Why I’ve Never Bought Anything from Shein
The title alone already makes me sound like a judgmental asshole, but hear me out. Yes we know about the poor labor practices of Shein’s manufacturers, how Shein steals the intellectual property of artists, and how fast fashion is one of the biggest polluters in the world with millions of clothes ending up in landfills all over the planet. Let’s set all that aside for a minute and ignore these valid ethical concerns.
I’m not a saint. Sometimes I buy things I really shouldn’t, and so do most people, hence the popularity of apps like Shein and Temu. If I tracked down how every single cheap thing I bought in Shopee or even say SM Department Store was made I’m sure I will sound like a bad person. So I’m not here to be supercilious and a pot calling the kettle black. What I am here to say is this: please, for the love of what you love, just try not to waste your money.
I love clothes and I enjoy trying to be fashionable. I bought so many clothes in my 20s, usually from places like Forever 21, department stores (SM and Landmark are my faves), and Zalora if I’m buying brand new because these were the only places I could afford to shop at anyway. Zara was a rare treat back then, and of course Shein, Temu, Shopee, Lazada, and TiKTok shop didn’t even exist 10, 15 years ago (at the very least they were not widely used). My closet was always bursting with clothes and the only way I could fit everything was to constantly give or throw away things that I bought with my own hard-earned money.
Sometimes I would go out in an outfit, thoroughly hate it after a couple of hours, then duck inside a store to buy something different to wear that day. I cringe as I write this. I would wear things only once or a couple of times, then keep them in the back of the closet never to see the light of day until I throw them out. Worse, I bought so many clothes that were simply not usable after just a few washes because the stitches would come apart or the fabric would fade or tear. Then the vicious cycle would begin again - I had to keep buying to look presentable. Or so I thought.
There's so much pressure in my industry to always look trendy and fresh, and I completely caved into that pressure in my 20s. Even now, at 36, I sometimes feel that crazy urge to keep up with the Joneses. Trust me, I get it. And yet.
When I think about all the money I wasted on fast fashion, I think about all the nice things I could have actually purchased or even made instead. Yes, a few hundred pesos here, a thousand there doesn’t seem like a lot of money. But it all added up and I hate knowing now that I just bought disposable clothes. Imagine, what if I just purchased one truly nice classic jacket that will last for a decade or two to the tune of 8-10 trendy jackets that will not be wearable in a year or two? Then I would be proud of my closet and truly treasure what’s inside instead of opening it and declaring I have nothing to wear.
These days I sew my own clothes or work with tailors to have something bespoke made, so I have a deeper appreciation of the effort and the true cost to create good clothes. I don’t often buy clothes now. I also still shop second hand, a practice I’ve been doing since I was 17. I repeat outfits all the time and I’m proud of having pieces that are my “signature”.
And so, this is why I don’t buy at places like Shein or Temu. I’ve been there (in a way), done that, and have thoroughly regretted it. Don’t be like me and wait 15 years to find out.
