I’d like to know what you think about this whole fast fashion thing. I’m referring to websites like Shein and Temu that sell products from China at very cheap prices. There’s been a lot of talk about these sites lately, especially regarding the quality of the products and the ethics of their business practices. And I have to admit that I’m torn on this issue.
I’ll say right off the bat that I’ve never bought anything from Temu and I don’t plan on starting now. Every time I do a product search on Google, the search results are filled from top to bottom with Temu products, and there’s something about that that’s unsettling to me. Plus, the prices are ridiculously low. I’m talking about a winter coat for 50 cents or a dress for 25 cents. They might as well be giving them away, and as the saying goes, if you get something for free it’s because… are The product. That’s why Temu is not a good choice for me.
I placed an order on Shein and that order included five tops. The quality seemed good and the shirts were nice. I was happy with my order. But after placing it, I started hearing all these problems with this “fast fashion” industry. If you just search for “Shein” on YouTube, you’ll probably see hundreds of videos of people talking about the ethical problems of buying from these fast fashion companies (named so presumably because it’s fast and cheap, like the fast food industry).
And then, just a few months ago, this SNL skit went viral online.
You can read the comments on that YouTube video and see that almost everyone agrees. These companies are terrible. Stay away from them.
So after coming across all of that, I decided that my Shein order would be the only one I would do and I would go back to buying clothes from the stores I used to shop at. And what are those stores? Stores like Gap, Old Navy, and Loft. I also shop occasionally at WalMart. And then I love some small American-owned online boutique stores.
One of my favorite stores is called Mod Boutique. I’ve told you about this store before. I love that they have lots of photos and a video of each item. I love that they provide exact measurements for each item instead of just giving a general sizing guide. And I love the clothes they offer. I don’t like everything they have, but I find their selection more appealing than any of the other boutique stores I’ve ordered from. So I literally check their website every Sunday when they update their website with new arrivals.
But here’s the thing. I was searching for something last night and that led me to the Shein website. I was curious to see what was new, so I started browsing around a bit. And I came across this puff sleeve sweater that was selling for $9.23.
Wait. WHAT? Nine dollars and twenty-three cents? That’s interesting because look what I have in my closet.
But mine isn’t from Shein… or at least not directly. Mine is from Mod Boutique and I paid $46.99 for it, plus tax and shipping.
But I’m sure mine is the ethical one, right? Well, how do I know? It’s also made in China and there’s no way anyone can guarantee me that it’s made in an ethical factory.
I also have this one. This one from Mod Boutique is $72.99, because everything they sell with embroidered sleeves is $65 or more. (And I love embroidery.)
It is made in China.
Shein sells that shirt for $9.53.
So the question I’m really struggling with (and yes, I really am very conflicted about this) is this: does buying these items from an American boutique store that sources them from China and marks them up by up to 700% somehow make me morally superior and more ethical than the people who buy them directly from the Chinese factory? Or does it just make me a fool?
I mean, my closet is full of clothes from China. I bought this one from that same American boutique store for $64.99. It’s made in China. And while I haven’t found this exact shirt on Shein, there are several very similar ones.
I bought this shirt, made in China, from an American boutique store for $76.99.
This isn’t the same shirt, but it’s one of five I bought from Shein with beautiful embroidered sleeves. It was less than $10.
So I guess my question is… are we fooling ourselves into thinking that paying more for the same items sold through American “middleman” companies is somehow morally superior to buying them directly from the Chinese company when the items are the same? On the one hand, I want to support American companies, and especially small American businesses. But when those companies simply buy Chinese products and mark them up at a rate of up to 700%, I start to get conflicted. It would be different if they sold American-made products. I would gladly pay more for that. But those products seem to be few and far between these days.
And this applies to home decor as well. There are many items that companies like Pottery Barn or even Magnolia here in Waco sell that come from China. And yet, you can buy directly from China on sites like Shein and save a ton of money. Am I acting more ethically by choosing to buy my made-in-China item in downtown Waco at Magnolia with a 500% markup? If they sold American-made products, I would gladly buy from them, pay more to support an American company, support the local economy, etc. But how do I understand the argument that it is my moral and ethical duty to buy those products made in China through an American middleman company with a 300-700% markup?
I really want to hear your thoughts on this, and if you have any thoughts that I don’t understand, please share them. I want to be clear that I’m not saying we should overlook the ethical issues people have raised about these overseas factories. But how can we stop supporting them when our options seem to be (1) buying directly from them or (2) buying through an American company that buys from them and jacks up the prices a lot?
So if you’ve done a lot more research on this topic than I have, please help me make sense of it all. I’m not trying to justify my next Shein purchase. At the moment, I have no plans to make a second Shein purchase. I’m just trying to understand this issue and figure out how to deal with it. Is there really a truly ethical answer?
Addicted 2 Decorating is a place where I share my DIY and decorating experience while remodeling and decorating the 1948 home my husband Matt and I purchased in 2013. Matt has multiple sclerosis and is unable to do physical labor, so I do most of the work around the house alone. You can learn more about me here.
