Back in 2014

Rick wrote that it’s not really a good excuse to plead ignorance about where your shirts are made. He linked to a Guardian story about feminist t-shirts allegedly produced by exploited women workers a precautionary tale about the gap between the message on the garment and the conditions behind it. Eleven years later, that gap hasn’t closed. The ethics of garment manufacturing in 2026 have gotten wider and better documented.

In January 2025

A BBC investigation into factories supplying Shein the fast-fashion giant that generated over $30 billion in global revenue in 2023 — found workers in Guangzhou sitting behind sewing machines for 75 hours a week, in direct violation of Chinese labor laws. Standard shifts ran from 8 AM past 10 PM. Base wages without overtime came to roughly $327 a month — well below what the Asia Floor Wage Alliance calculates as a living wage. Shein’s own 2023 sustainability report disclosed two confirmed cases of child labor in its supply chain. By December 2025, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton launched a formal investigation into Shein for potential forced labor, toxic materials, and deceptive marketing about ethical sourcing.

It’s not just overseas. In the U.S., the Department of Labor has found that 85% of garment factories investigated in Los Angeles violated federal wage and hour laws, with some workers paid as little as $4 an hour. Forever 21, long tied to those same LA supply chains, filed for a second bankruptcy in 2025.

The fashion industry employs approximately 60 million factory workers worldwide. Less than 2% earn a living wage. That number hasn’t meaningfully changed since the Rana Plaza collapse killed 1,134 workers in 2013.

For garment decorators, this matters. You’re choosing what blanks to put your work on. Tools like the Fashion Transparency Index from Fashion Revolution and the Good On You app let you research brands before you buy. Suppliers like Los Angeles Apparel and Unionwear build their businesses around transparent, domestic production.

Rick was right in 2014: check the label. You have more information than ever to understand The ethics of garment manufacturing in 2026, and fewer excuses not to.