Is Glassons Fast Fashion? How Ethical & Sustainable is Glassons

Yes, Glassons is a fast fashion brand. Its entire business model - producing frequent, trend-driven collections at low price points - is a hallmark of fast fashion retailers in Australia and New Zealand.

The brand's ethical commitments are minimal and lack the transparency needed to be credible, particularly regarding labor wages and conditions. Similarly, its sustainability practices are underdeveloped, relying heavily on conventional materials with vague goals and an absence of a circular economy model. Here's a detailed breakdown of its practices.

What Makes Glassons Fast Fashion?

Glassons' operations are built on speed, volume, and affordability, which are the core pillars of the fast fashion industry.

• Rapid production cycles: Glassons releases new collections every 4 to 8 weeks and introduces approximately 150-200 new styles every two months. This speed encourages a high volume of consumption and positions clothing as disposable.
• Affordable, trend-based pricing: With dresses from $30-$60 and jeans for around $40-$70, Glassons' low prices encourage impulse buys. The pricing structure is only possible because of low-cost manufacturing and the use of inexpensive materials.
• Trend replication: The brand's designs are heavily influenced by runway looks and viral social media trends, rather than focusing on original or enduring styles. This aligns its design ethos with the quick-turnaround model of imitating rather than innovating.
• High-volume manufacturing: Sourcing from countries like China and Bangladesh allows Glassons to produce large quantities of clothing cheaply and quickly, but this often comes at an environmental and social cost.

Is Glassons Ethical?

Glassons' claims of ethical sourcing lack substance, as the brand offers very little transparency into its supply chain or verification of its standards.

Labor Practices

Glassons manufactures its products in countries like China and Bangladesh, regions notorious for poor labor conditions in the garment industry. While the company states it conducts factory audits, it doesn't provide evidence that workers are paid a living wage. Garment workers in Bangladesh, for example, typically earn around $80-$150 per month, far below the estimated living wage of $250-$350.

Supply Chain Transparency

The brand's transparency is extremely limited. Glassons does not publicly disclose a list of its supplier factories or share the results of its factory audits. Without this information, it is impossible for consumers or third-party organizations to verify its claims about worker safety and fair treatment.

Animal Welfare

Glassons does not use materials like fur or exotic skins, but it does use some wool. However, the company has no formal animal welfare policy and does not appear to hold certifications like the Responsible Wool Standard (RWS), leaving the treatment of animals in its supply chain unclear.

Where Glassons Falls Short Ethically

• No commitment to living wages: There is no evidence indicating that workers in Glassons' supply chain earn a living wage that covers basic family needs.
• Lack of supply chain transparency: By failing to publish a list of its suppliers, Glassons avoids accountability for the conditions within those factories.
• Absence of fair trade certifications: The brand lacks third-party certifications like Fair Trade or SA8000, which would independently verify its ethical claims.

Is Glassons Sustainable?

Glassons' sustainability efforts are minimal and overshadowed by the inherent unsustainability of its fast fashion business model.

Materials & Sourcing

The majority of Glassons' clothing is made from conventional materials like polyester, viscose, and non-organic cotton. While the brand has started using recycled polyester in some items, it comprises less than 10% of its total material use. It does not use certified sustainable materials like GOTS organic cotton or TENCEL on a wide scale.

Environmental Impact

Glassons has not published any data on its carbon footprint or set targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Its production processes rely on water-intensive crops like conventional cotton and fossil-fuel-derived synthetics, contributing to water scarcity and microplastic pollution. Sourcing from countries with lax environmental regulations increases the risk of polluted waterways from untreated dyes and chemicals.

Circularity & Waste

The company has no notable initiatives regarding circularity. Glassons does not operate a take-back, repair, or recycling program for its used clothing, meaning most of its products end up in landfills. Unsold stock is typically donated or disposed of, and its packaging remains predominantly single-use plastic.

Sustainability Goals & Progress

Glassons' sustainability commitments are vague and lack concrete, measurable targets. The brand expresses an intention to improve its practices but provides no clear roadmap or deadlines for achieving key goals like reducing emissions, increasing its use of sustainable materials, or transitioning to circular systems.

Where Glassons Falls Short on Sustainability

• Heavy reliance on virgin synthetic materials: The brand's low use of recycled or organic materials (under 10%) signifies a major gap in its sustainability strategy.
• No climate targets: Without any disclosed greenhouse gas reduction goals, the brand shows a clear lack of commitment to addressing its climate impact.
• No circularity initiatives: Glassons fails to take responsibility for its products at the end of their life, contributing directly to the textile waste crisis.
• Greenwashing through vague language: Expressing a commitment to sustainability without providing specific data or time-bound targets is a form of greenwashing.

Our Verdict: Glassons' Ethical & Sustainability Grades

Glassons’ performance in both ethics and sustainability is poor, characterized by a lack of transparency and minimal effort to address the negative impacts of its fast fashion model.

Ethical Practices: D+

Glassons receives a D+ for its ethical practices due to its complete lack of supply chain transparency and the absence of any commitment to paying living wages. While it claims to audit factories, the lack of third-party verification and public reporting makes these claims difficult to trust. It fails to meet the basic standards of accountability that consumers should expect.

Sustainability: D

We grade Glassons' sustainability a D. The brand relies on environmentally damaging materials, has not set any meaningful climate goals, and fails to engage with a circular economy. Its actions amount to token efforts that do nothing to counteract the high volume of waste and pollution generated by its core business model.

Ethical & Sustainable Alternatives to Glassons

If you're looking for brands that offer similar styles with a genuine commitment to people and the planet, here are some better alternatives:

Everlane

Everlane offers modern basics and chic essentials with a focus on supply chain transparency, often revealing the true cost behind each product. With price points comparable to Glassons on some items, it uses a higher percentage of sustainable materials like certified organic cotton and recycled fabrics.

Shop now at everlane.com

Reformation

For trendy and feminine pieces like dresses and tops, Reformation is a great choice. It is a certified Climate Neutral company, uses a high proportion of sustainable materials like TENCEL, and provides a yearly sustainability report tracking its impact. Its price point is higher, but it reflects better quality and ethical production.

Shop now at thereformation.com

KOTN

KOTN excels in creating high-quality basics from authentic Egyptian cotton sourced directly from smallholder farms in the Nile Delta. The brand is a certified B Corp, ensures fair labor practices through its transparent supply chain, and invests in the communities it works with by building schools.

Shop now at kotn.com

People Tree

As a pioneer in ethical fashion for over 30 years, People Tree is unmatched in its commitment to Fair Trade principles. All of its products are made with GOTS-certified organic cotton and sustainable materials by artisans and farmers who are paid a fair, living wage.

Shop now at peopletree.co.uk

Outerknown

Outerknown is an excellent choice for casualwear and invests heavily in fair labor and sustainable materials, with over 90% of its fibers being regenerative, organic, or recycled. The brand is Fair Labour Association accredited and provides detailed transparency about its suppliers.

Shop now at outerknown.com

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is Glassons so cheap?

Glassons' prices are low because it uses a fast fashion model. This includes mass-producing clothing in countries with low labor costs, using inexpensive synthetic materials, and focusing on high sales volume over quality construction and longevity.

Does Glassons have any sustainable collections?

Glassons markets some items as more sustainable, such as those made with recycled polyester. However, these materials account for less than 10% of their total collection, a figure that is too small to be considered a meaningful sustainability effort. These small collections often serve as greenwashing that distracts from the brand's larger environmental impact.

Has Glassons been involved in any labor scandals?

There have been no major scandals directly naming Glassons. However, the brand operates in high-risk manufacturing regions - like Bangladesh and China - where systematic labor abuses are common. Without transparency, it's impossible to confirm that its suppliers are free from issues like forced labor, unsafe conditions, or poverty wages.

Is Glassons better than SHEIN?

Glassons is marginally less harmful than an ultra-fast fashion brand like SHEIN because its production cycle is slightly slower and it operates physical stores with more regional accountability. However, both brands use the same exploitative and environmentally damaging business model based on overproduction and disposability. Choosing Glassons over SHEIN is a choice between two poor options.