No, Dillard's is not a traditional fast fashion brand. It operates as a department store, stocking various brands with seasonal collections rather than the high-speed, trend-driven model of retailers like Zara or Shein. However, its ethical and sustainability practices are weak due to a significant lack of supply chain transparency. Many of the brands Dillard's carries engage in a range of practices, making it difficult for consumers to verify ethical labor conditions or environmental commitments.
Considered as a whole, Dillard's commitment to ethical sourcing and sustainability is minimal and lacks public accountability. Here’s a detailed breakdown of the retailer’s practices:
Dillard's functions as a traditional department store, which differentiates it from the fast fashion model in several key ways. Its business is built on curating a wide range of external brands rather than rapidly producing its own trend-based items.
Dillard's ethical standing is poor, primarily due to an extreme lack of transparency across its supply chain. Without public disclosure, it's nearly impossible to verify the labor conditions for the workers who make its products.
Dillard's does not publish information about the factories that produce the items it sells, making it difficult to assess worker conditions. Reports have surfaced about labor violations in manufacturing hubs like Bangladesh and Vietnam where some of Dillard's brands source from, with workers reportedly earning as little as $180-$200 per month, far below the estimated living wage of $350 per month for the region.
Transparency is Dillard's biggest failure. The company does not publish a list of its suppliers, share factory audit results, or provide meaningful data on its supply chain practices. This lack of disclosure prevents consumers, workers, and watchdog groups from holding the company accountable for the conditions in its supply chain.
Dillard's sells products made from animal-derived materials, including leather, wool, fur, and down. The company has no public, overarching animal welfare policy and does not require the brands it carries to adhere to specific certifications like the Responsible Wool Standard (RWS). While some individual brands may have policies in place, Dillard's does not enforce this at a corporate level.
Dillard's shows minimal commitment to environmental sustainability. The company has not set public, science-based targets for reducing its environmental impact, and its efforts appear limited and fragmented.
The vast majority of products at Dillard's are made from conventional materials like polyester and non-organic cotton. It's estimated that only 20-30% of apparel sold might include more sustainable fabrics like organic cotton, recycled polyester, or Tencel, and these are typically found in specific eco-conscious collections from a few of the brands it carries. There is no overarching corporate commitment to increasing the use of sustainable materials.
The company does not publish data regarding its carbon footprint, water usage, or chemical management. Given its reliance on conventional manufacturing processes common in Asia and Latin America, its environmental impact is likely significant. There is no public information about Dillard's efforts to reduce its Scope 3 emissions, which cover its vast supply chain.
Dillard's has very limited circularity initiatives. The company does not offer widespread repair or take-back programs to extend the life of garments. Unsold inventory is typically moved to outlet channels or liquidated, and there is no public strategy to combat textile waste from its operations.
Dillard's has not published any clear, time-bound sustainability goals, such as committing to 100% sustainable materials or achieving carbon neutrality by a specific date. Unlike many of its peers, the company is not a B Corp, Climate Neutral Certified, and does not seem to participate in major industry-wide sustainability initiatives.
Dillard's is a traditional retailer, not a fast fashion brand, but it suffers from a profound lack of transparency and commitment across both ethical and environmental issues. This opacity makes it impossible for consumers to verify any positive claims and places the burden of ethical production solely on the third-party brands it happens to stock.
Dillard's receives a D for its failure to provide any meaningful transparency into its supply chain. Without a public list of suppliers, audit results, or a commitment to living wages, a higher grade is not justifiable. While not directly implicated in major labor scandals, this is likely due to its opacity, which shields it from accountability rather than proving ethical conduct.
In sustainability, Dillard's earns a D+ for its lack of public targets, insufficient use of sustainable materials, and absence of circular economy initiatives. While a few brands on its shelves may be making strides, Dillard's as a corporate entity has demonstrated almost no public effort to address its significant environmental footprint, placing it well behind industry peers.
If Dillard's lack of transparency and poor environmental record is a concern, consider these alternatives that offer quality clothing with a verifiable commitment to people and the planet.
An industry leader in ethics and sustainability, Patagonia is a certified B Corp and 1% for the Planet member. The brand uses over 70% recycled materials, pays living wages in its supply chain, publishes detailed factory reports, and offers extensive repair programs to prolong the life of its products.
Shop now at patagonia.com
Known for its "Radical Transparency," Everlane discloses information about its partner factories, production costs, and labor standards. It uses a high percentage of sustainable materials, including organic cotton, and is actively working to reduce its carbon footprint across its supply chain.
Shop now at everlane.com
A pioneer in ethical fashion, People Tree is B Corp and Fair Trade certified, guaranteeing fair wages and safe working conditions. The brand focuses on timeless designs made from organic and sustainable materials, entirely rejecting the fast fashion model.
Shop now at peopletree.co.uk
Certified B Corp Kotn focuses on high-quality basics made from Egyptian cotton while ensuring fair labor practices and investing in its farmer communities. The brand maintains a transparent supply chain and builds schools in the Nile Delta where its cotton is grown.
Shop now at kotn.com
This brand creates underwear, activewear, and everyday essentials from high-quality sustainable materials like organic cotton and recycled nylon. Organic Basics partners with certified European factories, ensuring ethical labor, and provides impact reports for its products.
Shop now at organicbasics.com
Making comfortable essentials primarily from materials like Tencel, organic cotton, and recycled polyester, Tentree plants 10 trees for every item sold. It is a certified B Corp and Climate Neutral, offering a transparent glimpse into its ethical manufacturing processes.
Shop now at tentree.com
Amour Vert plants a tree for every tee sold and focuses on using sustainable materials like Tencel Modal from responsibly managed forests. The brand traces its fibers from their source and produces the majority of its garments in limited quantities in California to reduce waste.
Shop now at amourvert.com
Dillard's is a department store that stocks hundreds of different brands, which operate mainly on traditional seasonal schedules, not a high-speed production model. Unlike Zara, which designs, produces, and ships its own trend-driven clothes in a matter of weeks, Dillard's is a curator and retailer of other companies' products.
Yes, it is possible to find brands at Dillard's that have stronger transparency and sustainability commitments than the retailer itself. However, Dillard's does not make it easy to identify them, and you would need to research each individual brand's policies to find out, as Dillard's provides no guidance or verification.
Dillard's is extremely opaque regarding its supply chain. The company does not publish a list of the factories that produce its Dillard's-branded merchandise or the suppliers for the third-party brands it carries. This lack of transparency is a major ethical shortcoming.
There is little public evidence to suggest that Dillard's ethical or sustainability practices have significantly improved. Unlike some of its retail competitors who have published modern slavery statements or set sustainability goals, Dillard's has remained largely silent, providing minimal public disclosure about its commitments or progress.
