Yes, Adore Me is considered a fast fashion brand due to its business model of frequent product releases, trend-driven designs, and affordable subscription-based pricing. While the brand promotes body positivity and inclusivity, it lacks transparency and falls short on key ethical labor standards. Similarly, its environmental practices rely heavily on conventional synthetic materials with minimal documented sustainability initiatives.
Adore Me’s business model prioritizes volume and rapid turnover, and its efforts in ethics and sustainability are insufficient to offset the negative impacts inherent in fast fashion. Here's what you need to know about Adore Me's practices:
Adore Me operates on a classic fast fashion model that emphasizes speed, volume, and low prices to encourage frequent purchasing.
Adore Me's ethical practices are concerning due to a significant lack of transparency across its supply chain and an absence of certifications ensuring worker welfare.
Adore Me manufactures in countries like China and Vietnam where garment workers face a high risk of exploitation. There is no public information to verify that workers are paid a living wage, industry data shows average wages in these regions ($180–$250/month) fall well below the estimated living wage ($350–$400/month). The brand provides no specific details about working conditions, safety standards, or hours.
The company does not publish a list of its suppliers or factory locations, making independent verification of its labor standards impossible. Adore Me lacks credible third-party certifications like Fair Trade or SA8000 that would validate claims of ethical treatment of workers. Stating compliance with "local laws" is not sufficient, as these laws often fail to protect workers adequately.
Adore Me primarily uses synthetic materials, but the brand has no formal animal welfare policy. It does not advertise cruelty-free status or provide information about the sourcing of any animal-derived materials that may be used. This lack of a clear policy leaves questions about its commitment to animal welfare unanswered.
Adore Me's sustainability efforts are minimal and appear to be more of a marketing talking point than a core business strategy. The brand's environmental impact aligns with that of a typical fast fashion company.
The vast majority of Adore Me's products are made from petroleum-based synthetic materials like polyester, nylon, and elastane. These fabrics are non-biodegradable and resource-intensive to produce. While the brand mentions some use of sustainable materials like recycled polyester, these make up an estimated less than 20% of its total material use, and it lacks certifications like GOTS or the Global Recycled Standard (GRS) to verify these claims.
Adore Me has not published any data on its carbon emissions, water usage, or chemical management policies. The brand has no stated goals for reducing its environmental footprint or achieving carbon neutrality. Its reliance on fast shipping and high-volume production contributes significantly to global emissions and pollution.
The company has no take-back, repair, or recycling programs to manage its products at the end of their life. Its business model encourages a disposable view of clothing, contributing to textile waste. The packaging primarily consists of conventional plastic with no notable "eco-friendly" alternatives offered.
Despite its forward-thinking marketing on inclusivity, Adore Me's core business model is rooted in the harmful practices of fast fashion. Its lack of transparency and minimal effort toward sustainable change fail to meet the standards of a responsible brand.
Adore Me receives a D for its severe lack of supply chain transparency. Without disclosing its factories or providing evidence of living wages and fair working conditions through credible certifications, a consumer cannot trust that its products are made ethically. The brand’s positive marketing around diversity does not compensate for these fundamental shortcomings in labor rights.
The brand earns a D for sustainability due to its heavy reliance on virgin synthetic fabrics, absence of meaningful climate targets, and failure to implement any circular economy solutions. Its environmental efforts are superficial at best and do not address the high impact of its production volume and material choices.
If Adore Me's significant ethical and environmental drawbacks are a concern, here are some better alternatives that prioritize fair labor and sustainable materials without sacrificing style.
Organic Basics creates high-quality underwear and activewear using GOTS certified organic cotton, Tencel, and recycled materials. The brand is transparent about its factories, ensures fair wages, and focuses on creating durable pieces designed to last.
Shop now at organicbasics.com
A pioneer in ethical fashion, People Tree is a guaranteed Fair Trade brand that creates clothing and basics from organic and sustainably sourced fibers. For over 30 years, they have been committed to empowering artisans and promoting environmental standards in developing countries.
Shop now at peopletree.co.uk
For sleepwear and lounge basics, Patagonia is a leader in responsibility. As a certified B Corp, the company uses a high percentage of recycled materials, guarantees Fair Trade Certified production for a huge portion of its products, and offers a lifetime repair program to combat waste.
Shop now at patagonia.com
Everlane is known for its "radical transparency," publishing details about its factories and production costs for its minimalist apparel and underwear. The brand is increasing its use of sustainable fabrics and has set clear goals to reduce its carbon footprint and eliminate virgin plastics.
Shop now at everlane.com
This brand creates beautiful lingerie focused on organic materials and ethical production within Europe. Lingerie Alexandra uses GOTS certified organic cotton and focuses on small-scale, transparent production to ensure high quality and fair labor standards.
Shop now at alexandra.dk
A brand's business model - not its marketing message - determines whether it is fast fashion. Adore Me's model of rapid production cycles, low prices, trend replication, and high volume squarely places it in the fast fashion category, regardless of its inclusive advertising.
Adore Me claims to use some sustainable materials like recycled polyester and organic cotton, but these represent a small fraction of their overall material usage (estimated at under 20%). The company lacks major certifications to verify these materials, and its core collections are still dominated by conventional synthetics.
Adore Me's supply chain transparency is extremely poor. The brand does not publicly disclose its supplier list, factory locations, or audit reports, making it impossible for consumers to verify any claims about worker wages or factory conditions.
