Transparency & Traceability:

Transparency refers to what a brand is willing to share about how and where its products are made. Traceability refers to what the brand actually knows and can verify at each stage of its supply chain. Here’s why they matter.

• No legal requirement to disclose: In the U.S., brands are not required to share supplier details, labor conditions, or environmental practices.

• No transparecny = no accountability: Without disclosure, it’s impossible to know if a brand is protecting worker’s rights or reducing environmental harm. Transparency is the first step toward accountability.

• Traceability goes deeper: Traceability means a brand can map its entire supply chain, from the source of its raw materials to dyeing, finishing, and manufacturing. This is especially important for spotting environmental impacts or labor violations in the middle of the production chain (not just at the final sewing factory).

• Fast fashion supply chains are massive and messy: Many large brands work with hundreds of suppliers and subcontractors, which makes it easy for harmful practices to go unchecked, and hard for consumers to trace what they’re supporting.
  

What you can do:

• Look for brands that publish supplier lists, especially those that share information beyond the just the final (cut and sew) stage, like where dyeing and production take place.

• Shop small brands with direct partnerships: Independent brands that work closely with fewer factories often have better visibility into their practices and can offer more honest communication.
  

Certifications & tools to know:

• Fashion Transparency Index (by Fashion Revolution): An annual ranking of major brands based on how much they disclose about their supply chains, policies, and practices. It’s a helpful resource for for evaluating transparency at a glance,

• Textile Exchange’s TrackIt Program is a newer traceability tool helping brands verify chain-of-custody for for sustainable materials like like organic cotton or recycled fibers.

• Certified B Corporation certifies companies that meet high standards of transparency, environmental responsibility, and treatment of workers across their business—not just in their supply chain.

Note:

Smaller brands may not use formal traceability tools or appear in indexes, but they can still demonstrate their values. Look for clear, specific details on their websites about who they partner with, how often they visit their factories, and how they verify their standards.