Shein, to bin or not to bin?

[SpicyMoth]

I've just heard about some items of clothing from SHEIN reportedly having unsafe levels of chemicals such as lead in them, did a quick google and found this;

https://www.greenmatters.com/style/is-there-lead-in-shein-clothing

"Specifically, the researchers found that a Shein toddler jacket had nearly 20 times the amount of lead that is safe for children, and a Shein purse contained over five times the safe amount, as per standards set by Health Canada."

Then this; https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/shein-lead/

"Shein responded to the report in an email to CBC's Marketplace, saying the company had withdrawn the purse and jacket from their purchasing applications and would stop working with relevant third-party suppliers until the issue "was resolved." However, we were unable to independently verify whether that had actually happened; there were no further details about the company's actions in response to the report, including whether it had indeed removed the items for purchasing and cut ties with certain vendors. As of August 2022, similar-looking purses and jackets were still available on the site."

By the dates, it's old news at this point - but by the fact check, I'd be hesitant to believe any changes have actually been made to their practises.
If items have been washed/cleaned enough times would it make a difference?
I'm wondering if perhaps it's safer to just bin everything Shein? (though it does seem a huge waste :/)
What are your thoughts MNers?

I don’t understand why people shop there.

https://medium.com/age-of-awareness/heres-why-you-should-never-shop-at-shein-no-matter-what-8140d285cf4b

Agreed with Becrueltobekind. I'd never shop there for ethical reasons - they are the worst of all the terrible fast fashion brands.

It's fairly easy to understand tbh - Not everyone is always in the best financial situation to spend as much as others, and in those times, do you just... walk about with holes in your clothes, stained in toddler/pet fluids or do you do what you can to get by in that moment without spending a fortune?

If you're skint, you can buy from charity shops or ask on local sites like freecycle and freegle.

I would think the majority of Shein shoppers are not in this situation at all but are instead buying huge hauls of cheap items that get worn once or twice and discarded.

I've bought some tools from there recently . I mainly buy from vinted as charity shops around my way a rubbish lately

*tools! Tops

Isn’t snopes fake news?

anyway. Just don’t get anything from there.

Ahh yes, always have your size, are new, fashionable and cheap… only this isn’t the case. Plus not everyone has the time to trawl around shops. She in is quick and convenient.

Yes, the children are exploited- but if they don’t work in these places they can get pushed in to prostitution instead. Yup. It’s all shit. 😣

I think a lot of teenage girls buy stuff from Shein

I'd never shop there. I use Vinted or charity shops if I'm skint.

As for your question, yes, get rid. ☢️

@Missingmyusername , I manage ok. If the choice was clothes falling apart, or second hand or cheap dodgy fast fashion, and I was skint, I wouldn't choose fast fashion.

I think we will have to buy a bolt of fabric and a sewing machine to make our own, since we have very little idea of which retailers are whiter than white.

Those outlets who profess to being ethical are often priced way beyond the reach of most people. Online shopping is here to stay especially for people who are time poor. It's all very fine to say go to a charity shop, that's ok if you have a free hour on a Saturday to mooch around, but most people have family obligations and just don't have that luxury.

Anyway places like Shein and similar are here to stay, I have seen "influencers" on SM regularly showing their Shein (and other low cost places) "hauls". I personally don't object to people buying there, but I do have an issue with buying huge hauls just because they are inexpensive. Many people are clothed with this stuff who would otherwise not be able to wear anything half decent.

I'd say the majority of the fashion industry is rife with ethical issues. Anyone remember that Covid spread widely from Milan, yes one of the centres of fashion, because a vast number of Chinese workers had returned there to work from China following the Chinese New Year in 2020.

It's all very well getting huffy and superior. That doesn't butter any parsnips.

It certainly is no surprise. It looks cheap and tacky.

Yes, It's difficult to find cheap clothes that are responsibly produced, simply because those with decent practices are routinely undercut by those with no scruples.

Don't let the perfect be the enemy of the good - you can avoid the really bad companies and support those which are at least trying. Supermarket clothes are a better bet than Shein, evvn though they could still do better

I've not looked at Shein but have seen plenty of it in the charity shops. It looks rubbish.

@keyboardkat , buying cheap tat doesn't butter anyone's parsnips other than the people who are selling the tat.

Other low cost clothes retailers exist.

Are they guaranteed to be ethical and respect their workers. I dunno, does anyone? Where is the proof. I'm quite sceptical TBH. As I mentioned earlier, the big name fashion houses in Milan used workers imported from China, that was one of the reasons Covid spread so much in Italy and beyond.

I changed jobs and needed to update my work wardrobe quickly and cheaply as I was moving into management.

I asked in style and beauty for ideas of the sorts of things I was looking for, and was given some lovely recommendations but at the time, they were out of my budget.

Despite thinking I'd never shop there from seeing what social media friends had bought, I was able to get what I needed to tide me over in looking the part.

Now I can afford to be more choosy. But what I found was their reviews were so, so helpful when it came to knowing whether something was likely to fit me or not. Now, if someone can point me in the direction of clothes that fit the short, fat woman over here who loves vanity sizing, I'd be grateful. everywhere I've tried seems to think I'm 6ft 4 without a huge mum tum.

At no point have I said I'm am currently still using or buying from them, my thread was about whether it's worth binning the items that I already currently have or if that's being a bit OTT.

I am aware freecycle FB pages exist, my sizes are rarely offered and when they are they're not exactly within my age bracket.

I am aware charity shops exist, again, sizing age bracket, practicality, all issues.

I am aware low cost shops exist, however Shein still remains cheaper than Primark or even those clothing extensions of Poundland or ASDA (I forget what they're called)

I don't think everyone using it is doing it for "fast fashion" that they will wear once or twice and throw out, everything I have ever had off of there I wear to this day - same goes for friends who have used it.
I'm sure that that happens, but the idea that it's the majority of users seems insane to me honestly

I understand a lot of you think it's unethical, I'm not here to disagree or to argue with that, I'm not here to even defend having bought things from them in the past - but at the end of the day the response here has frankly been a bit.. I don't even know the right word, snobby? :/

Not snobby from all though. Some can see through the guff and superiority of some comments.

I agree with you that supermarket would definitely be better, but I think a lot of people on this thread maybe aren't realising just HOW cheap Shein is?
It's cheaper than ASDA or Primark.

Of the Faceook friends I have that I know for definite are on benefits or disability etc, which is about 6, only one of them has never used Shein (to my knowledge) and that's only I assume because she's older and probably doesn't like much of the fashion.
Not everyone has the same monetary or even life circumstances :/

No, Shein isn't ideal - but it isn't always as easy as "just don't shop there" when it is THE cheapest option available.
Again, not justifying, just trying to explain.

No, for sure! Definitely not all!!

Not trying to tar the whole thread, apologies if it came across that way! x.x

In answer to the question you actually asked (rather than general debate about Shein), I think I would bin anything for children straight away. If it was stuff for me I may keep it if I really liked it / couldn’t replace with similar from elsewhere, but I’d have a really good think and chuck it away if I could.

Can you afford to replace / do without the things you would throw away?