"SHOCKING" influencers sell out to promote SHEIN with North Korean inspired propaganda

[@KristenLeo]

Share a content creator in the comments that you know would never accept a SHEIN sponsorship, it’s 2023 enough with supporting influencer sell outs

[@gypsylee333]

Thai Rivera is my new fav

[@Rr0xxii]

Anna gemma from poland

[@libelulaojo]

[@odiledrawsmessythings]

@acTEEvism is wonderful ❤

[@weronikakuacz6919]

Leena Norms 💪

[@DiMagnolia]

“The workers weren’t even sweating” made me lose five years of my life and buckle at the knees

[@KristenLeo]

She was like: how can it be a SWEATshop if none of the workers are sweating? HUH!? 😵‍💫😵‍💫😵‍💫

[@Siffya]

If sweating is abuse then my factory needs to be closed lmao

[@rulerzreachf4n34]

Gives me the vibe of when the woman in Glass Onion thought they made sweatpants in sweatshops lmao

[@karacoconutag]

It made me sweat in my air conditioned room

[@bluex4090]

I cannot get over the fact that she said she likes to be an “independent thinker” and called herself an investigative journalist 😃 Like what

[@KristenLeo]

Delulu is a better descriptor imo lol

[@calipigeon]

Was she calling herself an investigative journalist?? That’s so wild 😂 and the way she says it was like… so so weird

[@pixiedustxx1]

Yeah that's the one that got me too 😅

[@anamorel2634]

Miles Upshur is shaking

[@everyhandlesalreadytaken]

Yeah, the sheer arrogance…

[@mary.b.93]

Thank you. I've been called xenophobic for pointing out the abhorrent working conditions that is allowed in Chinese factories. People just love their cheap trash so much they're literally willing to deny human rights violations to receive them.

[@sharks2571]

Its crazy to me that people will defend slavery of POC by saying that it's racist to point out that it exists. Personally I think it's racist to be okay with (largely) non-white people being exploited in modern slavery to get the products we like for cheap, such as clothing, chocolate, coffee, and fish. Unfortunately there are high rates of slavery in these and many more supply chains

[@cellamarino]

Disgusting working conditions and abhorrently low pay for labour can be found in almost all countries, so I imagine you specifying 'Chinese factories' is what causes this. I am not denying this is an issue in China, just that it is an issue everywhere - especially the Global South - so the specifics might seem targeted. (Assuming the conversations you've had were argued from another side 'in good faith'.)

[@NinaDemoustier]

This!! By denying these conditions (that have been proved) and keeping the exploitation going by funding the system, they are the one that should be called racist for not caring about these issues

[@espeon871]

@@NinaDemoustieri think theyre trying to leverage real issues which hurt others to deny exploitation which is dual shitty omg

[@shelby9510]

@@cellamarino In context of this situation this all takes place in China

[@Hippidippimahm]

I was taken on a private tour of the American Apparel factory prior to their implosion. They had a clinic onsite, tons of air, windows, space between machines, and tons of safety protocols. What they didn’t mention is that the workers were being paid 10cents per item. Here in the US. Even in clean production facilities where people have the freedom to leave, the pay is so abysmally low and these companies have monopolized the job market in these areas. The clothing is still destroying the environment to create.

[@ariesmry]

For accuracy and fuller context, American Apparel factory employees were CA paid minimum wage. Which probably included an additional 10 cents per garment produced. Doesn’t make it much better given wages vs cost of living/inflation.

[@nyx8103]

A couple of years ago there was a huge rise of ethical consumption in the general public. Thrifting and using reselling apps became normal instead of only for "poor people" but then internet activists started shaming ethical brands and buying secondhand clothes because it is not accessible for everyone and fast fashion companies just catched on and saw this sort of "activism" as a new marketing opportunity which resulted in a step backwards when it comes to education about mindful consumption. Now it is seen as ethical to buy 500 dollars worth of shitty SHEIN party dresses every month as long as you say "you can't afford anything else and you really need a new outfit for each of your TikToks" and everybody who disagrees is just a rich elitist lmao. On a side note you look amazing though.

[@KristenLeo]

Louder plz 👏👏👏

[@sadiemakesmesmile]

Classism

[@sunrope77]

@@amandak.4246I don’t know many upper class folks so I can’t speak for them, but quite a few of my working class friends and family members use this argument for not only clothes, but pretty much all of the non-essential items they buy. I think a lot of us are brainwashed into the culture of buying things just because they’re cheap, and we’re convinced by clever marketing that we “need” all this stuff.

[@commandery3574]

girl wtf are you talking about ? nobody is saying it’s ethical to spend $500 on shein bc it’s “all you can afford.” literally nobody sane with a thinking brain has ever said or thought that ?? even for the whole “well all my friends and family make this argument” chile, maybe have you ever considered that maybe sad to sad but maybe they just don’t have ethical principles or values if they genuinely think it’s okay to over consume and spend hundreds on dollars on cheap things that harm the environment? like the hyperbole here is a little bit misdirected and just a tad asinine. Like - some people just don’t have quality principles. your friends could be some of em. But that doesn’t mean it’s everyone ?

[@luna3delrey]

YES. it also makes me so mad when people get mad at "depop girls". The whole point of uppriced thrift stores, and apps like depop are to CURATE thrift stores to just the cute stuff. For a higher price of course. If you can't afford that, then go to the thrift stores. There's PLENTY of clothes, most of it ends up in landfills. MORE people need to thrift, not less. And less fast fashion is also needed. ISTG these internet "activists" need to shut their mouths.

[@MooCowKris]

So, so frustrating that the one girl basically excused partnering with Shein because “plus sized influencers don’t have a lot of options 😢😢😢” excuse me?? I’ve been fat my whole life, but never not once have I felt the need to defend a huge corporation that actively harms people and the environment for some poorly designed clothing that barely counts as plus sized.

[@moonchild8403]

I'm from Bangladesh.I just wanna thank you for continuing talking about it. It breaks my heart every time i come across people who work in those garment factories, hear about the inhumane hours they work yet only get paid like 5000-15000tk(50-150$) per month. They can live with this money but the quality of life is very bad. A lot of them know that they are getting screwed over but they don't really have any other choice. Majority of the workers in those factories are women, I've talked to a lot to them, even though the working conditions are bad and the pay is low It's empowering to them. You can only imagine how bad the life of those women were before. Sometimes i wish people who buy from these fast fashion brands could see and Learn about the life of the people who make those clothes. Will they buy from them again after knowing all that? Sorry for my broken eng btw :")

[@KristenLeo]

Broken english?? Your english is perfect! Thank you for this comment, people like to bring up the argument 50-150$ a month is not a small amount in Bangladesh and it’s very validating coming from a local and saying: this is not enough to afford a decent quality of life. It really isn’t and these women deserve better.

[@hannahwilliams2226]

❤❤❤

[@sophiabreidfischer6242]

Reading your comment is very interesting. I feel women all around the world must connect more to understand the clothing system we all play different parts in.

[@br3akstuff]

I wish there was a nice collective organised movement against fast fashion

[@angelikabatwoman]

​@@KristenLeoI understood it as they can live from it but the quality of life there in general is bad

[@soyo._]

I am sorry but how many slave-made, unflattering, tasteless, one-month-max-lasting articles of clothing did shein give them to say all that? And why do they think we are stupid enough to buy it? This is infuriating

[@KristenLeo]

I believe other than the polyester toilet paper clothes they were also paid handsomely to lie 🥳

[@Katie2986]

@@KristenLeoMonsters

[@transsexual_computer_faery]

all my chinese and korean-made noname garments have lasted for a few years , i'm not sure what people do to their clothing tbh. "tasteless and unflattering" are value judgments you're putting on other people's sense of dress and have nothign to do with the ethical aspects of that company. why do you debate like a 5th grader? it's also not even true on the basis that they produce the same kinds of clothing that any other company (gigantic or independent) does. full disclosure; i am not defending capitalism here. i just think it's really weird the way people construct their arguments, like when my friends talk shit about a right-winger and because he happens to be bald he's a "bald piece of shit" instead of just a conservative douche. why are you people like this?

[@blurblarted]

Thats democrats for ya

[@katyuwusha]

@@blurblarted?????

[@dylpickled]

She was really like “the US has propaganda about china and therefore we should believe shein’s propaganda”

[@PumpkinMozie]

I think Shelby made a good point in her video about this when she said that it seems like Shein knew from the get-go that these influencers would be dragged through the mud. They were basically a sacrifice for spreading the propaganda. She said it seemed like they purposely chose content creators with smaller audiences who were more willing to jump at an opportunity like this. It’s so cruel.

[@KristenLeo]

Yeah of course they’re marketing geniuses this was very calculated

[@emmamartin4045]

Nah it’s not. These people deserve all the backlash they got.

[@syd5380]

@@emmamartin4045I think both can be true

[@Bamgeutcutiepie]

another crazy thing i DESPISE about shein, is their items have been tested many times and found excruciating high levels of heavy metals and other poisons. in kids items and clothing accessories etc. stuff you do NOT want touching your skin.

[@transsexual_computer_faery]

socialism with chinese characteristics at its best

[@rosanella9718]

and people are still buying from them...

[@julianawebber9588]

😮 Another reason to skip those pieces even when they show up in thrift stores. They're always nearly falling apart and feel paper thin, too...

[@everyhandlesalreadytaken]

Exactly. I can almost understand-without justifying it of course-that some people don’t a give a shit about ethics, but ignoring the risks to one’s own health? That’s against basic human instincts and yet people are blinded enough by consumerism to turn a blind eye.

[@AnnikaVictoria24]

Damn I gotta stop picking them up in thrift stores 😰

[@rina-nv5yr]

The "poor college student" argument is so overused, if I hear it one more time I swear

[@JessicaMorgani]

American college students that refuse to leave their horrible country and have a better quality of life anywhere else, learn new languages and meet different people crying about their life style is the most confusing thing I've ever seen. If you shoot you foot, don't be confused when there are red marks everywhere you go.

[@celinepope]

I know! I'm a university student who pays my own tuition and bills. YET all of my clothes are secondhand. Save for my ski gear (I'm an instructor- some is used but the new stuff is Patagonia lol)

[@koko-rm7ew]

@@JessicaMorganiit’s not that easy to just simply leave the country you’ve spent your entire life in, your whole family, support group, etc and it can be very expensive and a very difficult process. That isn’t a defense of any college students buying shein because I think that’s ridiculous and being broke is not an excuse. But I just wanted to say it’s more complicated than “just leave”

[@splatoon-enthusiast]

I agree, I think that argument is dumb because if you’re “so poor” you shouldn’t waste your money on excessive amounts of horrible quality clothing.

[@briceidycierramarrujosmith4563]

@@JessicaMorgani It’s not easy to leave the country. Besides the cost of living in most developed countries (United Kingdom, Canada, New Zealand, Germany, Denmark, Japan, etc) is very expensive. This is an issue across the globe and moving to another country will not fix the issue. I’m sorry to tell you but English speakers are privileged in a way that they don’t really need to learn another language, English is the dominant world language so there is no real urgency for them to learn another. The United States is a melting pot of cultures, there is various Asian cultures, hispanic cultures, Indigenous cultures, African cultures, etc. There is plenty of culture in the United States already. Plus with immigration, Americans are being exposed to even more cultures. The Unites States is not the worst country, sure it’s not the best but by far it’s not the worst. You guys act like living in the US is worse than living in Syria, Yemen, Somalia, or Venezuela (this is not shade to those countries). Millions of people have it worse than we do in the US so people really need to stop acting like the US is just the worst place ever. Based off this comment it seems as if you are very ignorant and misinformed.

[@bekik9510]

My biggest pet peeves is when influencers say they need to be able to pay their bills too. Wtf?! The creator Leena Norms made a recent video about how the phrase "there's no ethical consumption under capitalism" has been co-opted as a way to justify supporting slavery

[@KristenLeo]

To an extent yes everyone needs to make certain compromises to pay the bills, almost all jobs require that to an extent but also like… Calling the world’s most unethical fast fashion brand a great employer for garment workers is OUTRAGEOUS 🤡

[@43v3rh1d3n]

right! im pretty sure it was James Hoffman (the guy who makes coffee videos) said the same thing bc coffee as an industry has the same issues. a lot of the big farms are plantations and i use that word intentionally. so when people roll their eyes at a "bougie" cup of coffee costing five or six dollars or a shirt costing 10 dollars instead of five, maybe that means there wasn't a human rights violation happening.

[@LoLo1k2k3k]

@@43v3rh1d3n as a former barista yes yes yes god

[@marvahinspace]

what irks me is the absolute hypocrisy they have. they need to pay the bills, too, sure but what about the people who are in those companies who also need to pay their bills but they aren't even paid enough. I deserve comfortable life, eff everyone else mentality.

[@amaude]

i love leena norms! and that's such a good example of what she meant.

[@yast_shomp]

*pulls a comically large bucket of popcorn out of my sleeve*

[@KristenLeo]

Love this 🤗

[@middledog466]

best comment

[@peregrina5208]

I don’t think any good will come to the workers if we stop buying from SHEIN.. I don’t mean to be disrespectful, but you sometimes don’t understand that we prefer being “enslaved” to not having any income. It’s not as easy as you think. If I was a Shein worker I would prefer that people continue buying instead of losing my job, rules in benefit for the “enslaved” won’t change any time soon, this is our reality.

[@paintitblack9712]

As a nurse working conditions also improve when the joint commission comes to visit. All of a sudden staffing becomes a non-issue 🙄😅

[@poeticsparrow]

Lol right? I work retail in the US and when there's a rumor someone from corporate is in town it's like: no drinks at the cash register and no sleeveless tops. When generally the mangers don't care about these things. How do they not think it would all be staged??

[@weird-guy]

In my city, we have a fair during two months and a lot of business have people working without contracts so when they know about police “raids” they tell them not to come to work 😂😂😂

[@KateeAngel]

I found that the most sure way to not contribute to a problem, especially if you don't have much money, is buying clothes as rarely as possible and using the old ones, which can't be used foe going outside anymore for things like working in the garden and cleaning. Shop as little as possible, throw away as little as possible

[@KristenLeo]

🤌👏🫶

[@Arionlappy]

Agreed, I used to be a shopaholic about 8-10 years ago and really contributed to the problem. Now I don't shop much but I have to hoard and use everything I bought so I'm not disposing of it! Or of course find an ethical way to get rid of it like finding people who need the clothes rather than just donating it to a thrift store where it might end up in a landfill.

[@KateeAngel]

@@Arionlappy I actually always hated shopping LOL My mom couldn't make me go even when I needed to, when I was a teen

[@annalinneajohansson]

Who would have known my grandparents would turn out to have been right...? 😏 (I'm saying "my" because at 40 I'm most likely older than the majority of us here. Haha)

[@KateeAngel]

@@annalinneajohansson yeah, I am 29. But my grandmother would be 96 this year if she was stil alive. Are your grandparents older than that? 😆

[@chocolatecastle8727]

Its so difficult to find a line between being critical of friends for buying shien etc, without just becoming a negative person they don't want to share fun fashion with, especially if they themselves aren't in the sustainable fashion loop. The biggest issue I found is that if people are hearing all the bad stuff about a company as a response to them displaying their latest haul, then they'll just shrug it off and accuse you of being negative and bitchy like I wanna be supportive and make my friends feel good but I don't wanna hype up some shien shit u feel me

[@ariesmry]

1- Lead by example. Shaming people does not have a high success rate of long-term change. 2- Share and implement alternatives that make more sustainable options a fun and creative replacement. Share resources, have a friend date at a second-hand store or upcycle party, do clothing swaps, take up a sewing or crochet class, etc.

[@SlothDaan]

​@@amandak.4246 but where should we draw the line? Do we include Primark, h&m? Is it okay to wear Shein clothing if you bought it in a thrift shop?

[@j_.simonef]

The thing is most regular people can't afford to shop sustainably. A few of my friends buy from shein, but they don't do giant hauls, and they keep the clothes for as long as they can. They're not the worst problem here

[@kamilahmaudsley964]

​@@j_.simonefI agree with what you said about keeping them as long as possible (I still have clothes from high school that are fast fashion, even though I'm now 24). However, if you have thrift and charity shops in your area, that would be a good way to start shoppibg sustainably. Another good thing to try and limit buying things that aren't necessarily things you ~need~ but rather want.

[@heresalook]

Definitely understand what you mean! I just try to keep my friends informed by sharing sustainable fashion posts and news & whenever I give them clothes as gifts…it’s usually secondhand from places like Poshmark or Depop (and thankfully my friends don’t mind it being preloved, they just wash it before wearing it)

[@calipigeon]

Thrift shopping is literally so much more fun than anything Shein or Romwe or Temu have to offer… I’ve been watching Kathleen illustrated lately and she finds the coolest stuff ❤

[@Wonderoddity]

The hunt is thrilling!! I love nothing more than finding a beautiful vintage necklace for $1.39! That’s CHEAPER than Shein!

[@djorleny]

Proud to say I have NEVER bought a single SHEIN item. However, I do enjoy this content because it’s making me think of other brands that I enjoy wearing that might not be as ethical as I belief them to be. So definitely a good eye opener! Thank for your content!

[@unknown1859]

Kristen, i love videos like this where you expose influencers who are playing a role in ruing and destroying our mothernature, the beautiful environment that is our planet.

[@KristenLeo]

I would prefer if influencers wouldn’t do 💩 like this and I didn’t have to make these videos in the first place 😩

[@libelulaojo]

[@QueenSoledad]

If you’re plus sized and or low budget, I’m not judging you for shopping fast fashion. If you have influencer money and are getting paid to promote it, I definitely am.

[@emmamartin4045]

If you have influencer money, you can buy plus-sized brands that are much more ethical than Shein. Being overweight isn’t a cop out from everything.

[@suides4810]

Yes im judging you

[@briceidycierramarrujosmith4563]

@@Amanda-kb8hm You aren’t the judge to determine who has enough money to buy from certain brands. Also losing weight isn’t an instant process it can take months even years to lose weight and actually keeping that weight off is another story. People should talk to trained medical professionals not people on the internet.

[@Mikey-jv5fv]

@@Amanda-kb8hm what are they supposed to wear while they lose weight? Not leave the house?

[@Pushnotificationsalwaysoffbye]

@@Mikey-jv5fv…being obese/overweight is not new. Clothing existing for these people is also not new. Walmart has had plus sized clothing since its inception. But that’s not good for influencers, is it. It’s ridiculous to give a cop-out to plus-sized creators for ANY reason. Speaking as a 5’4” woman who was 200lbs for the majority of my adult life, have been offered partnerships with tons of similar brands, and yes it took years to lose weight because I had to accept an entire life-style change… most importantly, not using the abundant amount of excuses for my choices, including discontinuing contributing to the narrative that the inclusion of plus-sized clothing in popular brands was a legitimate reason to not work on my personal health issues by feeding into the notion that the “real” problem was judgment of my feelings of being overweight, instead of looking into the more important and harmful result of that trend which exploited the human rights violations that attributed to me feeling better about my extra pounds. My feelings and ego about being overweight is not more painful or valid than the circumstances of these workers.

[@mathilde139]

Honestly, EU's product environmental footprint, and France's social labelling for the fashion industry cannot come fast enough. It's not going to be perfect, but provide some systematic accountability making allegations and social washing like this very, very dangerous for brands.

[@user-wg1xk7ji1n]

Passive viewer here just stopping by to leave some algorithm crumbs… so thankful that you’re providing this information to others so we can all educate ourselves. Even when I shop fast fashion brands (like H&M, Abercrombie, Zara, etc.) it’s all secondhand from Poshmark now so I don’t give $$ directly to the company. Also I love your makeup and hair! The eye makeup looks so femme fatale, I love it 😫❤

[@Skittenmeow]

Worthwhile getting second-hand as can generally get an idea of the durability of an item too. If it's suffering badly after being worn a few times, that definitely hits the ability to re-sell!

[@penultimateh766]

My company does a lot of business with Chinese suppliers, and SOME of them ARE really clean with good conditions, including their supply chains. But that is usually the ones owned by Western or Japanese companies, and you have to audit them regularly, because things change and you just don't know what's going on when you're not there.

[@weird-guy]

They often show foreign the “clean” factory and then manufacture in the “bad” ones😂

[@BrieFee]

this has the same energy when major companies sponsor/invest in certain „studies“ which benefit them

[@sarahghoseroy4795]

My thoughts exactly

[@Karen-0]

The fact that so many people are willing to just sell their audience out to lies… disappointing but not surprised which is even worse.

[@sasscam]

Shein are super sneaky inviting POC and "plus sized" influencers who may not have been given a chance or offered a free brand trip with other brands

[@vegahimsa]

“I wonder if they gave her a tour of the room where they put lead in the clothing and that’s what made her so stupid” gladiator-level comment 😂😅💀

[@annaphallactic]

Temu has the exact same business model and I'm getting so sick of seeing their ads everywhere

[@anaough]

it's so wild that Shein had the balls to do that at all. Feels very black mirror-y.

[@camerontuck108]

Thank you for speaking out on this. You have gotten SO much shit for promoting ethical and sustainable fashion, yet you're still out here speaking on what's right and abiding by your morals. Cannot really say the same for all those horribly dressed "influencers" that went on that propaganda trip.

[@beefwomen3507]

One of my biggest issues right now in the US with accessing fashion is they closed down our local thrift shop during covid. So now if I want access to a thrift store I have to drive an hour both ways. So glad you are putting out this type of content. It's been awesome watching you grow as a creator over the years.

[@annalinneajohansson]

Thanks for reminding me just how bad Shein is. Being plus-sized I sometimes have a hard time finding clothes and trip up and buy from places like Shein out of frustration, but it really doesn't sit right with myself doing so.

[@annalinneajohansson]

@@ioalla Thanks sweetheart, that actually makes me feel a bit better! I do make a point of not buying clothes made new unless I feel certain I will use them a lot and I can't find them second hand. I also never return anything to online fast fashion stores (if it's going to end up in a landfill I'll just throw it in my own back garden instead...🙄) which does make you think both once and twice if you *really* need it before actually placing an order.

[@LowSlungBadBitch]

​I think it's both the influencer and the consumer. Many people make their own clothes. I think we all need to take responsibility and not put it all on the influencers.

[@annalinneajohansson]

@@LowSlungBadBitch Yes of course, I do feel like that goes a bit without saying but perhaps not for everyone so it's good to reiterate. Consuming less is the easiest rule of thumb to follow and something we all can do. :)

[@LowSlungBadBitch]

@@annalinneajohansson im sorry, I meant to respond to the other person. But yes just being more intentional when and why we shop is the best.

[@diana1833]

(At the end I've included a content creator who wouldn't accept a SHEIN sponsorship.) That person who referred to herself as an "investigative journalist" just because she asked a few questions to someone who was probably paid to make the company that pays her look good...just shows how far removed from reality some people are. How sad that people can be tricked into believing anything just because they "saw it with their own two eyes." Like...are you aware that staged circumstances exist?, that people how invite you to PROMOTE their brand are going to go out of their way to swipe the wrongful conduct "under the rug"? You don't become a company worth billions in a matter of years without exploiting people, somewhere along your production line. Especially when you sell your products for the price of a hot dog. Ugh, I have so much to say and I'm only at 1:32 in your video lol. But I'm roughly aware of the situation and know how disgusting it is that in 2023 people still shill for slavery. Creator: Shelbizleee.

[@Vdekort11]

I love shelbizleee she’s great

[@ananymus8507]

The level of disconnect between people's food/clothes and the conditions in which they're created is mind-blowing. Like, that $5 dress did not end up in your closet by magic, just like that steak didn't just Apparate onto your plate.

[@AuDHDVee]

I'd heard Shein was terribad, but damnnnnn I didn't realize how much more I need to educate myself. (I mostly get my clothes from thrift shops and donations from nonprofit orgs myself 'cause I'm broke and disabled but I will definitely be letting other folks know about this! Thank you for the eye opener!)

[@fromhell11112]

yeah same a church thrift store is much more worth it,

[@rebeka9978]

When you said "if you don't like ME" I felt my heart crack because you taught me so much about the fashion situation we live with and I am so grateful to have you sharing your knowledge with us..... and on top of that you always bedazzle your sassiness like you should, love that and love you sweetie💞💞

[@Cydoffgrid]

Yes!! This 💛💛💛

[@ioanamariastoica7999]

i hate that there is no line between a journalist with a degree and an influencer that decided to cosplay one (and do it badly) for one day

[@mekareactsandreviews3026]

That's like an influencer taking a day trip into the uighur camps and then saying it's not that....Just spreading propaganda

[@sarazsadanyi4113]

Your videos about fast fashion were the first ones I ever watched of yours and I've been hooked ever since. Even though I'm still a "poor uni student", going to a thrift store still is more affordable for me than buying at Zara or Shein, especially because I often get pieces that last YEARS. Thank you for all your work over the years to educate us ❤

[@ashura4627]

As a plus size low income person I cannot really afford anything but fast fashion, and that is quite stressful for me. I am trying to learn how to sew so I can make my own sustainable clothes, but is a long process and I don't have much time for that. I wouldn't mind buying less clothes, having to save up for longer so I can buy more sustainable clothes, but I really cannot find anything my size, and is not like I can lose weight in a matter of a few days or weeks, so I need to dress myself up. Fast fashion is literally killing the planet, but for people like me other options are very, very limited, if not completely unattainable.

[@whatishappening2797]

It's cognitive dissonance. It's a phenomenon where many people will hear information about something that they do and value the info that supports what they do more than the ones that show that what they're doing is bad. Love your video! :) thank you for speaking up about this!

[@arw3n3v3nstar]

i'm especially impressed by your call to action at the end of your video, listing actions people can take and arguing against being simply a passive viewer- it's super rare to see creators go beyond asking their audiences to donate to causes, and it give me hope seeing you show people how easy it can be to speak up. good job!!

[@janedoe4305]

I ordered from the company once all the way back in 2013 when it was branded "SheInside". The reason as I see it why those companies grow and stay in business because of people not being able to afford quality goods or not having time/desire to thrift. This economy needs some changes...

[@celinepope]

I needed Kristen to go on a rant about fast fashion again or I was gonna lose it! Lol I'm dying at "be a free thinker"

[@juanjuri6127]

reminds me of a musician who toured her boyfriend's factory and tweeted "guys, the workers themselves say they don't want to be unionized, don't believe literal fake news!"

[@lovedivasong]

I had no idea about the seriousness of how evil fast fashion was until I saw your videos a few years ago, thank you!

[@mishamoreno7673]

i’ve been waiting for this one, turn it up !!

[@KristenLeo]

💃 💃💃

[@AnxiousGary]

Thanks for covering this. Also loved Shelbizleee's recent live where she was kind of calmly losing her mind over this situation lol

[@imbabey]

the 'they werent even sweating' line is deadass the funniest shit ive heard in a long time 😭 im fucking crying

[@idleramblings]

Thank you so much for the reminder of importance of engagement! It's easy to forget that it's not just money that is valuable, especially when algorithms are constantly changing and the competition grows all the time. Have always loved how open you are about your journey as an influencer and the lessons you have learned.

[@LarnieRadek]

I like that you used the term "blood clothing", it fits the gravity of the situation. And props to you for educating yourself and educating others! Thanks for your content 😊 and I'm tempted to diy a necklace like the one you're wearing!

[@lycheeluvr17]

i am in college and it is crazy how many people are addicted to shein. ive been trying for the past year to shop away from fast fashion, and your content has helped me alot, thank you! also your outfit and jewelry is stunning as always

[@BellaRigelOrion]

I appreciate you making this- commenting to boost the signal!

[@mathilde139]

I am actually finishing a PhD on social impact measurement in the fashion industry and this... would be comical if it was not such a disaster. I mean, start with disclosing social audit results and suppliers list plus invest in traceability. Damnit.

[@cisneuna]

thank u so much again for your work. I am tired of seeing my friends buying from shein. people dont give a fuck. my sister and my mother want to believe that slavery is not happening anymore or whatever. it's so frustrating, I will try to find more ways to contribute to this fight. I bow down to you for your the education you give and the positive impact that you put an effort on making, really, it's so important. Thank you

[@Tina-su1gc]

I used to work in a sweatshop. Sometimes brands that would want to work with us would want a tour of our facility and I can confirm that we staged the way things are whenever that happened. We would make sure everything is more clean than usual and even turn on more machines so it looks like we have more work and more orders from other companies than we actually do. Of course, if someone was to ask us if we work overtime or if we're unhappy with our conditions we would have to lie about it - you don't want to lose your job after all.

[@Tina-su1gc]

Also I must add, it's not only what we consider fast fashion that ordered from sweatshops (cheap clothes). We mostly worked with bigger, more expensive, brands. We still got paid about 30 cents per article of clothing. I have proof of all of this as well.

[@user-je4eh9ht1k]

I'm still annoyed that Drew gaslit her fans and doubled down on promoting shein and had 0 repercussions lmao

[@KristenLeo]

RIGHT!?

[@Fraukuckucksuhr]

Yeaaas! I needed this video and yr commentary on the topic! Thank you for being as authentic as possible and a free-r thinker! I didn't find it honest from the Influencers taking that trip hiding behind their "personal experience" and using it as an exclaimer instead of keeping their eyes open and seeing the bigger picture. Shein is still not transparent and they need major changes in their business operation with focus on people, resources and environment.

[@blancaaaestela]

Oh I am so ready for this.

[@Hannah-y2z]

This is genuinely scary

[@monemori]

Excellent video and really can't agree enough with how you put it: "Where do we draw the line?" That's exactly it. There is only a way to answer "when does slavery become acceptable" and that is: never. God this reminds me of dairy farmers showing clips on tiktok of baby calves pacing around pretending like they don't make a living out of exploiting and literally killing these creatures, including babies, at a fraction of their lifespan. It is so infuriating to see content like this, like you said it feels like it's undoing so much activism effort precisely because it buys into the general idealized view these corporations are trying to sell us... I don't know how to express this other than PLEASE at the very least don't do the propaganda for them TT

[@renataadrienn]

As someone who steers away from fast-fashion brands, it's shocking to get reminded the fact that most people are addicted to the "cheapest" and worst possible clothing ever made.

[@thingslaurasays9995]

Thank you for this! My size and salary makes shopping for clothes a pretty difficult and miserable process and I've been a Shein customer in the past to make shopping fun again for me. But I'm realising now that I do have room to be a more ethical clothes shopper if I'm willing to do the work.... and it's a lot of work to save for longer and research for options but its like.... is all this work harder than being a super exploited garment worker? hell no. And that, at least at the moment, is where I'm at...

[@joanmcmanus5320]

Thank you for calling out these liars.

[@melissamayaa]

...they weren't even sweatinn

[@Zullala]

Thank you for talking about this issue!

[@cabinfeverremedy5636]

One of the things that sends me up the wall is that companies always say they want to stay competitive and keep prices low for their customers. Now I'm no millionnaire and even I can afford the 50 cents extra it would cost to give people descent wages (no just living wages). Please, charge me more! But then those same companies have no problem bringing prices up when other costs go up (oil, etc,..). The truth is they don't see treating their oversees workers well as an essential. However I think that this joke of a PR influencer trip shows that the bad press is starting to work otherwise they would not adress it at all. LET'S KEEP FIGHTING!!!!

[@pauli_joy]

Sometimes I feel bad cuz a lot of my friends buy from Shein,but then I watch your videos and remind myself that my viewpoints are right and I'm not the weirdo just cuz I'm not buying from them Another well done video! Also commenting to help boost this up!

[@dlm972]

Maybe these people working at these factories are afraid to tell the truth out of fear of being fired and losing their income. If they're working in those factories to begin with then we know they probably have very limited options available

[@yellowducky7884]

There are several ways of preventing environmental damage, and cutting fast fashion out of your life and telling people the realities of fast fashion is one of them. People saying they can't cut fast fashion out of their lives is just a reflection of our society's overconsumption problem. It amazes me how big corporations kill our planet for the sake of green paper.

[@aliciagreen5411]

Goodwill has so many good, quality, even name brand pieces of clothing for so cheap. Just give it a run through the washer. There's so much good clothing already in existence that isn't marked top dollar at Macy's or target, or made like this. I can't hate on people that have limited options financially getting something they need. The world is how it is. But if you make a habit of it, knowing how shein fast fashion works... ew

[@Thecravingsstudio]

What amazed me is that when she said that they all visited a Shein factory, was that they conveniently forgot that this company is so huge that they use hundreds if not thousands of factories to meet demand. Visiting one of those place which is also the best looking one, doesn't mean you've seen it all. Moreover, shein are not limited to selling clothes, they sell so many different items, such as clothes, shoes, house decor, make up, jewellery, electronics, home appliances and so much more. So these influencers getting the opportunity to visit one place that manufactures SAMPLES (not even clothes that supposed to be sold) doesn't mean anything, compared to the years of effort put in by actual investigative journalists to show the world what companies like shein provide for their workers and how bad all of their products are for the environment. As with every other business, shein needs to purchase raw materials to produce clothes, make-up, shoes etc and the reason everything is so affordable is because the materials used are very cheap and mostly plastic that, guess what, will not desintegrate for an extremely long time (possibly even hundreds of years). Plastic can exist for longer than a human life. Let that sink in.

[@sophiagreen4588]

Thank you Christen! You are the best

[@ivegotthingstodo6796]

I need more help on how to thrift effectively. I’ll thrift, but it all looks terrible and my closet is a mess of twenty different styles from the last twenty years.

[@meigab]

Maybe try to figure what you like (style) what's the best fit for your body and what colours make your skin tones and undertones shine. Once you have that info, you can clean your closet and improve your purchasing habits. I hope it helps!

[@valeriamarelli5084]

thankful for content creators like you.

[@xXNekou]

Every day on Instagram I get tagged in posts and stories of shein giveaways and I just want to throw my phone through the window. I block one person, and three more pop up with shein ads and scammy giveaways please someone stop them. They are getting more and more desparate, and we need to be louder and louder about how awful shein really is

[@vashti2389]

Never ordered anything from SHEIN. And have not bought any fast fashion in over 5 years.

[@transsexual_computer_faery]

good

[@milesfurther4395]

These companies should be taxed by governments so that they can’t be as profitable. Sweat shop wages and environmental pollution should be taxed!

[@Wachansa]

I have been watching you since loooong time ago when you made a video about quitting Emirates because I was also working as a cabin crew there. I'm so proud of you that your channel grows a lot and the content is worth listening to.

[@rosanella9718]

Thank you Kristen. This video is really important. I feel so much...sadness? Embarrassment? when it comes to people sometimes. Shame on those who promote shein and other shitty companys. But not only that. Shame THOSE who are getting money out of working people. This is disgusting.

[@pareensachdeva]

More people need to talk about this! It just occurred to me that my sister’s sustainable label has a greek name, KAIROS STUDIO!

[@zyzxzsgedr]

First of all: great video, thank you :) I like the part where you pointed out that if we don't like you, we should follow other influencers that do similar things! This to me shows commitment to the issue at hand instead of just doing it for the attention. I love Leena Norms and Hannah Wittons Fashion videos and I think everyone with a fun, colorful style should follow them!

[@KingaLoves]

As someone who tends to believe the best in people and trust their word as honest- this is terrifying. That type of “content” does not come across my feed, but I can imagine how some unsuspecting person in the midst of a doom-scroll would believe these reels with no thought or question. Thank you for this conversation

[@fayem4091]

Hi i am greek Living in Greece as well and all i have to say is trying to not buy from big corporations is almost impossible for the standard salary here. I am trying my best to keep the clothes i have as long as i can (some i have for almost a decade now) but in the end of the day especially with so many including me being unemployed i truly can't see anyone giving a fuck in Greece. I talk a lot in a few classmates about slave labour of shein and they were literally like "but you can buy some many cute outfits there for cheap" *insert chidi from the good place meme here* but that is worse do you get how that is worse?

[@Enryaa]

You’re fighting the good fight 💪🏼 thank you for your work!

[@stephanie.kilgast]

I don't really have anything brilliant to add, just leaving a comment for engagement.

[@Chowderchef]

This entire thing is absolutely bonkers. The fact ANYBODY thinks this is fine is despicable

[@leenanorms]

My hands are raw from clapping through this whole thing

[@KristenLeo]

Leena! Found you from the suggestions in the comments and I’m pissed the algorithm hasn’t shown you to me sooner! You’re amazing! 💥💥💥

[@konpulsiv]

Under your last video I commented how I often disagree with some points you make in your videos - here I actually don't!! Thank you for keeping up the good fight against fast fashion, inspiring me to not just give up bc it can be sooo frustrating! 💜

[@seagurl9369]

This put tears on my eyes. Thank you Kristen for, yet another eye-opening speech, especially when u talked about ur fashion influencer journey. Thanks for acknowledging with the real people behind fashion making, the garment workers, seamstresses... Also, u got it. Shared ur vid to my big family and fashionista frens I know, in hoping to at least stir their unawareness. Thank you, thank you, thank you. A subscriber since 2017

[@KristenLeo]

2017!!! Wow that makes me so happy you stuck around for so long 🥹🫶 thank you!

[@nikol1075]

i was anticpating your reaction to this fiasco so impatiently. Thanks so much for respecting your audience and congrats on always being professional I LOVE YOU

[@ampmc4]

thanks for the content kristen! these are dystopia-level things

[@lizziebirch3521]

I'm always so shocked by how few people buy sustainably! This was such a good video, thank you for sharing

[@gurleenkaurberry4339]

Love how they could pay these influencers so they could paraphrase what the workers told them about the working conditions, instead of paying the workers to lie about the working conditions for the camera........

[@stephanieg2887]

Its depressing. I hope that the same people that viewed the og posts also get to see the debunking.

[@AmatisoveLove]

I've been following you for a few years and I cannot stress enough how thankful I am for your content 🥺🥺🥺 Your videos on being sustainable on a budget were seriously so helpful for me to become more conscious in my choices. go on, sustainable fashion queen!

[@KristenLeo]

😭🩷 thank you!!!

[@adesuwa9112]

I just subscribed after watching this lol Everything you said was EXACTLY what I was thinking when I first learned about/ watched clips of that Shein influencer trip. Seeing all the harm that fast fashion does to marginalized groups and the environment really frustrates me. I’m hoping that we can get to a point where folks stop giving their money to these useless and harmful brands. Really enjoyed this vid! ❤

[@badjica]

Ohhhh been waiting for your commentary on this, funny how you never miss!!!

[@avarosalia4309]

Yes, this is why content creators are hated. The lack of integrity over money is so disheartening to see.