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Go-to affordable and trendy brand American Eagle may be popular, but its lack of action for people, the planet, and animals has resulted in a score of “Not Good Enough”. This article is based on the American Eagle rating published in September 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.
Not quite soaring on sustainability
American Eagle is a go-to destination for affordable and on-trend jeans and casual wear for young people with over 1000 stores worldwide. We take a look at how the brand rates in terms of environmental impact, labour conditions, and animal welfare. We ask—how ethical is American Eagle?
Environmental impact
On the surface, American Eagleseems to be dedicated to sustainability. In practice, however, it appears to be doing very little to reduce its environmental impact. While it has set a science-based target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions generated from its own operations and supply chain, there is no evidence it is on track to meet its target.
The brand has taken no meaningful action to reduce water use, and there’s no evidence it’s taking actions to protect biodiversity in its supply chain.This is problematic, not just for the environment, but for workers and animals as well. American Eagle does use some lower-impact materials including recycled materials, but could certainly improve in that area too.
American Eagle outlines a number of sustainability strategies including the recycling of paper in its corporate offices, and the establishment of permanent I:CO recycling centres in over 823 stores across North America. As positive as these initiatives are, there is still a long way for American Eagle to go before it can consider itself more sustainable. For these reasons we have given the brand a score of “Not Good Enough” for the planet.
Labour conditions
American Eagle is really lagging behind for people, too, with a score of “Not Good Enough”. There is no evidence that it provides its workers with a crucial living wage. It also sources from countries with high or extreme risk of labour abuse, however it has attempted to address these risks by signing the Bangladesh Building and Fire Safety Accord, and participating in the Business for Social Responsibility network.
The brand received a score of 21-30% in the 2023 Fashion Transparency Index, which, while an improvement on the prior year, is still lower than we would like. None of its supply chain is certified by labour standards which ensure worker health and safety, living wages, or other labour rights. And during the height of the pandemic, it didn’t disclose any policies or safeguards to protect workers in its supply chain from the impacts of COVID-19. It also doesn’t appear to support diversity or inclusion in its supply chain.
To make matters worse, in the past American Eagle has been linked to a number of scandals, including an incident in 2015involving the dangerous use ofsandblastingin a Chinese factory, as well as aleaked video in 2011 of a Chinese factory used by a number of American retailers including American Eagle that showed workers being subjected to poor conditions. In response to the sandblasting incident, American Eagle banned the presence of sandblasting equipment in any facility producing its clothing.
Animal welfare
American Eagle is “Not Good Enough” for the animals, either. It has a general statement about minimising animal suffering but not a formal animal welfare policy. It states that it sources wool from non-mulesed sheep, which is good, but it doesn’t provide any evidence to verify its claims. Responsible Down Standard certifies the down it uses, but it uses leather and exotic animal hair without stating its sources. And while it doesn’t use angora, fur, or exotic animal skin, and it traces some animal-derived materials to the first production stage, there’s still work to be done for the wellbeing of our animal friends here.
Overall rating: ‘Not Good Enough’
While its greenhouse gas reduction target and recycling programs are a good first step, ultimately American Eagle appears more interested in talking the talk rather than walking the walk. Being more transparent about its environmental policies and labour conditions, paying a living wage to its workers, and using more lower-impact materials in its products would be great places to start. At the end of the day, American Eagle follows a fast fashion model, promoting quantity over quality, which is inherently unsustainable, meaning it rates “Not Good Enough” overall.
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 Rate page and our FAQs.
Luckily there are more ethical and sustainable brands out there with higher quality clothes for you to rock.
Good swaps
“Good” and “Great” alternatives to American Eagle
Neem
Rated: Good
Neem is a menswear brand that looks to make clothing waste good again. From the UK, Neem exists to produce men's clothing that has been made with care, a result of a transparent supply chain with the safeguarding of our environment as the focus.
Find most items in sizes S-2XL.
REER3
Rated: Good
Founded by a Brazilian-born fashion designer and artist based in Germany, REER3 stands for slow fashion streetwear in a reduced design, produced more sustainably. It uses lower-impact dyes and materials such as organically grown, GOTS certified cotton and recycled polyester, and it's 100% vegan.
Find the range in XS-2XL.
Pantee
Rated: Good
Pantee is a women's underwear brand based in the UK with a focus on comfort. The brand incorporates a high proportion of lower-impact materials including recycled materials, and its limited production run minimises textile waste.
Find bras and undies in sizes XS-XL.
Kings of Indigo
Rated: Good
Kings of Indigo makes quality denims, tops, and accessories inspired by American classics with a Japanese eye for detail. The brand uses GOTS organic cotton as well as recycled cotton and wool, and avoids all chemicals from the REACH chemical list.
Offered in sizes XS-L.
Dawn Denim
Rated: Great
Dawn Denim is a German denim brand that features jeans that fit our times. The brand strives to empower women to change the way clothes are made, sold and worn. Making your butt look good in jeans is a welcomed side-effect.
Find the jeans in XS-3XL.
Afends
Rated: Good
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Born in Byron Bay, Australia, Afends is a 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, they purchased 100 acres of farmland called Sleepy Hollow to grow their own hemp crops and ignite the hemp revolution.
Find most of the range in sizes XS-XL.
Seek Collective
Rated: Good
Seek Collective is a US brand of thoughtfully made items with a dedication to transparency, authenticity, craft, and sustainability. Seek is focused on establishing connections between art, product, consumers, process, and makers. Its items are made in India through partnerships with like-minded communities and people.
Find most products in XS-L, with an extended sizing range up to 4XL.
Ecoalf
Rated: Good
Thanks to recycled materials like rescued ocean plastic, Ecoalf creates more sustainable fashion with the same quality, design, and technical properties as the best non-recycled ones.
Find the range in sizes XS-2XL.
Editor's note
Feature image via Canva, all other images via the 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.
As an expert in sustainability and ethical practices within the fashion industry, I bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to shed light on the complex dynamics involved in evaluating brands for their environmental impact, labor conditions, and animal welfare. My understanding of the intricacies of sustainability metrics and ethical standards allows me to critically assess the practices of renowned brands like American Eagle.
The article in question delves into the rating of American Eagle, a popular and widely known brand, with a focus on its environmental impact, labor conditions, and animal welfare practices. Let's break down the key concepts used in the article:
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Environmental Impact:
- American Eagle is criticized for a lack of substantial action to reduce its environmental impact despite setting a science-based target for reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
- The brand falls short in terms of water use reduction and protection of biodiversity in its supply chain.
- Some positive initiatives, such as the recycling of paper in corporate offices and the establishment of I:CO recycling centers, are acknowledged, but they are not deemed sufficient for a higher sustainability rating.
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Labor Conditions:
- American Eagle receives a low score for labor conditions, with no evidence of providing a crucial living wage to workers.
- Sourcing from countries with high or extreme risk of labor abuse raises concerns.
- While the brand has joined initiatives like the Bangladesh Building and Fire Safety Accord and the Business for Social Responsibility network, its overall transparency and commitment to labor standards remain inadequate.
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Animal Welfare:
- American Eagle is rated "Not Good Enough" for animal welfare due to the absence of a formal animal welfare policy.
- The brand claims to source wool from non-mulesed sheep, but the lack of evidence to support this claim is highlighted.
- Responsible Down Standard certification is mentioned, but the use of leather and exotic animal hair without specifying sources is a concern.
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Overall Rating:
- The article concludes with an overall rating of "Not Good Enough" for American Eagle, emphasizing the brand's need to be more transparent about its environmental policies and labor conditions.
- Despite positive steps like greenhouse gas reduction targets and recycling programs, the brand is criticized for adhering to a fast fashion model that prioritizes quantity over quality.
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Alternative Brands:
- The article provides a list of alternative brands rated as "Good" or "Great" based on their ethical and sustainable practices. These alternatives include Neem, REER3, Pantee, Kings of Indigo, Dawn Denim, Afends, Seek Collective, and Ecoalf.
In summary, my expertise allows me to dissect and interpret the nuances of sustainability evaluations, enabling a comprehensive understanding of the challenges and shortcomings within the fashion industry, as highlighted in the assessment of American Eagle's practices.
