SHEIN Influencer-Gate: did they mean it??The backlash explained.

SHEIN organized an influencer trip, as an initiative to bring good PR to the brand in the US. It backlashed, big time. In this video, I explain why that trip was a PR fake, and why the internet went ballistic on SHEIN and the influencers who were on the trip...
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[@rhosymedra6628]

Anyone who attended SHEIN's influencer trip has automatically lost all credibility for me.

[@auricia201]

All it would take is 5 min of thought, and 5 min of Google search to see how crappy they are. If they accepted the trip, they just don't care

[@Aigra]

Yeah, at this point in history, there is no such thing as "I made a mistake ... I didn't know ...." These people live privileged lives in a first world country. There is no way of avoiding the bad image this brand has. Even people who don't care about fashion know what type of brand Shein is.

[@BornRemaining]

Wait, "influencers" held credibility in your book to begin with? JFC...

[@queenbunnyfoofoo6112]

​@@BornRemainingYet here you are watching an influencer 🤔.

[@BornRemaining]

@@queenbunnyfoofoo6112 Content creators =/= influencers. Justine is a REAL LIFE professional woman who does KZbin on the side and does research to make videos; she's not some vapid THOT or fkkboy repeating approved political mantra to pedal consoomer products from "sponsors" on social media. Conflating her with that is just disrespectful and ignorant.

[@kseniakudenko3453]

I cannot believe they were seriously saying things like "they were smiling and they were not even sweating" as a sign of good labor conditions. 🤦‍♀The absurd and cynicism of such "proof" is beyond compare. Does one absolutely need to sweat, bleed and cry at the workplace for the work situation to be considered unacceptable? This is the ugliest campaign I've ever seen in my life.

[@auricia201]

And those were the dumbest influencers I've seen too 💀

[@amethystdream8251]

We need to remove the idea that work has to involve suffering. There's this strange notion that if we enjoy the work we do, then we don't need to be paid for it. Why are we humans so attached to suffering, especially when it comes to work? I'm confused by our philosophy around suffering in general. Just because some suffering is inevitable in life, that does not mean we center our daily lives around it

[@Felicia594]

These influencers came from slaves that sweated outdoors in the sun. There already biased as to what slavery looks like.

[@sarahwatts7152]

@@amethystdream8251 So true! I'd also add that art doesn't demand suffering either. Van Gogh was absurdly talented, completely aside from his mental illness; if he had been of sounder mind, he may have chosen different subject material (then again, maybe not...), but he still would have had the capacity to create great art

[@tamiewert808]

Exactly! Of course they smile, because they must if they want to keep their jobs! This is a case where things are not what they seem!

[@courtneyrichardson42]

I watched an undercover documentary about Shein some time ago. I was shocked and appalled to see the way they treat their employees! At the time, I followed an influencer who was constantly promoting shein! So I copied the link from the documentary into the comments, urging the influencer and their subscribers to watch it, and to stop buying from Shein! Subsequently, the comment was deleted, and I was blocked! It's pure ignorance and greed!

[@irenelarina5831]

seeing how they deleted your comment, it's not ignorance at all! they are well aware of all the issues with Shein and they just don't care. which is even worse, i think!

[@kherise]

Only greed. With nowadays ways to inform ourselves, ignorance isn’t an argument, at least not for this context … I’m sorry you had to deal with that experience and I applaud you for the initiative

[@ldavies3280]

Well done for trying. That influencer has no heart and no conscience. But you tried. You gave them a chance to acknowledge the truth, and they chose not to.

[@lorifrank430]

post it here i wanna see it

[@angellas.1314]

Why would you even want to follow that?

[@lizpollock6534]

Gah! I was on a software project at Icebreaker, New Zealand, and they were working on a system to provide open transparency and visibility of their entire production chain, both in New Zealand and overseas. In New Zealand they could trace clothing back to the farm where the merino wool came from, and they were working on doing the same with overseas factories. The long term goal was to try and get a code onto the clothing label so people could look it all up on their website. There was no legal requirement for them to do this, but they were an ethical company who wanted to do it. This was TEN years ago! We're never going to solve the problem of slave/forced labour in the fashion industry until this level of data (audited) is a legislative requirement. Yes, it means the price of clothing would go up, but I'd rather pay more for quality than have something that falls apart after two weeks and is laced with human misery. Never bought from SHEIN, and never will. Thanks Justine ❤, please keep up the good work with raising the profile of what is going on.

[@josipag2185]

Woow ❤ I wish we could have that with both food and cloths, sometimes some food they envase in EU and well, they have their ways to pass the regulations.. now our prime minister (I live in Spain) wants to pass this deal with Latin america, as if we had not much import (like 23% and this doea not count Morroco, ofc) to the whole EU, but ofc, argentininan and brasiloan big farmers and landlords and companies ofc won't take EU regulations, luckily Ireland, France, Austria and Netherlands vetoed this one, but they have summit these days and it is crazy, love this NZ approach ❤

[@danazaruba268]

Yes! I’d rather have one really good sweater than ten crappy ones…or even an expensive one that is made from suffering.

[@prof.cecilycogsworth3204]

Agreed!

[@sarah.bea.]

I‘m happy to hear this, I really like icebreaker clothing :)

[@martabanasiewicz6353]

Oh I’ve never heard about this brand before. Prices seems to be very fair tho. Do you like the clothes? Are they comfortable?

[@allydea]

I have never purchased anything from shein, but every time I search for a product, the first results are from them. I wish there was a way to ban them from my browser forever.

[@Aboni-rw7uy]

😔that's wishful thinking I guess. Everytime I see posts about how terrible fast fashion is, 70% comments under that post will say something like "we don't care, we like the clothes" or "they are cheap and not everyone can afford branded stuff" Only people who are involved in the industry in some way are the ones who understand. Others are just ignorant and will support fast fashion coz "cheap".

[@lucyinthesky9479]

Same. You can waste a miniscule amount of their (huge) advertising budget by clicking on their ads but not buying anything, but then you'll have to see their retargeting ads popping up as you browse online elsewhere, so probably not worth it!

[@sapphireseptember]

I hate it, that and Temu. Used to be Wish. 'Oh, you like make up, why don't you buy some from there?' Err, because I value my health? 🙄 With intellectual property I'm not ripping off people like Claire Belton (the creator of Pusheen) or JK Rowling (Harry Potter) by buying fake rubbish.

[@rachelWDV3485]

Arrghh same - it's so annoying isn't it!

[@elisaastorino2881]

​@@sapphireseptemberWe're absolutely bombarded with Temu here in the USA. I really don't understand why they're allowed to do business here when they shamelessly flout our laws.

[@tokitobe2450]

I honestly don't understand SHEIN's appeal. While I don't like luxury with astronomical prices, buying SHEIN just screams "I support slave labor!" and "I love bad-quality clothing!" "I don't know how to shop second hand!"

[@auricia201]

"I like to pretend I'm rich by making huge hauls of clothes that I'll only wear for a month!" That's what I assume they would say 🙄

[@MariaPetrescu]

I have friends who shop from SHEIN for their very-fast-growing children. They just cannot afford to buy new, high quality clothes that will only be worn for a couple of months. I support thrifting, but of course for certain 12 year olds thrifting is beneath them.

[@littlefox42]

​@@MariaPetrescuthere are so many cloth packages for children on second hand marketplaces. Full wardrobes for less than SheIn. Also big plus those stuff was washed so often they have way less chemicals on them.

[@MariaPetrescu]

@@littlefox42 I agree, that’s what I buy my own child. But not everyone is the same 🤗

[@EMSpdx]

The horrible thing is now SHEIN clothing is showing UP in secondhand/thrift stores at higher prices than what was sold online. Make it make sense.

[@sophie2308]

I'm happy that you noticed how Shein used the influencers from beauty (industry) minorities to 1) brand wash themselves 2) hide from critism behind influencers' appearance - it's easy to discourage critics as not supporting plus size fashion models or ethnic discrimination I'm really thankful that it didn't stop the discussion on Shein blatant lies

[@shirleyn4677]

I use to work in sales for a department store. Whenever we had a “visit” from corporate reps we had to clean up the store. The managers even dressed nicer. So-o this so-called visit was so transparently staged. They were probably were told to smile and wave, blah, blah, blah. Obviously. Money talks.

[@angellas.1314]

Or they just had lunch, on the company?

[@eileenternullo8077]

I worked in retail, same thing , clean everything up, hide the rest, smile, don’t ask questions of the managers.

[@user-no2mz9hl4f]

Yes, it’s pretty obvious this entire visit was staged. At least everyone knows it.

[@SL-lz9jr]

Yes! I remember having to dress up and learn to say the right thing when corporate came to visit our branch office (insurance).

[@nephtys369]

Dog an pony show. It’s why I never announced my visits; showed up in jeans, found a place to lurk for a bit to see what was going on when not watched.

[@VenusRadha]

Having lived there for four and a half years, that factory was built for that visit and was brand new. Those influencers don’t know anything about the way they operate…they drank the koolaid

[@prof.cecilycogsworth3204]

Nailed it. Built for the visit.

[@marikotrue3488]

When I first saw the picture of this very happy group in China, my heart sank as I knew reality would hit hard when they returned home. I wondered who does PR work for SHEIN, because it seems odd that they would misjudge us so thoroughly. My conclusion is more chilling, the PR firm was not out to change the elders, they were out to influence the younger population (subscribers to these people are probably quite young), get them used to the name, the place of manufacture and with these young ones looking at the rest of us complaining about SHEIN and wonder, "what is your problem". Thank you Justine for so comprehensively outlining the problem that is SHEIN.

[@SecretSquirrelFun]

Good point

[@allthingswavy6420]

And although TEMU is not solely a fashion company, they have done the exact same thing by appealing to a specific segment of Americans. Consumers clearly need some help to understand the long term effects of this type of mass production AND of the heavy use of petroleum products that do NOT biodegrade 😢.

[@SecretSquirrelFun]

@@allthingswavy6420 Yes!! Great comment. As soon as I saw the first few (million) TEMU ads here on KZbin, I sighed. TEMU might be even worse in a way, because it’s like shein and Wish combined. All I can see is that they sell and send even more toxic landfill around the world. 🙂🐿🌈❤️ (Sydney Australia 🇦🇺)

[@elisaastorino2881]

Are you more concerned about the environment than human beings forced into slave labor? That's the biggest problem.

[@ivonebalcas6896]

Good point !

[@LotsofWhatever]

Kena was on Projext Runway so she knows a bit about the industry so there is no way she never heard the problems. She knew what she was doing and did it anyway.

[@opaljohnson4762]

Shein takes the masses for fools and unfortunately many are.

[@allthingswavy6420]

And for me the irony is that much of Shein's discarded clothing will end up back in China's environmental ecosystem. China seems to suffer from "We have so much land it doesn't matter." They don't really care that they are ALSO part of Earth's closed ecosystem. Kinda like America when we send our waste overseas 😢

[@michelleg1461]

My father used to cut fabric in those thick layers with the hanging electric cutter. I used to visit when I was little. The warehouse was hot (they had large fans and an opening to the outdoors), but it was here in America and he made a lot of money. He was free to take breaks, play loud Mexican music and eat whenever he felt like it. Those were the best times. He was out of a job when his work got moved to China and has bounced between different jobs since then. He’s set to retire in a few years.

[@wyltedleaves]

I've never bought from SHEIN but I have fallen for fast fashion like ROMWE back in college. I know better now* and I shop much slower and thrift what I need immediately (even as a plus size person). People can rationalize anything about their personal choices but at the end of the day they're just rationalizing their continued contribution to the oppression and exploitation of people outside of their bubble! Plain and simple.

[@jiminycricket6428]

Really well said!

[@snittykitty1]

Thank you for calling these "influencers" out. A free trip is not worth selling your soul.

[@sagaesedinrojo6783]

Oh God... I can't believe there are people out there that think it is OK to support this company. Thank you Justine for dissecting this strategy. You do a great and necessary job with these videos that reach a large public. 💙

[@jessicaschimmel7398]

In The Netherlands there is a charity called Wakker Dier which calls out factory farming. The campaign in railwaystations and on the radio and name what is going on. I hope something like that will be started for the clothing industry as well, beginning with this S. brand!

[@_Rohan]

If someone is further interested in the topic of working conditions in garment factories after watching this, I warmly recommend the episode "Inside The Factory" of the fashion podcast Articles of Interest. The main topic is how quality reviews are done for garment factories. It goes really well with how aggravating this SHEIN campaign actually is and how difficult it is to get an honest review from fast fashion producers. Thank you Justine for another great break-down and sober take on a recent fashion topic!

[@Orangina345]

I’ll check it out!

[@marilyndoering2501]

Very informative expose of this PR stunt! I can’t understand people spending anything on this brand, no matter how cheap. It’s a travesty in the fashion industry. Thanks Justine!

[@anne-marie2972]

I don't understand eather. I have seen young women buyin clothes from Shein using 200 € 🙄. Many clothes.

[@patriciafinelli1656]

I live in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. Shein has just opened a temporary shop in a mall in my city. I was “unpleasantly surprised” by this, especially because the clothing stock ran out in a few days. 🤦🏻‍♀️

[@cquinnth]

What a story! I did know Shein was a bad brand because their clothes are too cheap…..but I didn’t know these details. Thank you Justine. When clothes are too cheap it’s because the clothes are made on someone’s back.

[@rfrolicarts]

I'm glad that you covered this topic. It's really disheartening.

[@vsb101]

Sorry, I don't think those influencers were THAT manipulated. They were shown a fake picture - yes, but I think they should be held responsible for this. They chose (weren't forced) to work with shein knowing their reputation.

[@jangreig6206]

These women are not well educated and are just trying to earn a living. Unfortunately, they made a very poor choice.

[@vsb101]

@@jangreig6206 vast majority of people aren't well educated and try to make a living. That is not an excuse for bad decisions. They have internet, they could do a simple search. Props to those who broke the contract though

[@vilegedvile8911]

They are like what - late teen, early twenties? Imagine getting a free trip at that age. You don't think much of consequences and principles at that age. Just kids enjoying a treat without thinking...

[@vsb101]

@@vilegedvile8911 before making an argument based on some fact, you at least should check the fact. The influencers i googled are 30-32. Stop making excuses. They aren't mine/plant workers, they are influencers. They know what it's about. They choose this path willingly and should be held responsible.

[@shinomiya89]

@@jangreig6206 This could have been true 15 years ago, but not today. Today there is prob no person who uses the internet regularly, even less those who are in this kind of field, which doesn't know about Fast fashion and how horrible Shein is. They just didn't care. And btw, one or more the one of them, made a statement saying that they know the "behind the scene" of that industry, herself. So...

[@Icetor01]

I think you're giving the influencers a lot of benefit of the doubt that they likely don't deserve. You doesn't have to be that smart or that mature to know that a shady company paying you to say nice things about their Chinese factories is suuuuper sketchy. The women involved were, at best, ignorant and, at worst, apathetic (the "you would do it too" response struck me as particularly terrible because essentially they were saying, "Everyone else is as greedy as I am."). They only withdrew their endorsements when they realized the backlash would outweigh any benefits received from the trip, and as you point out, two have a long-term relationship with Shein.

[@caroline-s]

I never hear about them, but I'm bombarded with Temu ads.

[@auricia201]

I know!! They are Shein 2.0 🤦🏻‍♀️ I was so frustrated when I saw those ads 😑

[@user-xs8bs4qo5n]

Thank you for exposing SHEIN for what they really are. Our youth deserve the truth so they can make more informed choices.

[@allthingswavy6420]

PARENTS need to step up and set an example as well. They need to take the time to explain why they are NOT buying from these companies. Those influencers' parents, they were ok with the principles of that trip???

[@klmjtr]

It is laughable that they think everything is fine with Shein! 😂

[@auricia201]

I mean, the workers WeRe sMiLiNg 🤷🏻‍♀️ and they weren't even Sweating! 💀

[@gorejs8396]

Merci, Justine! I've been following this story, but no surprise, it got pretty nasty, so it's great to hear your clear, focused perspective. At the time, I actually felt a little sorry for the fashion influencers who fell for Shein's obvious ploy to launder their reputation by pampering & flattering a group of apparently naive young people eager for fame & fortune. Their videos extolling the virtues of that clean showcase factory with cheerful, smiling workers made them look either absolutely clueless or absolutely shameless. It's good to hear that at least some (one?) of them realized their horrible mistake & owned it. The idea of Shein going public & expanding their reach is both infuriating & depressing. We're lucky to have people like you to expose shameful stunts like this. I understand the appeal of cute, low-priced clothing, but as you have repeatedly shown, the true cost of fast fashion, especially the hyperbolically fast & cheap fashion of brands like Shein, is actually astronomical. I hope those being influenced by these influencers have gotten the message.

[@tomjones2157]

One of the comments claimed several of those influencers are 30 - 32. Not so young

[@cleliamattana9838]

As an influencer/blogger (not for fashion) and someone who worked in high end fashion supply chain for 6 years... Thanks Justine for this video. Not even high brands are completely clean. Can't imagine shein! It would be hilarious if it wasn't tragic. I can't imagine how much these people are paid to produce garments that cost 2 to 15 dollars. And the real working conditions. In my 11 years doing this job I only collaborated with brands I trusted, a handful like national geografic and similar. They NEVER told me what to do or even what I had to do during the trip. I signed a contract that was mainly fir insurance etc. Nothing else. I was given no money. On the other hand, a company approached me to promote compression socks for a ridiculously high amount of money. I am a travel blogger, I don't use compression socks and I obviously said no. They even raised the price. I can say here, no problem, they offered me 10000 euros for a one month campaign. Still a no. And I'm not rich so I needed the money. Integrity is something that when you lose it... You're done. I don't want to bash all the influencer as some are still working in an ethical way but many are not. Beware and buy responsibly. Thinking about why that dress is so cheap.

[@auricia201]

I honestly don't believe more than 1% of influencers have that level of integrity. Most want to be an influencer Exactly for the money and fame, so why would they say no to a deal like that? 💀

[@raraavis7782]

I'm curious...why would have been promoting compression socks so bad? I mean, they're legitimate items...many people rely on them for vein support. And it's recommended to wear them during long flights or even car trips, when you sit in the same position for hours and blood flow might be impeded. It doesn't seem so far fetched, to offer them to a travel blogger, honestly. Couldn't you have just tested them, to be able to give a useful review? I'm just confused, as to why the idea seemed so very distasteful to you. Unless they were asking you to blatantly lie about the product or something.

[@cleliamattana9838]

@@raraavis7782 this is a question many people asked me. The company was asking me to be their ambassador for a month, so yes, given that I do not use them not even on long flights, I had to lie and say I did. No thank you. I'm not gonna lie. I'm not comfortable with it. If they asked me to test them and write a honest review, sure why not, pros and cons, comfortable and all that. But telling people i use them on a regular basis. NO.

[@Cecrophia]

Couldn't have said it better myself. IMO they were gullible and clearly biased and they wanted to believe SHEINs lies because there's money involved. It always comes back to money.

[@allthingswavy6420]

I don't even think that group "believed." I think they fully understood they were being "paid to represent" a sponsor. Period.

[@uyen-phuongnguyen8757]

I do not trust influencers, especially when they are paid to promote brands or businesses.

[@adalix3954]

Merci Justine pour cette analyse et pour dénoncer régulièrement ce qui est inacceptable ! Young ladies, I don't get it (apart from the money perspective), you're the ones who should be up against fast fashion because it destroys the planet you're gonna live for a long life...Anyway, if you don't care about the environment, the exploited workers, please consider that if you buy less, but better quality, you'll have better opportunities in your life. In other words, if you buy cheap, you look cheap. Where can this lead you to?

[@SebastianJArt]

Thank you exposing this despicable brand. What oblivious decadence.

[@rachelmitchell2144]

I just absolutely love the integrity with which you discuss these issues. In the world of increasing AI, we need more humans, like you, to bring light to real issues, so that we can all be aware and act to change things for the better. Thank you for all the time you put into the fun and serious videos and also for taking us along on your renovation journey as well. You are a gem. 💚

[@elizabethpace1591]

Thank you for sharing this video, I have bought a couple of things in the past but when I heard about the very reputation I avoided it completely and never look back. Very heartbreaking to see people being treated like this. It’s about time all this stopped. Such an unethical world.

[@elwduecentonove6080]

I love how direct and clear you are in your explanations and opinions, I recommend your channel to friends all the time when I want to educate them about fast fashion. Thank you for your efforts and for this analysis✨🌙

[@WildEarthWays]

Thank you for continuing to bring attention to the false messages coming from this brand and others. I am trying to focus on building a clear personal style to avoid the temptation of fast fashion with quickly changing trends. Something I find challenging is the way fashion trends make certain fits (loose, skinny, cropped...) current or outdated to constantly encourage shopping. Your channel is one that has helped me in understanding what suits me best is not what the fast fashion brands are trying to sell. Thanks again for your work!

[@korinaviado3333]

Good try SHEIN, but we have someone like J, debunking and breaking down what you’re doing wrong and making ppl believe in

[@JBaxter-pi8oj]

Thank you for doing the background analysis that these influencers did not do. It's good to know that the on -line community did not believe this. It seems that everyone is growing far more aware of the downsides of the fast fashion industry than brands such as Stein would like. Keep up the fantastic work!

[@Sophie-zg4fb]

Thank you 🙏 for being the voice of reason. Toxicity in fabrics is a very real issue causing untold misery to workers and consumers alike.

[@dominiquetheeasyminimalist]

Merci Justine! I’m not innocent, and did buy fast fashion when I was much younger (a few decades ago 😂) because there were very few alternatives. Nowadays there’s so much information that we can’t close our eyes and pretend that Shein is a great company. Greed and self promotion drove those influencers, hopefully they’ll learn from this backlash.

[@janetlettrich2705]

Thanks for continuing to call out fast fashion, and educate us about it. You have taught me so much.

[@VB-november]

I have never been interested in fashion, however, after following you Justine, I started pay more attention to style in general (colours, shapes etc), and to the quality of clothes I am buying. Few days ago, I was changing after a shift, and one of my colleagues said 'OMG, you look so French'. That was the best compliment I ever had. My clothes were very simple, just a pair of jeans and a jumper, but when I was choosing them, I kept in my mind what I have learned from your videos about staple wardrobe, about quality of fabric, about colour palette etc. It's definitely working!

[@joanp105]

The information you give us is so appreciated by someone who never buys fashion. I am out of the info loop on this topic and need your videos to learn of this huge issue.

[@terilooney]

Thank you. Please continue to shine your light on these issues. You are doing us all a great service.

[@bryonyvaughn2427]

Thank you for your consistent voice against fast fashion. It's educated me to the point where I feel comfortable speaking up against fast fashion's labor and environmental impacts when people talk about the companies. Thank your for helping me help the world, Justine!

[@mariawelling4194]

We need more people like you to bring this message to everyone. Forever chemicals are destroying our world. Profits come first for these companies.. Thank you, Justine!

[@natashamickle1161]

Bravo Justine! Your analysis is thorough, clear, brave and raises awareness! Thank you 🙏

[@katec9893]

I'm glad to have found your channel. I was just watching some videos from a rather condescending 'influencer' and I noticed the sheer volume of clothes, shoes, boots etc she had. It was insane. Then I read that brands donate them to her to promote. So her business model is to get as many people to buy the items as possible, whilst posing as fashion advice. It's so harmful to the financial state of the viewers and also to the planet. It's obvious but I've avoided the world of influencers so I wasn't familiar with it. I much prefer fashion youtubers who use thrifted clothes, and show how to style what you have already.

[@pnargulerkohlmeier6530]

this is your best video justin! I am so impressed by your sustainable strategy to work against fast fashion. congrats!

[@TheZagrean]

I love your work Justine!!! We need more people like you on social media platforms and also some reaction from us, normal people…possible consumers that need to change their optics on what consuming should look like!

[@GabdeVue]

This issue is important and I appreciate learning through you about all the Shein-related issues. Thank you. That being said - Sometimes... I have this low urge to enjoy a bit of drama. I do not enjoy anybody being put down or kicked while on the ground. But seeing people that for greed did things that are harming in a wider sense getting some hubris, is satisfying. And I appreciate you tackling such an issue (same with balenciaga) with poise and while that topic is highly 'dramacentric', your tone is respectful and informative. I do not feel bad, enjoying your video and feel more informed as WELL as having gotten a bit of the drama... So, please keep these calm takes on fashion drama issues coming. I appreciate them a lot. I do appreciate all of your content, including your creations, that were a highlight Christmas present 2 years back for me : )

[@nata_mat]

thanks for another brilliant video, Justine. I keep sharing the previous one about fast fashion with everyone, the level of consumerism is exorbitant unfortunately

[@noraschwerdt1337]

Always so informative Justine... Thank you!

[@Kati3-kat]

Your channel is like a breath of fresh air. Its really hard to fight against ignorance and worse, apathy, when it comes to these issues. Thanks for talking abt this.

[@annawhatley258]

Thank you so much for this information with all your background knowledge of this subject. I feel the real problem here is that people who really need to hear this probably are not tuned into your channel. I so hope that I am wrong! Thank you Justine ❤

[@danyf.1442]

Oh dear this comes out when two of my nieces just spent 100 euros each on Shein stuff...I try to educate them but they are 12 and 18 and all their friends buy Shein...I'll show them this!

[@justineleconte]

yes, show them this one - and my previous video about "5 myths fast fashion brands want you to believe"!

[@walksthroughlife900]

But who gives them money? Maybe they earn it themselves...but I am guessing not?

[@RudesMom]

@@walksthroughlife900 There's something to be said for having your mother buy your clothes when you're a teen. I rarely got a chance to have a say in what was purchased. Even then, lots of my clothes were "hand me downs" from older cousins. Those few early pieces that I did have a say in I kept for years past their sell by date (or fit date for that matter). I thrift (or eBay) a good portion of my wardrobe to this day. Working on switching over to homesewn.

[@elisaastorino2881]

​@@RudesMomor better yet, going to a school that requires a uniform. Pretty much all that I was allowed to buy every school year was a new pair of shoes and a couple of sweaters to wear over my uniform blouse.

[@majakuliczkowska9987]

Another great video, Justine! Thank you for your work, I just love watching your insightful focuses on modern fashion issues.

[@LookNook2020]

Justine, thank you so much for your relentless efforts to educate people about fast fashion! 💟☮️☯️

[@claremiller-mcfarland1336]

Justine....You are doing a great service for Americans at least. As a senior I have reverted to less expensive outlets but have been finding them less than satisfactory. One of 3 is satisfactory and the other two I'm embarrassed to even give them away. Watching you I realize how unethical the whole thing is and I've given it up entirely. In my younger years I bought quality items that I still wear. Now because of you I go to thrift stores rather than purchasing from Shein and other such companies. Thank you so much for bringing my attention to this terrible practice!!!!!!

[@fuupuppy]

I think it was also from Justine’s channel where I learned that brands intentionally produce lower quality items for their Outlet sales vs. regularly priced items in their Flagship stores. That is probably why you find the outlet items less satisfactory. I never shop in outlets now after learning this 😅 Thrifting is way more fun anyway :)

[@VenusRadha]

I was in Chengdu when Obama visited. I saw them redo the facade of buildings, that were on the route that the Obamas were to be driven down, to make it look good. They also did that with the schools that were to be visited.

[@dkanitha]

I really enjoy your videos about bringing facts about fast fashion and educating consumers to be more conscious of what and where they buy. I have changed my shopping habits quite a bit in last few years esp avoiding fast fashion and cheaply made clothes. Thank you.

[@tanyaeve9498]

Thank you for your in depth analysis. Great content, as always, thank you.

[@katem3961]

I find this so disturbing Justine, thank you for continuing to bring it to our attention. I just don't understand how companies like this are allowed to exist in this day and age!

[@sarahfriend7105]

I've been missing your videos! Thanks for addressing this topic.

[@christophercripps7639]

Justine, love your content and presentations! As you know the labor for sewing is a massive part of the cost of mass production. Many years ago I bought a reasonably priced Dre’s shirt that was: Made from fabric woven in the USA; The pattern was die-cut in the USA; Sewn in a Central American country (likely packed there); And finally sold in a retail store in the USA. Bottom line, the cost savings in sewing overseas more than offset the transportation costs within the USA (truck/rail) and by ship to & back to Central America. (I prob date myself with where it was cut & sewn.)

[@elisaastorino2881]

There are some encouraging signs in other sectors, most notably technology, that ironically were spurred by the pandemic and the whole supply chain issue that it caused. A smart manufacturer should realize that the savings on labor costs could very well be offset by the benefits of domestic production.

[@Evaisgalaxy]

Hi Justine, I am one of your subscriber from the far corner of the world.I want to thank you making these videos as they are very knowledgeable and helped me a lot to polish my style as a young women. Also,your voice is very soothing and has a maternal touch to it.I am a survivor of childhood trauma and abuse and has been diagnosed with Borderline personality disorder.I had trouble going to sleep many nights but your voice has some healing property to it and I feel very calm listening to it.I almost go to sleep listening to your voice every night.I know these videos are not meant for this purpose but still I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart. You are a wonderful person and an incredible human being. Thanks for existing.

[@beatemyburgh824]

Keep up the good work Justine. You are doing GREAT work.

[@kostanabanjac4896]

Thank you for this. Very informative, as usual. Also, love your bracelet ❤️

[@Manarita2009]

Thank you, Justine, for keeping me fashion and sustainability conscious ❤ … Will you continue your series on specific brands? I think you did one or two, one of them on Zara … I’d like to see more of that 😊

[@jaeshasway]

Loved this commentary! Thank you 🙏🏽

[@ColleenJoudrey]

It makes me sad how these ladies were manipulated and additionally exploited to be ambassadors for this brand. As for someone with experience in a North American factory, When special guests are in the facility, the tour routes are very strategically designed and employees along the route are sent home or demanded to sign a contract that they will not speak poorly (or neutrally) of the company or they will be terminated. I imagine a similar procedure is also common in facilities located in areas with less ethical treatment of humans.

[@justineleconte]

It’s very likely, unfortunately…

[@auricia201]

Manipulated? Sure. Exploited? They let themselves be bought. That's the influencer job. They are not children, they can be accountable for their choices

[@Chahlie]

It's no different than when a health inspector comes to visit a commercial kitchen- when they come to the one where I work we always have advance notice and there is a massive cleaning goes on.

[@auricia201]

@@Chahlie now imagine that your kitchen invites random non health inspector people to come visit your kitchen, on the day you decide, and you give them meals in exchange for praise posts about your restaurant

[@ColleenJoudrey]

@@Chahlie My son is a kitchenhand and his workplace does the same.

[@catsandcrafts171]

The problem is that Shein doesn't have any control over the supply chain... each factory is subcontracting out and the subcontractors subcontract. I used to work in Quality Assurance systems and consulted to quite a few companies. Following the supply chain is crucial to maintain quality, consistency and ethics. Shein's method of working is terrifying to me, as someone who needed to ensure control throughout an organisation's system.

[@carolalvarez3925]

Thank you for getting the truth out. Never purchased anything and never will. Those girls were fashion influencers? No words.

[@sarahhancock848]

Thank you for researching and presenting this so well. ❤️

[@elisaruano7704]

Great video. Thank you for exposing these issues. 👏👏👏

[@justineleconte]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@littleboots9800]

​@@justineleconteJustine, I NEED that bracelet! The orange and white rope style cuff you are wearing here. It's beautiful. I so rarely see things I fall in love with but I must have it! (Or similar?)

[@saras1487]

Thank you for focusing on these things and continuing to educate people.

[@mazena534]

Thank you Justine for doing this video! It is is important to bring such ridiculous PR stunts to light, I learnt about it from you. I am amazed how people like the influencers and their followers fall for this.

[@fiercerodent]

Very good and short information that I will share next time someone defends Shein. It happens all too often. I just unfollowed another influencer wearing their stuff, and her users defended her from criticism with the usual stuff: that affordable plus size stuff is hard to find, that not everyone can afford fashion. It's so frustrating how many people still fall for these nonsense arguments, especially since they don't even apply to someone who's advertising for them.

[@auricia201]

If I see someone, that I really know is struggling with money, defending Shein, that's one thing. But an influencer with a great house on the background and new clothes each post? 🙄 Please...

[@Lei3195i]

Tell it like it is, Justine! Some factories somewhere else are worse? That is faint praise to say the least. How about the company let in external auditors and see what they say.

[@jacquelineskelton2897]

Excellent coverage thank you. Let’s hope more people wake the…..up!!

[@elnavandermerwe5098]

It feels overwhelming but please don't stop fighting the good fight, Justine!

[@jackiehiebert7064]

Thank you for continuing your work and teaching about fast fashion. Thank you.

[@allegrosotto2126]

Thanks for continuing to inform the public of what is really happening 👍

[@kaiduran528]

Love your content Justine! Please keep it coming!

[@jasminajevtovic8457]

Thank you Justine for researching and informing public about this. Many young people don’t have any knowledge on how bad fast fashion is.

[@acidtrip141596]

Thank you for highlighting this issue in more detail! I tuned off to anything related to Shein ages ago and have never once purchased anything from them. But it's important to highlight these things and hold companies accountable. Side note - your lipstick is gorgeous! Which shade is it? Your description box only says MAC. Is it Ruby Woo?

[@ghosts231]

Pop Up stores???? LOL You can go to any thrift store and see nothing but SHEIN, Forever 21, Zara, etc…on all their racks…Love your channel Justine and really ❤️ that vintage bracelet!

[@krc5210]

I wonder if there will be a name change too? Would it take us long to learn that Shein is now GreenFashion say. I don't purchase new clothes now w/o thinking, could this garment be manufactured for this price? Could I make it for this price? If the answer is no I walk away. Now knowing the sustainable brands too helps so much. TY for making us aware.

[@Gay-Icon]

Or Temu😂

[@debradarby9187]

I came upon your site by accident. Great content. I especially enjoyed the content dealing with fit. It would be nice to have more of these types of videos. Good job/informative

[@Southlagal26]

Thank you for this video! Keep up the pressure on unethical fast fashion!

[@robertfaulkner9105]

Thank you for continuing to make these videos. It’s infuriating how easily and how many people can be bought to promote a terrible product/company/government.

[@TeaCupCracked]

Your reporting on this I feel is very clear, informative and with minimal bias. My favorite part of the video is that you are not trying to dismiss the influencer's ability to make intentionally "bad" choices (in air quotes because while I believe it was morally wrong for them to partake, it is still a moral judgement and not a rational/logical conclusion). A lot of other youtubers have tried to dismiss the influencer's ability to have independent thoughts and be responsible for their actions which I think compounds the problems of fast fashion; we need to individually recognize what roles we play in the larger system and then knowingly decide how we want to interact with that system in order to create the change we want to individually see in it. A company, a corporation, is made up of hundreds of individuals. A "trend" or a consumer movement is composed also of hundreds of individuals. These influencers chose how they wanted to interact with SHEIN, with all the information available through the internet, and we shouldn't disregard this. Otherwise by saying a social media influencer can't be held accountable for their business decisions, we've created an avenue, or 'loophole', for the continuation of the fast fashion problem everyone (including myself) seems to be very concerned about right now.

[@dragamboazulinqiacupuntura122]

I purchased from Shein a few times and after seeing the quality the prices made sense. I thought it was just left over discounted items but then discovered how terrible. Thanks to Justine for bringing light to these important issues.

[@kdgeckoknits274]

Thank you, Justine, for keeping us well-informed on unethical garment brands/manufacturing, unethical labor practices, toxic chemical usage, etc. The first time I heard of Shein was on your channel, a video from a year or more ago. After watching that older video, I went to Shein's website - WOW! Really? Garments for under US$10? Like that doesn't scream poor quality, horrible worker wages, and probably unsafe working conditions. I have rarely bought anything that I haven't kept and worn for many years. Even my inexpensive garments, like summer tees, I wash carefully, and get at least several years use out of. I am horrified at the mountains of garment waist that pollute developing nations, poor nations, that rarely have the means to clean up and re-purpose the garments.

[@sharonemoji]

It's amazing to see a video like this, thank you ❤️🙏 I've noticed on alot of clothing sites extremly poor quality items made with toxic materials. A dress made with viscose selling for over 200 euro. Even if the same dress was 40 euro its still a bad idea to buy as the material will look ancient after only one wash. I bought a handbag, it was advertised on asos as 100percent leather but seems to of been made from some other material and has been sprayed with a thin coat of very cheap leather. Plus by buying these garments we are polluting everything including the people who make the items. I don't want to buy from these type of companies again.

[@gemmisco]

Thank you for keeping us informed on this issues !

[@catherinetrapani5398]

Literally toxic fabric and dyes too. They get around fabric content labelling laws by sending shipments to US through Canada under $800 to avoid inspections.

[@antows]

Amazing and very necessary content as always, thank you Justine! ❤

[@brittanymeiling1]

This is why I feel hopeless that journalist jobs are slowly dying off - largely, due to social media. People say social media content creators are the new journalists. But when they aren’t trained properly, it has catastrophic consequences.

[@lily_was_here5537]

I love your videos and their style, always so nice abd informative😊

[@justineleconte]

Thank you so much!