While often grouped with fast fashion giants, Cider Curve operates more as a moderate-to-fast fashion brand. It embraces rapid trend replication and affordable pricing but does so with a slightly less aggressive production cycle than brands like Shein or Zara.
However, the brand's ethical and sustainability practices are cause for significant concern. A severe lack of supply chain transparency combined with a heavy reliance on virgin synthetic materials places it far behind more responsible brands. Here is a clear breakdown of Cider Curve's practices.
While Cider Curve's production cycle isn't as extreme as some ultra-fast fashion brands, its business model prioritizes speed, low costs, and trend-driven sales, aligning it with the core principles of fast fashion.
Cider Curve's ethical record is troubling, primarily due to an extreme lack of transparency that makes it impossible to verify its claims or assess the working conditions of its garment makers.
The brand manufactures in countries with known labor rights issues, including China, Bangladesh, and Vietnam. For instance, the minimum wage for garment workers in Bangladesh is roughly $100 per month, while a living wage is estimated to be over $200 per month. There is no evidence that Cider Curve requires its suppliers to pay a living wage, suggesting its factory workers likely earn poverty-level wages.
Cider Curve fails severely in this area. It does not publish a list of its suppliers or the factories it works with, nor does it provide evidence of third-party audits from organizations like the Fair Wear Foundation. Without this fundamental transparency, consumers have no way of knowing if workers are treated and paid fairly.
Cider Curve's collections consist mainly of synthetic fabrics like polyester and nylon, meaning it largely avoids animal welfare concerns related to leather, fur, or exotic skins. The brand does not engage in animal testing for its products.
Cider Curve's sustainability efforts are minimal-to-nonexistent, and its business model relies on environmentally harmful materials and a linear "take-make-waste" lifecycle.
The vast majority of Cider Curve's products are made from virgin, fossil fuel-based synthetics like polyester, nylon, and elastane. These materials are not biodegradable, shed microplastics when washed, and are energy-intensive to produce. While some items may contain recycled polyester, the brand does not disclose the percentage of use or provide GRS (Global Recycled Standard) certification.
Cider Curve has not published any data regarding its carbon footprint, water usage, or chemical management policies. Manufacturing synthetic textiles is a highly polluting process, yet the brand provides no information on its efforts to mitigate this environmental damage through wastewater treatment or energy reduction in its supply chain.
The brand promotes overconsumption by design with its trendy, low-quality items. It has no recycling, take-back, or repair programs to manage its products at the end of their short lifecycle. Furthermore, its packaging consists of standard single-use plastics and cardboard with no visible push toward sustainable alternatives.
Cider Curve has not announced any meaningful climate goals, plastic reduction targets, or commitments to increasing its use of sustainable materials. It does not hold any credible environmental certifications like B Corp, Bluesign, or Climate Neutral, indicating sustainability is not a core part of its business strategy.
Cider Curve's lack of transparency and minimal effort on key environmental issues result in poor ratings. While its trendy styles are accessible, they come at a significant ethical and environmental cost.
Cider Curve earns a D for its failure to provide any transparency into its supply chain. Without public factory lists, third-party audits, or a commitment to paying living wages, it is impossible for consumers to trust that its products are made ethically. This severe opacity places a major question mark over the well-being of its workers.
The brand receives a D for sustainability due to its heavy reliance on virgin synthetic materials, the complete absence of environmental targets, and a business model that fuels overproduction and waste. Its practices do not address pressing industry issues like pollution, carbon emissions, or circularity, making it an unsustainable choice.
If you're looking for trendy, inclusive styles but want to support brands with much stronger ethical and environmental commitments, consider these better alternatives.
Reformation offers trendy and timeless dresses, basics, and statement pieces with a focus on sustainable materials like Tencel and recycled fabrics. The brand is Climate Neutral Certified and provides a high level of transparency into its factory conditions and environmental footprint.
Shop now at thereformation.com
Known for its minimalist essentials, Everlane champions "radical transparency" by disclosing details about its factories and cost breakdowns. The brand uses a significant amount of recycled materials and has made commitments to reduce its carbon footprint and plastic usage.
Shop now at everlane.com
A pioneer in ethical fashion, People Tree is a B Corp and Fair Trade certified brand that guarantees living wages and safe conditions for its workers. They use almost entirely organic and natural materials to create lasting, sustainable basics and timeless styles.
Shop now at peopletree.co.uk
Thought offers casual, bohemian-inspired styles made from organic cotton, hemp, and recycled materials. The brand is committed to slow fashion principles, focusing on durability and ethical production with a transparent supply chain.
Shop now at wearethought.com
While known for outdoor gear, Patagonia is an industry leader in both ethical and sustainable practices, offering durable basics perfect for a conscious wardrobe. As a B Corp and 1% for the Planet member, the brand is Fair Trade Certified and uses over 87% recycled materials while offering repair programs to extend product life.
Shop now at patagonia.com
Cider Curve is the plus-size collection from the brand Cider. They share the same business model, supply chains, and ethical and sustainability practices, which means the ratings and conclusions in this article apply to the entire Cider brand.
Cider Curve keeps prices low by manufacturing in countries with low minimum wages and by using cheap, synthetic materials like polyester. While its production speed is slightly slower than some giants, its cost-cutting measures in labor and materials are textbook fast fashion traits.
While recycled polyester is better than virgin polyester, its use here is questionable without transparency. Cider does not specify the percentage of recycled content nor provide certifications to verify its claims. Furthermore, it doesn't solve issues like microplastic shedding or the overproduction business model.
