This summer I was on the hunt to find the perfect bathing suit. My Instagram page was flooded with ads for cute strappy bikinis and I was determined to find one that I felt comfortable and confident in. Being the broke-ass student that I am, I am always on the lookout for a good deal. I will often go to multiple second-hand stores before I decide to buy a single shirt or pair of pants. But although I typically thrift most of my clothes, I draw the line at bras, underwear, and bathing suits. I always buy these new.
In my quest to find the perfect bathing suit, every recommendation I received from friends and family suggested that I check out Shein — I refused. The brand first became more popular over the pandemic, increasing in value by 60 per cent in 2021, and has since exploded in sales reaching an estimated value of $100 billion by the end of 2022. For reference, H&M, another popular fast-fashion brand, is currently valued at $17.11 billion. Shein even surpassed Amazon in retail app downloads this past year.
The increase in popularity, I think, comes down to the sheer amount of options available on the site for practically pennies. Consumers are flooded with an endless stream of cheap, on-trend items, making it easy to place large orders without breaking the bank. Customers can order dozens of crop tops, sunglasses, and bathing suits for under 50 dollars. I get it, the temptation is real, but it has to stop.
The site publishes new designs for purchase at an alarming, and honestly fucking unnecessary, rate. In 2021, Shein added an average of 2,000 new designs on their website each day and it is estimated that this number is continuing to rise. Some sources have noted that Shein’s ‘Daily New’ tab often lists over 6,000 new products available for purchase. I truly cannot even fathom the need for that many new designs on a daily basis.
At times, customers have access to hundreds of thousands of different unit designs to choose from. And how do they get this many design ideas you may ask? Oh boy, let me tell you. When I first heard of the brand, I quickly learned that Shein was notorious for ripping off design ideas from black creators and small indie brands without their permission. There have been a number of cases against the brand that showcases Shein’s pattern of stealing designs from creators and in all cases, Shein markets the styles at a much lower price than the authentic design.
The brand is the perfect example of fast-fashion. But unlike other fast-fashion brands, Shein is labeled as an “ultra fast-fashion” brand because of how quickly they are able to produce new styles and in turn, how quickly their products end up in the landfill.
In order to manifest these stolen designs into a finished product, the company has at least 17 factories that are contracted under them to sew, produce and pack products. Shein’s business model uses the “price per item” policy which pays their employees per completed item, instead of paying them an hourly wage or salary. Due to this policy, many of the workers have been recorded to clock in 75-hour work weeks, with many employees taking only one day off per month, in order to make ends meet. So not only is this brand creating large environmental impacts by promoting this kind of hyper-consumerism, but the company outright exploits its employees in the process.
So yes, while I am all for saving money and living on a budget, I refuse to support Shein and I encourage you to do the same. I would be as bold as to argue that the brand is one of the worst fast-fashion companies in 2022 and it is continuing to gain momentum at an alarming rate due to its affiliation with influencers on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube. Sure, your outfit may be cute but by supporting the brand you are also supporting their shitty business policies and unethical design strategies. If you’re trying to save cash but looking for a new wardrobe, there is another option: thrift! I promise you that you can find on-trend items at your local MCC thrift store or on second-hand apps.
Sydney is a BA English major, creative writing student, who has been a content contributor for The Cascade and is now the Opinion editor. In 7th grade, she won $100 in a writing contest but hasn’t made an earning from writing since. In the meantime, she is hoping that her half-written novels will write themselves, be published, and help pay the bills.