Leading ethical fashion rating platform Good On You has delivered a "Not Good Enough" rating to Carhartt WIP (Work In Progress), the popular streetwear offshoot of the venerable American workwear brand Carhartt. Despite its heritage as a family-owned business renowned for producing durable, long-lasting apparel, the brand is deemed to be falling short in its responsibility regarding its environmental, labour, and animal welfare impacts. This assessment, published in January 2026, underscores a growing demand for transparency and accountability within the global fashion industry, particularly from brands that benefit from a perception of quality and endurance.
The Carhartt Legacy Meets Modern Scrutiny
Carhartt, established in 1889 by Hamilton Carhartt, built its reputation on manufacturing rugged, high-quality workwear for manual laborers. This foundation of durability and timeless design is often cited as an inherent aspect of sustainability, as it counteracts the fast-fashion cycle of disposability. In 1994, Carhartt WIP was launched, adapting the core workwear aesthetic into collections tailored for streetwear, hip-hop, and skate cultures, identifiable by its distinct yellow ‘C’ logo. This sister brand has enjoyed a resurgence in popularity, with publications like GQ attributing its enduring appeal to designs that have largely remained unchanged over decades, signifying a rejection of fleeting trends.
However, Good On You’s rigorous evaluation delves beyond product longevity and brand perception, scrutinizing a company’s concrete actions and public disclosures across its entire supply chain. The rating system, which assesses thousands of brands, found Carhartt WIP lacking in providing sufficient evidence of its commitment to reducing harm to people, the planet, and animals. This creates a critical disconnect between the brand’s perceived values of resilience and its documented ethical performance, raising questions for consumers increasingly conscious of their purchasing power’s wider implications.
Good On You’s Assessment: A "Not Good Enough" Verdict
The "Not Good Enough" overall rating signals that Carhartt WIP has not demonstrated sufficient effort or transparency in addressing its sustainability footprint. Good On You’s methodology, which considers hundreds of issues across environmental impact, labour conditions, and animal welfare, relies heavily on publicly available information. In cases where data is scarce or non-existent, the rating reflects this lack of transparency. The January 2026 rating indicates that, as of that review, the brand had not adequately disclosed practices that would justify a higher score.
This assessment is part of a broader trend where independent organizations are holding fashion brands accountable for their supply chain practices. As consumer awareness of issues like climate change, forced labor, and animal cruelty grows, the demand for verifiable ethical production processes has intensified. For a brand like Carhartt WIP, with its significant global reach and cultural influence, this rating serves as a critical call to action and a signal to its extensive customer base.
Environmental Footprint: A Call for Clarity
Carhartt WIP’s environmental rating also stands at "Not Good Enough," primarily due to a lack of public disclosure. While the brand incorporates some lower-impact materials, such as organic cotton, the absence of an aggregate breakdown of all materials used prevents a comprehensive assessment of this effort’s overall impact. This opacity makes it challenging for both evaluators and consumers to understand the true environmental implications of the brand’s material choices.
Furthermore, Good On You found no public evidence that Carhartt WIP is actively working to reduce greenhouse gas emissions across its supply chain – a critical area for any large-scale apparel manufacturer given the fashion industry’s significant contribution to global emissions. The industry is responsible for an estimated 4-10% of global greenhouse gas emissions, a figure that includes energy-intensive manufacturing processes, transportation, and waste management. The lack of documented initiatives to minimize packaging waste, particularly concerning plastic use, also contributes to this suboptimal rating. Biodiversity protection, an increasingly vital aspect of environmental stewardship in agricultural and manufacturing supply chains, also appears to be an unaddressed area in the brand’s public commitments.
This absence of clear, data-driven public disclosures is a recurring theme, suggesting a fundamental gap in Carhartt WIP’s approach to environmental responsibility. For brands operating in the 21st century, robust environmental reporting is no longer a niche request but an industry expectation and a consumer right.
Labour Practices: Unveiling the Supply Chain
The assessment of Carhartt WIP’s labour conditions similarly points to a significant lack of transparency, earning it another "Not Good Enough" rating for people. A key concern highlighted is the absence of information regarding financial security provided to its suppliers. Stable financial relationships are crucial for enabling suppliers to invest in better working conditions, fair wages, and long-term improvements like decarbonization initiatives. Without such security, suppliers, often operating on thin margins, may be pressured to cut costs, potentially at the expense of worker welfare.
On a positive note, the brand does implement a Code of Conduct that aligns with International Labour Organization (ILO) principles, and it conducts audits within parts of its supply chain, specifically covering all final production stages. However, the scope of these audits is limited, failing to extend further down the supply chain where vulnerabilities to exploitation, such as child labor or forced labor, are often more prevalent and harder to detect. The complex, multi-tiered nature of global garment supply chains means that risks often increase in the earlier stages of production (e.g., raw material extraction, spinning, weaving).
While Carhartt WIP has provided some general information about the countries where its garments are manufactured, it has not published specific details like the names and locations of its suppliers. This level of granular transparency, increasingly adopted by leading sustainable brands, is essential for allowing independent verification and holding manufacturers accountable. Given Carhartt’s historical connection to blue-collar labor, the expectation for strong ethical labor practices throughout its own supply chain is particularly pertinent. The failure to meet these transparency benchmarks means consumers cannot fully ascertain if the people making their clothes are treated fairly and paid a living wage.
Animal Welfare: Progress and Persistent Concerns
In the realm of animal welfare, Carhartt WIP also received a "Not Good Enough" rating. The brand avoids the use of several controversial animal-derived materials, including fur, down (conventional), angora, cashmere, shearling, and exotic animal skin or hair, which is a commendable starting point. However, it continues to use leather, wool, alpaca, and some forms of down.
A significant point of concern is that Carhartt WIP’s animal welfare policy is not aligned with the Five Domains of Animal Welfare. The Five Domains framework (nutrition, environment, health, behavior, and mental state) is a widely accepted, holistic approach to assessing and improving animal welfare, moving beyond basic survival to encompass an animal’s overall quality of life. Without alignment to such a comprehensive framework, the brand’s policies may not adequately address potential suffering in its supply chain.
While the brand does show some initiative by opting for recycled or certified alternatives for certain materials like wool and down, these efforts are currently insufficient to offset the broader policy shortcomings and lack of complete transparency regarding the welfare of animals used in its products. The use of materials like leather and wool, without robust certifications or clear traceability to ensure ethical sourcing and humane treatment, leaves a considerable gap in its animal welfare commitments.
The Imperative of Transparency: Why it Matters
The overarching theme of Good On You’s assessment of Carhartt WIP is a critical lack of transparency. In today’s interconnected world, consumers are increasingly demanding to know the provenance of their products – who made them, under what conditions, and with what impact on the environment and animals. Transparency is not merely a public relations exercise; it is the bedrock of accountability and a prerequisite for genuine sustainability.
For brands, transparency allows for better supply chain management, risk mitigation, and the ability to track progress on sustainability goals. For consumers, it empowers informed purchasing decisions, enabling them to align their values with their spending. Good On You, in its editorial mission, emphasizes that customers have a fundamental right to understand how and where their clothes are made. Without clear, verifiable public disclosures, brands, regardless of their heritage or reputation, cannot truly demonstrate their commitment to ethical practices.
Carhartt WIP, like many heritage brands, faces the challenge of adapting its long-standing operational models to meet modern sustainability expectations. The pathway to improvement, as outlined by Good On You, begins with fundamental steps: adopting an acceptable definition of a living wage and committing to its implementation across the entire supply chain, and providing detailed information on greenhouse gas emissions and reduction strategies. These actions would not only improve its rating but also build trust with a consumer base that values both quality and conscience.
Navigating the Sustainable Fashion Landscape: Implications for Consumers and Brands
The "Not Good Enough" rating for Carhartt WIP serves as a significant case study in the evolving landscape of sustainable fashion. For consumers, it highlights the importance of looking beyond brand image and perceived durability to investigate the deeper ethical credentials. While a product’s longevity is a component of sustainability, it is not the sole determinant. The processes of production – from raw material sourcing to manufacturing and logistics – carry immense social and environmental weight. This rating encourages critical consumption and the utilization of tools like Good On You’s directory to make more informed choices.
For Carhartt WIP, the implications are multifaceted. In an increasingly competitive market where ethical considerations sway purchasing decisions, a low sustainability rating can impact brand loyalty and market share, particularly among younger, socially conscious demographics. It presents both a challenge and an opportunity: to re-evaluate its operations, enhance its public reporting, and demonstrably commit to better practices. Successfully navigating this transition could solidify its position as a brand that is not only timeless in style but also forward-thinking in its responsibility.
The broader fashion industry is also implicated. This assessment adds to the growing pressure on all brands, especially those with established reputations, to prioritize sustainability. It reinforces the idea that "business as usual" is no longer acceptable and that genuine, verifiable commitment to environmental and social responsibility is becoming a non-negotiable aspect of modern commerce.
Beyond Carhartt WIP: Exploring Sustainable Alternatives
For consumers seeking hardwearing, workwear-inspired, or outdoor apparel with stronger ethical credentials, the market offers numerous alternatives. Brands with higher ratings on platforms like Good On You demonstrate a greater commitment to transparent and responsible practices across their operations. For instance, ISTO. (rated "Good") is recognized for its commitment to timeless design, organic materials, and transparent costing, offering quality over quantity. Toad&Co (rated "Good") blends rugged style with social and environmental consciousness, using responsible materials and robust labour practices.
Brands like Patagonia (rated "Good") stand out for their comprehensive approach to sustainability, encompassing fair labour practices, recycled materials, and significant commitments to reducing emissions. Outerknown (rated "Good"), founded by surf champion Kelly Slater, integrates style and function with Bluesign certification and Fair Labour Association partnerships. Other notable alternatives include Brothers We Stand (rated "Good"), focusing on 100% vegan, stylish menswear; Terra Thread (rated "Good") for GOTS and Fair Trade certified organic cotton products; and Amble Outdoors (rated "Good") for high-performance outdoor wear made from recycled plastic bottles.
BEDI (rated "Good") promotes circularity through upcycled materials and slow fashion ethos, while Wuxly Movement (rated "Good") offers vegan outerwear using tech-based and recycled materials. For essentials, CARPASUS (rated "Good") provides GOTS-certified shirts with local manufacturing and living wage commitments, and Komodo (rated "Good") prioritizes people and planet with responsible materials and living wage policies. WAWWA (rated "Good") focuses on organic, fair trade, and vegan-friendly clothing, minimizing waste with lower-impact dyes and recycled materials. Colorful Standard (rated "Good") emphasizes timeless organic fashion essentials, and Yes Friends (rated "Good") offers affordable, responsibly made clothing with transparent pricing. Lastly, ASKET (rated "Good") focuses on timeless wardrobe essentials with revolutionary sizing and fair pricing, and Up-Fuse (rated "Good") is a social enterprise upcycling materials while supporting refugee women. These brands collectively illustrate that it is possible to produce durable, stylish, and ethical clothing, demonstrating the tangible improvements that Carhartt WIP could pursue.
The Path Forward: Industry-Wide Calls for Action
This detailed assessment of Carhartt WIP by Good On You reinforces the ongoing transformation within the fashion industry. The era of vague corporate social responsibility statements and greenwashing is steadily giving way to an expectation of verifiable data, traceable supply chains, and measurable impact reduction. While Carhartt WIP’s legacy of durable products offers a foundational advantage, its future success in a sustainability-conscious market will depend on its willingness to embrace radical transparency and implement comprehensive ethical practices across its entire value chain. The onus is now on the brand to demonstrate that its "Work In Progress" ethos extends not just to its product lines, but also to its commitment to a more responsible and sustainable future for fashion.
Editor’s note: Feature image via Unsplash, all other images via brands mentioned. Good On You publishes the world’s most comprehensive ratings of fashion brands’ impact on people, the planet, and animals. Use our directory to search thousands of rated brands.
We updated this article on 1 April 2026. Our editors frequently make updates to articles to ensure they’re up to date. We updated this article and sources to reflect the most recent rating review.
