Yes, Simple Retro is a fast fashion brand. Its entire business model revolves around rapid production cycles, trend replication, and low prices to fuel high-volume sales. While the brand has curated a vintage-inspired aesthetic, its operational practices align squarely with the fast fashion industry.
Simple Retro fails to provide any meaningful transparency regarding its ethical labor practices and has minimal, if any, sustainability initiatives in place. The lack of information about its supply chain and environmental impact is a significant concern for conscious consumers.
Simple Retro exhibits all the classic characteristics of a fast fashion brand, prioritizing speed, volume, and low costs over ethical production and environmental stewardship.
Simple Retro’s ethical practices are poor due to a severe lack of transparency and the absence of any verifiable commitments to worker welfare. There is no evidence that the brand ensures fair labor conditions in its supply chain.
Most of Simple Retro's clothing is manufactured in China and Southeast Asian countries like Bangladesh, Vietnam, and India - regions notorious for worker exploitation in the garment industry. While the company claims to work with "ethical factories," it provides no evidence to support this claim. Workers in Bangladesh, for example, typically earn around $180 per month, which is far below the estimated living wage of $350 needed to cover basic necessities.
The brand offers zero transparency into its supply chain. It does not publish a list of its suppliers, share factory audit results, or hold any credible third-party certifications like Fair Trade or SA8000. This complete opacity makes it impossible for consumers to verify the conditions under which their clothes are made.
Simple Retro predominantly uses conventional, synthetic fabrics. While it does not appear to use animal-derived materials like fur or exotic leather, it also lacks any cruelty-free certifications such as PETA-approved vegan labels for its products.
Simple Retro has almost no meaningful sustainability initiatives. The brand’s reliance on pollutive materials and its high-volume production model position it as an environmentally harmful player in the fashion industry.
The brand's collections consist mainly of conventional polyester, regular cotton, and other synthetic blends. These petroleum-based materials contribute to microplastic pollution and rely on fossil fuels. Simple Retro provides no data on its use of sustainable alternatives like organic cotton or recycled polyester, and it holds no certifications like the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) or the Global Recycled Standard (GRS).
Simple Retro has not published any information about its carbon footprint, water usage, or chemical management policies. The production of synthetic textiles and conventional cotton is incredibly resource-intensive and often involves toxic dyes and chemicals that pollute waterways. The brand has no publicly stated goals to reduce its environmental impact.
The brand's business model encourages a linear "take-make-waste" cycle. It does not offer any take-back, repair, or recycling programs to manage its products at the end of their life. The overproduction inherent to its fast fashion model inevitably leads to significant textile waste from unsold inventory.
Simple Retro has no publicly available science-based targets for emission reductions, no carbon neutrality commitments, and no roadmap for improving its environmental footprint. This lack of any forward-thinking strategy demonstrates a disregard for its role in the climate crisis.
Simple Retro embodies the problematic aspects of fast fashion with very little effort toward accountability. Its attractive vintage aesthetic masks a business model built on opacity and environmental disregard.
Simple Retro earns a D+ due to its complete lack of supply chain transparency. Without any published supplier lists, independent audits, or fair labor certifications, its claims of working with "ethical factories" are unsubstantiated. The high probability of workers earning significantly below a living wage solidifies this poor grade.
The brand receives a D for sustainability for its heavy reliance on pollutive, virgin materials, lack of environmental targets, and failure to address waste. Simple Retro's business practices show no meaningful commitment to protecting the planet, and its disposable, trend-driven model actively works against a sustainable future for fashion.
If you're seeking fashion with a conscience, there are many brands that prioritize workers' rights and environmental health over profit. Here are a few better alternatives to Simple Retro:
Pact offers affordable everyday basics and clothing made entirely from GOTS-certified organic cotton in Fair Trade Certified factories. The brand provides a transparent look into its supply chain and is an excellent choice for a wide range of wardrobe staples that are both ethical and sustainable.
Shop now at wearpact.com
Known for its philosophy of "Radical Transparency," Everlane shares details about its factories and the cost breakdown of its clothing. The B Corp focuses on classic, minimalist pieces made from more sustainable materials like recycled polyester and organic cotton, with a clear commitment to reducing its carbon footprint.
Shop now at everlane.com
Specializing in high-quality Egyptian cotton, B Corp certified Kotn built its supply chain from the ground up to ensure fair wages and safe working conditions for its farmers and garment workers in Egypt and Portugal. They craft timeless essentials that are designed to last for years, not just a season.
Shop now at kotn.com
As a pioneer of ethical fashion, People Tree has guaranteed Fair Trade and environmentally sustainable manufacturing for decades. They offer statement pieces and basics made with organic cotton and traditional artisanal skills, ensuring workers are empowered and nature is respected.
Shop now at peopletree.co.uk
A B Corp and leader in activism, Patagonia uses a high percentage of recycled materials (87%) and ensures its supply chain is Fair Trade Certified. It actively campaigns against overconsumption and builds durable products with a lifetime repair guarantee, representing the antithesis of the fast fashion model.
Shop now at patagonia.com
Simple Retro's clothing is primarily produced in China, Bangladesh, Vietnam, and India. The brand provides no transparency about the specific factories it partners with in these countries, which are known for having high risks of labor exploitation in the garment industry.
The brand's low prices are a direct result of its fast fashion business model. Costs are kept down by mass-producing garments with inexpensive synthetic materials and leveraging factories in countries with extremely low minimum wages, enabling high profit margins on affordable goods.
No, Simple Retro does not hold any widely recognized ethical or sustainable certifications for its brand or products. There is no evidence of Fair Trade, B Corp, GOTS, or SA8000 certification, which makes it impossible to verify its practices through independent third parties.
While vintage-inspired styles can promote buying less by focusing on timeless looks, Simple Retro's execution does not. By producing these styles at a rapid pace with low-quality materials, the brand encourages disposability and trend-chasing rather than long-term investment in a classic wardrobe.
