The situation feels familiar. Your friend says imploringly, “I desperately need new outfits for spring break, something cheap but cute,” and she pulls up a bright screen with the letters SHEIN painted black across her phone.
What would you say? Would you even give pause?
As you scroll through your friend's glamorous and ridiculously affordable options for her dream vacay, you may wonder how it would be possible in today's economy to have a tank top retail for $5. Yet, even if it does seem strange, the average teenage girl would not blink. She would remember that cute tank she saw in a Shein haul on Tik Tok from her favorite influencer who seems just like her and wouldn’t think anything of it.
Click. Buy. Repeat.
Shein is a Chinese fast fashion company founded by Chris Xu, an American-born entrepreneur. Its sales have soared over the recent years, going from $10 billion in 2020 to $100 billion in 2022. The secret behind Shein’s recipe for success is actually quite simple: the inexpensive cost of their clothing. According to National Public Radio, Millennial and Generation Z women make up the majority of Shein customers. And part of Shein’s appeal to these buyers is its ability to drop 10,000 new products daily and for all types of women.
SHEIN.
You might wonder, how is this even possible?
Shein is able to produce such unheard of large quantities of products a day through their use of virgin polyester and extensive amounts of oil. Due to this, approximately 6.3 million tons of carbon dioxide are left behind by Shein annually, according to Times Magazine. Shein’s ability to mass produce products has also been linked to accusations of breaking labor rules and treating their workers poorly. Many employees at Shein worked for 75-hour shifts with little breaks, according to Channel 4 in the United Kingdom. Not only is Shein negatively impacting the environment and allegedly breaking labor regulations, but they also have been accused of various unethical behaviors such as copying designs of small businesses and abusing import taxes.
Dilapidated working conditions at a SHEIN factory in China. Jade Gao—AFP/Getty Images
If you are reading this article or have ever tried to google Shein and seen the list of unethical practices this brand is accused of, you might be thinking to yourself, “so why do people still shop at Shein?” The answer lies in Shein’s cunning use of social media influencers. Those Tik Tok haul videos done by smiling, beautiful teenagers holding their 50 plastic shiny bags with clothing inside is the answer. Shein partners with hundreds of micro-influencers to display their clothing and give out discount codes to make these products more desirable to their impressionable teenage audience.
So next time your friend wants to buy that $5 tank top, take a second to pause for yourself, your moral compass, and your planet.
Sources:
Archie, Ayana. “Shein Steals Artists’ Designs, a Federal Racketeering Lawsuit Says.” NPR, 15 July 2023, www.npr.org/2023/07/15/1187852963/shein-rico-racketeering-lawsuit. Accessed 20 Oct. 2024.
Gilchrist, Ava. “Allegations of “Modern Slavery” & Violations of Labour Laws, Here’s Exactly Why Shein Is Bad.” ELLE, 29 Apr. 2024, www.elle.com.au/fashion/fashion-news/why-is-shein-so-bad-27846/. Accessed 20 Oct. 2024.
Rajvanshi, Astha. “Shein Is the World’s Most Popular Fashion Brand—at a Huge Cost to Us All.” Time Magazine, 17 Jan. 2023, time.com/6247732/shein-climate-change-labor-fashion/. Accessed 20 Oct. 2024.
Selyukh, Alina . “America Can’t Resist Fast Fashion. Shein, with All Its Issues, Is Tailored for It.” NPR, 13 Oct. 2023, www.npr.org/2023/10/13/1204983212/shein-america-fast-fashion-legal-issues. Accessed 20 Oct. 2024.
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