You should avoid shopping at SHEIN
As the weather warms up, people are likely to update their wardrobes for the spring and summer seasons. For an affordable wardrobe update, many college students will turn to clothing websites like SHEIN, one of many fast fashion brands, to keep up with seasonal trends. In the simplest of terms, fast fashion refers to brands that produce low-quality, not made-to-last clothing at a fast pace to keep up with ever-changing trends. At these clothing stores, customers can find an entire outfit for under $30.
Vox writer Terry Nguyen writes in their article, “SHEIN is the future of fast fashion. Is that a good thing? A shopper can browse for tops under $5.99, dresses under $9.99 and clearance items under $5. The wardrobe possibilities, it seems, are endless.” However, regardless of its tempting affordability and trendy clothing, it is beyond time to ditch fast fashion and start shopping sustainably.
With fashion trends constantly changing, brands are relentlessly competing with each other to produce the latest trends the fastest, leading to the fast fashion industry we know today. These “trendy” products are often made from very cheap materials that are likely to spend more time decaying in a landfill than hanging in our closets. While these pieces quickly become unwearable, both literally and fashionably, they take years to decay, inflicting significant harm upon our environment.
Over the past few years, SHEIN has quickly become one of the most popular online-only shopping sites, coming out with huge new drops of trendy clothing every week and wooing people with their terrifically low prices. According to the Impakter article “Fast Fashion’s Detrimental Effect on the Environment,” the fashion industry is estimated to be responsible for 4% of the world’s greenhouse-gas emissions.
According to the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change, “total greenhouse gas emissions from textiles production, at 1.2 billion tonnes annually, are more than those of all international flights and maritime shipping combined.”
Social media has been a direct culprit in funding the idea of fast fashion. Instagram, in particular, has created a taboo around wearing the same outfit twice in photographs and therefore promotes excessive consumption. Fashion hauls are often on TikTok and YouTube –– where a person showcases and reviews a large number of items. But young viewers are unaware of the dangers of fast fashion as these excessive hauls put out by notable influencers and celebrities are changing the way people value clothing.
The Atlantic writer Rachel Monroe states that, “Young people, and young women in particular, came to feel an unspoken obligation not to repeat an #outfitoftheday; according to a 2017 poll, 41 percent of women ages 18 to 25 felt pressure to wear a different outfit every time they went out.” Additionally, the affordability of fast fashion clothing appeals to teens and college students who often work minimum wage jobs, and it is the sad truth that clothing that is both trendy and sustainable tends to be more expensive.
When faced with the dilemma of keeping up with the latest trends and avoiding wearing the same outfit twice, SHEIN and other fast fashion brands may seem like a great way to get more for your money, but what happened to quality over quantity?
The issues of fast fashion do not stop at poor quality and environmental harm. From child labor law violations to stolen designs, companies like SHEIN must be stopped. A 2018 United States Department of Labor report found evidence of forced and child labor, specifically in the fashion industry, in countries including Argentina, Philippines and Vietnam. Brands like SHEIN lack transparency about their production and supply chain, further causing suspicion of their practices.
It is up to consumers to boycott fast fashion. However, while this might prove challenging, it does not necessarily mean that we can’t keep up with trends sustainably. Instead of turning to fast-fashion retailers, try thrifting for an equally affordable shopping experience. Los Angeles is a great place to thrift and find trendy new and used clothing. There are also online thrift stores like ThredUp which make for a convenient experience. Support small artists and local businesses and break the taboo of “outfit repeating” by embracing wearing the same outfit twice. There’s no shame in wearing an outfit twice, especially when you can spice it up with a few accessories.
While social media has brainwashed society into thinking more is better, there is no pride in being wasteful. At the end of the day, the trendy and cheap clothing that fast fashion industries produce is not enough to justify the immense damage it is causing to our society. So, if you’re looking to transform your closet, transform your mindset on fashion first.