Are Shein clothes safe in pregnancy?

[laur96x]

Hi, I’m currently 16 weeks pregnant. I’m going on holiday soon and was wanting some dresses and vests for my holiday, but not wanting to spend a fortune due to financial issues.

I’ve seen some nice enough dresses and things on Shein that will just put me on for my 5 night holiday stay abroad, however, I’m reading online that Shein clothing has chemicals in them and are toxic?

Has anybody else worn Shein clothing pregnant? Should this just be avoided to be on safe side?

I’m finding pregnancy difficult because whatever it is, it’s unsafe for my unborn baby. I’ve had the same problem with skin care too.

Any recommendations for stores as an alternative if Shein is unsafe? I mean I can go to Primark but that’s all cheap ish too, unless that is safer? It is so hard to find what to do.

thankyou

Yes. And rightly so.

Your concern is definitely not madness. Shein or Temu purchases are classed as private imports so they don’t need to go through the same checks as things made in China by for instance H&M and then sold locally. In other words, UK chemical regulations DO NOT apply to Shein purchases and the clothes can contain anything under the sun.

Second thing - you are going to have a child, he or she is going to live for the next 80+ years dealing with enormous amounts of polyester clothing waste, microplastics in drinking water, our environment and seas. We are already producing clothes at a rate that makes the waste impossible to safely dispose of. If you buy all cotton, at least it will not decompose for hundreds of years, but cotton plants are very water-hungry, they are using over 4% of global water resources which is a lot! I have children myself and I am very concerned about the state of the world we are going to leave for them.

I understand the money issues, I am on maternity leave right now and money is tight. But Shein dresses are nowhere near nice, the quality is shit and the actual garments don’t look like their photos at all. PPs recommended vinted and it’s great. I bought all my maternity clothes on vinted and then sold them there once my LO was born, my maternity wardrobe cost me 0.

I’ve never bought from SHEIN or temu. But it’s an interesting angle. What is the reality for these people if working there wasn’t an option? I doubt it would be going to school/ getting an education or having better working conditions. More likely it would be that they are forced into crime or sex.

JFC the argument “I’m ok with slave labour because the alternative might be worse” isn’t the winner you seem to think it is.

I don’t buy from there but what is their alternate reality?

The alternatives are many. China is not a third world country as people would still like to portray it, it is probably the largest economy and a powerful industry player, so working opportunities are many - it’s not Europe with dying industry and huge youth unemployment. There have been reports after reports about Chinese factories having to pay their employees more because otherwise they wouldn’t come back to work after their New Year holiday. On top of that the Chinese government subsidies industry to keep the costs artificially low.

Slave labour means that you are working because you are forced to (for instance in a concentration camp), It doesn’t mean that you don’t have other employment alternatives, it means that your freedom is restricted.

Ok fair enough. If there are alternatives. Are these people trafficked to work there?
I’ve worked with people trafficked to the U.K. and they look so broken and require a lot of support.

Friends of mine work in buying and merchandising. I know they go out to check the factories and ask for exclusive use.

It’s not about trafficking, it’s about political prisoners and prosecuted ethnic minorities making your clothes. The forced labour camps that are most reported on are in the Xinjiang autonomous region which is also known for textile industry and cotton production. These camps have been reported literally everywhere, including reputable sources such as BBC or the US Department of Labor so it’s difficult to believe that there are still people are not aware of this?

There were already reports over 30 years ago that China uses political prisoners to manufacture cheap crap to keep the costs of production artificially low. It’s not a democracy, it’s a totalitarian country where political opposition is actively crushed so there must be quite a few people sentenced for mentioning the wrong thing.

That’s shocking. Apart from not buying what else can be done? Are ‘normal’ retailers ok?

This is very hard to say. I worked in several projects in this area (doing something else but you get to see lots of reports, research papers and so on) and the whole textile production is not transparent. There are some better brands but the whole industry is far from perfect.

If you buy from “traditional” retailers at least you know that what they import has to be compliant with chemical regulations (UK has the same laws as EU about toxic chemicals in consumer products), so that’s a start. Some countries have a blanket ban on imports from Xinjiang, so that’s another good thing, but it does not apply to private imports so Shein flies under the radar.

Second hand is still the most environmentally (and financially) sound choice, you can find great quality for the fraction of the price of new. On top of that brands like Shein don’t sell well second hand because the quality is crap to start with so people are less willing to buy.

I buy and sell on vinted and I always describe everything in detail, take multiple photos, provide flat measurements, and pack even the cheapest things with a thank you note and some small gift like a candy 🍬. I know I’m not the only one, there are many people who are either trying to make extra money this way or are passionate about second hand for environmental reasons. I don’t think you can get the same level of service from Shein :-)

@CortieTat thank you for that. Informative too.

Goodonyou is a good app that provides high level assessment of brand sustainability, including ranking labour

You are right to question it. Shein has been tested and found to contain PFAS, phthalates and lead, mainly in their synthetic fabrics.

During pregnancy your skin absorbs more than usual so it is worth being cautious. For a 5 night holiday the risk is relatively low, it is daily long term exposure that causes the most harm.

Congratulations on the pregnancy, hope the holiday is wonderful.

I wouldn't buy Shein/Temu, both from ethical and safety reasons, I am big fan of chemical regulations and other basic standards.

I can't shop on vinted, I need to try things on as majority doesn't fit me well.

I don't see Primark/supermarket as a bad option
They are under regulations, so safe and behaving as well as required. Yes, fast fashion is polluting the world, but as an individual consumer it is more a state of mind - buy clothes that fits and feels well so you'll get many wears from it.

Ah that well known scientific journal.

Ah. Why are you bothering with an old thread?

I agree with everything said here. Ive never bought shein or temu, initially because I was suspicious about how cheap everything is and then so much has been coming up about what actually goes on the clothes. I turn to vinted, or buy oversize. Ive also begun buying cotton linen and wool over the synthetic materials as part of my preconception journey. Its more expensive but hopefully will last longer. I dont shy away from hand me downs or buying 2nd hand. Hope everyone is ok and are having happy pregnancies or enjoying your babies now x

The problem is buying baby clothes from shein and baby sucking on the sleeves and effectively drinking the chemicals. You should be fine