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In the modern era, cost of living has grown exponentially, and people seek options to cut costs where they can. For many, the popular fast-fashion site Shein has garnered lots of consumers. In this opinionated article, Mia Reese will address how Shein has impacted the world both negatively and positively.
The truth about shein
The truth about shein
By Mia Reese
By Mia Reese
In today’s world, living is extremely expensive and it is not getting any cheaper. Prices for clothing are especially beyond belief. A graphic T-shirt from the popular retailer Urban Outfitters, for example, costs a minimum of $39. With clothes being so costly and social media producing clothing trends faster than a person can keep up with, what is oneself to do? For many, the solution to that issue is a Chinese online fast-fashion retailer called Shein. Not only is Shein extremely cheap but, thanks to Tik Tok, it has quickly cornered the online retail market. However, Shein is not all sunshine and rainbows. This online retailer has accumulated quite a lot of backlash.
Shein was founded in 2008 by a University of Washington graduate, Chris Xu. However, the company’s story really began in 2012, when Chris Xu gave up his wedding dress business in order to acquire the domain Sheinside.com. Then, in 2015, he renamed the company Shein and started to obtain some competitors. Today, Shein’s biggest market is the U.S. and they ship to 220 countries. Their rapid growth could be thanks to their successful marketing plan. The brand is mainly targeted toward Gen Z and their advertising is typically done through Tik Tok and Instagram influencers. These influencers usually do clothing hauls, try-on hauls, rave about the affordable prices and share discount codes in order to grab the viewer’s attention. Their growth was also aided by a series of funding rounds, with Forbes saying that, after the recent completion of Series E Financing in 2020, their value was estimated to be more than $15 billion. Regardless, this rapidly growing company has quite a lot of controversy surrounding its name.
Credits: Dave Burbank
The fashion industry is a massive contributor to the climate crisis, on account of how much CO2 they emit into the environment. A 2021 report from the World Economic Forum identified the fashion industry as the planet’s third-largest polluter, releasing 5% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions. The Climate Council’s article discusses how, surprisingly, from the production to the transportation aspect of fashion, fibers are actually most responsible for the emissions. One of the fibers mentioned was polyester, which is heavily used by Shein. Shein states that, when selecting materials, it “does its best to source recycled fabric, such as recycled polyester.” However, according to Kylie Fuller’s article on The Truth About Shein, “of the 52,000 dresses currently listed on the site, just 64 are said to be made from recycled polyester.” To put that into perspective, only 0.128% of their dresses are made from recycled polyester, a percentage that is not cohesive with the company’s statement– not to mention, that is only dresses. Shein has over 600,000 items listed and 500 to 2,000 new items are listed every day.
Credits: Shein Website
Besides Shein's unappreciated contribution to the environment, the company has also had problems with producing offensive products. In recent years, Shein has received a lot of hate “for selling, among several offensive items, a necklace with a Buddhist swastika pendant, a phone case with an image of a handcuffed Black person outlined in chalk, and a Muslim prayer mat as a decorative rug,” according to an article from Vox. Shein has since come forward and apologized. However, it should be common sense that producing any of those items with those references is unacceptable. Additionally, Shein has been accused of completely ripping off designs from smaller creators and not even trying to hide it. One creator --Mariama Diallo-- took to social media and called out Shein for bluntly stealing her dress design that has become one of their best sellers. Diallo said, “I'm SO over these major brands stealing from black designers. @SHEIN_official STOLE my @sincerelyriaxo designs to a T. They couldn’t even change ONE thing and it’s now one of their highest selling items. They even stole the brand's aesthetic. Like Come on.” Diallo also shared how heartbroken she is, and how she pours her heart into her clothes just for huge corporations to steal the designs and make millions.
At the end of the day, with the help of social media, Shein has become a successful company. They have become a dependable solution for many who desire clothing that is affordable and or for the constant trends. Even so, the company has also become a problem for a lot of people who are concerned about their designs getting stolen and the company’s impact on the environment.
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