Cheap. Sale. Clearance. 70% off. This is exactly what SHEIN is, instead of on occasion. This company sells clothes, water bottles, and home decor. These incredibly affordable purchasing resources are great companies for anyone who wants their products cheap. According to BBCNews.com, because of the rock bottom prices, more than 80,000 users download.
Hannah Mathy, 10, is a SHEIN customer. They enjoy buying SHEIN shirts and shorts, but some products have a cheap feel. They describe the hoodies as having a weird material and prints. Although the cheap feeling products are a downfall, there are benefits compared to other brands.
“It’s a cheap resource. The clothes are more affordable than Lululemon and Athletica,” Mathy said.
Contradicting this statement, not all teens like Kaylee Barahona, 11, prefer cheaper clothing options.
“I shop from multiple stores in the mall, usually Altered State, Hot Topic, Zumiez, and Buckles. The clothing lasts longer and it’s
made of better material.”
Brands such as Altered State have many different styles for different seasons. According to GlobalAffairs.com, SHEIN has to meet its 52 seasons a year, or a deadline to copy fashion trends. As a result, the Garment workers end up working 14-16 hour days, seven days a week. Tags have been found on clothing that have messages such as “help me” and “degrading sweatshop conditions.”
Barahona described a project in World History last year about the SHEIN labor. While researching, they discovered the U.S involvement.
“ I realized that they employ children and don’t even get paid much per week. Considering the U.S is pairing with the company, it’s illegal. It goes against morals and is not something any company should do. That’s why I don’t support SHEIN.”
Bella Garland, 10, also passionately opposes the way SHEIN treats their staff.
“All my friends that buy from SHEIN; I tell them it’s not a good idea to support the company because of what happens behind closed doors. I don’t know if it’s impacted anyone, but I think it gets their attention.” Garland said the best thing to do is keep spreading awareness by talking about it. It’s an uncomfortable situation because nobody wants to realize what’s happening, but people need to realize what’s going on,” Garland said.
