Public Eye recently did a report on SHEIN's conditions - highly recommend you check it out here: stories.publiceye.ch/en/shein/ Basically, they found workers doing 75 hour weeks, factories without safety measures, and a lack of even work contracts.
There was a comment under a video I watched on sustainability and it stated that when you thrift you should not over consume; when you buy fast fashion garments you should focus on whether it’s fit for purpose; and if you purchase sustainably you should spend wisely. All purchases you make should be intentional and good for everyday use
They do a really good job of ethical washing things. I think working with influencers who are associated with sustainable fashion really helped their case as well! I was pretty confused looking at the brand when I heard about them at first too. 😬
You're definitely not alone! Ciara above gets it 100% right. They align themselves with influencers who are vegan or sustainable-ish, so that image rubs off on their brand. I made a TikTok about exactly this a month ago: www.tiktok.com/@imperfectidealist/video/6925247383349611781. They do actually have a page about sustainability & ethics (I think it's pretty recent), but it's very vague. I may do a video at some point if enough people are interested!
Great video. Had to search for this type of content after being recommended constant haul videos where the recurring theme is 'HUGE' shein haul and some channels seem to have a new HUGE haul on a weekly basis. I just can't fathom it.
Love this video. You summarized everything so well. I completely agree that we don't emphasize consuming less enough. This is hardly surprising because so many people hear about sustainable fashion through being online, and sometimes through influencers who obviously have an interest in selling people things. I feel that because we live in a ~~society~~ that so heavily emphasizes buying stuff, our gut reaction is to buy away labour injustices with an 'ethical' shirt. Which is really disappointing because questioning your own consumption (in my experience) is not only better for people and the planet, but also your own mental health! And your wallet of course. Anyway, sorry for the long comment but thanks so much for producing such great content! You are doing wonderful work and should be really proud of yourself. Hope you have a good week 💜
Yes, there's definitely a huge boom in sustainable influencing that's largely rooted in "buying your way to sustainability." I can understand promoting brands every now and then, but it's also so important to think about the less glamorous sides of sustainable fashion, like decreasing consumption and advocating for workers' rights. I truly appreciate your comment and support! Hope you have a great week too :)
I want to redo my wardrobe and it feels like I have no choice but to go the shein route. I'm 18, in college, and finally at the point where I've found a style to shape my wardrobe around and the confidence to wear it. It just so happens the alt stuff I've been interested in since 6th grade is having a huge resurgence and is considered "trendy" to some degree. It would be so easy for me to go to shein and fill my cart with all the clothes I dream of wearing, especially since most of the stuff I want either just isn't sold by other less scummy retailers or costs an arm and a leg. My parents aren't big fans of thrifting or buying clothes second-hand (they often repeat the mantra "you don't know where those clothes have been," or "people can be nasty," etc.). I'm at such a crossroads :(
thank you for making this video. even though i take care of my clothes that are bought from fast fashion brands such as h&m and have worn them for very long (not throwing them away as soon as a trend is over; wearing them on multiple occasions and creating multiple outfits), i still feel the guilt of supporting fast fashion by consuming it.
I bought a few items from Shein a couple years back and found the quality to be subpar. I got a jacket from them and it came with a pungent smell of chemicals.
thank you for making this video. i am just now really getting into taking sustainable fashion seriously (it's late I know - i tried as much as I could before this, but I still consumed from fast fashion brands at times), and I totally almost fell for shein's greenwashing (which i didn't even know was a thing before this!) thank you for teaching me so much in such a time-efficient video! u got urself a new subscriber :) *Edit: I knew beforehand that shein was an unethical website, but I recently went on their site out of curiosity to see if anything had changed, and I saw their whole "social responsibility" section. I thought it was way too good to be true, but was enticed nonetheless. I found this video by searching up if shein was actually as ethical as they claimed because I was close to considering buying from there
I'm so glad to hear the video could be helpful! It is really hard to tell if a brand is greenwashing when they use all this jargon. Thank you for subscribing and leaving such a thoughtful comment - happy to have you here :)
Yea, it is kinda known that they're not sustainable or ethical. But your video gives the facts one could use, when explaining to others; or just getting a feeling for how to think critically when reading such information on websites. So thanks :)
Thank you so much for this. I’ve been buying from them for years and don’t wear half the items that I have. My closet is overwhelming and I just need to think of ways to revamp what I already have. 🥰
Not using a tumble-dryer has extended the life of my wardrobe more than anything else. Unlike washing, where the water solution reduces friction, the dryer has very high friction and the high heat breaks down fibers. I just hang everything up wet and turn my fan on. A fan cuts drying time in half and uses very little energy compared to a dryer. I do dry my sheets and towels in the dryer. I excitedly got a beautiful outdoor clothesline installed, but within minutes the items become covered with thousands of little black bugs, gnats? This happens in every season and they just won’t come off, it was a disappointment.
Thank you so much for sharing all of your research. I have been very gradually transitioning my wardrobe over to sustainable clothing brands and pieces that I love off of poshmark. I just want to add that some accounts are selling brand new fast fashion on poshmark so its important to select "used" in an effort to keep it sustainable. Keep it up!!
I don't want to buy Shein but there is so little good plus size clothing out there. I can't find decent looking clothing anywhere. A large percentage of Americans are plus size, if we fix the access issue and maybe fast fashion will reduce.
in 2104ish I used to buy from them because my collegaues from the office would buy and I liked some of the styles. I had some pieces that lasted fairly long, mostly from "Sheinside" label, that weren't available on other sites (Romwe and similar). I overall liked sheinside better than other similar sites because they held a lot of simple designs and weren't just sweatshirts with plastic photos on them, they had a lot of things without patterns and in neutral colours. I had this one cotton wrap dress for 3 or 4 years and I wore it all the time. Still, a lot of the dresses I bought there (going out dresses and skirts) just didn't fit me well and I couldn't ever wear. Note that back then I wore a size small and was a model-built so if it didn't stand on me, I guess it wouldn't on other people too. Now I do feel so bad about buying clothes from them because I was often asked "where did you get that" and I would say where it is from, so maybe I made other people bought from there too. Also, I gave away/sold for cents worth a lot of their clothes with tags, I hope someone didn't see the tag and search for the store only to buy from them later (because of me).
I totally understand the dilemma! I suppose you could say "it's from X" but I no longer support them due to their unethical practices, or something along the lines, but I get that it's not always the right environment to talk about this in detail. I think it's great that you at least found new homes for the clothes!
Fabric recycling is essentially in its infancy. There are few recyclers and demand for recycled clothing materials is low. The fibers lose many of their characteristics that make them useful when recycled, especially length. I’m happy to see recycled wool used for home insulation locally, though. I buy natural fibers and materials like genuine leather, knowing they’re unlikely to be recycled even though they’re premium materials. But, they are more likely to be re-used and eventually will biodegrade, unlike synthetics and plastics. We actually don’t know how long it will take for plastics to break down, they’ve only been around for a century. The one factor that can’t be replicated in experiments of biodegradability is time. I suspect the time required for plastics will be on the order of thousands of years, not hundreds.
Public Eye recently did a report on SHEIN's conditions - highly recommend you check it out here: stories.publiceye.ch/en/shein/
Basically, they found workers doing 75 hour weeks, factories without safety measures, and a lack of even work contracts.
And then we haven't even gotten to the part about how they steal from independent brands.. Definitely a helpful video :)
Right?! There are multiple stories about this every year. I mention this briefly in this video, but honestly could do a whole video about it.
@@imperfectidealist please do I would love to see a vid on it
There was a comment under a video I watched on sustainability and it stated that when you thrift you should not over consume; when you buy fast fashion garments you should focus on whether it’s fit for purpose; and if you purchase sustainably you should spend wisely. All purchases you make should be intentional and good for everyday use
Absolutely! I love this :)
I like the way you present this. Also your voice is so calm.
Thank you! I appreciate it :)
Off topic but your last name is really pretty, are you from Macedonia ? Maybe I’m totally wrong
Wow would love to hear about princess polly- I seriously didn't know they were fast fashion :o
They do a really good job of ethical washing things. I think working with influencers who are associated with sustainable fashion really helped their case as well! I was pretty confused looking at the brand when I heard about them at first too. 😬
You're definitely not alone! Ciara above gets it 100% right. They align themselves with influencers who are vegan or sustainable-ish, so that image rubs off on their brand. I made a TikTok about exactly this a month ago: www.tiktok.com/@imperfectidealist/video/6925247383349611781.
They do actually have a page about sustainability & ethics (I think it's pretty recent), but it's very vague. I may do a video at some point if enough people are interested!
Basically every fashion company is fast fashion
Great video. Had to search for this type of content after being recommended constant haul videos where the recurring theme is 'HUGE' shein haul and some channels seem to have a new HUGE haul on a weekly basis. I just can't fathom it.
Love this video. You summarized everything so well. I completely agree that we don't emphasize consuming less enough. This is hardly surprising because so many people hear about sustainable fashion through being online, and sometimes through influencers who obviously have an interest in selling people things. I feel that because we live in a ~~society~~ that so heavily emphasizes buying stuff, our gut reaction is to buy away labour injustices with an 'ethical' shirt. Which is really disappointing because questioning your own consumption (in my experience) is not only better for people and the planet, but also your own mental health! And your wallet of course. Anyway, sorry for the long comment but thanks so much for producing such great content! You are doing wonderful work and should be really proud of yourself. Hope you have a good week 💜
Yes, there's definitely a huge boom in sustainable influencing that's largely rooted in "buying your way to sustainability." I can understand promoting brands every now and then, but it's also so important to think about the less glamorous sides of sustainable fashion, like decreasing consumption and advocating for workers' rights. I truly appreciate your comment and support! Hope you have a great week too :)
wow this is the first video i’ve ever seen with ZERO (0) dislikes!! congrats
Someone actually disliked
Finna dislike too
I want to redo my wardrobe and it feels like I have no choice but to go the shein route. I'm 18, in college, and finally at the point where I've found a style to shape my wardrobe around and the confidence to wear it. It just so happens the alt stuff I've been interested in since 6th grade is having a huge resurgence and is considered "trendy" to some degree. It would be so easy for me to go to shein and fill my cart with all the clothes I dream of wearing, especially since most of the stuff I want either just isn't sold by other less scummy retailers or costs an arm and a leg. My parents aren't big fans of thrifting or buying clothes second-hand (they often repeat the mantra "you don't know where those clothes have been," or "people can be nasty," etc.). I'm at such a crossroads :(
thank you for making this video. even though i take care of my clothes that are bought from fast fashion brands such as h&m and have worn them for very long (not throwing them away as soon as a trend is over; wearing them on multiple occasions and creating multiple outfits), i still feel the guilt of supporting fast fashion by consuming it.
I bought a few items from Shein a couple years back and found the quality to be subpar. I got a jacket from them and it came with a pungent smell of chemicals.
thank you for making this video. i am just now really getting into taking sustainable fashion seriously (it's late I know - i tried as much as I could before this, but I still consumed from fast fashion brands at times), and I totally almost fell for shein's greenwashing (which i didn't even know was a thing before this!) thank you for teaching me so much in such a time-efficient video! u got urself a new subscriber :)
*Edit: I knew beforehand that shein was an unethical website, but I recently went on their site out of curiosity to see if anything had changed, and I saw their whole "social responsibility" section. I thought it was way too good to be true, but was enticed nonetheless. I found this video by searching up if shein was actually as ethical as they claimed because I was close to considering buying from there
I'm so glad to hear the video could be helpful! It is really hard to tell if a brand is greenwashing when they use all this jargon. Thank you for subscribing and leaving such a thoughtful comment - happy to have you here :)
Yea, it is kinda known that they're not sustainable or ethical. But your video gives the facts one could use, when explaining to others; or just getting a feeling for how to think critically when reading such information on websites.
So thanks :)
Thanks for stopping by! Glad it could be helpful :)
Thank you so much for this. I’ve been buying from them for years and don’t wear half the items that I have. My closet is overwhelming and I just need to think of ways to revamp what I already have. 🥰
Love your channel, thanks for talking about important topics 👏🏼
Thanks so much for your support! :)
Di-did anyone else get a preroll ad for SHEIN prior to this video??
ugh noooooo :( I'm so sorry, I wish I could block certain ads!
Not using a tumble-dryer has extended the life of my wardrobe more than anything else. Unlike washing, where the water solution reduces friction, the dryer has very high friction and the high heat breaks down fibers. I just hang everything up wet and turn my fan on. A fan cuts drying time in half and uses very little energy compared to a dryer. I do dry my sheets and towels in the dryer. I excitedly got a beautiful outdoor clothesline installed, but within minutes the items become covered with thousands of little black bugs, gnats? This happens in every season and they just won’t come off, it was a disappointment.
Such an interesting angle and analysis, I love how down to earth, yet oriented on solutions your videos are ! thank you
Thanks so much for your comment! I try my best to make these topics more approachable :)
Thank you so much for sharing all of your research. I have been very gradually transitioning my wardrobe over to sustainable clothing brands and pieces that I love off of poshmark. I just want to add that some accounts are selling brand new fast fashion on poshmark so its important to select "used" in an effort to keep it sustainable. Keep it up!!
I don't want to buy Shein but there is so little good plus size clothing out there. I can't find decent looking clothing anywhere. A large percentage of Americans are plus size, if we fix the access issue and maybe fast fashion will reduce.
in 2104ish I used to buy from them because my collegaues from the office would buy and I liked some of the styles. I had some pieces that lasted fairly long, mostly from "Sheinside" label, that weren't available on other sites (Romwe and similar). I overall liked sheinside better than other similar sites because they held a lot of simple designs and weren't just sweatshirts with plastic photos on them, they had a lot of things without patterns and in neutral colours. I had this one cotton wrap dress for 3 or 4 years and I wore it all the time. Still, a lot of the dresses I bought there (going out dresses and skirts) just didn't fit me well and I couldn't ever wear. Note that back then I wore a size small and was a model-built so if it didn't stand on me, I guess it wouldn't on other people too. Now I do feel so bad about buying clothes from them because I was often asked "where did you get that" and I would say where it is from, so maybe I made other people bought from there too. Also, I gave away/sold for cents worth a lot of their clothes with tags, I hope someone didn't see the tag and search for the store only to buy from them later (because of me).
I totally understand the dilemma! I suppose you could say "it's from X" but I no longer support them due to their unethical practices, or something along the lines, but I get that it's not always the right environment to talk about this in detail. I think it's great that you at least found new homes for the clothes!
Fabric recycling is essentially in its infancy. There are few recyclers and demand for recycled clothing materials is low. The fibers lose many of their characteristics that make them useful when recycled, especially length. I’m happy to see recycled wool used for home insulation locally, though. I buy natural fibers and materials like genuine leather, knowing they’re unlikely to be recycled even though they’re premium materials. But, they are more likely to be re-used and eventually will biodegrade, unlike synthetics and plastics. We actually don’t know how long it will take for plastics to break down, they’ve only been around for a century. The one factor that can’t be replicated in experiments of biodegradability is time. I suspect the time required for plastics will be on the order of thousands of years, not hundreds.
I've just deleted Shein.
Such a helpful video of things to look out for thank you so much!
Glad it was helpful! Thanks for watching and commenting :)
Thank you for making these videos!!!
I know your content is about fashion but I would loove watch a video of you talking about cocacola greenwashing
What are some ethical brands with close to their pricing
great video!
awesome info
Thank you very much for your research!