Victoria's Secret
Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.
Last researched 2 November 2026 · 6 sources
US lingerie, sleepwear and swimwear brand.
Victoria's Secret can't show that the workers who make its products in Vietnam and Sri Lanka earn a living wage, which workers there are very unlikely to.
Also worth knowing
It has no full independent audit.
Better-graded underwear and sleepwear
Graded higher than Victoria's Secret, selling the same kinds of things.
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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: the most serious problem on its record (unpaid or underpaid wages, last recorded in 2021) has been put right.
- 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 2 of 6
- Not met: Pays a living wage, or holds a strong fair-pay certificationLiving wage: no evidence
- Not met: Respects worker rights50% of its products are made in countries such as Indonesia and China, 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) 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 Victoria's Secret'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.
| Country | Share | Worker rights | Legal minimum wage | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vietnam | 27% | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| Sri Lanka | 20% | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| Indonesia | 15% | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| ChinaUsual for the industry | 9% | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| Bangladesh | 9% | No guarantee of rights | Far below a living wage | Moderate |
| India | 6% | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | High |
| Cambodia | 4% | No guarantee of rights | Far below a living wage | Moderate |
| Egypt | 3% | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| Mexico | 3% | Regular violations | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| TürkiyeUsual for the industry | 2% | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Very high |
| PakistanUsual for the industry | 1% | No guarantee of rights | Far below a living wage | High |
| Thailand | 1% | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
Evidence
What we found
- Publishes supplier list
- Modern slavery statement
- 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 Victoria's Secret's clothing is made by about 335 independent suppliers, mostly in Vietnam, Sri Lanka and the US. Its October 2025 core factory list names 55 intimates and apparel factories, mostly in Vietnam, Sri Lanka and Indonesia (shares shown count factories). Factories are audited mostly unannounced, and it joined ILO Better Work in 2026. A pilot launched in 2025 compares supplier wages with living wage benchmarks, with no living wage target yet. Its cotton is limited to approved countries and checked with isotope testing.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Baptist World Aid Ethical Fashion Report | Listed | Scored 53 out of 100 in the 2026 Ethical Fashion Report (average 31.5), after 44 in 2024. View |
| Fashion Transparency Index (Fashion Revolution) | Listed | Scored 19% in the 2023 Fashion Transparency Index, below the 26% average. View |
| UK Modern Slavery Statement Registry | Listed | Publishes an annual modern slavery statement; the FY2025 statement says most production is in Vietnam, Sri Lanka and the US. View |
| News reporting and NGO investigations | Problem found | In 2022 it financed US$8.3 million in severance owed to 1,250 fired workers at the Brilliant Alliance bra factory in Thailand. View |
Confirmed issues 1
Only confirmed problems are listed, and old ones drop off after 10 to 15 years. A problem the company has fully put right no longer counts against it, and nor does one it finds and is fixing itself. How problems are counted
| Last recorded | What happened | Made amends? |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | When the Brilliant Alliance bra factory in Thailand, owned by Clover Group, closed in 2021, more than 1,250 workers sewing Victoria's Secret bras were fired without legally required severance (Worker Rights Consortium and Solidarity Center, 2022). Source · search the archivePut right The company has put this right for the people affected, so it no longer counts against the grade. | YesVictoria's Secret financed the US$8.3 million severance through a loan to the factory owner, and all workers were paid in May 2022. |
Unconfirmed reports
Credible reports that haven't been confirmed by a regulator, completed investigation or the company. They're shown for your information and don't affect the grade.
- Labour groups say a Sri Lankan worker at supplier Brandix who fell ill in October 2025 was refused permission to leave for medical care and later died; Victoria's Secret says it found no wrongdoing, and Sri Lanka's Human Rights Commission is still investigating (FashionUnited, 2026). Source
Sources and actions
Sources 6
Show all 6 sources
- Victoria's Secret - Good Shopping Guide (ethical.org.au) · search the archive · 2026 Ethical Fashion Report: Victoria's Secret scored 53/100 (average 31.5); Fashion Transparency Index 2023 19%
- Victoria's Secret & Co. Form 10-K FY2024 · search the archive · About 31,000 associates; about 335 vendors; significant share of intimates and apparel produced in Southeast Asia
- NYC compliance notice puts new scrutiny on Victoria's Secret over Sri Lankan supplier worker death (FashionUnited) · search the archive · Alleged denial of medical leave before Brandix worker's 2025 death; company says no wrongdoing; Sri Lankan inquiry pending
- Modern Slavery Transparency Statement - Victoria's Secret & Co. · search the archive · Majority of factories in Vietnam, Sri Lanka and US; Open Supply Hub list; audits; 2025 wage pilot; Better Work buyer partner from 2026
- Thai workers win historic $8.3 million in back pay financed by Victoria's Secret (Solidarity Center) · search the archive · Brilliant Alliance closed 2021 without severance for 1,250+ workers; VS financed $8.3m settlement paid May 2022
- Victoria's Secret Core Factory List (October 2025) · search the archive · 55 core factories: Vietnam 18, Sri Lanka 16, Indonesia 11, 2 each in Bangladesh, Egypt, India, Mexico, 1 each in Cambodia, Thailand
Company details
- Owned by
- Victoria's Secret & Co.
- Headquarters
- United States
- Employees
- About 31,000
- Last researched
- 2 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Victoria's Secret ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/victorias-secret, last researched 2 November 2026, accessed [date].
- Method
- Researched with AI assistance against published rules. How we check · What Lacks transparency means
Something missing or wrong?
Grades are opinions based on the evidence listed here. Send us evidence, or a right of reply if you represent Victoria's Secret.