How We Evaluate Sustainability

Our approach builds on international sustainability frameworks and combines analysis of brand-reported information with proprietary data to deliver objective, evidence-based evaluations.

We assess two primary categories:
  1. Environmental sustainability
  2. Social sustainability

1. Environmental
Sustainability

This section evaluates the brands' impact across key environmental risk categories, including raw materials and sourcing, climate change, water and chemical management, circularity and waste.
IMPACT AREA 01

Materials
& Sourcing

  1. Brand-wide fiber portfolio transparency: Transparent reports of a brand’s full fiber use—whether based on purchased fabrics by weight or all available items—are key to accountability. As this practice is rare, we often rely on proprietary data collected via our automation tools.
  2. Single product-level fiber transparency: Brands must disclose raw fiber and material percentages for each product online, forming the basis for further analysis of their materials and sourcing practices.
  3. Percentage of preferred fibers: Preferred fibers are central to our evaluations. We follow Textile Exchange’s (TE) “Preferred Fibers and Materials: Definitions” to define them and regularly update our list of preferred fibers based on incoming data and reports.
  4. Material used in packaging: We assess initiatives that reduce the environmental impact of packaging, such as using reusable mailers, grouping items to cut plastic waste, or using recycled-content packaging.
  5. Goals and commitments: We evaluate whether brands have set targets for increasing preferred materials, the ambitiousness of those targets, alignment with our list of preferred fibers, and progress toward achieving their goals.
IMPACT AREA 02

Climate
& Emissions

  1. Low climate impact fibers: We assess fibers that generate fewer greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions (CO2e) than those produced through conventional methods. We compare the CO2e emissions and global warming potential of various fibers and certifications using third-party data sets and proprietary data analysis.
  2. Annual emissions reporting: We look for and review annual emissions reports published by brands and evaluate their transparency and comprehensiveness. This includes checking whether the reports detail emissions across Scope 1, 2, and 3.
  3. Emissions reduction targets: We identify SBTi-validated emissions reduction targets and assess their ambitiousness, noting whether they address only Scope 1 and 2 or also Scope 3 emissions. Additionally, we review any evidence of progress to determine if the brand can be held accountable for meeting its targets.
  4. Renewable energy and credits: We evaluate whether brands utilize renewable energy sources in their operations or invest in credible renewable energy credits to counterbalance their energy use. We also record any carbon offsetting and tree planting initiatives in our brand reports, although these efforts are not factored into our scores.
IMPACT AREA 03

Water
& Chemicals

  1. Low water and chemical impact fibers: We assess the share of fibers that require less water and fewer chemicals than conventional alternatives. Our analysis uses third-party data sets alongside our proprietary assessments to compare production methods and verify certifications.
  2. Eutrophication risks: We evaluate strategies to reduce nutrient pollution in marine and terrestrial ecosystems. This includes reviewing wastewater treatment improvements, the adoption of closed-loop processes, and replacing high eutrophication risk fibers with lower-risk options.
  3. Water management: We examine how brands measure and minimize water use across their supply chains, with a focus on drought-affected regions. Our review checks supplier traceability and whether brands set and pursue time-bound water reduction goals.
  4. Chemical management: We examine publicly available RSLs and chemical management policies to gauge alignment with ZDHC or similar standards. Brands with heavy leather production face extra scrutiny due to the inherently toxic processes involved.
  5. Hazardous chemicals reduction targets: We assess whether brands have established clear, time-bound targets to reduce hazardous chemicals in their supply chains.
IMPACT AREA 04

Circularity
& Waste

  1. Biodegradable and recycled fibers: We assess the share of fibers that minimize waste via recycled content or biodegradability. We place extra value on post-consumer recycled fiber use, except for recycled polyester due to the heavy reliance on plastic bottles rather than textile-to-textile recycling. We also look for any relevant certifications such as GRS and RCS.
  2. Recyclability of items: We assess recyclability by analyzing fabric composition. Unblended fabrics made from a single fiber type are far easier to recycle, while blended fabrics containing multiple fibers hinder recycling. This evaluation reflects a brand’s commitment to circular design.
  3. Extended producer responsibility (EPR): We evaluate the presence of EPR initiatives, including recycling/takeback programs, resale/repair services, fabric care instructions, and customer incentives. These programs help promote a low-waste, circular economy.
  4. Microplastic shredding: We analyze strategies to prevent microplastic shedding by looking for initiatives such as the substitution of conventional polyester fibers with biodegradable alternatives and steps to reduce microfiber discharge during washing. We also look at the overall share of plastic-based fibers in a brand’s fiber portfolio.
  5. Waste management: We evaluate initiatives to reduce operational waste in the brand’s operations and supply chain manufacturing facilities, focusing on optimizing resource use and moving towards closed-loop production processes.

2. Social
Sustainability

This section evaluates the brand's impact across key social and labor risk areas, including animal welfare, workplace practices, and supply chain oversight.
IMPACT AREA 05

Animal
Welfare

  1. Animal-based material usage: We assess the proportion and types of animal-derived materials used in products, distinguishing between those that require animal slaughter (e.g., leather) and those harvested without slaughter (e.g., wool). A brand is designated as vegan only when our proprietary data confirms no use of animal materials.
  2. Efforts to reduce animal-derived inputs: We evaluate whether brands operating in categories where animal-based materials are common offer alternatives or actively reduce their reliance on such inputs. This helps us identify brands that are actively minimizing their use of animal-derived materials.
  3. Efforts to ensure humane treatment of animals: We consider third-party certifications (e.g., RWS, RDS, GOTS) to determine the extent to which animal welfare is ensured in the animal-based materials used by the brand.
  4. Animal welfare policy: We review the brand’s publicly available animal welfare policy, noting prohibited materials such as animal fur, hair, exotic skins, and leather from live or aborted animals, and verify alignment with The Five Freedoms of Animal Welfare.
IMPACT AREA 06

Workplace
Practices

  1. Employee stability and layoffs: We examine the brand’s history of significant layoffs and assess the conditions of severance packages to determine if workforce changes are managed in a sustainable and supportive manner.
  2. Financial security and voluntary benefits: We look for any evidence of voluntary financial or other benefits offered to employees beyond legal minimums, such as paid time off, parental leave, and employee stock ownership.
  3. Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI): We review whether the brand has any stated commitments to DEI through hiring practices, leadership representation, and policies that foster an inclusive environment and whether the brand provides any evidence of following through on these commitments.
  4. Career development and empowerment: We analyze the opportunities for internal professional growth, including training programs and initiatives designed to empower employees to advance their careers.
IMPACT AREA 07

Supply Chain
Workers’ Rights

  1. Supply chain traceability and transparency: We assess whether and how brands disclose information about their supply chain facilities, including names, addresses, facility types, product types, and workforce sizes, across all tiers. We also note if the brand has signed the Transparency Pledge or reports to the Open Supply Hub.
  2. Supplier code of conduct: We review available supplier codes of conduct and labor policies to ensure alignment with ILO standards. We evaluate if these policies include mechanisms to protect human and labor rights, including safeguards against child and forced labor, gender-based violence, and provisions for proper working conditions, wages, and collective bargaining rights.
  3. Auditing and monitoring mechanisms: We examine the existence and regularity of supply chain audits (e.g., Higg FSLM, Better Work) and other social and labor condition monitoring methods, as well as the depth at which they assess manufacturing facilities.
  4. Living wages and minimum wages: We assess whether the brand ensures that workers across its supply chain receive not only the legal minimum wage but also a living wage that adequately supports them and their families.
  5. Sourcing from regions with human rights issues: We examine whether there is evidence of the brand sourcing from regions with known, widespread human rights issues, such as cotton sourced via state-imposed forced labor from Xinjiang, China, or pre-2022 Uzbekistan.
Our evaluation methodology turns complex sustainability data into clear insights, empowering you to make confident and responsible fashion choices.
View brand reports