America can’t resist fast fashion. Shein, with all its issues, is tailored for it
Shein promotes clothes under $30, $20 or even $5, mostly made in China and shipped directly to shoppers. Justin Chin/Bloomberg via Getty Images
High school is a birthplace of many anxieties — like this one:
“I have to go out Friday night. I don’t want to wear the same outfit and be an outfit repeater,” recalls Emilie Delaye, now 21, from Pennsylvania.
Keeping up appearances on a teenage budget used to mean a trip to Forever 21 for a $12 party top. In 2015, a Chinese online store came on the scene: Shein (pronounced SHE-in). Its shirts cost a fraction of that: $6 or even $3.
“This is awesome,” Delaye thought. “How can they do this?” Her friends were instant fans, and so were their moms. Shein became, as she puts it, “the biggest thing.”
How can Shein do it, indeed? The company is now facing almost every sort of legal complaint you could imagine: labor ethics, copyright, import tax. It’s also one of the fastest-growing online retailers.
With clothes and accessories cheaper than a latte, Shein is writing a new chapter of America’s fast-fashion love story.