Just open Tik Tok or YouTube to see how Shein is going crazy. “Mega Haul Shein”, “$ 300 Haul Shein”, “Huge Shein try on Haul”. Thousands of videos where influencers but also ordinary people show their purchases. We are talking about crazy shopping, often more than 500-800 euros for an infinity of clothes, tops, jeans, accessories, shoes and so on, all packed in the classic plastic bags signed Shein.
By now, the brand has become the fast fashion emblem, billing more than 10 billion dollars just in 2020. The giant was created in 2008 in Nanjing by the entrepreneur Chris Xu, initially focused on the sale of wedding dresses. Over the years, the company has decided to include other product categories among which, underwear and pyjamas, casual clothing, beach-ware, disguises, furniture and many more. The company has boomed only in recent years thanks to all the collaborations and videos on Tik Tok gone viral.
The real strengths are the ultra competitive prices and the thousands of super trendy clothes that are churned out every week. Dresses under €10, shoes at €15, sets complete of top and bottom at less than €20. Although the prices are already very low, the discounts are the order of the day, often the shipping is free and the discount codes are raining cats and dogs. But what is really behind these bargain prices?
Untold: Inside the Shein Machine has revealed the macabre truth. Employees are exploited and underpaid, most of them do not even have contracts. The pay is 0.27 Yuan, the equivalent of € 3.60, gruelling shifts and a rest day a month.
This is not human. The question we have to ask ourselves is: Is it really worth it? Are all these thousands of dresses really necessary? Are we really going to wear them all? But more importantly, are these dresses worth more than people who are exploited and underpaid?
