Our SHEIN Problem.

[@thefinancialfreedomgirl]

Use code “CARA” at joindeleteme.com/cara if you’re interested in getting your own detailed report and having your personal information stay private! Thank you all for watching and let me know what topics you'd like to see me cover next!

[@happyfrenchfries]

US residents only.

[@mehrr7893]

Rihanna's lingerie/clothing line was named to have worse ethical practices than shein which was shocking. would love a video on this or celeb brands too

[@Sweetcarolinainseoul]

I make a poverty wage and have NEVER bought Shein/Ali express/temu/etc. In fact, I haven't really bought clothes in years. Except for a new pair of sneakers as my knees were dying. I SHOCKED at how many middle and upper class girls the same age buy from shein.

[@lovers807]

No same like I’m at the point where I legit have to mend my own clothes because I cannot afford to buy more. these girls spending hundreds if not thousands is so baffling to me because they can afford quality clothes and not shien.

[@larissabrglum3856]

Same

[@katerinasonis394]

Here with you. I don’t make much, but I would never buy anything from aforementioned companies. Those prices mean slavery on the other end. I buy gently used stuff from Goodwill for myself and from OnceUponAChild for my baby. I would hate generating more waste than there already is. Those “hauls” videos mortify me☹️

[@chocolatedoughnut1305]

I also don’t make much and save most of my money and I’ve only bought a new set of pants lately bc my old ones were literally falling apart

[@KatelynRichards-p6y]

That’s respectable.

[@indefiniteartblock434]

Please make a deep dive on thrift stores. Before the pandemic it was a great way for lower income people to get used stuff and even some rare antiques but now it's being exploited by resellers/greedy CEOs that are directly profiting by the donations. Shein makes up like 50% of the clothing in thrift stores which is bad because now a $1 Shein shirt costs $7 in store. Even dollar tree products are being sold for $3+.

[@natashasmith5279]

Not sure where you are in the world but this is increasingly the case in Australia too. It's so frustrating.

[@habit9964]

Agree I noticed that too.

[@carlbowles1808]

That's horrible thanks for the update, things have certainly changed.

[@EmL-kg5gn]

Tysm for pointing out that the average shein shopper isn’t poor! As someone who’s struggled to afford food before and who’s shopped too much before this really frustrates me. I couldn’t have afforded to overconsume anywhere near the amount the average shein shopper does when my shopping problem was at its worst. But at the same time my financial hardship didn’t mean I couldn’t try to do better. Overconsumption is the driving force behind all these companies’ growth and all of us need to do our best to shop less! How we each go about it will look different but pretty much anyone in a western country can probably reduce their consumption. Our planet simply doesn’t have the resources to sustain modern western lifestyles! In saying this I know companies have and still do use violence to disrupt more sustainable ways of life to create workers/consumers. But that only makes it more important that those of us who are currently safe from that try to live differently

[@numan..]

Honestly, it's not just about choosing quality over quantity when shopping for clothes. People just enjoy buying a bunch of clothes, just to try them out. Sheen provides a mall-shopping experience without leaving your house. I've had similar conversations with friends, suggesting that "instead of getting numerous items, you could buy a single higher-quality one." They already know, but they don't care. It is all about the thrill of spending money. All about living in the moment. I doubt that anyone is unaware of the bad quality of the clothing, or even the bad treatment of the companies workers. Are some people attempting to cope with escapism, boredom, depression, or something else? I don't know. We can identify the cause or reason behind the problem, but unless stricter regulations are made for fashion companies, they won't stop. And people will continue buying. I understand that the same enjoyment I get from going to the movies, some people prefer the joy of purchasing a huge bag of clothes. I don't blame them in that sense. if only it was something more sustainable and something else besides Sheen. I do enjoy your videos a lot btw. Not trying to sound negative with my comment.

[@randomlyswatching9481]

That's very honest

[@Username0467]

I wonder if they know they look cheap? SheIn clothes look poor quality if you know anything about clothes. I wonder if they care? It feels like something someone who likes clothes would care about.

[@IMAPOTATOZ]

Thank you for speaking out about this. Yes at this point, its known SHEIN does things a business should not do. But people also need to realize that other people downright dont care and will keep spending money on bad brands. Im fully aware of what Sbux, Nike, SHEIN, and all these other big brands and how they operate their chain supply, but i genuinely dont care. I like their products so ill keep buying. I dont care.

[@numan..]

@@IMAPOTATOZ Wantt to make it clear that I'm not saying people shouldn't care. They absolutely should. It's pretty irresponsible not to. My point is, because some people either don't care or don't care enough, we should make regulations stricter. That way, those people will have to step up and do the right thing. If talking to them doesn't work, hitting them in the wallet might.

[@mariadesantiago8696]

The whole argument of "fast fashion is good for people that can't afford ethical clothing companies" is so false. I have witnessed plenty of people that make decent money $80+K/year shop from these brands and people that struggle financially not shop from these brands because, I quote "I can't afford to buy this stuff that will fall apart in a handful of washes". These people shop at thrift stores and garage sales and buy items ahead of time, knowing what they and their kids will need.

[@lordfreerealestate8302]

If a person genuinely couldn't afford a better store than like HM or whatever, there would still be the option of thrifting. Granted, I would judge a poor person less harshly on where they spend. But the influencers doing $600 -1000 hauls and promoting it to others are able to not do that. As were the wealthy influencers. "No ethical consumption under capitalism" is technically true, but a lot of people with the power to boycott bad brands don't.

[@moonbunny7380]

You shouldn’t be ignorant,for a lot of poor people fast fashion is the only option,for example overweight people may struggle to find their size in thrift stores or don’t like the material,my family is only surviving due to the government giving us money due to disability.as part of my disability I have sensory issues which means thrifting is unbelievably difficult.it’s also even more difficult to find clothes in my size and style.I have been able to find clothing by thrifting online yet my family still struggles due to the prices still being higher than they would if it was thrifted in person.there’s ways for people in poverty to shop sustainable but it still isn’t the case for everyone in that situation as I’ve just explained

[@maddie8415]

@@moonbunny7380 Yeah, honestly, the average person does not make "decent money" like $80,000+...the median income in the US is about half that. I do think that the biggest/most frequent customers of companies like Shien do have enough income to shop more ethically to meet their needs, though. People in a lower income bracket (myself included) do not have the means to do excessive Shien "hauls", even if we sometimes resort to fast fashion to have things to wear. I feel that we shouldn't be critical of those who have few choices in the matter. Thrifting has certainly been changed by companies like Shien...those store are overloaded with unwanted clothing from these fast fashion companies and usually sell the items for a higher price than they were sold for originally. So thrifting isn't much of a "better" option for low income people.

[@promisemochi]

@@moonbunny7380 exactly!!! i never find my size in anything. and thrift stores near me mostly carry up to a size 6. shein is a good option for someone who needs to dress professionally and needs a handful of outfits to fit into a professional setting until they can start saving for something else.

[@saedoll2507]

@@moonbunny7380 interesting you bring up sensory issues cause I have those too and I'm way more scared to order online because I can't feel the martials prior and I don't know if it feel okay after washing (I'm sensory defensive) its why I opt for thrifting clothes because you can generally feel what something feels like then after a couple washes, or I just look at what stuff is made out of in big box stores (like 100% cotton) & buy it that way.

[@brianagillustration]

Every time I go thrifting (which is like 2-3 times a week lol) I like to make a game of how quickly I can find a Shein piece upon walking in. Never takes me long. The thrifts are littered with Shein and it's really upsetting to see.

[@Eijimiji]

why go thrifting 2-3 times a week

[@fruitloopmylk]

How do you spot the shein pieces? I would love to know so I can avoid them.

[@chickpea]

They usually have the tag, but if they don't, you can tell by the fabric, it's very thin and often almost like a swimsuit material, they always stick out like a sore thumb among older pieces of clothing

[@fruitloopmylk]

Okay, that’s great advice! Thank you for replying 😁

[@dw1n3]

@@Eijimiji More chances to get quality finds? I've left the thrift store empty handed a few times, so when you're really looking for something you'll love, it's better to go multiple times.

[@pl0shiee]

I’m low income as fuck and I hate the take that all of us are ignorant people who have no idea that fast fashion is bad. Like, I don’t buy new things at all and it’s ridiculous that people argue on behalf of low income people, just to frame us all as uneducated and greedy.

[@kristianFL]

There are always exceptions but you have to admit that a very large percentage of low income people in that age range is exactly as you described.

[@ArcadiasPlanet]

Fashionable vs practical

[@chickensalad3535]

Not everyone has the means to thrift regularly, and even those who do want to wear exclusively second hand grandma clothes.

[@no-xz1vw]

i have so many friends low income and they easily spend 100€ on shein, although they just ordered from there. this argument has always been weak. people just can't self reflect and change their ways

[@comicsans3537]

It's different if it's for fashion, a lot of poor people, we tend to shop necessity only... Clothes are STILL needed lol. Plenty of poor people will shop for simple things and not pretty ones, so please don't assume all are doing it for funsies...

[@lunamoonursery]

Something else to consider is that not every country/region has thrift stores. When thrift shopping became a huge thing in the youtube space several years ago I was shocked at the items you could get for just a couple of dollars in the US because we don't have that here. Not only are they not available everywhere, it can also be just as expensive, or maybe more expensive, than buying brand new items. The only (sort of?) thrift shop that I have near me had only one shirt in my size and it cost the same as a brand new one. For some reason, a lot of people like to classify their clearly well-loved items as "vintage", "classic", "retro", "sold out" to drive up the prices and make a profit. To each their own but it affects accesibility for many people. I'm not vouching for fast fashion, I've never shopped at Shein, but it's one more thing to consider when examining why it is that they're so popular with people with lower income.

[@Lea____915]

Fr,thrift stores in Europe are so bad.I've been to a lot of them both in small towns and big cities and you only find frumpy grandma clothes or dirty extra used clothes.I've literally seen clothes with brown stains,not to mention how discoloured and beat up most of them are.

[@saedoll2507]

THIS I can agree with. Thrifting in canada isn't nearly as cheap as american. I've seen videos of americans thrifting and getting shirts for a couple dollars, dresses for a couple dollars... It makes me slightly jealous! xD Trying to get dresses in canada (Especially if you go to value village and stuff) Its like $17.99 for a summer dress, and its walmart branded, missing a button, zipper is broken, or has a stain/seams are loose. It's not really affordable, and at that point it does become "I may as well buy this brand new." Also some thrift shops depending on the area, they can be really extremely picked over (which means nothing good is left. It's just items blown out, heavily stained, ripped, missing bits.) OR the thrift shop can have really high prices. Example, I've seen TNA hoodies for $50 in a thrift shop, or lulu lemon leggings for $40. I've seen items from London Fog also very pricey and other brands, including "Mall" brands just be unbelievable high for what it is. & those prices are also outside of the ball park of affordability I think for low income people. & it just feels like its more meant to target resellers, or navie young people who are hanging out with there friends downtown & wonder into a thrift shop going 'NO WAY'. (xD I was a teen once. shopping *was* fun once)

[@ShanaMaillard]

I have a friend who lives in japan and rarely thrifts (at least in person) bc apparently japanese thrift stores make the prices either the same or much higher than the original item price. Its rare to find thrifted clothes specifically that's cheaper

[@clawwestfall8799]

​@@Lea____915That's bs... Yes, american thrifstores have better and newer clothes (since americans produce more fabric waste than europeans), but thrift stores in Europe are still okay. I've thrifted majority of my wardrobe on a budget... I'm from Czechia. And because I have a habit of thrifting on holidays, in Sweden, Spain, Germany and Austria, the thrift stores are even better.

[@clawwestfall8799]

​@@Lea____915What country or countries do you mean by "Europe". 😂

[@jessip8654]

I think the only argument I've seen hold any water for buying fast fashion is the plus sized people, since apparently plus sized clothes are tough to find used. HOWEVER, considering 42% of the US population could now be considered "plus sized," I am sure there are other, better options out there than Shein.

[@metamaus5701]

Someone online recently looked at how many plus-sized options there are on Shein, and the percentage was at around ten percent or so, which is better than nothing but still too low to warrant this argument for fast fashion holding water for me.

[@gracekatharine]

I'm a size 24-26 (or 2X/3X) and it is absolutely tough to find plus size secondhand clothes. Most Goodwills I walk into don't even have size markers for anything above an XXL in the women's tops/dresses section (which is NOT the same as 2X, by the way) or above an 18 in the pants/jeans/shorts section. I often have to spend time sifting through the XL/XXL or 16/18 sections to find something even remotely close to my size. Not to mention that not many brands carry sizes above an XXL/18 to begin with, and even carrying things at those sizes is relatively rare. Have you looked at the prices of items at plus size retailers like Torrid or Lane Bryant? That's still considered fast fashion and it's ridiculous how much their clothes cost. I know this probably wasn't your intention, but your comment came off very ignorant and dismissive to what plus size people like myself have to go through when it comes to clothing shopping. I will never shop from SHEIN, but you have to applaud them for their inclusive sizing that places like Abercrombie & Fitch and Banana Republic don't even have.

[@xScribbledDreaming]

There are very few non-fast fashion alternatives. Many ethical or slow fashion brands do not go up to plus sizes, and even if they do, their idea of plus size is very limited. The idea that just because there is a large demand for plus size clothes means that the supply is there is unfortunately not really true, and most brands that are filling that space are fast fashion. I'm trying to reduce my consumption of clothes as a whole and buy better quality clothes, which basically means 95% of clothes available in my size are no longer an option. I still don't think people should buy from Shein or overconsume clothes in general, but I often find that people who do not have to deal with this have very little knowledge of the reality of trying to find good clothes as a fat person.

[@katfujioka212]

Yeah, here in the UK I often find a lot of clothes size 16+, as many people either lose weight and donate their old stuff, or are larger sized as a lot of the population is overweight. It's actually harder to find stuff in smaller sizes as teenagers and students get it hot off the rails!!!

[@topkek4223]

Wow, the fact that the creator even liked this comment shows how disgustingly, arrogant and privileged she is. It is hard for overweight people especially women to find good fitting clothes if you're not a small size, you should wear tents because that's literally all everyone offers. It's fast fashion brands that have brought decent looking clothes for big women. There are literally children from the 2000s who had to wear older women's business casual clothes because there was no clothes for big teenagers and young adults.

[@nicolereusch4309]

Great video! I personally actively avoid shien, temu, H&M, but where I always slip up is Amazon 😞 I find overconsumption and the fashion industry so upsetting that it’s nauseating, but it’s just so hard when you’re on the internet to shop to your own ethical standards 100%. Their tactics are effective, and especially after the holidays I’m feeling a lot of consumer guilt

[@lordfreerealestate8302]

I use a blocker app for online stores and an adblocker so their ads don't pop up.

[@lovers807]

Amazon always gets me too I think it’s that whole internet monopoly they’ve got going on it’s so frustrating

[@omens3403]

@@lovers807deal with it 😎

[@mlsb9591]

I think the only way of really getting better as consumer is to consume less or even consume nothing non-essential. I lived in a poor country for my first 26 years and always had nice clothes to wear and gifts to give. Everything I bought was either handmade or locally produced. And if I ever had a piece of clothes, I made it last years long before changing it.

[@deersakamoto2167]

One thing Shein does really well that's not mentioned is how they reward people with different sizes who post reviews with pictures of them wearing the dress (which also REDUCES waste). No other sites (including so-called "ethical" brands who only show models wearing the clothes) do this as well as Shein

[@Obbliteration]

While i hate shein one of your statements missed the point. It is not that fast fashion is necessary for low income people but CHEAP fashion. You can buy one shirt from a cheap brand and use it 10 years.

[@itssquishy3364]

Not gonna comment much just important thing to consider is that even bigger fast fashion brands such as H&M are already expensive in countries such as Philippines, Poland etc etc And also because tiktok has blown up “kids” are now more comfortable in dressing up different shein is a main source of them being able to dress up in styles they like

[@vtheory7531]

I can't believe I got an ad for Shein and Temu during this video 😭 these companies really have this social media marketing down locked

[@Althecor]

Influencer trip to the sweatshops is actually insane, I can't believe what I'm seeing...

[@no-xz1vw]

i'm alternative and all my life i got so much hate for it but looking on it from this micro trend perspective i'm more than happy to be different. i don't need the 100th basic shirt that actually looks like my other 400 basic shirts and i don't care about missing out or being popular, irl or on tiktok. all my clothes are picked wisely and the really old stuff i use as sleepwear, sports wear or i cut it up and make something new out of it. at raves i get a lot of compliments on my looks so i know i'm doing a good job here too. (i know being alt trended on tiktok in 2020 or sth but i'm ignoring that, those people already went back to basic and are back again on hating on us)

[@esikazemese]

I agree, fast fashion is not helping the poor it helps consumerism and trends. What would help the poor is charity shops filled with clothes that are well made. I just gave my friend an angora sweater that is from my mother and it's at least 15 years old. It's not just super warm because of the wool - angora content but it's also still gorgeous.

[@sternum_bones]

I love how you're speaking up about this. It's so upsetting to see people who are obviously well off flaunt their massive hauls of junk every month. Shopping addictions are so scary. The scarier part is that may people are already aware of how exploitative and cheap shein is and still choose to indulge regardless. It's like the trends and being fashion forward is more important than anything. People just don't care. :(

[@mads1864]

I only bought from them once, before I found out about everything. I was in college and didn't have a ton of money to spend on items I needed. So, I tried shein. I still have those items today. Never bought from them again, but I can say that it was great for people who don't have money.

[@emilythefairy1]

Although I do agree with you that 100$ a month is an obscene amount of money to spend on clothes, we aren't talking about shipping prices. Thread up and Poshmark charge 8$, unlike the 3.99 on shein. So this would be more appealing and saving money for people on that site.

[@pe931]

Thrifting in a lot of european cities is not a realiable option to purchase a basic garderobe for your style. You would have to look regularly and be ready to pay up depending where you live. Its considered a hobby by some for a reason. Sustainable brands can be an option if you budget and preferebly fit into S-L range. 🙈

[@its649inthemorning]

I agree with your points concerning fastfasion and SHEIN. Most people do not think how a price is made and they just buy because they want to. A prime example would be a deals website here in germany. Today I saw a post for towels from JYSK for under 8 Euros and my first thought was "Who is paying for this really?". In the comments there were people already talking about how they ordered multiple towels already (and I guarantee you they have lots of usable towels at home). It all comes down to mindful spending (your motto) aka thinking before you actually buy something and learning how to critically assess the price of a product or its origin. I hope people learn to do this and I also hope that lawmakers at some point decide to step up their game and do something to help the situation. Also social media with its nonstop barrage of ads is the devil that contributes a LOT to behaviour like this.

[@randomlyswatching9481]

People have a lot of other things to deal with than think critically like you before buying anything imho. So it'll be like that

[@chickensalad3535]

People know, they just don't care. It's really not a priority and I totally understand why.

[@its649inthemorning]

true @@randomlyswatching9481

[@emholston20]

GIRL can you PLEASE do a 5 Below video?? :3 I trust your judgment and have learned so much from your videos, so I think it would be really beneficial to share with people! I tried to explain some stuff to my friends a while back about how 5 Below items are typically pretty low quality…but I don’t know if any of my research is actually right tbh.

[@ericsnewlink3]

Thank you so much for keeping out of troubled waters. You’re a must watch for people like me who are easily influenced and misguided. I appreciate your videos very much!!! Thank you and happy new year!

[@linuxducky]

The rise of Shein is as a result of consumers no longer being blind to fast fashion profit. Companies such as H&M, Zara, ASOS are doing the same thing, for almost the same production costs, however charging 3x what Shein does. Why pay more for the same in-ethical practices by all of the above companies? In order for the rise of Shein to die, the whole system of fashion needs to be overhauled... companies that are making huge profit from fast fashion such as H&M, Zara etc can 'kill' Shein by keeping the same prices they already have, however using ethical labour and factories, sourcing etc. In order to do this however, they will severely cut profit. They don't at the moment because almost ALL businesses care more about profit than ethical practice, just to varying degrees. However in the long run this is the best thing for H&M, Zara etc to do, because if not ethical practice they will otherwise be forced to lower prices in a society that will normalise eventually Shein prices, everyone loses but Shein if this happens. I think right now H&M and Zara etc. are being DECADES slow and 'soft loading' ethical practice, because they want to make that change whilst keeping as much profit as possible. Just my theory.

[@valinski_]

cant believe that you only have 150k followers. Your videos are sooo good and so well done researched. I am happy that i found you

[@genericglam]

I’ve gone from shopping for new clothes every time I get paid to only when I need to add a new item to my wardrobe. I stopped following trends and started shopping thinking about the longevity of a style. This helps me save so much money on things I would usually only wear for a season/because it’s trending. (Like the Barbie trend was cute in summer 2023, but I just wore pink items I already had instead of buying new Barbie branded items)

[@Missfoxtooyou]

I can’t afford to buy “cheap”. I’m willing to save and buy investment pieces that I know I’ll hang onto for years. Plus it helps that I’m a minimalist when it comes to apparel and footwear.

[@randomlyswatching9481]

Good to know

[@razamughal4582]

I just paid a fortune to lucy and yak. Just so my daughter can dress fashionably. On the plus side the jeans are very soft, like the reviews say.

[@jasminumbailey]

I'm shocked, I've never been so early before. Excited to watch something about Shein.

[@thefinancialfreedomgirl]

hello hello! glad you were here early 😄

[@MikuHatsune159]

The main issue with these sites and consumer goods, is mainly our need to overconsume. We dont particularly need so many tops and bottoms, or whatever else. But knowing how society looks down on you for wearing the same piece for days on end without changinf up the style, they think you look poor, thus fueling the overconsumption more. Of course i dont speak for anyone but myself, i can simply wear the same clothes for weeks on end while just rotating how i style it OR simply not caring how i look to the public. I cant be bothered to care because I'm not that social anyways.

[@Minty_Aqua]

Even young kids look down on you for wearing similar clothes every day. Like one day back in third grade I was wearing this blue shirt with flowers and the next day I was wearing the same one but this time in magenta and this boy made fun of it by saying that I get these clothes from the garbage. It's a sad thing tbh.

[@ChristysChannelYall]

I’m a female making about that amount yearly and I do not shop Shein, Temu, H&M, Zara, or any fast fashion. I rarely even use Amazon and definitely not for clothing. I prefer to buy a few high quality pieces from ethical brands seasonally, and by seasonally I mean the 4 seasons. I am Gen X so I’m sure that plays a role because I’m just not worried about trends so much. I know what looks good on me and that’s what I wear. Also, I don’t like to buy something and love it and it look like garbage after washing it once or twice.

[@mayaabarca8170]

Not me getting a shein ad in the middle of the video 😭

[@HeyItsMae3]

I saw it too. 😂

[@kathryn8543]

it's good that the US has thrift stores and places like ThredUp but unfortunately this isn't just standard internationally yet. In my country, we have 'charity shops' with very low quality clothing, nothing like what you see on hauls here. I don't buy from shein and never will, but unfortunately I can see how some people might need fast fashion to be respectably clothed to be able to e.g. go to work. $100 honestly wouldn't even cover one single item from a non-fast fashion brand or a sustainable brand. If that's all you have a month for clothing as a young professional unfortunately you will have to use places like Zara and H&M.

[@mayhem875]

As a plus size woman SHEIN was so hard to resist. Trying to find cute clothes that can fit is hard and I’m only a size 18. And I’m 23, I don’t wanna wear the frumpy clothes that plus size stores sell. But over the last year I’ve been a lot more cautious of my shopping and I’ve found that Target, gap, asos, and some other stores can be very useful in building a wardrobe that’s not gonna fall apart on me in a year. I does mean I have to spend more money up front but I think in the long run it’s better for my wallet. I haven’t even bothered with sustainable brands tho, they never have my size and they’re really expensive

[@Eijimiji]

good video but i will say most people who are lower income and buy from shein dont buy every month, the people i know buy like 2 times a year maybe? i myself buy stuff maybe once a year just because its fast fashion doesnt mean you need to treat it like it is. I buy things that look like they will last and are my style, i also check the materials used. I stilgot flops a few times but even my cheap clothes goes along way.

[@AriKhuu]

Every year I bought myself $50 worth of clothes on SHEIN and that’s the only time I buy clothes for myself. With coupons I normally ended up paying like $35. It’s the only place I could get shirts for less than $5 a piece and still be decent designs. I throw out my yearly stained clothes the same time lol. Poverty really does suck sometimes.

[@39piona]

not judging at all as I think this is completely reasonable given your situation, but have you ever tried thrift shops? I know they're not always the best, but I have found a few gems myself for really cheap which could prevent having to throw out clothes. just a suggestion tho I'm not trying to be rude haha :)

[@chickensalad3535]

@@39piona Thrift shops are a shell of what they used to be. It's not just as expensive if not moreso to thrift than it is to buy new clothing. Also, it is extremely inconvenient to have to sift through rows and rows of granny clothes just to find a "hidden gem".

[@sophieq71]

I buy most of my clothes from Vinted/2nd hand shops. Apart from underwear for obvious reasons, you can find so many good clothes 2nd hand

[@herpsandderps8967]

My chub run eats through pants every couple months no matter what brand I buy, so I often go buy something at H&M from their sale section. I'm not a "fast fashion" person, its just the reality for me. There are no $100+ pairs of quality jeans that will last significantly longer for me, even though i would happily wear them for years. Not really a mendable issue either when the fabric between the legs just gets eroded away to nothing. Not sure what to do about this issue because i would much prefer to buy once and be good to go.

[@parisasbh6995]

I have just found your channel and I am in love with your content . keep going✌💞

[@thefinancialfreedomgirl]

Thank you so much!!

[@parisasbh6995]

@@thefinancialfreedomgirl❤

[@csslly]

"Fast fashion might be necessary if you want to keep up with weekly microtrends on a budget but that isn't a need" I love that point. I just came from a video essay saying the gray area is that low income people rely on fast fashion to be able to express themselves through clothing and that that's somewhat justified to an extent because a culture of bullying/judging people for their clothing is prevalent. But something about that reasoning didn't sit right with me and I just couldn't explain it. And I think you said it best. Fast fashion might be necessary to be able to keep up with trends as a low income person, but keeping up with trends? That in itself is so unnecessary. I was raised by my parents teaching us how damaging it is to be influenced by trends and popular things both mentally and financially. Even as we were able to go from barely scraping by when I was a kid to upper middle class now that I'm older, we were never ones to follow trends. And to me, they're not important. But to someone like that video creator who experienced severe bullying in the past, it's a justified reason. So it's definitely interesting how arguments can change based on any individual's potentially own biases.

[@clawwestfall8799]

The strategy of SHEIN in both marketing and their shipping ("on demand creation") isn't possible for sustainable brands. It works just because they are cheap and create massive amount of clothes. Sustainable, good quality brands will never be able to create such a buzz since being sustainable = not promoting overconsumption and micro trends. As for the on demand part, it works just because they constantly create new clothes of low quality. This clothing doesn't require huge time spend prototyping. And they steal designs and photos of amaller businesses. Sustainable brands spend months developing new products. The construction is way more complicated.

[@ohlilu3317]

What is annoying to me is when I spend decent money on clothing for ethical + quality reasons and at the end get the same clothes from Chinese factories. You shop in Italy or US, check reviews online, spend significantly more money and at the end still get the same clothes from the same factories (your package arrives from China even!). Your money did nothing good but supported even greedier people. Also, I wanted to buy linen t-shirt. At H&M it costs 10€ and the one from the ethical local business - 80€. I understand why it is so expensive and would like to support their business, but at this point I can’t afford 80€ t-shirt. And no, I don’t buy tons of clothes every week, but I do have other expenses. I still support small businesses with unique clothing, just by buying more “special” things and more rarely. So, trying to find balance that fits my needs and my budget. And another point and the reason I actually order from SHEIN sometimes - their sizes are smaller. I wear XXS (sometimes XXXS) and most brands (especially local European brands) simply do not have my size. It’s hard to find things and they are pretty limited. SHEIN has more items my size and variety of designs, so I can easier find something for my taste that will actually fit. I do not overshop though

[@iTzDritte]

9:27 I was wondering why the background was different. 😂 Holding the the mic for that long sounds like a workout

[@thefinancialfreedomgirl]

hahaha it was!! nice little strength workout 😂 yeah I was home with family for the holidays!

[@ninblau2095]

Well, as a recently fat woman Shein is literally my only option (maybe if I lived in the US it wouldn't be). There's also HM but they don't have a huge range of clothes, second hand clothes also tend to not fit (or just make no sense with my style). I don't buy clothes I like, I buy clothes I don't dislike. I don't think there's a "right" to enjoy/like the clothes you wear, but there's defenetly a right to wear clothes and maybe we could argue there's a right to wear clothes you don't feel ridiculous in. I'd love to not buy shein, I don't know what other options I have and I don't have the income to buy 60 euros dresses. Also, shitty income also means that when you need clothes it stings and because you have to buy the shitty quality that doesn't hold up for as long as good quality clothing

[@juliajs1752]

I'm always a bit surprised when people call H&M "fast fashion". I have items from H&M that I bought 15 years ago and that are still in office-worthy condition. Maybe things changed a lot in the past few years, but for me H&M was always "lower middle class" shopping than "fast fashion". Or maybe it's how they present themselves in the USA?

[@andthecrowdgoeswild4]

I agree. If H&M went downhill, that is news to me and makes me sad. I have a long coat that is in decent shape from like 15 years ago too. It's nice. It has an inner shell, with a trendy jersey cloth outer and it's a tailored fit. It was like $60 new, bought in Vegas, on the strip.

[@vivalarance1840]

I just bought myself 2 pair of jeans there.. affordable and will last me a long time and most important, I can find me a bit bigger size since a lot of other stores jeans i am litterally 1 or 2 sizes to big for atm and im not even that fat.. just tall and with big hips 😂 plus 2 100% cotton shirts that seem to be of strong material and will also last me a long time.. i wouldn't dare shein or so anymore.. the fabric is way too thin and not worth a dime

[@psychopopbunny]

I think it's still considered fast fashion because of how quickly they produce clothes and the amount of it, but that said, I agree with how long they last. I have H&M tops that I bought for 5 dollars each 10-12 years ago and they're still in good condition.

[@Lea____915]

H&M is not that good anymore,a lot of their items are literally shein quality

[@promisemochi]

i have H&M, forever21, and even shein clothing that are all 5-10 years old that still hold up and are good quality.

[@awol.]

Thanks for educating me that this is even a thing. I've got a lot to learn.

[@Hilighted]

I’m not into fashion but I just love watching you talk. I enjoy your sound financial advice. Here’s another coffee 🎉

[@adizmarine]

0:15 they weren't even sweating Did the influencers just take the word 'sweatshop labors' LITERALLY?!

[@horstidieseher-in6817]

Before shein we have already H&M, Zara these kind of fast fashion brands with cheap prices, copy the other brands designs, scandal of child working, poor working conditions and so on. All these fast fashion related problems are not new or just shein did or started all this things. Its a typical phenomenon in this branch. So instead of just targeting a particular brand which is inefficient and more or less biased, as shein is a brand from china and somehow everywhere when it is some kind of related to china then it turns out all to be negative, which is just double standard, we should look it this entire fast thing issue, just like fast food.

[@sternum_bones]

I don't think it's just bc of the fact that it's a chinese brand. It's the most popular and well-known fast fashion giant in comparison to those other brands you listed. More emissions, underpayed workers, and more exposure online. You don't see people with $1000 H&M hauls. It only makes sense that shein is talked about more even though other brands also suck.

[@randomlyswatching9481]

Exactly. If people target shein ANOTHER one will take it's place asap ...I mean people don't realize there's a huge chain of such brands and stopping only one wouldn't stop those unethical process that's where corporate laws should come in. Onus should be on that. If shein goes away another bein will come in.

[@randomlyswatching9481]

​@@sternum_bonesyes they're doing shein hauls now. Stopping only shein will not guarantee another one doesn't take it's place. I have seen Zara hauls in 2010s too. Nothing new

[@dangboor4277]

Capitalism creates these types of practices

[@cosmictrashbin960]

I also don't think that fast fashion is good for people that can't afford ethical clothing companies. When I had a very low income and was struggling a lot, I never really bought anything from a fast fashion place (like H&M or Shein). I still would save up my money for a few months and buy myself something nice and of quality from a reputable store. Its been years since that happened and I still have all the articles of clothing that I bought during that time and they still look and fit great. I've always preferred quality over quantity.

[@saedoll2507]

I avoid both shein and temu for reasons you mentioned but also because they both steal from small creators & I don't like the idea of supporting someone who didn't make something. In some cases too what Temu steals is stuff that was put out for free. (Example: Freebie cross stitch patterns, a designer might release one for the season so their followers can do it, but I've seen a couple times now were creators get fans reaching out saying 'i bought your kit from temu!!' & then the designer has to announce there design was stolen and they aren't getting anything financial from their design being stolen. I know thats one very small craft related hobbie but I've seen it a couple times now, so I don't doubt other hobbies deal with a similar issue with designers finding their stuff being ripped off.) Also a low income person, I honestly don't shop that often for clothes. I honestly find cloth shopping to be extremely stressful (the prices on everything is too high) & I sorta stick to big box stores. (walmart, coscto, winners/marshalls) or thrift shops. But again this is rare for me to really browse and buy something from the clothes section or go out and specially wanna go 'clothes' shopping. Its strange because I can recall everything I bought this year as clothes and I generally buy maybe 1-6 items a year that are clothing related. I think most of the time when I buy something its because I'm replacing something thats been finally worn out. (I have shirts that I had from my late teens to early 20s with me still and I'm in my 30s now.) But yeah I generally really picky with my money. I like thinking thru what I'm buying. I do admittedly realize too I'm probably not the target for shein and temu. But I also do wonder how many people do shopping as a way to "self regulate". (I'll see terms in groups related to aesthetics sometimes like "serotionin hunting" when it comes to haul culture.) But thats something else to think about.

[@kassandralillian6064]

I love going thrifting. I got a new job recently and had to buy a whole wardrobe. I bought everything at goodwill and to be honest I probably got better clothes at either a more affordable or similar price point. Everytime I see Shein clothes at goodwill I always put it back because I know it'll fall apart and the chemicals they use.

[@hollyt.2663]

Honestly, my favorite coat is from Shein and I get so many compliments on it. Idk.

[@seanlarrimore6914]

I disagree with people "needing" fast fashion to afford the clothes, I literally have found Yves saint laurent, louis vuitton, designer purses, shoes, bags, etc that would cost 100's for like 10 bucks at thrifts. Designer furniture is there too at thrift stores! You can make money from these places, you don't need to buy fast fashion, it is kind of sad that we look to vintage clothing for quality now instead of buying first hand, hence the uptick in thrifting culture in recent years.

[@Vizcarrasilvana]

thing is, doesn't matter you look, u always purchase something coming from a industry in China, ur favorite brands has their industries in the Asia continet because of politics norms and regulations are less there, even Zara have their things made in Turkey, most of the companies do, the only thing Shein does is put the price down. Living in europe I still found "good quality" second hand clothes very expensive, if i go to a flea market i would find second hand clothes that are at least 15-20 euros and whatever clothe is between 5 and 10 euros is literally a piece of garment from China ... so the same thing .. doesn't matter where you look, you will always find a daily product coming from China/Asia ... I personally think the only ones who can stop this would be Politicians, and it would take time ...

[@Max-OCATCBuff]

So glad to be brought back to my Econ 110 class at college. Even in my Latin American (decent sized) city, Shein maintains a distribution point.

[@larissabrglum3856]

I understand that there are situations are SHEIN may be the most viable option for people who are poor, plus-sized, and/or don't live near any good secondhand stores. However, I really do feel that a lot of the "there is no ethical consumption under capitalism"/"individuals aren't responsible"/"what about poor people"/"what about fat people" discourse is ultimately motivated by a sense of first-world guilt. Just about everyone at this point is aware of the ethical issues associated with SHEIN and other (ultra-)fast fashion companies, but they don't make any effort to consume less from those companies because buying new stuff hits those sweet, sweet dopamine receptors. People want to keep consuming mindlessly and not have to feel bad about it.

[@nellejones5125]

I got an unskippable SHEIN ad on this video omg 😭

[@RangeGleasry]

I enjoy your video essays very much

[@kriichan6100]

Once I first heard about how terrible Shein is I stopped shopping there entirely and encourage others in my life to stop too (they don’t always listen which is annoying but it’s a step) I don’t earn £60,000 a year yet I don’t use earning less than that as an excuse to spend £100 on fast fashion a month. It’s not needed and anyone who spends that amount a month needs to re-evaluate their spending. The people that use the argument of ‘low income households NEEDING to buy from Shein’ are probably NOT low income and just want a scapegoat for their conscious.

[@andrewplantagenet5811]

I’ve only just became aware of Shein. Just like Amazon and Temu and Wish I won’t be shopping with them. I like your Octopus 🐙! Happy New Year!

[@mossthebryophyter]

Guess what commercial i got right before your video lol

[@gillianadkins8148]

Bahahaha I got a Shein ad at the start of this video😅

[@mlsb9591]

The only problem I see with the Sheen argument is that usually people leave Zara, HyM, mango, etc, outside of the equation. Buying from Sheen is the same as buying from other fast fashion brands. If you eliminate one, u have to eliminate the others.

[@thesquidling]

Completely unrelated to the topic, but where did you get the orange octopus/squid thing? I need it!

[@coollizard2]

quality over quantity is the way❤️

[@Chris-ln6so]

Just ban Shien? Between H&M Group, Inditex, Primark, ASOS and others, is Shien really needed? Not that any of these are necessary but Shien is particularly egregious.

[@InfinteIdeas]

Shein is "Just In Time" manufacturing, but for Clothes, which is something I never thought would happen.

[@demmiledesma]

the way i just got a shein ad for this video

[@KendallMuldoon]

There was literally a SHEIN ad on this video

[@monicai.3904]

The first ad was a Shein ad 😭

[@ianemory5800]

The one thing I'm not sure of is if Shiens supply chain works if they aren't cutting corners with their labor practices. Normally the lead times creep up on made to order goods. I do think there's a question of they could still deliver good speedily of they followed the law.

[@AlexisArtemisGreenHoward1]

I've never bought anything from Shein I mainly do Ally Express but the point is the same, yes it's a rather unethical company but it's one of the only places where things are plus size inclusive. I'm somewhere on the border not fat but definitely not conventionally skinny and things are just easier this way. The regular shops mainly cater to supermodels and you feel like 💩 when something is too small or too tight for you.

[@adrianabrandao4066]

Loved this video! I'm trying to order less from Shein but I have some thoughts about it. I am a university student living on a tiny island in the middle of the ocean, so the stores that we have here are limited. Also we have one small second hand store that usually doesn't have my size. I try to just order on Shein when I want to buy something but can't afford a price range of Stradivarius, Pull & Bear and the stores that I used to shop but now the price is higher. I think nowadays is very hard to buy stuff because it's getting expensive.If you could help with some advise I would be grateful!! P.S. I'm not the type of person to buy clothes for the trends. ❤

[@lostinfantasy2489]

I personally have a lot of luck finding cute clothes on vinted!

[@MrsSofieable]

​@@lostinfantasy2489 I'm pretty sure vinted isn't available for her on a tiny island in the middle of the ocean

[@adrianabrandao4066]

@@MrsSofieable I have looked and it's available but the cost to ship something to my island is a lot. I only buy online if the shipping is for free

[@adrianabrandao4066]

@@lostinfantasy2489 There is a lot of cute clothes there but the shipping is expensive so im trying to buy clothes from my friends instead of stores. Thank u so much for the advice :)

[@kajastepniak1161]

​@@adrianabrandao4066 buying clothes from friends is such a good idea!

[@Koolkitty_9]

As someone who works in childcare and it actually sucks that this is all i can afford. Sadly too, even stores like walmart use child labor to get their clothes. BUT I also try to wear what I have until it dies, then it is used for cosplay making or turned into rags. The fabric industry is SUPER wasteful. I would love to thirft but they're all so overpriced now and never have my size.

[@CandiOsaka]

THIS IS GOOD CONTENT and Thank you for bringing more awareness on how low quality and unethical this Shein company is ! I am tired of Shein this Shein that !

[@michellep1405]

I'm just here to comment on your octopus plush. I have the same one, and his name is Bob! :)

[@clonejones7955]

Look at the beaches of Accra Ghana and the trash mountain in the Atacama desert in Chile and many more like it around the world.Stop letting corporations tell you what to wear.Trends aren't style.

[@mashka1572]

Never in my life bought from Shein. I'm very much guilty buying mass-market clothes, but never from Shein. I just don't trust them at all, and this influencers marketing turned me down a long time ago. The worst thing is that I like to buy from thrift stores, but now everything is full of Shein and their clothes are terrible quality. We talk a lot about ecology and stuff, and then people do that.

[@justwonder1404]

I think the customers responsibility goes even farther. People on social media should be more mindful on what they watch. If you support creators whose regular content is buying a bunch of stuff they probably don't need, sorry, you're kinda part of the problem.

[@celestialArbiter]

The argument that people who are poor, plus size, even petite have no other CHOICE but to buy new clothes every month makes no sense to me. Like you said in the video, these people don't tend to buy basics or few items, they tend to spend upwards of 300 dollars a year on shein which could very much buy fewer high quality pieces that will last longer. Buying a higher quality shirt made of sturdier material from, say, H&M, is in my opinion MUCH more sustainable than buying 3 for the same price off of shein. There's just simply no need unless you want to be following micro trends and have no sense of what your own fashion sense is. And even IF these people bought a couple of things off of shein, even that wouldn't really be the problem. Buying a new skirt or a new dress every so often isn't the problem, especially if other places just simply don't carry your size. (Which imo brings up the fact that shein sizing is atrocious and thus fits ill most of the time but I digress). Even then, though, the choice to learn how to sew, mend, and alter clothing exists too. I personally started sewing with a cheap sewing mashine and largely second hand fabrics to make the clothes I like in my measurements. I know that option isnt available to most people, but if youhave 300-600 dollars a year to spend on clothes you'll wear for a year and never again, im sure you have money to buy fabrics and a sewing mashine. All in all, the issue is overconsumption and trends at the end of the day. And people LOVE defending their overconsumption more so than their right to food and shelter.

[@xoxfairy]

Problem is SHEIN is successful because clearly, there is demand.

[@nk05555]

Somehow the average shein customer profile struck me as odd... Making 65,000+ a year spending 100 a month for clothing? I'd thought most shein users were making less than 35,000 annual pretax

[@rmae6835]

I have no interest in trends, but I use Shein because they do good, affordable plus size clothing. I find the quality to be good (I have dresses I've had for 2 years+ from Shein) and their clothes fit / suit me. I can't afford to go into high street shops to buy clothes - and anyway, Primark, Zara, etc are ALL at fault but considered more "ethical" =/

[@krk6216]

Our thrift stores and even consignment stores are being heavily inundated with SHEIN. It's so disappointing and dystopian. It's definitely increasingly hard to shop quality and vintage in my area. Being in a college town, SHEIN is what the college students are ordering because it's cheap. To a point I get it, but you'd waste so much less money over time if you rewear clothes, repair clothes you already have, and buy quality. Speaking of, I have a vintage shirt that needs replacement buttons so I should get on that soon.

[@CandiOsaka]

By the way, you are absolutely gorgeous ! I love your hair and your face is soooo pretty xx

[@sc6658]

Honestly? I kiiind of get the whole “poor people buy fast fashion because it’s financially viable” thing but not the way Shein buyers present it. Like I make $15 an hour. I don’t spend a lot on clothes. I buy “unsustainable” stuff more often than not (though I also shop secondhand). However the “unsustainable” stuff I buy isn’t online cause I buy a new pair of Wrangler jeans when mine begin to wear out and I don’t wanna pay even more for shipping. Like there are people who are low income who buy from fast fashion and adjacent places but I promise they aren’t doing it out of pure utility if they’re buying from Shein and waiting for things to ship and be imported and paying for shipping. They’re usually running to Wal Mart to buy new jeans because theirs just got a rip in the crotch.

[@dayzofblue8794]

I would also say shien does alot of alternative style clothing that are usually very expensive in other online platforms and almost impossible to find in stores

[@lulumallow]

I usually make sure I don't buy buy the whole year and the result I have money to put on holiday abroad

[@kaypat23]

Just adding my 2 cents here. It's fascinating and terrifying to see how cheap Shein products are in Western countries like the US and the UK. The idea of getting shirts or dresses for a few dollars, pounds or even cents is unheard of where I come from. Shein is quite expensive in Southeast Asia and it's definitely not really an "affordable" option where really poor people shop. I agree with most of the comments. Poor people are not responsible for thousand dollar Shein hauls. Most of them would be buying clothes in person at the thrift shop and where I come from, online shopping is more expensive than shopping in person sometimes. It's usually middle or upper class income people I see shopping on Shein because you need a certain amount of money to gamble for outfits you're not sure of in terms of quality and size. I've never bought from it...was tempted but I deleted my account. Malaysians, Indonesians and Filipinos would agree that Shopee is more addictive tbh. It's basically our version of Teemu and Amazon combined and I guarantee most of the clothes there are fast fashion too. There's a brand on Shopee called Lovito that I'm sure is just one of Shein's shell companies 😅 It's hard to resist too.

[@Stinoco]

The irony of see in a SHEIN ad at the end of this video 😂

[@Ericnorify]

I only knew the brand from child-labor memes

[@nikiniki3327]

are items that are sold on amazon are same they also come from china just like shein. and sold on amazon to make them look like they are ethical or something. Its bascially the same thing

[@conmore1]

My girlfriend got me 2 SHEIN jackets and both ripped after a year of moderate use. Fashion needs to change to have less shows per year so there are less “trends” and less drops so this industry can end up producing less environmental damage.

[@dangboor4277]

I don't understand how this video perfectly outlines the horrible worker conditions caused by capitalism, and then proceeds not to blame capitalism.

[@thefinancialfreedomgirl]

shareholder vs stakeholder capitalism is an important distinction - I personally don’t think blanket statements around capitalism as a whole are accurate nor productive, but I understand others may disagree

[@dangboor4277]

​@@thefinancialfreedomgirl Democratic worker ownership (socialism) is superior to both. Imagine if the sweatshop workers owned the sweatshop. Then there would be no more sweatshop. In my opinion, stakeholder capitalism seems like a way for the rich to keep their unearned wealth while pandering to workers. There are some vague promises of worker ownership, but the shareholders and CEO's still keep their power don't they? The means of production will still be privately owned, so fundamentally nothing changes. Resulting in the same inequality, alienation and opression.

[@jessicavandervelde3067]

Low income and plus sized here, I don’t buy SHEIN. I thrift my clothes and buy at Walmart :)

[@kendrahwhyte9960]

Where did you get the October doll on your bed?

[@tinanguyen8082]

But I feel like even if I try to not buy from SHEIN, only I’m not buying it and it doesn’t really help that most people buy it so I don’t know how to help.