Trying to shop more ethically can feel overwhelming. There are thousands of brands, endless sustainability claims, and a lot of marketing language that makes it difficult to know what is actually responsible and what simply sounds responsible.
At Good Maker Market, the goal has never been perfection. It’s about becoming more intentional—learning, asking questions, and making better choices one step at a time.
One of the tools that has helped guide that process is Good On You, a platform that rates fashion brands based on their ethical and environmental impact. Their work helps simplify complex supply chains and makes it easier for everyday consumers to understand how brands are performing.
How the Good On You Rating Tool Works
Good On You evaluates fashion brands across three major areas of impact:
People
This includes labor rights, working conditions, supply chain transparency, and whether workers are treated fairly.
Planet
This measures environmental impact such as resource use, emissions, pollution, and waste.
Animals
This looks at animal welfare policies, product testing, and how brands source materials like leather, wool, fur, or exotic skins.
Using publicly available data, sustainability reports, certifications, and independent research, the Good On You team analyzes hundreds of indicators across a brand’s supply chain. Those findings are then translated into a simple five-point rating system:
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We Avoid
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Not Good Enough
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It’s a Start
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Good
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Great
The goal is to make complex information accessible so consumers can quickly understand how a brand is performing and compare it with others.
If you want to explore the methodology in more detail, Good On You shares their process openly:
- Read how the rating system works here
- Check out their brand rating methodology guide here
- They also publish ongoing research and insights through their journal here
Easy Access: Good On You’s App
Another reason the Good On You platform is so helpful is that it isn’t limited to your computer. The Good On You app allows you to carry the rating tool with you wherever you shop. Instead of trying to remember brand practices or researching later, you can quickly search a brand in the app while you’re browsing in store or online. Having this information easily accessible makes it much simpler to pause, check, and make a more intentional decision in the moment.
Download the app here
Why Good Maker Market Uses This Tool
At Good Maker Market, part of our mission is helping people build a more intentional lifestyle—one that considers the impact of what we buy, wear, and use on the daily.
But researching every brand individually simply isn’t realistic for most people. That’s where tools like Good On You become incredibly valuable.
By joining forces with platforms that are already doing the deep research, we’re able to share more trustworthy information and help guide better choices. Their ratings provide a helpful starting point for understanding the practices behind many well-known brands.
It’s not about labeling brands as perfect or terrible. Sustainability is complex, and most companies are somewhere in the middle of that journey. But transparency helps move the conversation forward.
A Step Toward More Intentional Living
Making ethical choices doesn’t happen all at once. It happens gradually—through learning, asking questions, and choosing better options when we can.
Guides like this and other resources on ethical shopping are meant to help make that process easier.
At Good Maker Market, we believe that when people have clearer information, they can make more thoughtful decisions. And when enough of us begin making those decisions, it sends a signal to the industry that people care about how products are made.
That’s how change begins.
Not perfectly.
But intentionally — together.
Thanks for being here,
– Bethany
