To think shein is actually good?

[sideeyes]

Always been sniffy about any fast fashion (never knowingly bought anything). Have lots of stuff going on over the summer. Spent 100s +++ on different outfits from various labels. Now desperate so gave Shein a try and the outfits look really good. As a tall woman it’s unusual to find stuff that actually fits well.

It's a disaster for the planet and the human rights of people working in their factories. Easy to not see that stuff I know, but it's the reality.

Vinted honestly a good place to pick up clothes at a low price, rather than somewhere awful like Shein

I’ve only ever bought one thing to build a fancy dress costume around, I don’t use it for ‘real clothes’. Can’t really comment.

But you’ll get people pointing out that it’s a source of cheap clothes for those who can’t afford more.

And people pointing out that it’s dodgy from an ethics and environmental perspective.

Both groups are correct.

So it depends what matters most to someone.

What zippy wrote. And it also tends to be inconsistent.

I agree, which is why I have avoided. The problem with Vinted is the length of time to arrive is variable and I’m desperate. I won’t use Shein again but I am really impressed (shocked) with the clothes I bought.

The environmental and human toll of fast fashion is enormous. People working for pence per item, six days a week for 15 hours a day. I personally don't want to fuel that business.

My experience has been 50/50 over the last year or so. Some good / some bad.
That includes women's jumpers/tops/dresses & kids clothes.

They are great for bits and bobs like hair accessories/ fancy keyrings/ whiteboard markers ime.

This. And the stuff is poor quality so ends up in landfill

I don’t use Shein because of the ethical and environmental concerns but I don’t agree with a pp that Vinted is a good alternative - it used to be, but when I’ve looked recently the clothing seems to be either in poor condition or priced way too highly, particularly considering the buyer fees and postage fees on top and the inability to return things that aren’t right.

Not to mention a lot of appears to be stolen

I do agree, but do you realise how many high end fashion items are produced in the same way and at the same costs to the employees? I have travelled extensively in places that most people never go, and seen it for myself. The difference just goes in someone elses pocket. You know those high end custom Nike, for example? Or the Nike Airmax? You can be looking at £200 - 300 + for a pair of trainers. The employees work six days a week, 15 hour days, live in shared shanty housing and get paid $15 dollars a week (might have gone up since I was last there - but I wouldn't bet on it. Very few fashion/clothes manufacturers are transparent about worker conditions and wages. It's easy to sign up to an anti-slavery policy and parade your credentials when what I have described above is labour freely entered into, so not modern slavery. Few countries have a minimum wage or employment laws that enforce such things, and fewer still brands are transparent about how they pay and treat workers.

More often than not, your costly purchase simply provided even more excessive profits, not better workplaces.

As far as I know it's hit or miss but cheap enough not to care as long as you're not one of those who demands to return things galore.

I personally can't. It's cheap at a cost I think.

I wouldn’t say that shein is better than vinted in terms of delivery times. Yes it is reliable, and they give good estimates of when stuff will turn up but it does take a while.

I used to spend a fortune on clothes- top brands etc. not anymore. I pretty much buy everything on shein. For me the clothes aren’t disposable, I buy more classic, less trend pieces and they do last.

I honestly don’t believe the conditions are any worse that primark, or other cheap (or even more expensive) high street retailers.

The clothes genuinely look better on me than anything I have bought before. And at 40, I am looking and dressing the best I have ever done.

I wouldn’t say I buy more, I just spend less

Glad that enslaved labour has a fashionable upside for you. 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 🙄

I love Shein, also Temu. The variety is brilliant, never had any quality issues. I've ordered clothing for myself and my children as well as home items, never disappointed. I've got some beautiful summer dresses to wear from Shein.

Don’t forget those of you who are defending Shein because “so many others use slave labour “ …

that element is bad enough but Shein manage to scrape the fast fashion barrel die to their planet destroying credentials also.

It’s way way more than just slave labour.

I'm not in favour of consumerism in general. I buy clothing only when essential. In my opinion the cheapest high end fashion items tend to be produced by workers who have the least contractual rights and poorest work conditions. A 75 hour working week is unacceptable but still persists despite promises of change. But I agree it is very difficult to purchase clothing that is produced in an ethical way.

I have never bought anything from shein but often think about it so I shall enjoy reading!

I've not bought from Shein but a friend abroad who has difficulty getting stuff delivered has many items from Shein. She is really pleased with the quality of many of them (linings in the tailored items for example) although she says the sizing needs to be looked at v carefully and some stuff is v poor quality.
She has a senior position in the local government but deliveries there are v poor and Shein is one place that delivers although it takes 3 weeks plus.

"never knowingly bought anything" is at complete odds with "so gave shein a try."

Is it any worse than Primark?

I have got a lot of summer dresses and tops from Shein they are so much better than what is in the shops. Some are better quality than others Iooks at the reviews. If not easy to return. I have even got a dress to wear to a wedding and got lots of compliments. I don't do fast fashion if I like something I will wear it for years.

If you would like to be shocked out of shopping here again, please watch BUY NOW on Netflix.

An absolute eye opener and honestly made me feel sick to my stomach.

Ask the 5 year olds who are making the items you buy whether they think Shein is actually good.

Tbh it’s very hit and miss for me. Sometimes they look great, sometimes the opposite. I try to buy based on photo reviews to gauge the fabric and fit

Exactly this. Environmental disastrous, cheap clothing made with zero thought about impact on the planet, by slaves.

It's cheap for a reason.