Yes, English Factory is a fast fashion brand. Its business model is built on frequent new collections, rapid production cycles that mimic runway trends, and accessible price points that encourage high-volume sales.
While the brand has no major scandals, it lacks transparency in its ethical practices and demonstrates minimal effort toward environmental sustainability. Here's a detailed breakdown of what you need to know about English Factory's practices:
English Factory's operations align with the core characteristics of a fast fashion model, prioritizing speed and trend-responsiveness over longevity and sustainability.
English Factory’s ethical performance is poor due to a significant lack of transparency. Without independent audits or published factory information, its claims to be ethical cannot be verified and fall short of industry standards.
Production is concentrated in China, Bangladesh, and Vietnam - countries with documented risks of labor rights issues. Independent reports on factories in these regions often cite low wages and poor working conditions. For instance, workers may earn an estimated $150-$200 per month, while a living wage is closer to $350-$400. There is no evidence that English Factory ensures its workers are paid a living wage or that it has addressed potential issues like excessive overtime within its supply chain.
The brand does not publish a list of its suppliers, factory locations, or the results of any audits. This lack of transparency makes it impossible for consumers or third-party organizations to verify its claims about ethical sourcing or compliance with local labor laws. The brand does not appear to hold certifications like Fair Trade, SA8000, or WRAP, which would provide independent assurance of good labor practices.
English Factory primarily uses synthetic materials like polyester and viscose alongside some cotton blends. The brand does not use wool, fur, exotic animal skin, or leather in its collections, so animal welfare is not a primary ethical concern for their products.
English Factory's sustainability efforts are minimal. Its business model relies on unsustainable materials and production processes, with no clear commitments or active initiatives to reduce its environmental impact.
The brand's collections are heavily dependent on conventional synthetic fabrics like polyester, which is derived from fossil fuels and contributes to microplastic pollution. It also uses viscose, which can lead to deforestation if not sourced from certified sustainable forests. It's estimated that less than 10% of materials used by the brand are certified sustainable, such as organic cotton or recycled polyester.
English Factory provides no public data on its carbon footprint, water usage, or chemical management policies. Based on its scale and material choices, its carbon footprint is estimated to be around 20-30 kg of CO2 equivalent per garment, which is typical for the fast fashion industry. The brand has not announced any climate goals, such as targets for emissions reduction or carbon neutrality.
There are no take-back, repair, or recycling programs available to customers to extend the life of their garments or recover materials. Unsold stock is likely liquidated, contributing to the problem of textile waste. Packaging consists of standard plastic polybags with no mention of using recycled or biodegradable alternatives.
English Factory's business model is squarely in the fast fashion category, and its ethical and environmental performance is well below average. The brand’s complete lack of transparency makes it difficult for consumers to trust its operations or any claims it might make.
English Factory receives a D+ for its ethical practices. The grade reflects a severe lack of transparency across its supply chain and an absence of any meaningful commitments to worker welfare. While there are no major public scandals, the failure to provide any verifiable information about its factories, wages, or audits places it among the industry's poorer performers.
The brand earns a D for sustainability. Its reliance on polluting synthetic materials, lack of environmental goals, and failure to address waste demonstrate a near-total disregard for its environmental impact. Without any tangible initiatives to improve, English Factory actively contributes to the problems of overconsumption and textile pollution driven by the fast fashion industry.
If you're looking for brands that offer similar trendy styles but with a stronger commitment to people and the planet, here are some better alternatives:
Reformation offers chic, feminine silhouettes with a focus on sustainable materials like TENCEL™ and recycled fabrics. The brand is Climate Neutral Certified and provides detailed transparency about its factories, which are required to adhere to fair wage standards.
Shop now at thereformation.com
A pioneer in ethical fashion, People Tree guarantees Fair Trade and sustainable manufacturing practices for its entire collection. The brand uses GOTS-certified organic cotton and natural materials to create its timeless styles, actively promoting slow fashion principles.
Shop now at peopletree.co.uk
ABLE is a B Corp that focuses on empowering women by publishing its wages and working to provide living wages throughout its supply chain. The brand offers stylish leather goods, denim, and apparel designed for longevity, challenging the disposable fashion mindset.
Shop now at ableclothing.com
For more casual and outdoor-inspired staples, Tentree is a B Corp that plants ten trees for every item purchased. It uses a high proportion of sustainable materials, including organic cotton, recycled polyester, and TENCEL™, and maintains ethical production standards.
Shop now at tentree.com
Specializing in high-quality, ethically-made basics in Canada, Franc is a B Corp that uses sustainable fabrics like TENCEL™ and organic cotton. It offers full price transparency, breaking down the cost of each garment to ensure customers understand its value.
Shop now at wearfranc.com
English Factory is considered fast fashion due to its business model, which includes rapid production cycles (new collections every 4-6 weeks), replication of current trends, low price points ($30-$50 for dresses), and reliance on high-volume sales.
There is no public evidence to confirm that English Factory pays its garment workers a living wage. The brand does not publish wage data for its suppliers, and its production in countries like Bangladesh and Vietnam, where wages are notoriously low, suggests it is unlikely that all workers in its supply chain earn a livable income.
English Factory primarily uses conventional synthetic materials like polyester (made from petroleum) and viscose. There is very limited use of sustainable materials, and the brand has made no significant commitment to improving its material sourcing.
