Words: Solene Rauturier
Category: Rated
Published: 25 Oct 2023
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Boasting more than a million followers on Instagram, Aritzia is arguably one of Canada’s most popular brands. But how ethical is Aritzia, really? Sadly, Aritzia isn’t doing enough to protect workers and the environment. Keep reading to learn more about Aritzia’s “Not Good Enough” rating. This article is based on the Aritzia rating published in July 2023 and may not reflect claims the brand has made since then. Our ratings analysts are constantly rerating the thousands of brands you can check on our directory.
Dabbling in sustainability but not doing enough
Launched in 1984, Canadian brand Aritzia’s mission is simple: offer beautiful clothes in aspirational spaces with exceptional service. Since then, the brand has grown to be one of Canada’s most popular brands.
Aritzia has been dabbling in sustainability and ethics for a while, creating more sustainable denim and using lower-impact materials. Back in 2020, the brand announced it would be donating 1,000 of its popular Super Puff jackets to Canadian women and girls during the holidaysas part of the company’s Community Giving Program, which aims to empower and positively impact members of the local community.
All of these initiatives are commendable, but what are the actual impacts of Aritzia on people, the planet, and animals? How ethical is Aritzia?
Environmental impact
In our last review, we gave Aritzia’s environmental initiatives a “Not Good Enough” rating. The brand does use some lower-impact materials, including organic cotton, but it doesn’t appear to have taken meaningful action to reduce or eliminate hazardous chemicals. We also found no evidence the brand takes actions to protect biodiversity in its supply chain. In addition, simply offsetting carbon emissions is not enough, and we found no evidence Aritzia is actively reducing carbon and other greenhouse gas emissions in its supply chain.
Labour conditions
When it comes to labour, little of Aritzia’s supply chain is certified by labour standards which ensure worker health and safety or other labour rights. The Canadian brand received a 21-30% score in the 2023 Fashion Transparency Index, the same result as the prior year’s report, indicating a continued lack of progress. What’s more, we found no evidence that Aritzia supports diversity and inclusion in its supply chain or that it ensures workers are paid living wages in its supply chain. For all these reasons, we rated Aritzia’s labour standards as “Not Good Enough”.
Animal welfare
Sadly, Aritzia’s animal rating is also “Not Good Enough”. The brand has a formal policy aligned with the Five Freedoms of animal welfare (an improvement compared to past ratings) and clear implementation mechanisms in place. It also traces some animal-derived materials to the first production stage, which is heading in the right direction. But Aritzia still uses wool (some of it certified by the Responsible Wool Standard), leather, silk, exotic animal hair, and down accredited by the Responsible Down Standard. It does not, however, use fur, angora, or exotic animal skin.
Overall rating: ‘Not Good Enough’
We rated Aritzia “Not Good Enough” overall, based on information from the research done by our team at Good On You. The brand has slightly improved over the years, certifying parts of its supply chain and implementing stronger animal welfare policies. But overall, Aritzia’s rating hasn’t changed much and it’s not enough for us to give a higher rating to the Canadian brand this time round.
For its clothes to be truly beautiful, inside and out, Aritzia needs to improve its impact on the planet while also making sure its workers are treated fairly and paid a living wage. In reality, the brand isn’t communicating much more about its sustainability impacts than fast fashion brands and cannot move beyond “Not Good Enough” until it makes some significant changes.
Note that Good On You ratings consider hundreds of issues, and it is not possible to list every relevant issue in a summary of the brand’s performance. For more information, see our How We Ratepage and ourFAQs.
See the rating.
If you’re into Aritzia’s aesthetics and want to look good, while doing good, we found more ethical and sustainable alternatives to Aritzia.
Good swaps
“Good” and “Great” alternatives to Aritizia.
tentree
Rated: Good
Canadian brand tentree believes big change starts small. Small as in bringing your reusable bag to the grocery store, making fewer, more thoughtful purchases, and choosing to purchase more sustainably when you do. The brand plants ten trees for every item purchased to help regenerate ecosystems and provide planting jobs in communities around the world, and has already planted over 65 million trees.
All tentree’s products are created with an Earth-First approach, meaning they're made in fair, safe working conditions, and constructed using lower-impact and recycled materials.
tentree’s super comfy fabrics and easy wardrobe staples are typically available from XS-XL.
See the rating.
BASTET NOIR
Rated: Good
BASTET NOIR offers custom-made clothing manufactured by women in Macedonia, ensuring that every purchase contributes to the welfare and education of these women and their children.
Find most items in sizes 36-42, or in custom sizing.
See the rating.
Kotn
Rated: Good
Certified B Corp Kotn is based in Canada and works with local NGOs on the ground at the Nile Delta to provide every child in their farming communities with quality education, and to help close the gap of low literacy rates amongst communities. With every purchase, not only will you get a beautifully made garment, but you'll also help fund school infrastructure, materials, and salaries for teachers.
Find Kotn in sizes XS-2XL.
See the rating.
FRANC
Rated: Good
FRANC is a Canadian brand that makes basics so you can enjoy a complete wardrobe built on timeless essentials. The brand ranks "Good" on all fronts: it uses lower-impact materials, traces and visits its supply chain, and uses no animal products.
Find most products in sizes XS-3XL.
See the rating.
Whimsy + Row
Rated: Good
Offers
Whimsy + Row – Sales
Whimsy + Row carries a mixture of curated vintage and contemporary lines providing ease and elegance for the modern woman.Final Sale: Up to 70% off selected styles(Ends: 20 JUN)
Whimsy + Row is a US-based lifestyle brand born out of a love for quality goods and responsible practices. Since 2014, its mission has been to provide ease and elegance for the modern woman. Whimsy + Row utilises deadstock fabric, and by limiting each garment to short runs, the brand also reduces packaging waste and takes care of precious water resources.
Find most products in XS-XL, with an extended sizing range up to 3XL.
See the rating.
Mara Hoffman
Rated: Good
With a focus on mindful and conscious practices, Mara Hoffman uses lower-impact materials including GOTS certified cotton, recycled nylon, and recycled polyester, and even has a range of OEKO-TEX® STeP certified products.
Items come in sizes XS-3XL, and the brand also has a gorgeous extended sizes collection, so you can be sure to find a new wardrobe addition no matter the bod you rock.
See the rating.
MANNING CARTELL (Pre-Owned)
Rated: Not Good Enough
MANNING CARTELL is a designer brand that is ethically-made in Australia and committed to creativity, inclusivity and igniting joy. This Australian brand was created bythree sisters, creating for women, who understand how women want to look and feel.
See the rating.
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 love to recommend some of the best sustainable brands, rated "Good" or "Great". We also encourage shopping pre-owned as another great way to reduce the impact of our fashion choices.
