SHEIN: THE TRUE PRICE OF FAST FASHION

Low prices, endless collections, and viral marketing. But behind Shein's success lies a system of exploitation, greenwashing, and trampled rights.

In recent years, Shein has become a go-to place for fast fashion, but why? Analyzing the various reasons behind the brand's success, the winning factors are undoubtedly its incredibly low prices—a T-shirt can cost less than 10 euros—and the vast variety of items offered every day, with thousands of new products uploaded to the website and app. A virtually endless selection, designed to appeal primarily to a young, socially-focused audience.

However, behind these extremely low costs lies a truth that is often ignored or downplayed by buyers. Extremely low prices are not the result of "deals" or miraculous strategies, but the direct effect of an opaque production chain, where it is not profit margins that are being squeezed, but rather the rights of workers and environmental resources.

Shein is a Chinese brand that has been around for several years, but has only recently exploded internationally, thanks in part to an aggressive marketing strategy based on influencers, TikTok hauls, and constant promotions. This has led to exponential growth, but also to the attention of the media and authorities. International journalistic investigations—such as those by Public Eye and the British channel Channel 4 —have documented severe conditions of exploitation within the factories that produce for Shein: shifts of up to 75 hours a week, wages far below the minimum wage, lack of contracts, poor safety, and a complete lack of union rights. Some workers have reported having to pay for the materials used to make the garments out of their own pockets.

Adding to these issues is an equally serious environmental issue. Shein has recently launched "green" collections and "eco" initiatives, presenting itself as a brand committed to sustainability. However, these initiatives are often considered examples of greenwashing: substantive environmental communications designed to improve the brand's public image without changing its production structure. Unleashing more than 5,000 new products a day and producing garments in enormous volumes at negligible costs is simply incompatible with any principle of environmental sustainability. Most items have a very short shelf life and quickly end up in the trash, fueling a throwaway culture that has devastating impacts on the environment.

In 2024, the Italian Antitrust Authority (AGCM) launched a formal investigation against Shein. The Authority criticized the brand's unfair commercial practices, particularly the misleading use of eco-friendly claims—such as "sustainable," "eco," or "low-impact"—without any concrete evidence to support them. Transparency issues in the supply chain were also reported, with serious doubts about working conditions and the actual origin of the products.

Social media has also played a central role in the brand's success. Video hauls of dozens of items, sponsored content, and challenges have all contributed to making the Shein shopping experience go viral. But today, something is changing. More and more creators and consumers are becoming aware of the toxic model underlying extreme fast fashion. Some have stopped collaborating with the brand, some are speaking out against it, and some are encouraging people to buy less and better, favoring ethical brands or secondhand.

Shopping on Shein may seem convenient, but it's important to ask yourself a fundamental question: who really pays the price of that €3 T-shirt?
The answer is often bitter: exploited workers, polluted local communities, and an already collapsing environmental system do it.

Shein is just the most visible symbol of a larger problem. Real change comes from individual awareness, but also from greater regulation and entrepreneurship that puts not only profit, but also people and the planet at the center.

In a world where everything is increasingly faster, even fashion has become disposable. Shein is just the tip of the iceberg of a system that has accustomed us to buying a lot, too much, and to doing so without asking ourselves where our clothes come from, who sewed them, and at what price.

This doesn't mean giving up dressing or expressing yourself through fashion, but rediscovering a slower, more informed, more human consumption style. Learning to ask questions, to choose better, to buy less and more consciously. Because fashion doesn't have to destroy in order to exist.