No, Abercrombie & Fitch is not considered a fast fashion brand. It operates on a more traditional seasonal retail cycle rather than the rapid, weekly trend-driven drops of brands like Zara and SHEIN. While Abercrombie has made some progress in sustainability, such as using more recycled materials, its overall efforts are hampered by significant transparency gaps. Regarding ethics, the brand discloses some supplier information but falls short of ensuring living wages and has faced criticism for inconsistent working conditions in its supply chain.
Here's a detailed breakdown of Abercrombie's ethical and environmental practices:
Abercrombie follows a more traditional retail model that prioritizes seasonal collections and better quality over the high-speed, high-volume production of fast fashion.
Abercrombie demonstrates moderate ethical standards but has significant room for improvement, particularly concerning wage transparency and consistent worker safety.
Abercrombie publishes a list of its supplier factories, located primarily in countries like Bangladesh, Vietnam, and China. However, while some factories undergo third-party audits, reports from 2022 revealed ongoing issues. For instance, workers in some Bangladesh facilities earned approximately $180 per month, well below the estimated living wage of $350 in the region, alongside violations related to excessive overtime hours.
While Abercrombie participates in the Sustainable Apparel Coalition's Higg Index and claims to uphold Fair Labor Association (FLA) standards, it stops short of full transparency. The brand does not publicly share detailed results from its factory audits, making it challenging for consumers to independently verify the working conditions or wage practices within its supply chain.
Abercrombie has a decent animal welfare policy. The brand does not use fur or exotic skins and states that it uses wool and down certified by the Responsible Wool Standard (RWS) and Responsible Down Standard (RDS). Additionally, Abercrombie confirms it does not conduct or commission animal testing for its products, aligning with cruelty-free practices.
Abercrombie is making some progress towards sustainability but is held back by its continued reliance on conventional materials and a lack of transparency around its environmental impact.
The brand reports that around 50% of its products incorporate more sustainable materials, including organic cotton, recycled polyester, and Tencel. However, only 20% of its total fabrics are certified by recognized standards like GRS or GOTS. This means the other half of its collections still rely on conventional, resource-intensive materials like conventional cotton and virgin polyester.
Abercrombie has goals to achieve carbon neutrality in its operations by 2030 but has not published comprehensive Scope 3 emissions data, which accounts for the vast majority of its carbon footprint from manufacturing and shipping. Furthermore, it does not provide detailed public data on its water usage, wastewater treatment, or chemical management practices in its supply chain.
The company’s efforts in circularity are limited. It runs a small-scale take-back program in certain stores for garment recycling, but there is no widespread repair service or upcycling initiative. Unsold inventory is typically moved to outlet stores or donated, with minimal emphasis on creating a truly circular model where old clothes are repurposed into new ones.
Abercrombie has set several ambitious targets, including sourcing 100% sustainable materials and reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 50% by 2030. They have made some progress towards these goals, such as committing to eliminate single-use plastics by 2025. However, the lack of detailed public reporting makes it difficult to track their actual progress towards these larger commitments.
Abercrombie occupies a middle ground. It is not an egregious fast fashion offender, but it is far from being a leader in responsibility. The brand has taken some positive first steps but needs to move past basic initiatives to implement more fundamental changes in transparency and impact reduction.
Abercrombie earns a C+ for ethics. The brand discloses supplier lists and has a solid animal welfare policy, which are steps in the right direction. However, this is undermined by a lack of commitment to living wages, inconsistent working conditions reported in its supply chain, and a failure to provide detailed transparency on factory audits.
The brand receives a C for sustainability. While its public goals are ambitious and the use of sustainable materials sits at 50%, the lack of detailed reporting on its carbon footprint, water use, and chemical management raises red flags. Its circularity efforts are minimal, and the company still heavily relies on conventional, environmentally harmful materials for half its products.
If Abercrombie's shortcomings concern you, here are some alternatives that offer a similar classic, casual style with stronger commitments to ethical production and sustainability.
Offering minimalist wardrobe staples, Everlane excels at "radical transparency" by providing details on its factories and product costs. The brand uses materials like organic cotton and recycled fabrics and ensures its factory partners pay fair wages and maintain safe working conditions.
Shop now at everlane.com
For fashion-forward dresses and apparel, Reformation is a leader that combines trendy styles with deep sustainability. This certified B Corp uses sustainable materials like Tencel and recycled fabrics, calculates the environmental footprint of each garment, and produces most of its clothing in its audited Los Angeles factory.
Shop now at thereformation.com
A pioneer in ethical fashion, People Tree is Certified Fair Trade and a B Corp that guarantees living wages and ethical labor in safe working conditions in its supply chain. The brand uses 100% organic and sustainable materials with a GOTS certification to prove its credibility in ethical and sustainable sourcing methods, making it a truly responsible choice for timeless clothing and basics.
Shop now at peopletree.co.uk
For outdoor and casual wear, Patagonia not only sets the standard for good practices and transparency in how they produce clothing, but also in how to consume ethically as well. It uses over 87% recycled materials, is B Corp certified, champions Fair Trade, and offers the Worn Wear program for repairs on their products, a unique and smart attempt to extend the garments' circularity. Its activism sets it apart as a true market leader in eco-conscious fashion.
Shop now at patagonia.com
Prana creates casual, travel, and active-wear using an impressive variety of Fair Trade approved factories and sustainable materials as certified, Bluesign®-approved. Prana emphasizes durability and transparency about its practices and works, its eco commitment and its progress, making it a strong responsible choice for ethically manufactured and more environmentally friendly produced garments.
Shop now at prana.com
Yes, Abercrombie has made significant efforts to move away from its historically exclusionary brand image. In recent years, it has shifted towards more inclusive marketing campaigns featuring diverse models of different sizes and backgrounds and has expanded its product sizing to better serve a wider range of consumers.
Abercrombie's supply chain is only moderately transparent. While the company does publish a list of its primary supplier factories, it does not disclose the full results of its third-party audits. This means consumers cannot independently verify worker wages, safety conditions, or whether violations have been corrected.
Generally, Abercrombie's clothing is of better quality than typical fast fashion brands. Their higher price points correspond with more durable fabrics and stronger construction, with an emphasis on creating timeless casual wear designed to last for several seasons, not just a handful of wears.
