Selected Homme

The brand is part of Bestseller.

Bestseller is a Danish family-owned clothing brand, founded in 1975, that has grown into a fast fashion giant with a portfolio of fashionable brands.

The company employs over 41,000 people and offers its fourteen brands in over 5,300 stores in 43 countries. 

With such a big name in the industry, comes big responsibility. It’s very unfortunate that this responsibility is not being taken at the moment. The mother company offers a single sustainability report that covers all of its nearly twenty brands. 

This report is mainly filled with fragmented information about what specific brands do well, but lacks a general representation of the performance of either the mother company or the individual brands on sustainable practices.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the fashion industry faced significant scrutiny over its treatment of workers, particularly in global supply chains. Bestseller, like many other fashion brands, was part of this controversy. The main issues revolved around the cancellation of orders and the impact on workers in manufacturing countries. When the pandemic hit, many brands faced decreased demand and store closures, leading to the cancellation of orders already placed with factories. This had a domino effect on the factories and the workers employed there, many of whom are in countries with minimal social safety nets.

For Bestseller specifically, reports and criticisms emerged regarding its handling of payments to suppliers for orders that were either in production or completed but not yet shipped. The controversy centred around whether Bestseller and similar companies would honour their commitments to these orders, ensuring that workers would get paid for their labour. The fear was that without payment for these orders, factories would be unable to pay their workers, leading to lay-offs, unpaid wages, and exacerbating poverty and hardship in already vulnerable communities.

In response to public pressure and advocacy by labour rights organizations, some brands, including Bestseller, committed to paying for orders in production or completed. Bestseller publicly stated its intention to take responsibility for its supply chain by working through its commitments and ensuring that workers were treated fairly.

Since the controversy, the company has made small steps by implementing a Code of Conduct to ensure basic labour rights and publishing a list of suppliers. However, until today none of its supply chain appears to be certified by crucial labour standards that help ensure worker health and safety, ensure workers are paid living wages, and other rights.

SELECTED uses some lower-impact materials, in their 2023 collection: The brand states in their annual sustainability report that 47% of the fibres used were organic, recycled or other certified and innovated branded fibres. The use of these fibres is highlighted on product tags to help consumers make considered choices when shopping.

The brands’ website says that 50% of the cotton used was organic cotton. Organic cotton is grown without toxic pesticides or synthetic fertilizers, improving soil health and protecting biodiversity. COSH! could not find proof of any common certifications, such as Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS). Read more about organic cotton here.

The annual sustainability report states that Bestseller uses organic cotton, recycled cotton, In-conversion cotton, CmiA (Cotton made in Africa) and Better Cotton in their collection to lower the impact on the planet and the people engaged depending on the farming method. 

Recycled Cotton is made from pre- or post-consumer cotton waste, significantly reducing the need for virgin cotton and, consequently, the environmental impact associated with cotton cultivation and processing. This approach promotes a circular economy, reducing landfill waste and saving resources. However, the quality of recycled cotton can vary, and the recycling process itself can be energy-intensive, depending on the methods used. COSH! could not find proof of any common certifications, such as Global Recycle Standard (GRS), to verify the percentage of recycled content and ensuring that the production process meets environmental and social criteria.

In-conversion cotton refers to cotton from farms that are in the process of transitioning from conventional to organic farming. This transition period is necessary for the soil to recover from chemical treatments and for the farm to align with organic standards. While in-conversion cotton is a step towards more sustainable practices, the impact reduction is gradual and not as significant as fully organic cotton until the transition is complete.

CmiA (Cotton made in Africa) aims to improve the living conditions of African cotton farmers and reduce the environmental impact of cotton farming. It focuses on sustainable practices that are economically viable for smallholder farmers, such as water efficiency and reducing chemical use. However, while CmiA cotton is more sustainable than conventional cotton, it may not meet the strict environmental criteria of organic cotton.

Better Cotton initiated by the Better Cotton Initiative (BCI), is sourced from farmers working towards environmental, social, and economic sustainability. BCI does not strictly require organic farming practices but focuses on reducing the environmental impact of cotton farming and improving livelihoods for farmers. While Better Cotton represents a move towards more sustainable cotton production, critics argue that its standards are not as stringent as organic certification, potentially leading to greenwashing concerns.

At COSH!, we remain critical of Bestseller’s use of various types cotton claims due to the lack of transparent certifications, concrete evidence and third-party verification.

55% of the wool used was certified to the Responsible Wool Standard (RWS) or equivalent standards, organic wool or recycled wool. Read more about the environmental impact of wool here. 62% of the polyester used was recycled polyester and 100 % of the virgin down used were certified by the Global Recycle Standard. 

The brand also incorporates some innovative semisynthetic fibres sourced from European suppliers like Lenzing AG and Renewcell, such as TENCEL™ lyocell, modal, REFIBRA™, ECOVERO™ Viscose, LIVA REVIVA by Birla, and Circulose®.

These fibres are known for their environmental benefits, such as reduced water use and emissions. 

BESTSELLER is on course to replace all its virgin plastic polybags with 100% certified recycled alternatives by 2024, using recycled polyethylene (PE) that meets the Global Recycling Standard. By 2025, BESTSELLER aims to ensure all its consumer packaging is fully reusable, recyclable, or compostable, marking a significant step towards sustainability in its packaging efforts.

Ocean transport makes up over 80 percent of BESTSELLER’s all transport solutions, as transportation means they have chosen Maersk ECO Delivery powered by biofuel, to reduce the company’s carbon footprint.

Bestseller is making strides towards circularity by educating designers on creating circular designs and preparing collections for a more sustainable future. 

Their commitment includes increasing the use of organic, recycled, or certified materials annually. The introduction of the Circular Design Guide for all designers and product developers across brands is also a notable step. However, the effectiveness of these efforts in significantly reducing environmental impact depends on the implementation and the broader adoption of these practices beyond design into production, usage, and recycling stages. This approach indicates a move towards sustainability, but the real test will be in its execution and tangible impact on reducing waste and promoting garment longevity.

The Danish brand Bestseller has a long supply chain, sourcing materials globally.

As of December 2022, BESTSELLER partners with approximately 800 businesses across the world who manufacture products for BESTSELLER brands. The brand primarily assembles and finishes its products in key sourcing countries, such as China, Turkey, Bangladesh, India, and Pakistan. To be transparent about their supply chain, BESTSELLER publishes its public factory list once every two months.

The brand ships worldwide but prioritizes sea freight for up to 80% of its shipping needs, aligning with a commitment to reduce environmental impact. 

BESTSELLER has a formal animal welfare policy, to ensure responsible use of animal-derived materials, with specific mechanisms for implementation. The brand use leather, exotic animal hair, and silk, alongside recycled wool and down in its products, avoiding the use of fur, angora, or exotic animal skins.

BESTSELLER aims to ensure all wool is responsibly sourced by 2025, adhering to standards like the Responsible Wool Standard or equivalent standards, organic wool or recycled wool. Their policy extends to mohair, sourced according to the Responsible Mohair Standard, and cashmere, aligned with The Good Cashmere Standard® for ethical production. Additionally, all virgin down meets the Responsible Down Standard. 

SELECTED Homme collections are known for their timeless, minimalistic, classic pieces that transcend trends. 

BESTSELLER is committed to slow fashion by ensuring the quality and durability of its materials through testing in their in-house laboratory. This approach, focusing on longevity and offering a high-quality product that maintains fit and colour and be cherished for years to come. 

The brand also helps consumers properly care for their garments with a Garment Care Guide available on their website. And helps consumers to mend their damaged clothes with a repair service available at any SELECTED store.

Bestseller demonstrates transparency by publishing a list of its first-tier manufacturing suppliers, which includes those directly involved in the production and finishing of garments, every two months. However, it does not disclose information about processing facilities beyond tier 1, such as those involved in ginning, spinning, dyeing, and other preliminary processes. Additionally, the brand does not publish a list of its raw materials suppliers, indicating a selective approach to transparency within its supply chain.

COSH! Is pleased to see evidence of their sustainability efforts, however, we remain critical of Bestseller’s use of various types of cotton claims due to the lack of transparent certifications, concrete evidence and third-party verification.