Yes, JustFab is a fast fashion brand. Its entire business model is built on the rapid production of trend-driven footwear and apparel, frequent new collections, and a subscription service that encourages high-volume consumption. While the brand claims to work with "ethical factories," it provides almost no transparency to back this up, with significant shortcomings in both its labor practices and environmental initiatives.
Ultimately, JustFab's operational structure, pricing, and lack of accountability regarding its supply chain and environmental impact firmly place it in the fast fashion category. Here’s a detailed breakdown of its practices.
JustFab operates a classic fast fashion model, prioritizing speed-to-market and affordability over quality and sustainability. Its subscription-based structure further accelerates the consumption cycle.
JustFab's ethical practices are poor, characterized by a near-total lack of transparency regarding its supply chain and worker conditions. The brand's claims of ethical sourcing are not supported by public evidence or certifications.
JustFab’s supply chain is located in countries like China and Vietnam, notorious for poor labor protections. While JustFab mentions conducting audits, it provides no results. Factory workers in these regions typically earn around $180–$250 per month, which falls significantly short of the estimated living wages of $350–$400 per month needed for a decent standard of living.
Transparency is a major failure for JustFab. The company does not publish a list of its suppliers, share factory audit results, or provide any verifiable information about working conditions. This opacity makes it impossible for consumers to verify claims or understand the real human cost behind its products.
JustFab sells products made with conventional leather but provides no information about its sourcing policies. The brand does not have a formal animal welfare policy and is not certified by cruelty-free organizations like PETA, leaving its treatment of animals entirely unaccounted for.
JustFab demonstrates minimal effort toward environmental sustainability. Its business model promotes overconsumption, and it has made no significant commitments to reduce its environmental impact.
The brand primarily uses conventional synthetic materials and leathers, which are resource-intensive and contribute to issues like microplastic pollution. It provides no significant data on its use of sustainable materials, with estimates suggesting less than 10% of its collections contain certified organic or recycled content.
JustFab does not publish any data regarding its carbon footprint, water usage, or chemical management. The company has not set any science-based targets for emissions reduction or signed on to industry-wide climate initiatives, indicating a lack of accountability for its environmental impact.
There are no take-back, repair, or recycling programs offered by JustFab, meaning its products are designed for a linear "take-make-waste" lifecycle. Its high-volume business model inevitably generates substantial pre- and post-consumer waste, which the brand does not address.
JustFab has announced no meaningful or measurable sustainability goals. Unlike many of its competitors who have at least set public targets (even if they fall short), JustFab remains silent, suggesting environmental responsibility is not a corporate priority.
JustFab is a prime example of a fast fashion brand that prioritizes profit and rapid growth over people and the planet. Its business model is fundamentally at odds with both ethical production and environmental sustainability, with little to no evidence of any meaningful effort to improve.
JustFab receives a D for its severe lack of supply chain transparency and failure to provide any evidence of paying living wages. While its marketing embraces diversity, its core business practices are opaque and neglect the welfare of the workers who make its products. Vague claims about "ethical factories" without a shred of proof place the brand among the industry's least accountable.
The brand earns a D for its near-total disregard for environmental responsibility. With no public climate goals, no circularity programs, and a heavy reliance on unsustainable materials, JustFab's environmental impact is significant and unaddressed. The entire business model is built on disposability, making it inherently unsustainable.
If JustFab's lack of ethical and environmental commitment is a concern, consider these alternatives that offer trendy and classic styles with a strong focus on responsibility.
Nisolo is a certified B Corp producing ethically made shoes, bags, and accessories with a focus on living wages and transparent practices. They offer timeless styles and provide public data on their social and environmental impact, with prices often ranging from $100-$200.
Shop now at nisolo.com
ABLE is a B Corp that empowers women by providing living wages in a safe and supportive environment. They are deeply committed to transparency, publishing their lowest wages, and create quality leather goods, apparel, and jewelry designed to last.
Shop now at weareable.com
Veja is a leader in sustainable footwear, known for its trendy sneakers made from ecological and fair-trade materials like organic cotton, Amazonian rubber, and recycled plastic bottles. The brand maintains a transparent production process from start to finish.
Shop now at veja-store.com
Known for its commitment to "Radical Transparency," Everlane partners with ethical factories and discloses the cost breakdown of its products. It offers stylish basics, denim, and footwear, with a focus on quality materials and a cleaner supply chain.
Shop now at everlane.com
A true pioneer in ethical fashion, People Tree is Fair Trade and GOTS certified, offering beautiful clothing made from organic and natural materials. They partner with artisans and farmers in the developing world to create unique, sustainable collections.
Shop now at peopletree.co.uk
Yes, JustFab is part of the TechStyle Fashion Group, which also owns other subscription-based fashion brands like ShoeDazzle, Fabletics, and Savage X Fenty. This corporate structure allows them to scale their fast fashion model across multiple brands and target markets.
While not unethical in a legal sense, the VIP membership model is designed to encourage overconsumption. By requiring a monthly charge for store credit, it creates pressure for customers to constantly shop, which fuels the unsustainable cycle of fast fashion and contributes to textile waste.
Based on publicly available information, JustFab has made no significant or verifiable improvements. The brand's website and reports lack any concrete data, targets, or timelines related to improving labor wages, increasing material sustainability, or reducing its environmental footprint, lagging far behind industry peers.
