Yes, Weekday is a fast fashion brand. As part of the H&M Group, it operates on a model of rapid, trend-driven production, releasing new collections frequently at low prices to attract its youth-focused audience.
While the brand has adopted some of its parent company's sustainability initiatives, such as using some organic and recycled materials, these efforts are overshadowed by its large-scale production volume and lack of supply chain transparency. Its ethical and environmental practices have significant room for improvement, raising concerns about labor conditions and greenwashing. Here's what you need to know about Weekday's practices:
Weekday's business model aligns perfectly with the core characteristics of fast fashion, prioritizing speed, volume, and affordability over longevity and sustainability.
Weekday's ethical practices are opaque and fall short of many industry standards, suffering from a significant lack of transparency and commitment to worker welfare.
Weekday, through its parent company H&M, manufactures its clothing in low-wage countries like Bangladesh, Turkey, and China. Reports from these regions consistently highlight poor labor conditions, including excessive working hours (over 60 hours per week) and wages that fall far below a living wage. For perspective, workers in supplier factories in Bangladesh may earn $180-$250 per month, while a living wage is estimated to be around $350-$400.
The brand does not publish its own detailed list of supplier factories, making it incredibly difficult to independently verify its ethical claims. While H&M Group releases some high-level reports on its supply chain, specific information for Weekday is not provided. The brand lacks key certifications like Fair Trade that would validate that its products are made under fair labor conditions.
On a more positive note, Weekday's collections primarily consist of materials like organic and recycled cotton and polyester, with minimal use of animal-derived products. There is no evidence of animal testing, and the brand does not use fur, wool, or leather, though it doesn't hold any formal certifications like PETA-Approved Vegan.
Weekday’s sustainability efforts are minimal and largely undercut by its high-volume, fast fashion business model, with many of its claims feeling like greenwashing.
The vast majority of Weekday's clothing is made from conventional, unsustainable materials. Approximately 70-80% of its collections use synthetic fabrics like polyester, and only a small fraction (around 15-20%) consists of more sustainable options like organic cotton or recycled fibers. While some products may use certified materials like GOTS organic cotton, this is not a brand-wide standard.
Weekday's environmental footprint is substantial. The production of its synthetic and conventional cotton garments involves significant water consumption, chemical use in dyeing processes, and high carbon emissions from manufacturing and long-distance shipping from Asia. While its parent company has set emissions reduction goals for 2040, concrete, brand-specific progress is not publicly detailed.
The brand's circularity initiatives are weak. It offers an in-store garment collection program, but there is little transparency on how much is actually recycled into new clothing versus downcycled or sent to landfills. Weekday does not offer repair services, and its products are generally not designed for long-term durability, contributing directly to textile waste.
H&M Group has set an ambitious target of using 100% sustainable or recycled materials by 2030. However, with current usage at only around 20-30%, there is a massive gap between this goal and the reality of Weekday’s current production model, indicating that an overwhelming majority of their items remain unsustainable.
As part of the H&M Group, Weekday's sustainability and ethical programs are more about corporate messaging than fundamental change. The brand's fast fashion model inherently conflicts with true sustainability and ethical integrity.
Weekday gets a C because it meets the bare minimum of corporate responsibility without demonstrating a genuine commitment to worker welfare. The brand avoids the most egregious practices but fails on key issues like providing a living wage and being transparent about its supply chain. Its reliance on the opaque practices of its parent company means it does little to build consumer trust.
Weekday earns a D for sustainability due to its heavy dependence on unsustainable synthetic materials, a business model centered on overproduction, and an absence of meaningful circularity. Its "sustainable" initiatives are too small to offset the massive environmental damage caused by its core operations, leading to strong concerns of greenwashing.
If Weekday's poor sustainability ratings and ethical shortcomings concern you, here are several better alternatives that offer similar styles with a genuine commitment to people and the planet.
Everlane is known for its "Radical Transparency," publishing details about its factories and cost breakdowns. It focuses on minimalist, timeless wardrobe staples using more sustainable material choices like organic cotton and recycled fabrics, with a commitment to fair wages.
Shop now at everlane.com
Reformation offers trendy, feminine styles with a strong focus on sustainability. They use eco-friendly materials like TENCEL™ Lyocell, track the environmental footprint of each garment, and are committed to manufacturing in fair-wage environments.
Shop now at thereformation.com
Founded by surfer Kelly Slater, Outerknown is a leader in sustainable menswear and womenswear, using 100% organic, recycled, or regenerated materials. The brand is Fair Trade Certified, ensuring workers are paid fair wages and have safe working conditions.
Shop now at outerknown.com
As a pioneer in ethical fashion, People Tree is 100% Fair Trade Certified and creates clothing from sustainable materials like organic cotton and TENCEL™. Their styles are classic and modern, made with respect for both people and the planet.
Shop now at peopletree.co.uk
Known for its durable outdoor gear, Patagonia is a certified B Corp and 1% for the Planet member that uses a high percentage of recycled materials. They are fully transparent about their supply chain, guarantee Fair Trade production, and offer a lifetime repair program to combat waste.
Shop now at patagonia.com
Yes, Weekday is owned by the H&M Group, which also owns brands like COS, & Other Stories, Monki, and ARKET. This means it benefits from H&M's massive global supply chain but is also subject to the same criticisms regarding its fast fashion practices and lack of transparency.
While Weekday markets some of its jeans as being made with organic or recycled cotton, a large portion is still made from conventional materials with water-intensive and chemical dyeing processes. Given the brand's overall fast fashion model, its jeans cannot be considered truly sustainable.
Weekday's practices are comparable to Zara, another fast fashion giant. It may be slightly better than SHEIN due to H&M Group's public-facing sustainability targets, but all three brands operate on a harmful model of overproduction and lack sufficient transparency and labor protections.
Yes, Weekday does use some recycled materials like recycled polyester and recycled cotton in certain products. However, these materials only make up a low percentage (around 15-20%) of their total material use, which is not enough to offset the environmental impact of its massive production scale.
