Shopping on SHEIN is a NIGHTMARE

How did SHEIN manage to dominate the online clothing market? When did t-shirts start costing $3? But most importantly, what’s faster than fast fashion?

Subscribe to Future Proof!

Stay updated on our socials

For further reading, check out the sources for this video here:

Script: Holly Conklin
Editor: Reid Valaitis
Animator: Zachary Kastrukoff
Project Manager: Lurana McClure Rodríguez
Host: Levi Hildebrand

Want to work with Future Proof? Get in touch:

[hydroaegis]

I've seen fashion split into two divides: ultra cheap crap and ultra expensive high quality.

The middle ground has disappeared.

[ToomanyFrancis]

What makes it so much worse is the fact that sustainable clothing is becoming unbelievably expensive.

[hann_maxx]

I remember one of my friends buying from Shein in 2017 - they were already super fast with shipping their products, very cheap, but really bad quality (that's why I've never bought anything from them). It was crazy to watch it go from this website that hardly anyone knew about, to a dominating business. It's so sad though because so many people who buy from Shein have the mindset of "if it breaks, it breaks. It was only $5." Definitely cultivates a throw-away culture, without any thought to what happens afterwards/the true cost of it all. Good vid though!! I had no idea the history of fast fashion, so I'm grateful you went though it!

[EarlaPurla]

CBC has found that Shein and these types of brands also have dangerously high levels of toxic chemical in some of their clothes, like lead. Another effect of moving so fast, and probably without proper checks and inspections

[MrsAlexisAgnew]

I started a new job in September 2021, and that is when I had first heard of Shein. A coworker saw that I wear eclectic dresses most days, and she said “You should check out Shein! The have a ton of cute dresses on there, and it’s all dirt-cheap.” I told her I would, but of course I forgot…until February 2022 when I heard two *different* coworkers talking about buying from Shein.

So I figured, “What the heck! I’ll check it out when I get home.”

Needless to say, it’s April 2022 and I have *still* not remembered to check out the website. But after watching this video, I don’t think I’m going to ever do it.

Soooo, thanks Levi?

[duckyluver]

I feel like the question we should really be asking is why do people even want so many clothes? They take so much time to wash and organize and move and coordinate in the morning. That sounds like a lot of work to me. When did I become a revolutionary for only owning a few pairs of pants? It was not on purpose, I just don't have the energy for ultra-fast-fashion.

[cameronkarczewski]

Fast fashion genuinely makes me sad. The thought of so much waste, so many underpaid workers making garments that have a more likely chance of being thrown into a landfill than to ever touch anyone's skin

[star]

My cousin had us bridesmaids buy our dresses from Shein, and while the fabric is crap, I am gonna dismantle mine to use as a pattern with higher quality fabric. (Also someone else in the wedding party had distinctively patterned underwear which you _could_ see right through the dress.)

[rooshy]

The momentary joy I'd feel when I open a massive cheap haul of SheIn, made me realize I have addictive shopping tendencies. The only way to reset this is to take a 6 months low shopping hiatus. I hope it works. Love your Game of Thrones analogy...scarily accurate 😭

[huneybee]

Def gave this video an instant like after hearing that "queen of the ashes" metaphor haha

[pumpkinomom]

Almost all 20-somethings I know buy clothes from Shein and it makes me sick. It doesn't take a genius to figure out how unsustainable and unethical that company is for the price you pay, and on top of it, they're known for stealing designs from small businesses. What annoys me the most is that I feel like most of my friends are aware of these issues and they still buy their products. I recently bought a pair of joggings at a garage sale and later found out they were from Shein. I always feel bad when I put it on, but I wasn't careful enough when I bought it, and I still need it so I decided to use it for as long as possible...

[felixbechtoldt]

I never heard of Shein before this video and I hope they will be a blip of craziness before we hopefully come to our senses.

[imayoukitsune]

Great video to increase awareness about this terrible company! Also, Romwe is owned by Shein.
Also, you forgot about Forever 21! It was the epitome of Fast Fashion in the 2000's. Not to mention that they were known to have people sewing the clothes INSIDE the shipping crates as they were being brought overseas to North America!

[nnekaotika]

I know SheIn. They're notorious for stealing designs from small creators. They have stolen designs from 3 of my favourite small designers.
I don't buy stuff from thieves.
That algorithm is called stealing, Levi.

[uwuifyingransomware]

What bothers me most is that pricier clothes don’t seem to correlate with sustainability. I want to buy sustainably, and used to think that because some companies are more expensive, they might have more sustainable practices. Maybe that was true once, but now it seems they just use the cheap labour and everything to have less costs, while keeping prices the same so they get a bigger profit margin.
Thrifting seems like the only option these days, and I sort of feel bad doing it because I worry it takes away clothing options for people who can’t pay as much as I can. Felt guilty buying a winter coat (didn’t have one, moved to a colder area) because I can probably afford to get one non thrifted and I don’t want to take away options from those who can’t. Basically I’m not sure how to possibly buy necessities in a way that supports humanity.

[rebeccaparker]

Someone at work literally said to me the other day “have you ever bought anything from shein?, it’s really good”I really wanted to have a little rant about how I feel about brands like shein but I just said “no I’d rather buy good quality second hand than cheap new” I hope that made her think, without me having to say any more.

[supernova]

I've seen a few Shein pieces at thrift stores. They feel like the materials used to make cheap Halloween costumes. Absolute garbage.

[PoofyisDead]

This channel is awesome, you deserve so much more attention man!

[-ksj-]

Your videos are turning me from a boomer to my actual young adult self, keeping me updated with the new trends.

[silvenshadow]

Thrifting is good for sustainability, but paying good money for quality products encourages companies that provide them to grow. If garbage fast fashion isn't where the money is, they'll move on.