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A navy blue lingerie set behind white text reading Oysho and a highlighted sad emoji face.
22 Sep
A navy blue lingerie set behind white text reading Oysho and a highlighted sad emoji face.

How Ethical Is Oysho?

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Inditex-owned Oysho was launched in Spain over two decades ago and is popylar for its womenswear, but how ethical is Oysho? Here’s why the brand is “Not Good Enough” for people, the planet, and animals. This article is based on the Oysho rating published in February 2022.

Digging into Oysho’s rating

Inditex-owned Oysho specialises in women’s lingerie, beachwear, loungewear, and sportswear. Launched in Spain in 2001, Oysho has since grown to operate 650 stores in 44 countries worldwide. Much like the other seven subsidiaries of Inditex like Zara and Pull&Bear, Oysho fashion is trendy, affordable, and fast. With its JOIN LIFE “100% sustainable collection” and talk of eco-friendly practices, it’s easy to get swept up in the aesthetics and assume the ethics are under control. We decided to dig a little deeper and answer the question, how ethical is Oysho?

Environmental impact

With a line like “At Oysho we renew collections as fast as the fashion trends change” on the About page, it should come as no surprise that Oysho is rated “Not Good Enough” for the planet. While the brand did launch a “100% sustainable collection” made from eco-friendly materials in 2018, it is currently sitting at about 700 pieces, which makes up less than 10% of its overall collection. This is certainly a step up from some other ultra fast fashion retailers we avoid, but the brand has to make serious changes to receive a higher score.

In the same vein as other Inditex brands, Oysho has set an absolute target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions generated from its operations and supply chain. Still, there is no evidence it is on track to meet its target. Unfortunately, its use of a few eco-friendly materials and some recycled packaging doesn’t excuse the devastation fast fashion has on the planet.

Labour conditions

When it comes to people, Oysho has work to do both for those working in its supply chain and for representing customers across its branding. Its Instagram feed is a sea of thin white women with the (very) occasional token BIPOC or barely plus-sized model for good measure, and it often receives comments asking for better representation.

And things don’t look much better on the production side. While it received a score of 51-60% in the Fashion Transparency Index along with the other Inditex-owned brands, and transparency is a great first step for a fairer fashion industry, publishing lists of suppliers is the bare minimum, especially for a brand of this size. With no sign of a living wage across its supply chain, the most crucial element of fair labour conditions, we’ve given Oysho another “Not Good Enough” for people.

Animal welfare

Animal rights in fashion is one of the three key areas we look at when rating a brand, and Oysho falls short here, too, with another rating of “Not Good Enough”. It has a formal animal welfare policy aligned with Five Freedoms, and it doesn’t use fur, down, angora or exotic animal skin, which is positive. But it does use wool, leather, and exotic animal hair without stating sources, and there is no evidence it traces any animal products—even to the first stage of production! Not only does poor animal welfare in fashion supply chains impact the sentient creatures we share Earth with, but it also has devastating effects on the physical and mental health of workers.

Overall Rating: Not Good Enough

So, how ethical is Oysho? Overall, we rated Oysho “Not Good Enough” based on our own research. Fast fashion brands are notorious for misdirection, and Oysho is no different. By drawing our attention to its small percentage of eco-friendly clothes, we miss out on the big picture— that Oysho has a lot of work to do for people, the planet, and animals before we can call it ethical or sustainable. We would love to see Oysho meet its sustainability goals, phase out harmful materials like polyester and conventional cotton, ensure it pays a living wage, and slow down its production to meet modern conscious consumer demands.

Note that Good On You ratings consider 100s 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 Rate page and our FAQs.

See the rating.

Good swaps

There’s no denying the Oysho aesthetic is modern and sleek, and thankfully there are plenty of activewear, underwear, and loungewear brands like Oysho out there with more ethical and sustainable ranges for you to consider.

Underprotection

Rated: Good
Someone sunbathing in a one-shoulder swimsuit by Underprotection.

Underprotection is a Danish brand combining ethics and aesthetics, creating underwear, loungewear, and swimwear from lower-impact materials like organic cotton. All of its packaging, paper, and polybags are either recycled or biodegradable, and it only works with certified factories as it believes “fair working conditions and fair wages are human rights”. Underprotection exists to celebrate women of all kinds, and its goal is to make them feel as beautiful and comfortable as possible.

You can find the full range in XS-XL.

See the rating.

Shop Underprotection.

nat’v basics

Rated: Good

nat'v basics is an Australian responsible underwear label designed for the everyday woman. Made from recycled and lower-impact materials, nat'v basics pieces are designed to be the most comfortable basics you’ll ever wear. No frills or trims or awkward bits—so you can put them on and forget you’re wearing them.

Find the range in AU sizes 6-20.

See the rating.

Shop nat'v basics.

Harvest & Mill

Rated: Great
Harvest & Mill sustainable socks pack in ivory

Harvest & Mill pieces are grown, milled, and sewn exclusively in the US, supporting American organic cotton farmers and local sewing communities. The brand makes basics for everyone, always ensuring they are not dyed or bleached, greatly reducing the use of water, energy, and dye materials. Even better, by cultivating different varieties of cotton, the brand is able to bolster biodiversity, which is essential for ensuring healthy ecosystems and keeping our planet resilient in the face of climate change.

Shop the range in sizes S-XL.

See the rating.

Shop Harvest & Mill.

Conscious Step

Rated: Good
Pair of white and black socks hanging on a line by Conscious Step.

Conscious Step creates premium fair trade, organic vegan socks and clothes which support great charities. The US brand is committed to lasting social and environmental change and every step it takes in its production process supports farms and factories with fair wages, safe facilities, and lower-impact materials.

The socks come in S-L sizes, and the clothes in 2XS-2XL.

See the rating.

Shop Conscious Step.

Tripulse

Rated: Great
Person stretching wearing Tripulse workout clothes

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Tripulse is a Swedish activewear brand on a mission to create high performing activewear that protects our planet and its people. The brand believes that fitness, both physical and mental, is the foundation for a good and healthy life and gives people the courage to live the life they dreamed of, become their best selves, make bold moves, and change the world for the better.

Find most items in sizes XS-3XL.

See the rating.

Shop Tripulse.

Girlfriend Collective

Rated: Good
Two women wearing sports leggings and crop tops in burgundy and green

Girlfriend Collective creates minimal, luxury clothes made with fair labour, certified by the Social Accountability Standard International SA8000. The brand uses lower-impact materials like recycled polyester as well as lower-impact, non-toxic dyes and is fully OEKO-TEX® STANDARD 100 certified.

Inclusively sized Girlfriend Collective offers products from 2XS-6XL.

See the rating.

Shop Girlfriend Collective @ LVRSustainable.

Shop Girlfriend Collective.

Boody

Rated: Good

Founded in Australia by two best friends, Boody is a clothing brand with comfort, style, and health at its core. It creates comfortable, thoughtfully-made everyday essentials made from organically grown bamboo. It reduces waste through lower-waste cutting techniques and using a closed-loop system in its supply chain, supporting the green and ethical movement.

Find the range in sizes XS-4XL.

See the rating.

Shop Boody.

Elle Evans

Rated: Good

Founded in 2013 in Australia, Elle Evans Swimwear creates beautiful, lower-impact swimwear and activewear for people who care about fashion and the future. The brand uses post-consumer waste fabrics and traces all of its supply chain.

The range is stocked in sizes 2XS-3XL.

See the rating.

Shop Elle Evans.

Loop Swim

Rated: Good

Founded by two women from the US and India and headquartered in Shanghai, Loop Swim is a brand on a mission to close the loop on waste and promote circular design. It transforms post-consumer plastic bottles into phenomenal REPREVE UP50+ sun protective swimwear for men, women, and kids. Its trendless, high-quality designs are developed to retain shape and colour swim after swim.

Find most items in sizes XS-XL.

See the rating.

Shop Loop Swim.

Editor's note

Feature image via Unsplash, 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.

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