Fast fashion is a relatively new harmful type of fashion industry that takes looks from the red carpet and the internet and resells the ideas for a reduced price. One main contributor to fast fashion that has spiked in the past few years is a company named Shein, who can thank their popularity to injurious work practices. 

Shein’s’ ability to grow at alarming rates in such a short amount of time can also be contributed to unethical work practices although they claim to make “Conscious Choices”.  

In 2022 investigators alleged Shein violated the Ughur forced Labor Prevention Act, multiple outrageous similar claims have been made of illegal work conditions through Shein’s warehouses.  

Shein has had multiple allegations of copyright infringement, many small businesses have spoken out on the harm caused to their company after finding eerily similar products on Shein of their own original ideas. One company has made a lawsuit against Shein that alleges that the site maintains business sales from copyright infringement this constitutes racketeering.  

Creators promoting Shein on social media helping the fast fashion brand gain a platform is a problem on its own, showing millions of people Shein’s trending cheap clothes encouraging their viewers to check out the website, and spikes the company’s user rates.  

Damaging promotion from big influencers on the internet helped contribute to the 32% rise in Shein sales in the United States from March 2020 to November 2022. 

     #SheinHaul 3.1 billion views-Tiktok 

Consumers can’t take all the blame for fast fashion spiking: the blame is also on big clothing brands too.  

Big brands raise their prices for the “brand name”, causing spiked cost, compared to the actual price it takes to make the products and source mediums. 

Not everyone can afford the growing prices of clothing brands, causing the lower class to turn to fast fashion as a way to stay on trend or even just provide enough clothing for their families. 

One way to avoid letting fast fashion brands continue to have a grip on the industry is for huge brands to lower their cost to be more inclusive to different consumer markets. If more people have more sources to shop from within their budget, less people will feel like fast fashion brands are their only choice. 

Fast fashion is a frenzy, growing rapidly because of consumers and companies alone, it’s not something one person can stop, it takes people and companies being educated to stop the hold companies like Shein have. 

Source: Us-China economic and security review commission (USCC)