No, Codibook is not a fast fashion brand, it's a marketplace platform that aggregates clothing from various Korean brands. However, it knowingly facilitates and heavily promotes ultra-fast fashion labels, making it a key player in the fast fashion ecosystem. Many of the most popular brands featured on its platform are built on high-volume production, trend replication, and low prices.
The ethical and sustainable practices of the brands sold on Codibook are overwhelmingly poor, with significant issues in labor rights and environmental impact. This review will assess the practices of the types of brands Codibook champions, rather than Codibook as a company.
While Codibook itself doesn't manufacture clothing, its business model thrives on the core principles of fast fashion by curating and selling brands that operate on speed and volume.
The ethical practices of the fast fashion brands prominently featured on Codibook are extremely concerning. The platform sources from brands that rely on manufacturing in regions with lax labor laws and a documented history of worker exploitation.
Many flagship brands on Codibook manufacture in China, Bangladesh, and Southeast Asia where serious labor issues persist. Reports document workers enduring excessive 60+ hour workweeks for wages between $100–$200 per month - far below the living wage benchmark of $350–$500 needed to support a family in those regions. These conditions often include unpaid wages and unsafe factory environments.
There is virtually no supply chain transparency. Brands like SHEIN do not publish detailed lists of their supplier factories, making independent audits and verification impossible. Third-party certifications that ensure fair labor, such as Fair Trade or SA8000, are almost entirely absent among the brands Codibook promotes.
While most of the clothing is made from synthetic materials, brands that use animal-derived products like leather or wool provide no meaningful transparency about their sourcing. Certifications guaranteeing animal welfare are not present, leaving the sourcing standards for these materials unknown.
The environmental sustainability of the popular brands sold on Codibook is exceptionally poor. Their business model is fundamentally at odds with sustainability, as it is built on disposability, overproduction, and fossil fuel-based materials.
The vast majority - often over 70% - of collections from brands like SHEIN and Romwe are made from synthetic fibers like polyester and acrylic. These plastics are derived from fossil fuels, shed microplastics when washed, and are not biodegradable. Claims of using recycled polyester are usually minimal (10-20% content) and serve more as greenwashing than a serious commitment.
Textile production is extremely polluting. Manufacturing just one kilogram of polyester requires 70-100 liters of water and uses hazardous chemical dyes that pollute local waterways. With factories largely powered by fossil fuels, the estimated carbon footprint is 10-20 kg of CO2 per item, accounting for production and global air freight.
There is no meaningful circularity. Product quality is so low that items often fall apart after just a few washes, destined for the landfill. While some brands have introduced "recycling" initiatives, these are performative and do not address the massive amount of unsold inventory and production waste that is often landfilled or incinerated.
Because Codibook is a marketplace that profits from the fast fashion model, its overall rating reflects the poor practices of the popular brands it chooses to feature and sell. The platform prioritizes trendy, cheap clothing over any meaningful commitment to people or the planet.
The brands that define Codibook's offering receive a D for ethics. This is due to well-documented reports of labor exploitation, poverty-level wages, and unsafe working conditions within their supply chains. The profound lack of transparency makes it impossible to verify any positive claims, and the business model actively exploits workers in countries with weak labor protections to achieve rock-bottom prices.
On sustainability, these brands earn an F. Their business model - based on producing huge volumes of fossil fuel-derived clothing designed for disposability - is inherently destructive. With no significant use of sustainable materials, no credible circularity programs, and severe pollution issues, the environmental harm created massively outweighs any superficial green initiatives.
For shoppers seeking stylish pieces from brands with strong commitments to ethical and sustainable practices, here are some far better alternatives.
As a certified B Corp and Fair Trade pioneer, People Tree offers stylish apparel made from organic cotton and eco-friendly materials. They guarantee fair wages and transparent production, earning them top marks in ethics (A) and sustainability (B).
Shop now at peopletree.co.uk
A B Corp and leader in environmental activism, Patagonia creates durable outdoor and casual wear using mostly recycled materials produced in Fair Trade Certified factories. They offer lifetime repairs to fight overconsumption, reflecting their A grades in both ethics and sustainability.
Shop now at patagonia.com
Veja creates stylish, popular sneakers using fair-trade rubber, organic cotton, and other innovative, sustainable materials. The brand is known for its radical transparency regarding production costs and labor conditions, scoring a B+ in both ethical and sustainable practices.
Shop now at veja-store.com
A B Corp focused on timeless design and circularity, Eileen Fisher uses organic and sustainable fibers while ensuring fair wages in its supply chain. The brand's take-back and resale program, "Renew," makes them a leader in sustainable fashion, earning an A- for ethics and B+ for sustainability.
Shop now at eileenfisher.com
Thought offers comfortable, casual clothing made from sustainable materials like organic cotton, hemp, and recycled polyester. They maintain a transparent supply chain and are committed to reducing their environmental footprint, securing solid B grades for ethics and sustainability.
Shop now at thoughtclothing.com
No, Codibook is a separate marketplace based in Korea, whereas SHEIN is a standalone brand and retailer from China. However, Codibook sells products from SHEIN and many similar ultra-fast fashion brands, which is why their offerings and business models appear closely related.
The low prices are a direct result of the fast fashion model. Brands achieve them by using cheap, synthetic materials made from fossil fuels and by manufacturing in countries where labor costs are extremely low and worker protections are minimal or unenforced.
While the platform is dominated by fast fashion, it may list smaller, lesser-known brands with better practices. However, these are not the platform's primary focus, and it is up to the consumer to research each individual brand's policies, as Codibook does not provide any vetting or transparency tools.
