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Original poster

Those adverts for clothing by New chic....Shein.....Romwe

56 replies

MrsShelton · 01/10/2020 21:44

I like some of the stuff advertised

some of it in the ad space at the top of mumsnet,notably the mountain patterned fleeces and matching handbags! And the boots too!

I've never been good at fashion but now i'm older im beginning to not care, and its not as if my friends see much of me these days to criticise!

I got a couple of tops from shein last year and they were fine so i'm tempted

OP posts:
whoopma · 07/10/2020 08:15

@OverTheRubicon thank you!

@MrsShelton ignorance is bliss I guess.

VenusClapTrap · 07/10/2020 08:18

I personally wouldn’t buy from those sort of companies due to environmental and ethical concerns. But I’m fortunate in that I can afford to pay more for items from companies that have better policies on these issues. I can quite understand why if you’re on the breadline you can’t make those choices.

Original poster
MrsShelton · 07/10/2020 08:20

@whoopma where do you buy your clothes from then?

OP posts:
Original poster
MrsShelton · 07/10/2020 08:20

@OverTheRubicon where do you buy your clothes from?

OP posts:
whoopma · 07/10/2020 08:25

I understand poverty & lack of choices (my parents are immigrants who came to this country with nothing). However I don't believe the majority of the people who shop in these places are driven by purely financial reasons otherwise the model wouldn't be hundreds of new items every day. Many people prefer to have 5 x £10 tops vs 1 x £50 top.

SaskiaRembrandt · 07/10/2020 08:36

@whoopma

I understand poverty & lack of choices (my parents are immigrants who came to this country with nothing). However I don't believe the majority of the people who shop in these places are driven by purely financial reasons otherwise the model wouldn't be hundreds of new items every day. Many people prefer to have 5 x £10 tops vs 1 x £50 top.
And many people can only have a change of clothing if they shop at cheaper outlets.

I'm fortunate enough to be able to afford to buy more expensive clothes (although I get most of mine from charity shops), but I'm aware that plenty of people in the UK are not so lucky.

whoopma · 07/10/2020 08:41

I have to go to work but happy to reply later. I also used to work in buying so have a good understanding of retail.

ArianaVenti · 07/10/2020 08:56

@whoopma where would you recommend buying clothes from? (Not snarky btw, just i have no clue about clothes!

OverTheRubicon · 07/10/2020 09:56

@ArianaVenti @MrsShelton there are tons of options to reduce our impact.

Number one is reusing what we have - statistically most of us, high or low income, have quite a few clothes buried away at the back of the cupboard that just need to be remembered or refreshed - learning how to sew on a button, patch up a small hole or tighten up a skirt that is now too loose gives a new lease of life to things. If you can't do it, local FB groups or repair cafes can often help.

Number 2 is to get things second hand. Do a 'swish' to swap with friends, often you can all get something new that way - or look on eBay or depop, people sell really good quality brands, hardly used, for the same cost as a new top from primark that will bobble and lose shape after three washes. I get a lot of my kids clothes here too - harder for boys clothes and shoes, but eBay is overflowing with barely worn girls clothes and accessories. Charity shops are currently drowning in donations from people who used lockdown to do a clear out, my local Oxfam designer outfit is awash in clothes.

Option 3 is to buy as ethically as possible. This link review brands from lots of countries including the UK - some are higher cost, some are mid price but will last much longer than cheap items. goodonyou.eco/category/top-picks/

Or if you can't do any of the above and want to buy new, H&M is by far the highest rated from an eco and ethical perspective of the cheaper chains, though objectively it still underpays workers.

VenusClapTrap · 07/10/2020 10:20

Thanks for that link @OverTheRubicon - lots of brands on there I hadn’t come across before.

ArianaVenti · 07/10/2020 10:30

@OverTheRubicon that's really helpful thanks. I have always done 1 and probably don't have anything anyone would want to swap, plus i detest shopping so I'd rather just buy something than shop around in the way that's required for 2. But it's useful to know where is more ethical for the rare times i want to buy something

steppemum · 07/10/2020 10:38

I lOVE most of the New Chic stuff posted, but the website has awful reviews. It is cheap Chinese copies of the nice pictures.

There was a bag I really wanted to Christmas last year and dh refused to buy it because the website has such poor reviews
Sad

steppemum · 07/10/2020 10:42

and when it comes to ethics, don't assume cheap clothes are less ethical.

The factories make for the big names a swell as for Primark

Gilead · 07/10/2020 10:42

Yeah like the adults & kids who make the clothes for peanuts
And buying a second hand woolovers jumper on eBay is a weeks food for some people. Added to which, when most of your clothes come from charity shops, having something new is a treat.
Nobody is saying that what happens in the cheap manufacturing of clothes is right or ethical, but it’s a fact that there are people around that can’t afford those ethics.

Audreyseyebrows · 07/10/2020 10:46

No matter how much I liked any products I don’t think that I could buy from these companies.
I would look for where they’ve been ripped off/inspired from.

LavenderQuartz · 07/10/2020 12:50

charity shops round here are closed....we aren't allowed to mix with friends to swap

and going into shops is unpleasant at the moment with masks and SD

BarbaraofSeville · 07/10/2020 12:58

Because if you don't like it, it doesn't matter it was only £20? I hate fast fashion

But why would you spend 'only^ £20 on something that's unlikely to look like the picture, will take forever to arrive, doesn't fit, can't be returned and is only fit for rags after one wash when you can buy a decent quality item for the same money or less on the high street or online from UK suppliers with none of these problems?

OverTheRubicon · 07/10/2020 13:24

@LavenderQuartz

charity shops round here are closed....we aren't allowed to mix with friends to swap

and going into shops is unpleasant at the moment with masks and SD

Sure. But there are a ton of other online shops open that will get you far better quality, ethically made clothing, that also won't take weeks to arrive.
whoopma · 07/10/2020 13:45

Nobody is saying that what happens in the cheap manufacturing of clothes is right or ethical, but it’s a fact that there are people around that can’t afford those ethics.

Has anyone denied that some people can't afford to make those choices?

For example Shein has rapidly grown to be at least the 3rd most visited e-commerce site in the UK. It's core market are Gen Xs & Shein grew its brand by heavily targeting instagram, tik tok & youtube. Do you think their main demographic is people who can't afford to shop elsewhere? If that was their main demograph why do they have hundreds of new items every day?

LavenderQuartz · 07/10/2020 13:54

if shein are so awful, cheap,take ages to arrive etc etc then how have they risen so far so fast......i mean if the stuff is that shit, word would quickly spread and nobody would reorder....

but they seem to be thriving

LavenderQuartz · 07/10/2020 14:01

oh, and whoever mention H&M upthread......nah,they are the same as other brands. they use child labour, of course they do!

even those who claim not to.....they won't know who is lower down the supply chain. for example, cotton. child labour is used to collect cotton from the fields!

whoopma · 07/10/2020 14:04

What @OverTheRubicon says is correct.

Can I claim to have no clothes in my wardrobe made by a child? no. Have I bought things Ive hardly worn? Yes. I'm far from perfect but as I've got older I try & do my best so there are some sites I will not shop with.

Firstly I'm really conscious of what I do buy, I don't shop a lot & if I do buy something it has to serve a purpose & be needed. I look at the fabric composition & where it was made.

I do shop a lot in charity shops & resell sites because I am money conscious.

I prefer Tencel fabrics & look for GOTs certification, B-Corp, etc.

If I no longer need something I donate or recycle it. I also can sew so can fix small repairs.

I shop at independents and like brands such as Peopletree in the sale.

It's about transparency & high street stores are going to have a lot more than the likes of Shein.

www.fashionrevolution.org/about/transparency/

You can walk into Topshop, M&S & H&M and find sustainable & better options, it just involves thinking about it.

whoopma · 07/10/2020 14:05

if shein are so awful, cheap,take ages to arrive etc etc then how have they risen so far so fast

Because people will overlook a lot if it's cheap.

LavenderQuartz · 07/10/2020 14:34

cheap materials rather than price

it seems to be a similar price to new look,primark,boohoo.

LavenderQuartz · 07/10/2020 14:41

and you say m&s has better options?

glassclothing.com/marks-and-spencers-and-sweatshops/