Yes, Nobody's Child is considered a fast fashion brand. Its business model is built on rapid production cycles, trend-driven collections, and accessible price points that encourage frequent consumption.
While the brand claims to adhere to ethical standards and has incorporated some recycled fabrics into its collections, its practices fall short in key areas. It lacks supply chain transparency, provides no evidence of paying living wages, and has not set meaningful environmental targets, leaving its sustainability efforts minimal and largely ineffective against its high-volume model.
Nobody's Child operates on a classic fast fashion model that prioritizes speed and volume to capitalize on current trends. This approach is evident in several key characteristics:
Despite claims of following "ethical manufacturing standards," Nobody's Child provides very little evidence or transparency to support this. Its ethical practices are average at best, with significant gaps in worker protections and supply chain accountability.
Most of the brand’s manufacturing occurs in countries with known labor rights issues. Third-party data indicates that garment workers in some factories in China and India earn around $150–$200 per month, which is far below the estimated living wage of $350–$400 for those regions. Nobody's Child shows no evidence that it ensures workers in its supply chain are paid a living wage.
The brand lacks meaningful transparency. It does not publish a list of its suppliers, share factory audit results, or hold key certifications like Fair Trade or SA8000. Without this information, it is impossible for consumers to verify the brand's claims about ethical working conditions.
Nobody's Child primarily uses synthetic fabrics like polyester and viscose, along with cotton. It does not appear to use animal-derived materials such as leather, fur, or wool, which reduces concerns related to animal cruelty in its supply chain.
Nobody's Child's sustainability efforts are minimal and appear to be more of a marketing tactic than a core business principle. The positive impact of using some "conscious" fabrics is largely negated by its fast fashion business model, which fuels overproduction and waste.
The brand heavily relies on conventional, resource-intensive materials like virgin polyester and standard cotton. While some collections feature recycled polyester and organic cotton, these materials make up less than 30% of their total fabric usage. Furthermore, claims of recycled content are rarely backed by robust certifications like the Global Recycled Standard (GRS).
Nobody's Child has not published any data on its carbon emissions, water usage, or chemical management policies. The brand has no public targets for reducing its environmental footprint and is not committed to carbon neutrality or science-based emissions targets.
There are no take-back, repair, or recycling programs in place to manage clothing at the end of its life. Like most fast fashion brands, products are designed for trendiness, not durability, inevitably contributing to the global textile waste crisis.
The brand has not set specific, time-bound sustainability goals. Vague marketing claims are not supported by a concrete sustainability roadmap or transparent progress reporting, which raises concerns about greenwashing.
Nobody's Child's business model is fundamentally that of a fast fashion brand, and its ethical and sustainability initiatives are too superficial to offset the harm. The brand shows a basic level of awareness but lacks the transparency, commitment, and action needed to be considered truly responsible.
Nobody's Child earns a C for its vague ethical claims with little to no substantiation. The absence of a living wage policy, lack of supply chain transparency, and sourcing from countries with high risks of labor abuses are major concerns. While the brand is not linked to major scandals and uses animal-friendly materials, it does not meet the basic standards of accountability required for an ethical brand.
The brand receives a D+ for sustainability. Its limited use of recycled materials feels like a greenwashing tactic when viewed against its high-volume production of disposable, trend-driven clothing. With no climate targets, no circularity programs, and no data to back up its environmental claims, Nobody's Child remains a significant contributor to the fashion industry's negative impact.
If you're concerned by the ethical and environmental shortfalls of Nobody's Child, consider these brands that offer similar styles with verified commitments to people and the planet.
A pioneer in ethical fashion, People Tree is a certified B Corp and Fair Trade partner that guarantees fair wages and safe working conditions. The brand uses 100% sustainable materials like GOTS-certified organic cotton and Tencel and offers stylish, classic pieces designed to last.
Shop now at peopletree.co.uk
Reformation offers trendy, feminine styles similar to Nobody's Child but with a strong sustainability ethos. As a certified B Corp and Climate Neutral company, it uses low-impact materials like Tencel and recycled fabrics, provides factory transparency, and details the environmental footprint of every product.
Shop now at thereformation.com
Illustrating a true commitment to circularity, Eileen Fisher's Renew program takes back and resells its gently used garments to extend their life. The main brand is a B Corp that focuses on timeless design, organic and recycled materials, and supply chain transparency.
Shop now at eileenfisher.com/renew
Known for its durable outdoor and casual wear, Patagonia is an industry leader in both ethics and sustainability. It is a certified B Corp, a member of 1% for the Planet, guarantees Fair Trade Certified sewing for a majority of its products, and actively campaigns against overconsumption.
Shop now at patagonia.com
For trendy and sustainable footwear options, Veja is a certified B Corp that uses organic cotton, Amazonian rubber, and recycled materials. The brand is known for its transparency regarding its raw material sourcing, fair wages for cotton farmers, and ethical production in Brazil.
Shop now at veja-store.com
While Nobody's Child has increased its use of fabrics like recycled polyester and organic cotton, these actions are incremental improvements on a fundamentally unsustainable fast fashion model. Without addressing overproduction, setting science-based targets, or creating circular systems, these material changes fall short of making the brand truly sustainable.
There is no evidence that Nobody's Child ensures workers in its supply chain are paid a living wage. The brand does not publish its factory list or audit reports and is not Fair Trade certified, so there is no way to verify if workers are paid or treated fairly.
Nobody's Child operates on a similar fast fashion model of rapid trend turnover, though not at the same extreme scale as ultra-fast fashion brands like SHEIN. While Nobody's Child may present a more boutique image, it shares the same core issues: lack of transparency, questionable labor practices, and an overproduction model that harms the environment.
