Shein: Fashion’s Guilty Pleasure
The appeal of Shein hauls, ranging from $300 to $500, has captivated audiences across various social media platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. Shein, a Chinese-based fast fashion giant, has gained widespread attention for its low prices and a mass variation of items on its website. The brand skyrocketed to prominence in 2022; however, it all seems too good to be true, and it is. Despite its appeal, Shein is anything but sustainable. The company generates vast quantities of clothing at rock-bottom prices, inevitably leading to compromises in quality and the overall longevity of the pieces. Furthermore, Shein often copies designs from independent designers, which is often tolerated because of Shein's power in the fashion industry.
Shein's mass production of items at such low prices fuels a culture of overconsumption among consumers. It is reported that Shein releases 6.3 million tons of carbon dioxide annually, primarily attributed to the production of clothes made from virgin polyester and mass amounts of oil (Rajvanshi, 2023). Furthermore, the company encourages consumers to partake in microtrends, and when these microtrends fade, most of the clothes end up in landfills. Thrift stores are flooded with discarded Shein items and despite the common belief that donating these clothes is beneficial, the reality is that the majority still find their way into landfills.
Guangzhou, China, houses Shein's headquarters, nicknamed "Shein Village," as most of the factories are primarily dedicated to manufacturing for the company. The company's supply model relies on a workforce vulnerable to exploitation, with many of the workers in these South China factories being migrants who do not know any better, are unaware of their rights, and are willing to work overtime, even if it is less pay (Wang, 2023). Consequently, the company has begun moving several factories to Jiangxi Province, Ganzhou, for lower labor costs. Local factory owners report that Shein is the only company providing work in the area; unfortunately, money cannot be made without working for the company. As a result, workers are forced to work for this one company and have no other competition for employment, so they have no choice but to endure these terrible conditions if they wish to earn more money. In addition, Shein expects workers to produce clothes at an unrealistic rate for such little pay, leaving little to no profit left over for them. While the severity and urgency of this problem are apparent, governments and journalists cannot hold the company accountable because Shein's supplier list is hidden, unlike other large companies.
Reporter Selina Wang from ABC News interviewed Independent Designer Bailey Prado in 2023, where Prado discussed how the fast-fashion company stole over 40 of her designs. The items Prado designs take 20-30 hours to design, but Shein can replicate them much faster and cheaper, causing the value of her items to decrease since consumers would rather pay less. As a result of their immense power and money, Prado described how difficult it is for her to deal with Shein legally, as she cannot compete with them. Prado is just one of many independent designers whose designs have been stolen by Shein, and her interview reveals just how many more are at risk. On a broader scale, beyond small independent designers, Shein has faced lawsuits from large corporations such as Levi's, Doc Martens, and Ralph Lauren regarding design disputes (Wang, 2023).
Next time you think about purchasing "just a couple" items from Shein, consider the company as a whole and how it is damaging our environment, stealing the livelihood of independent designers, and exploiting human beings for their own benefit.
Sources
Rajvanshi, A., Caldwell, J., & Johnson, A. D. (2023, January 17). Shein’s fast fashion domination comes at a high cost. Time. https://time.com/6247732/shein-climate-change-labor-fashion/
Wang, S. (2023, October 26). IMPACT x Nightline: Unboxing Shein. Episode.
Written by Sydney Annis
Copyedited by Emily Slepsky
Graphic by Jackson Dallas