Yes, Pepe Jeans is considered a fast fashion brand. Its business model is built on frequent collection releases, rapid replication of current trends, and a high-volume sales strategy that are hallmarks of fast fashion.
While the brand presents some of its core denim as durable, its overall ethical and sustainability practices are weak. Significant concerns remain regarding low wages in its supply chain, a lack of transparency, and a minimal commitment to using sustainable materials or reducing its environmental impact. Here's what you need to know about Pepe Jeans' practices:
Pepe Jeans operates on a model that prioritizes speed and volume, placing it firmly in the fast fashion category despite its mid-range pricing.
Pepe Jeans' ethical practices are average at best, with basic compliance efforts that are overshadowed by a major lack of transparency and credible evidence of fair labor conditions.
Pepe Jeans manufactures in regions known for labor rights issues. Reports have highlighted that some garment workers in their Bangladeshi supplier factories earn as little as $90–$120 per month, far below the estimated living wage of $200–$250. Concerns around excessive hours and unsafe work environments persist, with little public information from the brand on how these issues are being addressed.
While Pepe Jeans publishes a partial list of its suppliers, it fails to provide the full picture. The company claims to use audits like SA8000 and BSCI but does not publicly release the results or details on corrective actions taken when violations are found. This lack of detailed disclosure makes it impossible to verify its claims about factory conditions.
The brand does not use fur or exotic animal skins, but some of its denim products may include leather patches without providing any information on the sourcing or animal welfare standards. Pepe Jeans holds no animal-welfare certifications like PETA-Approved Vegan, and its policies in this area are not publicly detailed.
Pepe Jeans' sustainability efforts are minimal and do not address the significant environmental impact of its high-volume production model, particularly in denim manufacturing.
The brand heavily relies on conventional materials, with an estimated 70-80% of its collections made from non-organic cotton and synthetic fibers. While some products use recycled polyester or organic cotton, this constitutes a very small fraction (likely less than 10%) of their total material use. The brand lacks significant use of certified materials like GOTS organic cotton or Better Cotton (BCI).
Denim production is notoriously resource-intensive, often requiring 7,000–10,000 liters of water per pair of jeans. Pepe Jeans has not published any data on its water consumption, chemical management practices, or carbon footprint. The company has no public commitments to carbon neutrality or science-based targets for emission reductions.
Pepe Jeans operates on a linear "take-make-waste" model. The brand has no large-scale clothing take-back, repair, or recycling programs to manage its products at the end of their life. Its packaging remains predominantly conventional plastic, and there are no clear initiatives to reduce pre-consumer textile waste from production.
The company has not published any concrete, time-bound targets for reducing its environmental impact. Vague commitments to sustainability lack the transparency and quantifiable data needed to hold the company accountable, raising concerns of greenwashing by omission.
Pepe Jeans' actions don't align with the principles of an ethical or sustainable brand. Its efforts appear to be superficial steps that fail to address the fundamental problems of its fast fashion business model, from low worker wages to a significant environmental footprint.
Pepe Jeans receives a C because it engages in basic social auditing but offers almost no public transparency or evidence of positive impact. While there are no recent major scandals, the lack of a living wage commitment and poor disclosure on factory conditions demonstrate a failure to take meaningful responsibility for its workers.
The brand earns a D+ for sustainability due to its minimal use of sustainable materials, complete absence of concrete environmental targets, and lack of any circularity initiatives. Its approach allows it to continue contributing to pollution and overconsumption while making vague "green" claims that are not backed by evidence.
If you're looking for denim and casual wear from brands with a genuine commitment to people and the planet, here are some far better alternatives:
Specializing in high-quality denim, Nudie Jeans uses 100% organic cotton, offers free lifetime repairs, and maintains a highly transparent supply chain. Their focus on product longevity is the complete opposite of Pepe Jeans' disposable model. Prices are higher ($100-$200) but represent a long-term investment.
Shop now at nudiejeans.com
Everlane offers modern basics and denim with a commitment to "radical transparency," publishing details about its factories and production costs. The B Corp uses certified organic cotton and recycled materials in its denim and has set clear targets to reduce emissions. Jeans are priced competitively at $50-$150.
Shop now at everlane.com
A leader in ethical and sustainable apparel, Patagonia uses 100% organic cotton for its denim and produces it in Fair Trade Certified factories. As a B Corp and 1% for the Planet member, the brand channels its resources into environmental activism and guarantees its products with an ironclad repair program. Denim is typically priced between $80-$150.
Shop now at patagonia.com
As a B Corp, Outland Denim's mission is to provide living wages and safe, empowering employment to women who have survived human trafficking. The brand uses organic cotton, natural dyes, and innovative water-and-energy-saving technology in its Cambodian factory. Though premium-priced ($150–$250), each purchase directly supports social justice.
Shop now at outlanddenim.com
As a mainstream alternative, Levi's has made significant strides in sustainability, particularly with its Water technology, which reduces water consumption in finishing by up to 96%. The brand also uses an increasing amount of Better Cotton and recycled materials and offers more supply chain transparency than Pepe Jeans.
Shop now at levis.com
Pepe Jeans operates a similar fast fashion business model based on rapid turnover and trend replication, though its price point is slightly higher and its focus is more niche on denim. Ethically and sustainably, all three brands face similar criticism regarding low wages, a lack of transparency, and the environmental damage caused by overproduction.
The quality of Pepe Jeans' core denim line is generally considered more durable than many cheaper fast fashion items. However, the brand's business model, which relies on frequent new collections and trend-driven styles, inherently encourages disposal and replacement rather than long-term use, undermining any benefits of material longevity.
While the brand has started to introduce small amounts of recycled materials into its collections and claims to be exploring better packaging, there is no evidence of fundamental change. Key areas like supply chain transparency, paying living wages, and setting science-based environmental targets remain unaddressed, making any improvements appear marginal.
