantee of rights | Far below a living wage | Moderate |
| Vietnam | 15% | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| India | 10% | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | High |
| Cambodia | 8% | No guarantee of rights | Far below a living wage | Moderate |
| Türkiye | 7% | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Very high |
| Indonesia | 5% | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| Pakistan | 5% | No guarantee of rights | Far below a living wage | High |
Evidence
What we found
- 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.
Research notes Varley does not say where its clothes are made or publish a supplier list; a product page for its Always leggings lists China as the country of manufacture. Its 2025 supplier code bans Xinjiang, Uzbek, Turkmen and Syrian cotton, caps hours at 48 plus 12 voluntary overtime and allows unannounced audits, but sets pay at the legal minimum or industry benchmark, with no living wage figure. Since 2024 it has worked with Fairly Made to map its supply chain and score product impact, but has not published the results by factory or country. It is moving core knitwear to Better Cotton.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Baptist World Aid Ethical Fashion Report | Not covered | Not rated in Baptist World Aid's 2026 Ethical Fashion Report (or the 2024 edition), which covers companies with a large Australian presence. View |
| Fashion Transparency Index (Fashion Revolution) | Not covered | Not in the 2023 Fashion Transparency Index, which reviews only the world's largest fashion companies by turnover. View |
Sources and actions
Sources 7
Show all 7 sources
- Varley activewear $5 million investment (WWD) · search the archive · Investment from Ron Dennis and Anders Povlsen; stocked in about 800 outlets
- Varley Always leggings (Mytheresa Australia) · search the archive · Made in China; 79% polyamide 21% elastane; ships to Australia
- Varley (THE ICONIC) · search the archive · Varley sold online by THE ICONIC with delivery to Australia and New Zealand
- Varley case study (Fairly Made) · search the archive · Fairly Made mapped Varley's supply chain from February 2024; product impact shown via QR codes; no factories or countries named
Published by Varley or its owner
- Code of Conduct (Varley) · search the archive · Supplier code updated Feb 2025: cotton bans, hours cap, unannounced audits, pay at legal minimum or benchmark
- Responsibility (Varley) · search the archive · Transitioning core knitwear to Better Cotton; bluesign fabrics; no factory or country disclosure
- About Varley · search the archive · Founded 2014 by Lara and Ben Mead; family-run; offices in London, LA and New York; Varley International Holdings Limited
Company details
- Headquarters
- United Kingdom
- Last researched
- 3 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Varley ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/varley, last researched 3 November 2026, accessed [date].
- Method
- Researched with AI assistance against published rules. How we check · What Lacks transparency means
Better-graded activewear
No activewear 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.
Something missing or wrong?
Grades are opinions based on the evidence listed here. Send us evidence, or a right of reply if you represent Varley.