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25 Aug

How Ethical Is Weekday?

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Another small branch of H&M, Weekday is popular with the younger generation. But how ethical is Weekday? This article is based on the Weekday rating published before February 2022.

Is Weekday an ethical or sustainable brand?

Swedish brand Weekday is yet another label owned by fast fashion giant H&M. It has a casual streetwear aesthetic that appeals to the younger generation, and sells basics for as little as $4. But as a smaller branch, is it doing more to reduce its impact on people, the planet, and animals, or is it more of the same story? The brand proudly highlights its “Responsibility” page and says, “We…put sustainability at the core of Weekday, and we aim to make responsible choices in everything we do.” It also talks about the importance of a circular fashion system and has a second hand section in its Drottninggatan store in Stockholm. So let’s break down Weekday’s rating and answer the question—how ethical is Weekday?

Environmental impact

For the environment, Weekday gets “It’s a Start”. The brand focuses on incorporating more “Responsible” materials into its collection, including organic cotton, recycled polyester, and viscose, which is positive. Along with the entire H&M supply chain, it has also set a science-based target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, aiming to be “climate neutral” by 2030 and “climate positive” by 2040.

While we commend the brand for its goals and would applaud their achievement, the reality is that Weekday is still a fast fashion brand. It churns out thousands of styles for low prices. And as much as it claims circularity, unless it slows down its methods, it can’t claim to be sustainable without a waft of greenwashing. We’ve talked about fast fashion brands’ “green” collections before, and it’s worth reading to learn why simply having a portion of recycled/eco materials in such a vast collection isn’t enough.

Labour conditions

When it comes to workers, Weekday is once again rated “It’s a Start”. Much like its parent company H&M and the various subsidiaries, it received a score of 61-70% in the Fashion Transparency Index and publishes some pretty detailed information about its suppliers. Transparency is a crucial first step to a more ethical fashion industry, but it takes more than simply flagging what goes on behind the scenes—there also needs to be concrete action. The brand has a project to improve living wages, but at this stage, it doesn’t seem to guarantee the payment of a living wage in most of its supply chain.

Animal welfare

Animal welfare is the third area we look at when rating a brand’s impact, and Weekday’s score has recently risen to “Good” here. It has a formal animal welfare policy aligned with Five Freedoms, doesn’t use fur, down, angora, or exotic animal skin, and uses wool accredited by the Responsible Wool Standard. It also traces most animal products to the first stage of production. It does use leather and exotic animal hair despite its commitments to responsible materials, though it appears to have plans to phase them out in the future.

Overall rating: It’s a Start

So, how ethical is Weekday? Overall, we’ve rated Weekday as “It’s a Start” based on our own research—you can read more in our post about what our “It’s a Start” rating really means. Like its parent company, it has taken steps to improve in each of the three key areas. However, it’s still a fast fashion company producing too many new garments and encouraging mass consumption, good intentions aside.

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.

If clothing made from eco-friendly materials from a fast fashion brand best suits your needs, from budget to size to accessibility, you shouldn’t feel guilty about buying it. But for those who prefer to support brands leading the way in ethics and sustainability across the board, we’ve found some “Good” and “Great” alternatives to Weekday to meet your needs.

Good swaps

Sustainable alternatives to Weekday

Afends

Rated: Good
Someone on roof wearing clothes by Afends.

Born in Byron Bay, Australia, Afends is a more responsible brand leading the way in hemp fashion. Drawing inspiration from the environment, streetwear, and surf culture, Afends’ mission is to create more sustainable clothing through innovation, action, and positive change. As true hemp advocates, it purchased 100 acres of farmland called Sleepy Hollow to grow its own hemp crops and ignite the hemp revolution.

Find most of the range in sizes XS-XL.

See the rating.

Shop Afends.

Unrecorded

Rated: Good
image of person in shirt, cardigan and trousers by Unrecorded

Unrecorded is an independent clothing brand from the Netherlands that represents a new wave of unisex brands that are rebelling against the nature of fast fashion. Unrecorded is passionate about style, and produces apparel using more responsible materials.

Its range includes items that are all year round essentials suitable for any wardrobe, available in sizes XS-2XL.

See the rating.

Shop Unrecorded.

Plant Faced Clothing

Rated: Good

Streetwear without the sweatshops, that's the motto of this British 100% vegan and cruelty-free streetwear apparel brand that is all about promoting a new wave of consciousness that supports the non-harming or exploitation of any beings in fashion production.

Buy Plant Faced Clothing in sizes XS-2XL.

See the rating.

Shop Plant Faced Clothing.

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.

Organic Basics

Rated: Good
people wearing organic basics basics

Organic Basics offers high-quality more sustainable fashion basics for men and women in organic materials. The Denmark-based brand puts sustainable thinking at the centre of everything—it only chooses fabrics that care for our environment, and only ever partners with factories that care about their impact.

Organic Basics' clothes are available in sizes XS-XL.

See the rating.

Shop Organic Basics.

Editor's note

Feature image via Weekday, 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 the directory to search thousands of rated brands.

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