Is Shein Legitimate and Worth Shopping At?

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If you like to shop online, you’ve probably heard of Shein. This budget-friendly website offers unbelievable deals for fast fashion, but is Shein legit?

While Shein is legitimate, it comes with much controversy. In this post, you can look through some good and bad qualities of Shein to help you decide if it’s worth shopping at. 

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Key Takeaways

• Shein is a legitimate e-commerce site based in China. 
• Shopping on Shein is safe, but products are generally low-quality. 
• Shein makes trendy fashion more accessible. 
• Shein faces criticism for its labor practices, environmental impact, and allegedly stolen designs. 

What Is Shein?

Even if you’ve shopped at Shein before, you might not know exactly what it is. Is it a clothing brand or shopping platform like Amazon or TikTok Shop? 

Shein is a fast-fashion retail brand with a net worth of over $100 billion. The e-commerce company is based in China and originally sold its products exclusively online. Even though there aren’t any brick-and-mortar Shein stores, Shein recently teamed up with Forever 21 to sell clothes in its stores.

Is Shein Legit?

Shein is a legitimate e-commerce company. It has an estimated 74.7 billion shoppers worldwide and makes thousands of sales every day. However, there are some caveats. 

While Shein’s products are legitimate, they’re also infamously low-quality. The reason Shein’s prices are so low is that it uses cheap materials and fast manufacturing processes. It also has poor customer reviews and shoppers frequently report delayed or damaged products. In other words, you get what you pay for — Shein is legitimate, but it does not guarantee the quality of the products you order.

Is Shein Safe?

Shopping at Shein is safe. While you should always take steps to protect your identity when shopping online, shopping at Shein isn’t any riskier than shopping at Amazon or other e-commerce platforms. If you’re concerned about using your credit card online, you can use a payment platform like PayPal or Stripe to make your purchase instead. 

Shein: The Good and Bad

Even though Shein is safe and legitimate, is it worth shopping at? The short answer is that it’s up to you. As a consumer, it’s important to know the ins and outs of a brand so you can make informed decisions about how to spend your money. 

Look at this breakdown of some of Shein’s good and bad qualities to help you decide if it’s worth shopping at. 

The Good: Affordable Fashion

The main reason people choose to shop at Shein is that it offers thousands of options for low prices. This e-commerce platform adds as many as 2,000 new items to its store every day. Shoppers can find trendy clothes, shoes, and even wedding dresses for a fraction of the price of major retailers. 

In a time of rising interest rates and inflation, it can be hard to afford name-brand clothing. Some people argue that Shein makes high fashion more accessible. In an interview with the New York Times, one fashion influencer put it simply: “I do think that people deserve to have nice things and not pay that kind of money. A lot of us [who] work regular nine-to-five jobs can’t afford $2,000 shoes.”

On top of that, shopping at Shein is convenient. It is time-consuming to shop in stores or compare prices across e-commerce sites. Shein always has new items in stock, and you can pretty much guarantee its prices will be lower than other platforms’, which helps you save time and money.  

The Bad: Controversies and Lawsuits

Shein may be affordable, but it faces a lot of skepticism, especially in the past few years.

One of the biggest controversies surrounding Shein is its labor practices. Some reports allege that Shein’s manufacturing may involve hazardous working conditions and forced labor. Because Shein is not a U.S.-based company, its supply chain is difficult for U.S. investigators to track. There is no legal proof that Shein has caused human rights violations, but its ultra-fast manufacturing definitely raises some eyebrows. 

Another concern is Shein’s environmental impact. Some reports claim the fast-fashion industry is responsible for 10% of carbon emissions worldwide. Euromonitor considers Shein to be the biggest fast-fashion brand in the world at the moment, and a lot of critics take issue with its wasteful practices. 

Shein is also involved in a lawsuit over stolen designs. Some U.S.-based creators have found their clothing and art designs on Shein without receiving any payment. Because Shein adds so many new products every day, it’s hard to tell which designs may be unethically sourced. 

Affordable Shein Alternatives

Shein is super affordable, but it isn’t the only way to save money on clothes. Here are a few affordable alternatives you should consider if you don’t want to shop at Shein:

• Second-hand stores. Thrift stores and consignment stores offer low prices for gently used clothing. It may take a little more time to find the style you’re looking for, but you can save just as much money with less environmental impact. 
• Seasonal deals. Brands often offer clearance deals on their off-season clothes. Consider shopping a season ahead to get the best deals. 
• Clothing swaps. If you want to refresh your wardrobe, consider hosting a clothing swap with friends or family members. Everyone can get new styles without spending any money. 
• Fashion rental companies. If you’re interested in brand-name fashion without the price tag, consider a fashion rental service like Nuuly or Rent the Runway. With these companies, you can rent high-quality outfits for a monthly subscription. 

Final Thoughts: Should You Shop at Shein?

Shein is an affordable, convenient option for trending fashion and home decor. It’s a legitimate e-commerce platform and safe to shop at. 

However, Shein faces a lot of criticism for its poor labor practices, environmental impact, and stolen designs. It’s important to be aware of these controversies so you can make an informed decision about whether or not to support the platform. If you’re not sure about shopping at Shein but want to save money, consider other affordable options like thrift stores and seasonal sales. There are plenty of ways to save money on fashion without sacrificing quality. 

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