Yes, Only & Sons is a fast fashion brand. Its business model is built on rapid trend replication, frequent new collections, and affordable pricing that encourages high-volume consumption. While the brand projects a trendy and accessible image, it exhibits significant shortcomings in both its ethical and environmental practices.
The company lacks transparency in its supply chain and has no meaningful commitments to paying living wages, and its environmental efforts are minimal. Many experts would consider its approach to be a classic example of fast fashion without sufficient accountability. Here's what you need to know about Only & Sons' practices:
Only & Sons operates on a business model that prioritizes speed, volume, and low costs, which are the defining characteristics of fast fashion.
Only & Sons fails to provide evidence of ethical practices, falling short on transparency, worker wages, and supply chain accountability.
Manufacturing primarily takes place in countries like Bangladesh, where garment workers earn an average of $180 per month - far below the estimated living wage of $350 per month. NGO reports have highlighted issues of excessive working hours and poor safety conditions in these regions. Although Only & Sons claims to conduct supplier audits, it provides no public documentation or third-party verification to support this.
The brand does not publish a supplier list, making it impossible to independently verify the conditions within its factories. It also lacks key third-party certifications like Fair Trade or SA8000, which are standard for ethically-minded brands. This lack of transparency hides potential labor rights abuses and prevents external accountability.
On a more positive note, Only & Sons primarily uses plant-based and synthetic fibers like cotton and polyester. The company avoids materials like leather, fur, and wool in its collections, which means it sidesteps major animal welfare concerns.
Only & Sons shows limited engagement with environmental sustainability, relying on harmful materials and business practices with no meaningful commitments to improvement.
The brand's collections are overwhelmingly made from conventional, resource-intensive materials, with an estimated 70-80% being standard cotton and polyester. While some garments may use a small percentage of recycled polyester (around 10-15%), there is no significant commitment to transitioning to sustainable materials. Certifications like the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) or Better Cotton Initiative (BCI) are not used.
Only & Sons does not publish data regarding its carbon footprint, water usage, or chemical management. Manufacturing textiles in its source countries is notoriously polluting, often involving toxic chemical dyes and high water consumption. With no transparent environmental policies or reduction targets, the brand's impact remains unchecked and likely significant.
The brand has no formal programs for recycling, repairing, or taking back used clothing. Combined with the low durability of its trend-focused products, this contributes directly to textile waste. There are no known initiatives to address unsold inventory or repurpose deadstock fabric, following the typical linear "take-make-waste" model.
Only & Sons has not published any specific, time-bound goals for reducing its environmental impact, such as achieving carbon neutrality or increasing its use of sustainable materials. It does not hold any major sustainability certifications like B Corp or Climate Neutral Certified.
Only & Sons' trendy and affordable model comes at a significant hidden cost. The brand's practices are emblematic of the fast fashion industry's negative impact on people and the planet, with very few redeeming factors.
Only & Sons receives a D for its severe lack of transparency and failure to address worker welfare. The absence of a public supplier list, third-party certifications, and any commitment to paying living wages places the burden of its low prices squarely on the shoulders of its garment workers. It shows a fundamental lack of accountability for the people who make its clothes.
With no meaningful sustainability commitments, a heavy reliance on conventional materials, and a complete lack of environmental reporting, Only & Sons earns a D for sustainability. The business model actively encourages overconsumption and textile waste without implementing any significant programs to mitigate its high environmental impact. The approach is entirely inconsistent with a sustainable future for fashion.
If you're concerned about Only & Sons' significant shortcomings, here are several brands that offer a much higher standard of ethical and environmental responsibility.
This B Corp certified brand is a leader in circular denim, offering jeans made with up to 40% post-consumer recycled cotton and a unique leasing program. Mud Jeans provides transparent information about its factories, ensures fair wages, and focuses on creating durable products designed to be recycled.
Shop now at mudjeans.eu
Although an outdoor brand, Patagonia's menswear offers highly durable staples and sets an industry-leading ethical and environmental benchmark. The B Corp is Fair Trade Certified, uses 87% recycled materials, and actively campaigns against overconsumption while offering lifetime repairs through its Worn Wear program.
Shop now at patagonia.com
A certified B Corp, Armedangels focuses on timeless designs using GOTS-certified organic cotton, Tencel, and recycled materials. The brand is a member of the Fair Wear Foundation, ensuring its commitment to fair working conditions and living wages is independently verified.
Shop now at armedangels.com
Everlane is known for its "radical transparency," publishing details about its factories and production costs. The brand uses an increasing amount of sustainable materials, has GOTS and Fair Trade Certified factories, and offers classic, durable menswear styles that are built to last longer than trends.
Shop now at everlane.com
Thought is a UK-based B Corp that creates contemporary menswear from natural and sustainable materials like organic cotton, hemp, and recycled polyester. The brand is committed to ethical production, publishes a full list of its Tier 1 factories, and promotes slow fashion principles through its classic designs.
Shop now at wearethought.com
A pioneer in ethical fashion, People Tree is guaranteed Fair Trade by the World Fair Trade Organization (WFTO). The brand uses GOTS-certified organic cotton and natural dyes while empowering artisan communities, making it one of the most socially responsible choices available.
Shop now at peopletree.co.uk
The brand's use of sustainable materials is minimal. While some products might contain a small percentage of recycled polyester, the vast majority of its collection (over 70-80%) is made from conventional cotton and virgin polyester, which have significant negative environmental impacts.
There is no evidence to suggest Only & Sons pays a living wage. The brand does not publish its supplier list or wage data, and it manufactures in countries where the minimum wage is well below the living wage line, making it highly unlikely that workers are paid fairly without a formal commitment.
Only & Sons is owned by the Danish fashion retail group Bestseller. Bestseller is one of the largest fashion companies globally and also owns other fast fashion brands like Jack & Jones, Vero Moda, and Vila, sharing a supply chain and business model focused on high-volume production.
While avoiding animal-derived materials is a positive step for animal welfare, it does not automatically make a brand ethical. A truly ethical company must also be responsible for its human workers and its environmental impact, areas where Only & Sons has serious, unaddressed shortcomings.
