If you use TikTok and are passionate about fashion, you have probably already seen the famous “shein haul” videos, which are nothing more than people showing often absurd purchases they made on the Chinese platform Shein. Is there still room for the glamorization of over-consumption in 2024?
I’m not going to start this text by saying that buying from Shein is wrong and that you should feel bad for buying there. I’ve had very serious discussions about this with friends who have a very strong social conscience, but who consume the platform’s products because 1) it’s much cheaper and 2) the options for body types considered outside the standard are much broader than in other clothing brands. But are these justifications good enough?
A quick search of the #sheinhaul hashtag on TikTok shows that TikToks made with the hashtag have 2.6 billion views. Scrolling through the platform is quite a rollercoaster journey. You’ll see (thin, conventionally pretty, wealthy, and white) girls spending anywhere between $400–$800. And at the very end of the consumerist spectrum, you might even chance upon $2000 hauls.
It exemplifies the consumer mentality that we can buy outfits for an event only to never wear them again, and Shein makes that possible for everybody, which gives people a sense of inclusion. Have you heard that it’s chic not to repeat an outfit? Well, Shein took that to another level.
The consequences of their “on-demand” production contributes to the massive ecological footprint of the fast fashion industry—which is already 10% of the world’s total environmental pollution.
Its business model is so inherently unsustainable and unethical, one lawsuit accuses Shein of being an organized crime ring fuelled by greed, AI, and exploitative human labor that is likely a human rights crisis.
A Canadian broadcaster performed a test in 2021 on a vinyl toddler jacket and purse by Shein, that were found to contain 20x the legal limit for lead in children’s items. In addition to the clothes being the result of labor analogous to slavery, you can also have health problems when wearing clothes from there. Maybe a $3 blouse isn’t so cheap after all, haha.
If you don’t pay the full price for an item, the people in the production chain will. The workers in Asia who are involved in making your dress, pay the ultimate price. And eventually, we will all pay for all the plastic produced for Shein’s customers because plastic is destroying the world.
I’ve heard many times that buying with conscience and more sustainability is a privilege for few and white, but the truth is that sustainability is a human right, and sustainable fashion is a future-proof imperative.
But why do people keep buying even knowing all this?
People no longer shop for clothing, they shop for entertainment—and that dopamine rush is exactly what Shein continues to cash in on for private profit.
Shopping has become a “sport”, it’s a way to deal with the frustrations of everyday life, with constant fatigue, “oh, just a top is enough to make me happy”, and it’s with this thought that Shein continues to destroy fashion, industry and the environment in which we live.
What can we do?
Some initiatives, like promoting a circular economy or regularly releasing reports of factory conditions, are moves in the right direction. Crucially, what’s needed is a deep shift in the current business model — and that will take time, collaboration, and pressure across the industry.
It’s a shame to keep buying from Shein. Just stop. And go for a walk in the neighborhood. Buy from a thrift store. Borrow from your friend. But Shein just no.
Share this newsletter with that friend of yours who thinks that just one top doesn’t hurt anyone. Spoiler: it hurts the whole world.
References:
https://greenisthenewblack.com/shein-ultra-fast-fashion-consumerism-tiktok-influencer/
https://www.gittemary.com/2022/07/shein-is-much-worse-than-any-other-fashion-brand-here-is-why.html
https://www.sustainablejungle.com/sustainable-fashion/why-is-shein-so-bad
https://ethically-dressed.com/6-reasons-you-should-never-shop-at-shein/
