Brooks Brothers Drops Wool Supplier After Cruelty Exposé

Popular men’s fashion company Brooks Brothers pledged to cut ties with Chilean wool suppliers after a recent investigation conducted by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) revealed severe cruelty at sheep farms. According to PETA, only one percent of the world’s wool is produced in Italy, and many companies such as J Crew and Coach source “luxury Italian” wool from supplier R. Gledhill Ltd., which includes Chilean farms in their supply chain. The video exposé—which was documented during a one-month period on two separate farms in Punta Arenas—revealed sheep being deeply wounded while shorn, stepped on, hit, and kicked by workers, before being sent to slaughter. PETA sent a letter to Brooks Brothers, J Crew, and Coach in March detailing the findings of its investigation and inquiring whether the companies would continue to source wool from R. Gledhill, Ltd. (J Crew and Coach have not responded). Last year, PETA’s undercover investigation of exotic animal farming led to retailer Bebe to ban alligator and crocodile from its fashion line.