Shein: A Definite Fashion Don’t
Photo from Markus Winkler on Pexels.
Julia Igl
Flipping through the hangers in your closet, you’re likely to find one or two classic black-ribbon-white-text Shein tags. And if you don’t own them personally, you’ve certainly seen them at thrift stores and other clothing resellers. It’s no surprise - Shein has become responsible for 28% of the fast fashion industry in the US and is the number 1 mentioned brand of TikTok (How are Shein). Initially intended to be a wedding-dress retailer, Shein was founded in China by Chris Xu in 2008. It has since expanded to 6,000 factories, with the capability to release 10,000 new styles per day (Shein Is the). Through clever marketing and some of the lowest prices on the market, Shein has become a billion-dollar business.
But what is fast fashion, really? The term fast fashion has been tossed around so frequently, the phrase has lost some of its impact. In order to understand the relevance of fast fashion, one must understand something called the 20-year cycle. The 20-year cycle is the concept that, from the time a trend is introduced, to when it falls out of style, and then back into the mainstream is about a 20 year process. However, due to the rise of the digital age, this trend rule has sped up to something more like the 5-10-year cycle. And the only way for the average person to stay on top of the trend cycle is to buy cheap, low-quality, mass produced garments (Trends Used to). Enter fast fashion. Fast fashion takes trends, almost the instant they are first introduced to the high fashion scene, and produces affordable copy-cats for the masses, often to the detriment of its creators and our planet (What Is Fast). And Shein is fast fashion to the highest degree.
The rise of Shein can be credited to its savvy social media advertising, something the company has spent millions on. Shein has done countless sponsorships with social media creators, especially over the past few years. Massive hauls which rely on our sense of consumerism seem to be Shein’s most rewarding venture. These hauls show us that, for the first time, the average person can afford to buy a whole new wardrobe without breaking the bank. This branch away from traditional advertising has obviously been successful, with Shein making $100 billion in sales in 2022, as opposed to $10 billion in 2020 (Shein Is the).
But Shein isn’t the first fast fashion brand to hit the racks… H&M, Zara, and Forever 21 are just a few of countless other similar brands. So what makes Shein different? Compared to its competitors, Shein is fast fashion on steroids. For example, everyday Shein adds 2,000 new products to its website every single day. Zara, comparatively, adds this same amount every 30 days. Shein is also in possession of AI software that predicts trends faster than any other fast fashion brand. This, along with Shein’s low brand integrity have allowed it to become a powerhouse, constantly churning out new low-quality garments (Shein is much).
Fast fashion is notorious for its environmental impact, and Shein is no exception. Every year, the brand is responsible for around 6.3 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions. This makes Shein a key contributor to the fast fashion industry’s emissions, which cover 10% of global carbon emissions (Shein Is the). And this is only from Shein’s production. Fast fashion relies on the fact that trends are moving faster than ever, and as a result, clothes are being discarded faster than ever. The US alone is responsible for 34 billion pounds of discarded textiles every year, most of which come from the upper class. As the saying would go, out of sight, out of mind. Heightened trend cycles have conditioned us to believe that it’s okay, normal even, to quickly go through clothes. But this simply isn’t the case. Discarded textiles go on to pollute our air, water, and soil as they decompose in landfills. Furthermore, a good deal of the US’s clothing waste goes to impoverished countries, under the assumption that the people there will be able to use it. However, mass production has led to such low-quality garments that they aren’t durable enough to last past the current season. Ultimately, their only use is to crowd the streets and water system (The Aftermath of). Not only is fast fashion detrimental to the wellbeing of our planet, but the people of it.
The larger Shein grows, the more people are becoming aware of the conditions its workers are forced under - specifically the unlivable wages. But the issues are deeper than just low pay. Many workers do not receive a salary, they are paid by garment - 4 cents to be exact (How are Shein). If they do receive a salary, it is around $20 per day. And if garments contain mistakes, they can be docked up to $14. This unstable pay is what leads to the worker’s infamous overworking. In fact, a documentary by the UK’s Channel 4 discovered that Shein employees were found “working 75-hour shifts with very little time off” (Shein Is the). It is surprising, therefore, the relevance and popularity the brand holds, while it relies on so many inhumane practices.
There may be hope still, however. Shein recently announced that the brand will strive to reduce emissions by 25% by 2030. This comes with a partnership with Apparel Impact Institute, costing Shein $7.6 million. Apparel Impact Institute is a nonprofit which works with brands to create and implement more sustainable practices. However, this reduction is not enough to coincide with the UN’s goal of reducing emissions by 45% by 2030 (Shein Outlines Plans). Luckily, this is something that can be contributed to on the individual level. Boycotting fast fashion and opting for more ethically sourced clothing, whether that be second hand or from brands more dedicated to sustainability, can make a difference. As for Shein, we’ll have to wait and see.
Sources
Shein Outlines Plans to Reduce Emissions | BoF
The Aftermath of Fast Fashion: How Discarded Clothes Impact Public Health and the Environment | SPH
Shein Is the World's Most Popular Fashion Brand—at a Huge Cost to Us All
How are Shein hauls making our planet unlivable? | Euronews
How the 20-Year Trend Cycle Collapsed
What Is Fast Fashion and Why Is It So Bad?
Shein is much worse than any other fashion brand – here is why
