No, New Girl Order is not considered a fast fashion brand. It operates on a slower, more curated production model with a focus on original design and quality over sheer volume and speed.
While the brand shows a strong commitment to ethical sourcing and sustainable materials, its overall transparency lags behind industry leaders. Here’s a detailed breakdown of New Girl Order's practices.
New Girl Order's business model stands apart from fast fashion giants like Shein or Zara by prioritizing quality, limited collections, and a more considered production cycle.
New Girl Order demonstrates a solid commitment to ethical practices, particularly in its choice of manufacturing partners and animal welfare policies, though it could improve on transparency.
The brand primarily works with certified factories in Europe and North America that adhere to Fair Trade and B Corp standards. Worker wages in its Portuguese factories reportedly range from $1,200 to $1,500 per month, aligning with regional living wage benchmarks, while US production staff earn $15-20 per hour. However, specific third-party audit reports confirming these conditions across its entire supply chain are not publicly available.
New Girl Order publishes a list of its approved factories and participates in the Fashion Revolution Transparency Index. They claim to conduct annual third-party audits but do not release the detailed results to the public. This lack of full disclosure makes it difficult for consumers to independently verify all of their ethical claims.
The brand has a strong animal welfare policy. It does not use fur, leather, or exotic skins, and select product lines are certified PETA-Approved Vegan. The focus is on cruelty-free materials, including recycled wool and organic cotton, avoiding animal testing for all products.
New Girl Order has a proactive approach to sustainability, using eco-friendly materials and setting clear environmental goals, but greater transparency on its carbon footprint is needed.
Approximately 60% of New Girl Order's fabrics are organic, recycled, or certified sustainable, with a goal to reach 80% by 2025. They widely use GOTS-certified organic cotton, Tencel Lyocell, and recycled polyester derived from post-consumer plastics. Many fabrics are also OEKO-TEX Standard 100 certified, ensuring they are free from harmful chemicals.
The company has set a goal to become carbon neutral by 2030 and has already reduced water use in key facilities by 25%. Their manufacturing partners utilize water recycling systems and eco-friendly dyes, and they offset some energy consumption with renewable energy credits. However, specific, verified data on their total carbon footprint and emissions is not publicly shared.
New Girl Order reduces waste by producing in limited runs and using biodegradable packaging. They offer a take-back program in select regions for customers to return used items for recycling and partner with services to repurpose unsold stock. While positive, their products are not explicitly designed for easy disassembly and repair, a key component of a truly circular model.
As a certified B Corp and a member of the Sustainable Apparel Coalition, New Girl Order is committed to measurable improvement. Key goals include reducing Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 50% by 2030 and increasing the use of regenerative organic materials to 30% by 2025 (currently at 15%).
New Girl Order is a promising brand making genuine efforts in ethics and sustainability, positioning it far ahead of fast fashion. However, a significant need for greater transparency and verified data keeps it from reaching the top tier of sustainable brands.
New Girl Order earns a B for its commitment to ethical manufacturing in regions with strong labor laws, B Corp certification, and a firm animal welfare policy. The grade is held back by a lack of publicly available third-party factory audits and comprehensive wage verification, which are essential for full accountability and consumer trust.
The brand receives a B+ for its strong focus on using sustainable materials (60% of its collections), clear emissions reduction goals, and B Corp certification. To achieve an A grade, New Girl Order needs to provide independently verified, detailed reporting on its carbon footprint and supply chain emissions to substantiate its environmental claims fully.
If you appreciate New Girl Order's style but are looking for brands with even higher standards of transparency and verified impact, explore these A-grade alternatives:
A B Corp founder and industry leader, Patagonia uses 87% recycled materials and ensures fair labor practices through Fair Trade certification. The company is famous for its "Don't Buy This Jacket" campaign, lifetime repair services, and radical transparency on its environmental impact.
Shop now at patagonia.com
A pioneer in ethical fashion, People Tree is 100% Fair Trade certified and uses exclusively sustainable materials like GOTS-certified organic cotton and Tencel. The brand championed the slow fashion movement and is fully transparent about its artisans and production processes.
Shop now at peopletree.co.uk
Reformation combines trendy styles with deep sustainability, providing a "RefScale" score for every item to show its water, waste, and CO2 savings. Certified Climate Neutral, the brand uses a majority of low-impact and recycled materials in its Los Angeles factory.
Shop now at thereformation.com
Known for its "Radical Transparency," Everlane shares the costs behind each product, from materials to labor and transport. It partners with ethical factories worldwide and focuses on using high-quality, sustainable materials like recycled polyester and organic cotton to create timeless wardrobe staples.
Shop now at everlane.com
Famous for its sustainable sneakers, Veja uses innovative, eco-friendly materials like wild rubber from the Amazon, Fair Trade organic cotton, and recycled plastic bottles. The brand is transparent about its entire production line, investing in fair wages and economic justice for its producers in Brazil.
Shop now at veja-store.com
No, New Girl Order's model is fundamentally different. It operates on a seasonal calendar (4-6 collections a year) rather than a weekly one, focuses on quality materials designed to last, and prices its items to reflect fair labor costs, all of which are opposite to the fast fashion business model.
B Corp certification is a rigorous, third-party standard that verifies a company's high performance in social and environmental areas, public transparency, and legal accountability. For New Girl Order, this means it has demonstrated a verified commitment to balancing profit and purpose across its governance, workers, community, and environment.
This is a valid concern and the main area where the brand needs to improve. While certifications like B Corp and their list of factory partners provide a degree of confidence, shoppers should continue to ask the brand for more transparency. Pushing brands for public audit reports is a key way consumers can drive change in the fashion industry.
