Is In The Style Fast Fashion? How Ethical & Sustainable is In The Style

Is In The Style fast fashion? Uncover its rapid trend replication, sustainability concerns, and ethical practices to make informed shopping decisions.
Written by: 
Ash Read
Last updated: 

Yes, In The Style is a fast fashion brand. Its business model is built on rapid trend replication, high-volume production, weekly product drops, and affordable price points designed to encourage frequent purchases. The brand's ethical and sustainability practices are largely opaque, with minimal public disclosure, no meaningful commitments to living wages, and a heavy reliance on environmentally damaging synthetic materials.

While In The Style has made some positive moves in promoting body diversity in their marketing, its core operations lack the transparency and accountability needed to be considered an ethical or sustainable choice. Here’s a detailed breakdown of the brand's practices:

What Makes In The Style Fast Fashion?

In The Style employs all the key strategies of a classic fast fashion retailer, focusing on speed and volume over longevity and quality.

  • Rapid Collection Turnaround: The brand introduces between 50 to 70 new styles every month, with some collections dropping on a weekly basis. This relentless cycle of newness creates a sense of urgency and encourages constant consumption.
  • Affordable, Low-Quality Pricing: With T-shirts priced around $10–$20 and dresses between $25–$50, the brand's pricing strategy is designed for impulse buys. These low costs are often reflective of cheap materials and low production wages.
  • Trend Replication: Instead of original design, In The Style's business model is based on quickly copying trending styles from social media and runways. Their designers can turn a viral look into a shoppable product in just 4–6 weeks.
  • High-Volume Outsourced Production: Manufacturing takes place in low-cost countries like China, Bangladesh, and Turkey. This allows the brand to produce huge quantities of clothing quickly and cheaply without owning the factories or being directly responsible for workers.

Is In The Style Ethical?

In The Style's ethical performance is poor, primarily due to a severe lack of transparency across its supply chain and a failure to commit to fair labor standards.

Labor Practices

The brand manufactures its clothing in countries with known labor rights risks like China and Bangladesh, where garment workers often face low wages and unsafe conditions. While specific wage data for In The Style's factories isn't available, workers in these regions typically earn around $150-$200 per month, which is far below a designated living wage of $350-$400. In The Style has not made any public commitment to paying living wages.

Supply Chain Transparency

Transparency is a major issue for the brand. In The Style does not publish a list of its suppliers or the results from any factory audits. Without this information, it is impossible for consumers or watchdog groups to verify that workers are being treated fairly and ethically. The brand holds no fair labor certifications like Fair Trade or SA8000.

Animal Welfare

Most of In The Style's products are made from synthetic materials, but they do use some animal-derived materials like leather and wool. The brand provides no information about the sourcing of these materials and is not certified by animal welfare organizations like the Responsible Wool Standard or Fur Free Retailer.

Where In The Style Falls Short Ethically

  • Lack of an accessible supplier list: The brand does not disclose any information about the factories it uses, making it impossible to assess working conditions.
  • No commitment to living wages: There is no evidence that workers in its supply chain earn enough to meet their basic needs and support their families.
  • Absence of labor certifications: In The Style lacks well-regarded third-party certifications that would verify its ethical claims.
  • Opaque sourcing practices: The brand does not provide any details on where or how it sources its materials, including those derived from animals.

Is In The Style Sustainable?

In The Style's environmental practices are concerning, characterized by a heavy reliance on fossil fuel-based fabrics and a complete lack of measurable sustainability goals.

Materials & Sourcing

An estimated 70-80% of In The Style’s clothing is made from virgin synthetic fibers like polyester and nylon. These materials are derived from petroleum, are energy-intensive to produce, and release microplastics when washed. The brand shows little evidence of using preferred materials like organic cotton or recycled fibers and holds no eco-textile certifications like GOTS or OEKO-TEX.

Environmental Impact

In The Style has not published any data regarding its carbon footprint, water usage, or chemical management in its supply chain. Without any publicly stated science-based targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, its environmental commitment remains unverified and likely minimal.

Circularity & Waste

The brand has no take-back, repair, or recycling programs in place to manage its products at the end of their life. Its business model promotes a disposable relationship with clothing, contributing directly to textile waste. There are no known initiatives to use deadstock fabric or reduce production waste.

Sustainability Goals & Progress

In The Style has published no meaningful, time-bound sustainability goals or public reports on its environmental progress. It does not hold any certifications like B Corp or Climate Neutral that would validate its environmental efforts. This lack of clear targets makes it difficult to hold the brand accountable for its environmental impact.

Where In The Style Falls Short on Sustainability

  • Over-reliance on virgin synthetics: Its heavy use of polyester and other fossil fuel-based materials contributes to pollution and climate change.
  • No public environmental data: The brand fails to report on key metrics like emissions, water consumption, and chemical use.
  • No circularity initiatives: It lacks any programs to recycle or reuse clothing, meaning most of its products end up in landfills.
  • Absence of sustainability goals: The brand has no clear, measurable targets for reducing its environmental footprint.

Our Verdict: In The Style's Ethical & Sustainability Grades

In a world of ultra-fast fashion, In The Style's lack of action and transparency places it firmly at the bottom of the pile. While it hasn't faced the same level of scandal as some of its peers, its failure to disclose basic information about its supply chain or environmental impact is a major red flag.

Ethical Practices: D+

The brand receives a D+ due to its non-transparent supply chain and lack of any commitment to paying living wages. While its marketing promotes diversity and inclusivity, these surface-level efforts do not make up for the serious potential for exploitation of garment workers behind the scenes. Without any third-party audits or certifications, consumers have no reason to trust that its products are made ethically.

Sustainability: D

In The Style earns a D for its almost complete lack of environmental stewardship. Its business model relies on cheap, petroleum-based synthetic fabrics and encourages overconsumption. An absence of any published goals, emissions data, recycling programs, or eco-certifications indicates that sustainability is not a priority for the brand.

Ethical & Sustainable Alternatives to In The Style

If you're looking for trend-forward styles but are concerned by In The Style's poor ratings, consider these alternatives that prioritize people and the planet.

People Tree

A pioneer in sustainable fashion, People Tree is a B Corp and World Fair Trade Organization certified brand offering stylish pieces made from 100% organic cotton and other eco-friendly materials. It guarantees living wages across a transparent supply chain, making it a leader in ethical production.

Shop now at peopletree.co.uk

Reformation

Reformation offers trendy and feminine styles with a lower environmental footprint, focusing on sustainable and recycled materials in a transparent supply chain. The brand is Climate Neutral certified and publishes detailed factory information and sustainability reports.

Shop now at thereformation.com

Everlane

Known for its modern basics and "radical transparency," Everlane discloses the costs behind its products and details of its factories. It focuses on high-quality pieces made from preferred materials like recycled polyester and certified organic cotton.

Shop now at everlane.com

Patagonia

A certified B Corp, Patagonia is an industry leader in both environmental and social responsibility, using predominantly recycled materials, guaranteeing Fair Trade Certified production, and offering a robust repair program to extend the life of its garments.

Shop now at patagonia.com

Eileen Fisher

This certified B Corp focuses on creating timeless designs using sustainable materials like organic linen and recycled fibers. Eileen Fisher is an industry leader in circularity, with an extensive take-back and resale program called "Renew" to keep clothes out of landfills.

Shop now at eileenfisher.com

Frequently Asked Questions

Does In The Style have a sustainable collection?

No, In The Style does not market or offer a specific "sustainable" or "conscious" collection. Its primary focus remains on producing high volumes of trend-led items using conventional, non-sustainable materials.

Why is In The Style so cheap?

The brand's low prices are a direct result of its fast fashion model. This includes mass producing items in countries with low labor costs, using inexpensive synthetic fabrics, and prioritizing volume sales over quality and durability.

Is In The Style a British Brand?

Yes, In The Style is a UK-based e-commerce fashion brand headquartered in Manchester, England. It primarily serves the UK market but also ships internationally.