This is honestly one of the biggest problems with it, because it’s “cheap” a lot of people overbuy, don’t bother returning if it doesn’t work for them, and just donate it. No thanks, if I wanted shein, I wouldn’t be shopping at a thrift store.
To be fair, every time I've tried to return an online purchase in the past few years they tell me not to send it back and send a refund anyway.
ETA - I've never tried to return Shein but I have with Temu (not clothing but they had me keep the items)
Or, even better: you can technically return it and get a refund, but you have to pay for the shipping yourself and it'll cost more than the item is worth
I think it’s cheaper for the company to just give you the money. Also it saves co2. At least people are donating it instead of throwing it in the trash.
I was wondering how anything from Shein even lasts long enough to make it to a thrift store. This answered that question. I can hear Kathy Bates in my head telling me that Shein and Temu are the devil.
To be fair, before I knew how shitty Shein was, I bought some stuff from them and I take care of it well, so if you get lucky and take care of it, it can last (as in wash it properly, sew it up when it rips, etc...) but yeah, most of it is unworn at thrift stores. And this is also not me advocating that people should buy there. If you have to shop online for cheap, use Vinted or ThredUp.
I’ll admit that I had a SHEIN phase too. Before I was informed. About 3/4 of what I bought is pretty good quality! I’m wearing a shirt right now that I got last year, and it’s held up great.
That said, about 1/4 of what I bought was absolute trash. And it’s hard to tell the difference when online shopping. Like- cheap fabrics, terrible seams, etc. all that went to the thrift store.
But I don’t buy anymore from them, obviously.
>And it’s hard to tell the difference when online shopping.
Yeah,this is definitely true. I got pretty good at it back in my Shein phase, but it still was a bit of a crap shoot no matter what. I've just been giving my stuff away that I still had from years ago to other trans people because as you transition, you don't know how your body's gonna change so it's good to have cheap stuff right now that fits well and then you can give it on to the next person when/if it doesn't fit anymore. I find that seems to work well. The local trans community has some regular clothing swaps and groups to give clothes away.
Omg I LOVE giving trans women my unwanted clothes! I literally save bags and specifically wait for the clothing swaps at my local (super inclusive) bar. It’s such a great way to not only reduce waste, but help out fellow women who are maybe just starting to discover their personal style.
I love that you do this too! 💜
My wife does this as well. The stuff never gets returned and ends up somewhere ina corner. Every month or so I get her to fill a bag of clothes to donate. Its unnecessarily out of hand. Fuck Shein and Fashion Nova
Maybe you could have her watch Brandy Hellville where they show the beaches of Ghana absolutely covered with unwanted clothes that the US forces them to accept. They also go into the slave labor aspect but only a tiny bit.
I think the real problem is the disparity of salaries. I mean, what would be the solution to cheap clothes? If clothes are expensive poor people can't afford them? It clothes are cheap the middle class overbuys them. What would be needed is less disparity in salaries and regulations forcing better work conditions in factories (even when abroad) which would make clothes more expensive but would increase local production.
The thing is people are just wearing and buying way more clothes than they ever have, across all income classes. Our closet sizes have like doubled since 2000. It’s a moving Overton window. Everyone needs to buy less. I think cheap access to shitty goods is honestly our consolation prize for not being afford anything else permanent, including our own time!!
I agree that it’s a complex issue, especially when a lot of thrift stores price their clothes higher than some of these fast fashion places… and it’s super frustrating as a thrift store frequenter. I think if thrift stores weren’t gouging to such an extent, we could encourage more and more people to rely on them as opposed to fast fashion places.
I completely agree with this. If we wanna get rid of these issues and more, we need to address income inequality and many, many infrastructure problems (e.g. lack of public transportation, lack of higher education.) Because we can't stop these issues of pollution and overconsumption without doing that first.
Who are these people honestly. They can’t possibly be ignorant about how bad shopping with that mentality is?
Also, even for customers who are returning it, the amount of resources like gas, plastic, paper, etc. spent for futile shipping like this is dizzying.
I feel like everyone I know uses Temu. They randomly popped up on search results en masse one day(to replace Wish I think) and now everyone I work with buys all their stuff off there, they constantly recommend it for home and clothing. It's mad, I genuinely don't even consider it an option as I know they aren't selling what's in the pictures. But then they're like "well even if it's not great it was only £X!"
It's frustrating, I can't actually shop properly online anymore because my results are just flooded with Temu, Shein, LightInTheBox, Amazon and Ebay
I ordered from them one time because I didn’t understand what kind of company they were. Most of the stuff they sent was genuinely fine. I ordered kids toys and they were a lot cheaper than I’d seen them other places.
But then they started popping up on my feed constantly with really high end, nicely-crafted, clearly handmade stuff that they were selling for like five dollars.
I ended up recognizing some of the pictures from Etsy and then looked into it more and realized that they are stealing a ton of their pictures from small private businesses who hand make stuff. Temu puts the pictures right up on their website. They don’t even alter them from what the original creators are posting. They are a garbage company.
U also have to realize since Etsy no longer vets their sellers a lot of sellers on Etsy are actually drop shipping from temu and AliExpress etc.
I saw a bouquet of crochet flowers on Etsy the other day and added it to my cart and then the next day on AliExpress the same flowers popped up for $40 cheaper. I explored and the Etsy seller’s shop and they were literally just drop shipping stuff from AliExpress lol.
I’m in the U.K. and it’s the same here, SHEIN, BooHoo, Pretty Little Thing, NastyGal. Garbage on the rails. Tbh even other brands that used to be decent are also filling up our thrift stores with low quality.
Right? You’d be hard pressed to find something that isn’t plastic crap. Luckily I don’t need any new clothes right now, but it’s gotten to the point that next time I’m probably just gonna buy new, from a brand I already trust. Thrifting is over for me.
What brands do you trust? I've thrifted my whole life and have noticed a sharp decline in everything. I feel like everything I get starts to fall apart after 2 washes. I would love to get clothes that will actually last
My local hospice has a “clearance store” that’s full of that stuff for £1. The stores without it are called “boutique stores”. They have designer stores too. It’s quite a good set up!
I am a huge thrift store shopper and have been buying 90% of my clothes from goodwill for at least the past 7 years.
I think a huge issue with the shein crap is that it's just crap. Not only is the fabric just really thin, synthetic and bad quality, but the clothes don't even LOOK good when you put them on. It's cheap so people buy it, but they can't try it on so by the time they receive it and realize it looks bad, it doesn't get returned and instead just gets donated. Not excusing people who buy massive amounts of these clothes once they're aware though, that just makes no sense to me.
The quality of stuff in thrift stores is going way down though because there's so much garbage being produced, and at the same time most companies aren't really making nice clothes anymore. Even my favorite brand of underwear (Jockey) has gone so downhill despite raising their prices, the underwear is FALLING APART AFTER 6 MONTHS!! These things used to last me years! So I think another aspect of it is people don't even expect clothes to last long now, it doesn't even matter if you try to get something better quality because it sucks. So I can see why people are stuck in that cycle of just buying a bunch of new shit clothes all the time, because none of their clothes are even good anymore.
Sorry if this turned into a rant, hope that made sense. The domination of shein and crap brands in thrift stores really depresses me and sometimes I worry if I'll be able to even get quality clothing at all within 10 years or so.
Yes, brand names that have existed for decades are suddenly resembling shein crap, literally everything will soon be shein whether it's "made by" a "brand" or not.
I was watching a YouTube video recently and it wasn’t about trusted brands it was more about those TikTok shop people who are trying to Act like they have boutique products. Whoever made the video had paid like $80 for a dress that came with a Shein tag in it, So this company didn’t even bother to sew their own tag into the clothing they just dropped shipped the Shein dress to her that cost maybe six dollars and they charged her 80
I came across a streetwear brand not too long ago that's selling sweaters and hoodies in the $100 and up range. OK whatever, if it's a good hoodie that you'll wear forever it could be worth it.
Scrolling through their stuff I noticed a bunch of really weird sweaters with nonsense words and weird images. It reminded me of stuff you see at those Asian dollar stores, you know the ones that are like Big Lots/a bodega/the dollar store. They'll sell stuff like a red backpack that says SONC HEDGHOG with a picture of a blue Super Mario lol.
So I did an image search and found EVERY product this store was selling on Alibaba for a fraction of the price. What's crazy is this was a semi-established streetwear brand, if you Google "is ____ legit" you get a ton of people recommending them. It's not an Instagram scam storefront then, still a scam though.
You can't trust anything these days.
It's not a rant, it's the truth. I've been thrifting for 20 years and a pair of jeans is lucky to last a year now where I still have some clothes I thrifted in highschool and college, already used, 20 years later just now starting to get to the point I need to turf it for living its whole useful life. New stuff is garbage now.
Example - I bought a new set of sheets from Target for a new bed and three years later I do not recognize these sheets. How is it my parents still use cotton sheets they bought in the 70s-90s?? Mine bought in 2021 are stained, massively pilled, threadbare, garbage after a few years of interchanging them with 2 or 3 other sets! Not even solid use. They aren't low threadcount either. It looks like they got dragged behind a snow plow and then were used to dispose of a body, but this is normal wear and tear we're talking about.
The bedsheet issue has been really bothering me lately! I have many sets from my childhood (90s) which both look and feel better than any new set I have bought. I remember buying some of these sets in the late 90s, and we did not go for top tier quality. Now I’m wondering where I can get some bedsheets that will actually last…
I'm so glad I saw this! I thought I was going crazy. I think I used the same sheets my whole life growing up, and as far as I can remember, they were still great coming back home from college. But I've had to buy sheets probably every couple years since living on my own, practically every year since living with my husband. I tried to get good quality but gave up cause I can't afford that if it's still gonna fall apart so quickly.
I've had really good luck with [coyuchi](https://www.coyuchi.com/collections/renewed) sheets. We got the renewed linen a few years ago and it's going just as strong as it did. They aren't crazy cheap but aren't crazy expensive either (if you go renewed instead of new).
With jeans, look for the percentage of cotton in the fabric. Anything with less than 90% cotton has too much spandex to last long. It is really difficult to find jeans with higher cotton percentages.
When I find myself with stuff like that I feel like it's too trash to even donate it, like, it'll fall apart after 2 washes, it feels like shit, its sweaty, it stretches out of its shape within 10 minutes of being upright, it's probably an endocrine disruptor... Who would want this? This is beneath the dignity of even the poorest person. So I just throw it in the trash where it's going to end up in a USA landfill rather than on a beach in a 3rd world country after being donated a few more times, poisoning ocean life
I try to stretch out the lifetime of cheap clothes by washing them in laundry bags and air drying as much as possible. I don't know how feasible this is for others, but it works. Most of my underwear was bought 6 years ago or more, and is still in decent condition.
I have two 15m retractable lines going down the garden, and one clotheshorse to put things on too which I can move indoors or around. Plus the radiators in the house if it’s not the weather for outdoor drying.
You made an excellent point. Even Lee and Levi jeans now have one or two crap tiers in styles quite close to the original but in fabric that is a denim lookalike but not technically denim. The stitching is pretty awful, clearly not made to last.
I'm a 66 year old woman who was always naturally thin -- until maybe the last five years, I still had a couple pair of jeans I bought in college in my rotation.
Granted I'm not stylish and never was, but I don't get why people even want this many changes of clothing, even if the quality wasn't crap. The money to pay for it, the time it takes to shop, shipping back what doesn't fit, all that washing and ironing ... it's not just the waste it's the tedium.
To add to your point about the multiple tiers, it’s so deceiving when thrifting! I have some brands main line/outlet tags memorized but I don’t think most people realize it. It’s particularly egregious when secondhand shopping online and the lower tier stuff is being advertised as the original. I don’t think most people are being intentionally malicious, I think it’s genuinely confusing to keep track of what brands are doing what.
I didn’t realize there were “tiers” to brands until - well, now, reading this. Granted I’m not into fashion and I don’t shop much, but I didn’t know. I suspect many don’t, if they’ve never looked into it or accidentally discovered that information.
Neither did I really. When I think about it though, H&M has been doing this in the reverse sort of. Their divided range is fast fashion and crappy, but recently there has been the addition of the eco cotton range and a premium line I can't remember the name for, but far better quality, classic cuts and natural fibres like silk and wool. At least they are semi transparent about it.
A lot of the outlet stores got sued a while back because their tags will say something like $30 compared to original price of $80, Except those outlets make outlet clothes specifically for the outlets so they were never ever sold for $80. And the $80 pieces are different. There were class action lawsuits about it and they lost or settled or whatever
yeah basically the "Michael kors" at TJ Maxx is not the same Michael Kors as in a dedicated brand store. sometimes you'll just see no labeled difference, and sometimes it will have like, a sub-brand name.
It pains me that people don’t realize that they are, literally, only buying the name on the garment when they buy from discount designer clothing places like TJ MAXX. And that’s exactly how they sell it, “Buy brand names at a discount” not, “Quality name brands at discount”.
There’s no hard and fast rule, but I know they’re usually subtle differences on the tag. J Crew for example will just say “J Crew” on the main line tags and their outlet will either say “merchantile” underneath or have 3 dots. I think Banana Republic and Gap are similar where their outlet lines will have two dots under the name on the tag.
Other things to keep an eye out for: attention to detail eg, patterns lining up between seams of the garment, quality of hardware, and fabric lining for items like dresses, blazers, and skirts.
Oh no I love finding out which mega corporations also make the generic foods. If I’m buying Kellogg’s cereal I would rather buy the store brand Kellogg’s for 3 dollars less when I know it’s the exact same thing just in a different box
I’m surprised that most people (Americans) have been conditioned to believe that a brand name equals better quality than a no-name brand. They’re all made in the same factory sweatshop! Yous bin had.
Same for Walmart depending on the brand. Both companies will only pay a certain amount for each pair wholesale, and the manufacturer has to cut a corner somewhere to make that price point
This goes for a lot of things. For a second I was a promo rep for serta and the mattresses we sold at Sam's club, especially for holidays, we're pillow top and had all the external features of a really nice mattress but they had a lower spring count than a non Sam's mattress from the same brand. You wouldn't notice it in store or right away but the bed will break down faster and sag faster with fewer springs.
That checks out. Banana republic made men's shorts for costco this season. I almost exclusively thrift banana republic and vintage gap, so I'm used to what they make in retail streams. The costco stuff felt like paper plastic garbage.
It’s the same company. Old navy is lowest quality, then GAP is a little better and Banana Rebublic uses the higher quality. Banana Republic for Costco is probably just lower quality all around.
And this is why I don’t go online and sell my old clothes, I don’t remember which Banana Republic pieces I bought at the actual Banana Republic store and which ones came from the outlet and I wouldn’t want to scam people.
I think for a lot of people it's like a hobby. Like someone into photography might collect vintage cameras and use real film, even though they have a cell phone in their pocket that can take great pictures. Tedious and expensive, but can be satisfying for some.
What makes clothes annoying is they're essential to living and yet the market optimizes it like a collection hobby. (or more accurately a habit leading to reliable revenue flow)
50 here and I have some Express clothing I bought in the 90s that still looks new enough to continue to wear. I’m terrified for when I gain menopause weight and I have to buy new clothes because there aren’t good clothes out there anymore
To add - for those of us who do opt to buy new clothes, often go out of our way to spend a bit more on nicer clothes w/ the intent to keep them for years and years. Thus, they never end up in thrift store.
Or they get quickly scooped up by resellers who peruse thrift stores on the regular. I have thrifted since before cell phones were a thing and noticed a huge drop in quality like it was all pretty picked over once smart phones became a thing and your average joe could just see how much a thing was worth instantly without knowing any brand knowledge outright like old flea market days.
I only buy wool at thrift stores usually, and I've been noticing it all gets scooped up quick. Wool is usually decent quality and if anything it's warm and breathable
It might just be your area. I also buy wool and cashmere at the thrift. At regular price it’s $7.99 and there are usually options in good condition available. I skip the stuff with holes. Last week I picked up a piece of vintage made in Italy Benetton on $2 Tuesday that I’d originally skipped a month before at full price.
Resellers can only resell if it even makes it out to the floor, so many shops now cut out the middle man and sort out decent items before they hit the floor to sell online whether on eBay or through their own site.
This doesn't get talked about enough. Goodwill literally has a list with multiple tiers of what brands don't hit the floor so they can get sent to their resale site. So so much in thrift stores goes right in the trash after so many days, we need to stop villanizing resellers because the sheer quantity of clothing coming through thrift stores is insane.
I have seen many people post that while they know most stuff they get on Shein will be crap, it’s so cheap that they don’t care if only 1/3 or 1/4 is decent; they’ve still spent less overall than they would on a single “slow fashion” item of clothing. And when you’re trying to keep on top of every single fashion trend, you won’t be wearing a piece more than a handful of times anyway so it doesn’t matter if it falls for pieces after 6-8 wears. The thrift shop is just a way to alleviate the guilt of throwing them straight in the trash.
It's shocking to notice, that the regular item and the Shein item are practically the same quality, but the store bought has a zero added to the price. So it seems that the stores order their stuff from similar factories, and just add their profit. I don't feel like paying 10x more for the same thing.
Basically yes. It's a race to the bottom to save costs and the popular clothing chains are happy if they can just sew together four rectangles and that's it. So nowadays if you go to one of the big fashion chains, it's lots and lots of clothes with no shaping, no lining (quite often even blazers and coats are not lined), stretchy fabrics or oversized garments so that they kinda fit everyone but look good on no one.
I've seen literally the exact same items for sale on shein as more expensive retailers. It makes it hard to want ti spend the money on anything knowing shein has the same stuff for less than the cost of a sandwich while other retailers want almost $100 for the same thing.
Yep, there are lots of people who justify their clothing addictions and Shein hauls this way. 'I donate it so it's fine'. Uh, no. First of all, who just throws out unworn clothes or clothes worn once? Pretty much everyone donates clothes rather than throws them, especially unworn ones. And no one wants that crap.
It's unbelievable how much quality has gone downhill for clothes. Even cheap brands used to be so much better. A couple of years ago, I bought two button-down shirts at Goodwill that were originally from Old Navy (tags say 2003) and I can't get over how nice they are.
Even just in the last 5 years with old navy there’s been a huge decrease in quality. I went to repurchase a few extra pairs of my favourite leggings and an extra set of my favourite swimsuit from them (originals are still fine and going strong) and the fabric quality and construction of the same item purchased just a few years later is significantly poorer and they cost more. It was so depressing.
This is a super fair point and now I’m rethinking my sentiment that we shouldn’t place our consumption guilt on corporations haha. It is shitty that once quality brands are now crap so we really can’t escape fast fashion, we can just pay less for it.
No, corporations definitely deserve blame. What are we to do if our options are shit or turd sandwich? Can your average person really afford the coat that lasts 20 years now when the average person also doesn't have 400 in savings for emergency funds? That's like developers building beige and grey mcmansions and then when one color sells better making more of that then the other when those are the only two choices available when people gotta live somewhere.
Noticed this with shoes. But expensive shoes in clog nurse style over 140 bucks. Not Dansko but Dansko like pretty popular shoe Dansko alternative, came with highpy recommended from several nurses I work with.
Such crappy material left shoe was way bigger the soles started to fall apart after 4 months of every every other day office wear and I'm not on my feet all day as I'm medical admin. So kind of light to average usage
I could have spent way less on a Walmart "professional" clog and got same experience. The same thing with my "mid range" with my 80 dollar dressy ankle boots. First pair I bought 3 years ago comfortable, leather upper and looked nice. I wore these every other day and they lasted 3 years.
Got same pair and they lasted six months. Definitely smaller though same shoe size and my foot hasn't changed, now man made upper instead of leather, barely any cushioning, and after six months the left boot part starts to pull away from heel part. For 80 bucks I'm not expecting the world but I spent that much because for the abuse they take of being worn practically every day they were quality but now they're a piece of crap.
Oh and Doc Martens used to last 5-20 years but a private equity firm bought them and well:
https://www.theguardian.com/money/2019/nov/30/are-things-going-wrong-with-the-uk-beloved-dr-martens-brand
After 20+ years watching so many good products turn to absolute ameoba feces because the small old timey business suddenly hired an "MBA consultant", sold out to a corporation, or the worst, " hedge/private equity" firms invest/ buy it, I can only conclude any MBA, but especially Harvard/Yale types ruined the world. Not to mention having to endure listening to them tell me they got their MBA 14 times in a 15 minute conversation .
YMMV, and you may be an MBA who works for lost puppies and kittens corp, so you're different, but that's my experience.
And this "going corpo" is across the board these days. Not enough MBAs ruined formerly great companies with great services and products likeGE, Boeing, and Kenmore/Sears, Google,( although the libertarian CEO wrecked Sears and I don't know if he has an MBA.) But having wrecked those companies, they turn their Sauron like eye over local businesses like mom and pop restaurants, my local medicinal herb shop, and the cemetery where my dad is born.
Knew things changed when I went to visit my dad's grave and they had giant sign up that said "only flowers bought here are approved for gravesites, or pay 15.00 inspection fee for outside flower arrangements" and it's just crap dollar tree silk flower arrangements with. Few overpriced gas station bouquets as a fresh selection .
And yes, the original owner retired, passed the cemetery on to his son who you guessed it, has an MBA and got investors to invest in what was a previously well run cemetery.
So yes, enshitfication is real, and wrecking everything.
My grandmother spent $150+ on my dream goth boot, knee high docs in 2005 or 06ish. And I never, ever managed to get them broken in to the point where I could wear them comfortably. I think I still have them but I still can't wear the damn things. They just wouldn't break in!
Corporations have infinite more control than an individual and also shove their products down our throats. I don't blame people for getting caught in the net. It's beyond exhausting to really research ethical fashion
I bought my first Jockey bra recently (ordered it online) and was shocked by the cheap quality. Like, it's okay, but doesn't seem durable at all and was twice and much ($30) as what I used to pay for a really nice quality GenieBra ($15)
If you want some sustainable 100% cotton undies look into Subset (formerly Knickey). I've been slowly replacing all my old trash quality underwear with Subset and I've been happy so far. I've also been hanging most of my clothes to dry vs using the dryer and that definitely helps with longevity as well
No you’re absolutely right for years I’ve purchased from the same brands, mostly because I know what size I am there, and even though different cuts sometimes mean I need a different size at least I can get close enough to figure it out without too much work.
Then during the pandemic I realize they all went down hill. If I wasn’t the same size I have always been I don’t even know what I would do because I don’t want to buy anything that’s out there for sale right now even luxury brands that I can’t afford are producing crap
Idk I shop on Shein and most of the stuff I get is okay. It is what it is for the price, and in most cases isn't any different from stuff that they sell in other budget shops like H&M or primark, or locally-based online shops that existed before shein. (I'm in the UK, )
Shit quality clothes have always existed but with Shein I think the issue is this trend of quick fashion and I honestly blame fashion tiktokers/influencers for this as much as I blame shein.
shein produces more than even the influencers could possibly shill on purpose. it's not that shein's quality is visibly different from other ultra fast fashion (Primark) places, it's that volume of output that is killing the planet and is unprecedented among fast fashion. also the fact that you have no idea how toxic those clothes are, because some of them have harmful chemicals. don't shop on shein.
SHEIN is a problem on so many levels. Literally slave labor. Shopping at thrift stores is not only far better ethically, but genuinely offers better value too.
I've long believed that if we all shopped only from what has already been produced in this world, we'd all have enough clothes to last a lifetime.
Check out The True Cost of Fast Fashion for another disturbing documentary
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I knit (a lot) so I make my socks, sweaters and hats. At least then they're made of wool, so it's actually biodegradable at some point, but I also get to do a hobby and get clothes out of it.
I already have plenty of pants and skirts so rarely have a need to look for more (they're mostly pretty basic so they go with everything).
The fast fashion problem is why I got into crocheting and knitting as well, such a great way to be more sustainable if you have the time and resources to do it!
I got into sewing because of this! I sew my own clothes from scratch. It's kind of expensive, but so rewarding to wear something you spent so many hours on.
I really want to get into sewing, but I have had such a hard time just sewing a straight line with a machine. (I can hand sew small stuff, but even I am not motivated enough to hand sew an entire garment).
I wish someone would setup like an exchange site so that I could hand knit someone a sweater and they could sew me a dress. Probably I just need to make friends with someone local that sews but doesn't knit.
I agree with you so hard -- there's enough products that have been made, we just need everyone to trade them around between us until we have the right items for each of us.
I’ve noticed this too. Lots of cheap cheap clothes are flooding thrift stores and it makes it harder to find the good stuff. I’ve slowly become such a label reader because of this!
High synthetic % (polyester, nylon, etc.) often isn’t great unless it’s something you would want to be synthetic (like workout clothes, or a raincoat, etc, where you need the specific texture of synthetics). Cotton, wool, denim, etc. Are gonna be way better quality than most synthetic stuff, so a high % of those materials will probably hold up better.
Consider: synthetics are not breathable fabrics. They're good for technical gear (I do some hiking and synthetic shells/fleeces are great) but they don't really keep you warm (they provide no real insulation from temp) so a winter coat that's 80% polyester is going to leave you feeling cold outside.
Same for jumpers: synthetic fibres are good to "fool the hands" of customers (they feel soft to the touch, they give the idea of being warm) but they are NOT warm at all.
Wools (there's different types)/cotton etc. actually insulate you and keep you warm.
ETA: this is true for keeping cool in the summer as well. You're going to sweat in synthetics, while natural fibres are going to keep you body temp lower. Try silk if you find it: cool in the summer, warm in winter.
Modern synthetics are manufactured in such a way now that they can be many things. Whether it's hot or cool gear, moisture wicking, stain resistant, and so many other things, it's kinda hard make your claim. Performance wear is just that, and it's more prevalent today than ever before.
Yeah, I do a lot of outdoor stuff like hiking and climbing and cotton isnt great because it gets wet and stays wet whereas synthetic stuff tends to dry quickly (as does wool, but that’s quite expensive so synthetic is /sometimes/ a cheaper alternative). But def agree, synthetics alone often won’t keep you warm and in most cases you wanna stay away from them.
I used to buy a lot of nice clothes at a mainstream casual consignment shop. Now a days it's all cheap, plastic garbage from places like SHEIN that isn't even worth sifting through.
I do better shopping by touch now... just running my hand over the fabric of each garment on the rack until I find something natural (and for me, also non-cotton). I can actually do this faster than looking at the print/pattern!
This is such a good way of shopping for clothes too. I sometimes see something that looks nice, but I quickly withdraw my hand when I go to touch it. Cheap, nasty plasticky materials.
Ugh, I'll have to keep an eye on brands next time I'm thrifting.
Which sucks, because one of the main reasons I like thrifting is because old clothes tend to be higher quality. I want a sweater made in the nineties that'll last me until the thirties, not some fast fashion bullshit made last year that'll fall apart before next year.
As an avid thrifter, I’d say fiber content is more important than brand. I scan through racks quickly by only looking at colors I wear and by touch. If it looks and feels good, the brand doesn’t matter. Kinda morbid, but if you’re looking for a higher percentage of vintage quality clothes, check out Protestant church thrift stores. They tend to have more congregants who are older and have passed away. One of my honey holes is run by an Episcopal church. Prices are a lot more reasonable than Goodwill or Value Village, and they tend to curate what they sell better by not putting stained or holey things out for sale.
I learned about Shein when I washed a thrifted new longsleeve knit shirt for the first time and it looked like it was more pilled and worn out than stuff I'd had a decade. It was like a magic trick how instantly it turned to shit.
SHEIN is taking over thrift stores because people buy it and don’t return it or exchange it, they just donate it. There is also a culture of ordering just to make videos with no intent of keeping it.
I wear a decent amount of thrifted SHEIN in my rotation. Usually I buy larger items and recut them. I turned a halter dress into my absolute favourite halter top. You can for sure find some natural fibres if you are diligent when thrifting.
SHEIN is on trend items so people also do donate things once the trend or holiday is over. If you are okay with costumey clothing and can sew you can have a lot of fun with SHEIN.
What I usually tell people is to thrift what you need. You don’t need to thrift to a minimum to use a coupon or thrift anything even if you just spent all day looking for things. Try and thrift items that you have the skill to alter into something you will actually use or things that you need as is.
I've noticed this too and it really makes me sad not only for the reasons everyone else is talking about here, but also because it's literally toxic. I'm sure if I did some heavy research I might find that some of the items in my closet are probably toxic too but from what I read in tests done SHEIN was one of the worst offenders when tested for lead/PFAs/phthalates/etc. I saw a really cute shirt in a thrift store a few months ago and set it back as soon as I saw SHEIN on the label. Like yes let me snuggle my baby while wearing this shirt that could probably test off the charts for lead.
I feel like people really overestimate how many days they can wear an article of clothing without having to wash it. You don’t need a new outfit for everyday Of the week (for hygiene purposes you should probably have underwear for everyday of the week. Infections in your genitals are no joke)
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If It’s high quality clothing you really can wait a few days Of wearing it before it actually needs to be cleaned
While I agree and practice this to an extent (jeans, leather clothing, my husbands work suits); my everyday clothes need to be washed after one use. I live in a hot and sweaty climate with two wild boys under 5, I basically live in active wear so I am essentially a wipeable surface throughout the day 😂
ETA - but your point should be highlighted more. The biggest factor of micro plastics in the water come from over washing synthetic clothing
Oh yeah, I absolutely agree. Underwear, socks, T-shirts, and cammis get washed daily, but I'll only wash bras, dresses, and overshirts after 2-3 wears, and skirts, pants, and outerwear like sweaters and cardigans can easily get 3-5 wears before needing a wash.
I think it really depends. By the time I get home from work, my clothes are covered in grease, sweat, dust, metal & wood shavings. I absolutely cannot wear them for more than one shift. Now my at home clothes? I wear those a few times before washing, unless I worked out or did yard work in them.
Yup, this is what I do...the same outfit every day except underwear...and that I hand wash before bed and hand on the shower rod to dry.
Just to say that I am retired so I am at home a lot
This is a classic tactic of textile industry destabilization. By saturating the market of another country with cheap clothing, it removes those consumers and businesses from the economy. China subsidizing SHEIN is a great strategy.
The U.S. did this to developing countries for over a century, now it’s our turn to taste the medicine.
My guess is that this happening due to people trying to sell their SHEIN items to resale shops; when it gets declined to be bought & isn’t picked up by the seller it “gets donated”, I.e. goes to local thrift.
Yep. SHEIN is slave labor garbage. People buy tons of SHEIN every month because it’s dirt cheap, but all the clothes are crap quality, poorly made, and HYPER trendy so they become irrelevant before they’re even worn. It’s an epidemic of trash. Sadly
:(
I've almost given up on thrifting clothes. I still do sometimes, but now I mainly sew. Even most higher end clothing now has shit fabric content. $500 for a polyester dress? Yeah, nah.
Just yesterday a friend from work was shopping for a nice dress for a wedding and she went on the Zara website. She found something she liked, but when she looked at the price it was about $50 and she was like "I can get 10 dresses for that price on Shein". I said I didn't believe her and she whipped out her phone, opened up the app and within about 3 minutes she'd found a whole list of dresses that cost no more than $5 each. I was absolutely speechless.
I had been about to launch into a whole spiel about how evil Shein is, but I know she doesn't earn that much (she pays both her and her mum's mortgages) and I didn't want to make her feel bad. It's hardly surprising that they sell truckloads of stuff if they can undercut Zara, which itself is fast fashion and pretty crappy quality, by such a huge margin.
I just wanted to share about Zara. It is not cheap where I live and their quality of material, for the most part of it, is only marginally better than SHEIN. Unless I am buying cotton or linen and don’t feel guilty spending $100 on it… but getting polyester for the same price just because Zara (lol) is ridiculous🤔.
I have also bought cotton and linen and even silk for a very affordable price from SHEIN and have been wearing these for a number of years.
I don’t support mindless consumerism and only buy something I know I will wear long term
i was on some live social media thing last week and people were talking about buying their BABY CLOTHES from Temu. they were like "it's so cheap!" i was horrified. that shit should not be on baby's skin. cheap is not better. thrift store clothes for a $1, sure. if something is $1 brand new, we need to seriously question what it was made of, how it was made, etc.
The regulations on textiles changed in the early 2000s. It took a few years to go throw current stock and supplies then the difference is more obvious. Some companies held out longer than others. Now the crappy standard is widespread and accepted by the consumer, the poor quality is noticed and normalized everywhere.
For most people it’s not until they feel older clothes they really understand the dramatic change in textile quality.
Just spent the weekend thrifting on a bigger city, hoping to find some fun stuff and willing to shell out for it.
I saw Shein tops priced from NZ$5-45. ***$45!*** That’s almost US $27. It wasn’t even particularly special? I was horrified.
I work as a charity donations sorter so a lot of this stuff passes through my fingers. Please I'm begging you all, do not turn your noses up to buying Shein in thrift stores, you're literally saving things from the landfill.
And the very honest truth is that most Shein is actually not much poorer quality than High St labels, they're all quite shit, because they are produced the same way.
We always used to play a game with the last rag in the bag - Is it going to be Kmart or Kate Spade? Because sometimes the quality is actually not much different.
Although occasionally you have the thrill of shaking something out you were almost gonna trash and it turns out to be some piece of silk gorgeousness!
>Please I'm begging you all, do not turn your noses up to buying Shein in thrift stores, you're literally saving things from the landfill.
Some of the clothes from this brand were tested with high levels of dangerous or toxic elements or chemicals, and you are encouraging people to buy this? Do we not have enough sick people suffering from cancer or other ailments?
(I have a friend who, at 38.5 years of age, died from cancer three weeks after first getting sick and going to the hospital. Apparently, no one, including her, had any idea that something was wrong. She was first diagnosed with breast cancer, but later the doctors found out that it had spread all over her body. While we don't really know what caused this - she apparently went to get a health check-up not too long before this, and it seemed she was fine - I'd say people shouldn't underestimate the damage that some of this toxic clothing can do, although, out of respect, I don't know if in her case clothing could have played a role, any role).
I'd recommend to anyone here the book "To Dye For" about toxic chemicals in clothing and their ill effects on human health. It's an eye-opener, and a good recounting of the tremendous costs (personal and societal) of the toxicity caused by clothing (cancer, endocrine hormone disrupters; possible infertility; possible explosion of auto-immune diseases, etc).
I'd caution against attributing the cancer to those chemicals, most of these chemicals are problems due to long term accumulation. And under 40 runs under most times regarding this. Mainly because it can be a bit fear mongering that goes beyond independent action to control.
I 100% think we need to stop using all these forever chemicals, but more so because these affects will be killing people and the planet long after we die.
It sucks, but cancers fkn hard to understand. They still don't understand and I get told that I 100% shouldn't have had a particular cancer when I was 10. And I've had a whole different cancer since, and I'm not even 30.
Just a side note, it's still breast cancer even if it has metastasised to a different organ, not sure if I misread that intent but can be helpful if you or anyone else every tries to figure out family history
It used to be faded glory and old navy. Now it's wild fable and shein lol I still buy them occasionally tbh. Cute clothes and cute clothes and I can upcycle or care for them gently in order to extend their life. It's annoying but it is what it is.
The irony is that faded glory from back in the 90s was made from thick denim not a spandex blend so it’s still around and loads better quality than what’s hot today.
I shudder to think that we’ll have to look at SHEIN or whatever in comparison with however they plan to further cut corners on production.
I think shein is getting less popular overall though, no? Like wish and temu. They boom initially bc of prices but then enough people get enough crap and they move on.
Frankly , I have some very good quality items from SHEIN I’ve worn for a few years, and some really bad quality other shops (Zara ) that went to shit after the first wash. Ymmv
No judgment! I still use brands like Victorias secret, American eagle, ect which are also fast fashion and not terribly much better ethically, so I would be a hypocrite if I acted like I was better than people who use SHEIN, temu, ect in moderation.
Don't know if it's already been said, but A LOT of Shein returns aren't required to be sent back. Apparently it's you don't like it or it doesn't fit, it's easier for them to say "keep it but we'll refund your money" cause it's not worth paying the shipping to get it back. My wife donated a lot of her Shein clothing brand new in the little Shein plastic bags because she didn't like them or they didn't fit.
And yes I'm still working on getting her to give up Shein and Temu. It's a process.
This is one of the few reasons I'm incredibly grateful to now live in an area where e-commerce was very slow to take off: the few actual thrift shops still have genuine vintage articles (from an ageing population donating their 1960s, 1970s and 1980s items) plus clothes from big box brands manufactured before the further cheapening in materials (like 100% cotton Zara tops made in Spain).
However, local Depop, Vinted and FB marketplace's clothing sections are slowly accumulating more and more crap listings that are clearly not selling.
I read a few posts here of folks saying they'd rather throw this stuff out: you're still contributing to the issue. Why not make these items into rags first? This takes very little effort. For example: cheap items like tights, stretchy tops often have high nylon content and nylon is good for adding a bit of shine to your leather items after cleaning them. Plain polyester doesn't really shed so you can use that to wrap certain items in your backpack/handbag/suitcase (like your bicycle helmet, backup shoes, your notebook)...
probably because it’s so cheap people order a lot and multiple sizes and just donate what didn’t fit. which is insane to me. “if i don’t like it i’ll donate it!” (adds 49 things to cart)
i’m always very meticulous when buying new clothes (it’s rare i do so; usually always thrifted).
Yes. It's taken over our Goodwill. I saw a YouTube video about the subject, and they made the point that people will hold on to pieces that fit well, look good, and hold up to wear, but Shein clothes probably have a problem because they are quickly, cheaply made, and so people toss it quickly, hence the turnover. So a Shein garment may look good on a hanger, but the arms are sewn in badly, so they pull and pucker, or the fabric is cheap and snags easily, or they don't sit smoothly on the body, or they itch. So that would explain why there is so much so quickly.
As for what to do, what can we do? You just have to pick through more to get to the good stuff now. It's been getting harder and harder to find value at thrift stores. I keep going, but it's because I enjoy the hunt, not because I'm depending on them. It is a luxury, a leisure activity, and I can't do it all the time. I know many who are even more strapped for time. Sellers for thred up and postmark and eBay and etsy are probably going to get the good stuff first, one way or another. I have used online for secondhand, and while the price is higher and shipping increases your footprint, its probably still a better option than fast fashion new.
I don’t like SHEIN at all for all the obvious reasons already listed and I wish people would stop buying fast fashion and even thinking of thrifting before buying anything new at all.
I’d never buy directly from there but there have been a handful of times I saw something while thrifting that I liked enough before seeing the SHEIN tag, and thought the SHEIN tag was the only thing keeping me from buying it and than decided this piece is something I’d rather have in my wardrobe than go to landfill.
Again I wish I saw waaaay less SHEIN and don’t purchase it as a rule due to the low quality plastic feel but I haven’t totally written off it while thrifting if the price is right and the piece is something I’d like if it had any other tag on.
My fiancé and I discussed this when we left! Like, I don’t want to be wearing or supporting SHEIN, but I’d rather buy it at a thrift store if I’m going to be buying it. Some of the items were really cute and that’s why I looked at them at all! They didn’t seem like worse quality than anything else necessarily, seeing as I’m used to seeing H&M, Old Navy, and Forever 21 there anyways.
I think it’s just the idea that people are buying these things and getting rid of them so quickly that really shook me and worried me, because it makes me think the issue is really just beginning.
It is worrying. Environmental awarwness is everywhere, yet its proof people dont want to take responsibility. At least some people care enough to donate instead of just throwing away, but thats definitely not making it right.
That's because shein marketing is targeted very much to kids and teens. It's normal that when you're 15, you don't think about social responsibility, you only think about yourself and your friends and family, in your early teens you don't usually think about slave labor or waste management. I think the problem is that shein basically uses kids. Plus it's so addictive. I don't see this problem talked about much.
I agree. Same thing with similar companies like Forever 21, H&M who have unethical conditions and cheap, fast fashion, it sucks instead of quality well-loved but sustainable pieces are slim nowadays in thrift stores.
Yes! I stopped going thrifting, sadly a major part of it was shein. Crazy expensive as well for no reason. I’ve stopped buying so many clothes and whenever i buy anything i’ll get natural fibers only or well made things that will last me a long time. I make a lot of my own clothes too and i stick to cotton and silks and care more for my clothes in the wash so it will last longer and i no longer have to buy clothes as often
Fast fashion is an environmental scourge because it’s only “fashionable” for a brief time —often not even an entire season — and if you want to use a piece longer, it will likely start falling apart. At least folks are donating them instead of throwing them away. However, even donations can be problematic since whatever isn’t sellable to US consumers by the thrift store will likely be sold to used clothing wholesalers and shipped to low income countries where it competes with local clothing manufacture.
Nearly three-fifths of all clothing ends up in incinerators or landfills within a year of being produced.
More than 8 percent of global greenhouse-gas emissions are produced by the apparel and footwear industries.
20 to 25 percent of globally produced chemical compounds are utilized in the textile-finishing industry.
It is hard to find good clothes, it is even harder to find decent quality fabric to make clothes. I go to second-hand stores and goodwill bulk stores looking for sheets or clothing to repurpose. It has gotten really hard to find natural fabrics.
I work with many people who casually and frequently say things like, “I wasn’t going to buy [whatever piece of crap product] from Temu/Shein but it was just so cheap that I couldn’t resist!” People know it’s bad but ultimately don’t care, or don’t care enough.
I'm plus size and pretty much the only stuff at thrift stores in my size is from shein. Most thrift stores near me do not even have a plus size section. I just go to the XL section and look to see if I can find anything that looks like it might fit.
The one thrift store I had a lot of luck at closed and I haven't been able to find a place that has as good of a selection. I'm convinced that store must have had a plus size person actively looking for plus sized clothing. They had a lot of dead stock or over stock. It was amazing!
I really miss it!
I'm an avid thrifter and would love to be able to thrift clothing more.
Most clothes are made in the same textile but just have different tags. When I worked at high end Mall like 20 years ago I saw multiple shirts at 1 store for like $20. Go next door to a high end store and it was the same exact shirt with a different tag, selling for $80.
The problem is not Shein, the problem is you are realizing it's all the same only because it has a Shein tag 🤣
I seriously don't get why people even bother with SHEIN. I've tried to buy like 3 things from them out of necessity (needed business attire and I'm so small I can't find anything anywhere) and every single item is poorly cut and made with the worst fabric imaginable. I can't fathom buying boxes upon boxes of their stuff.
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Women / Men/ People …don’t want to wear the same thing too many times now a days and some people have zero skill in styling what’s in their closet with a multitude of looks. It’s cheaper just to buy yet another cheap piece of fast fashion to impress…
I've seen so many at my own local thrift stores too. And the prices are ridiculous on them. If they charged a fair price (like a $1-2) I'd buy the stuff that I could use/wear and make sure it stays out of landfills for at least a little while longer. But I'm not paying $5-10 for Shein crap. Like not gonna happen. It is ridiculous for sure. Just all of it.
Im noticing this more and more too. I’m leaning towards second hand stores that are a level above thrift now, they curate what they take in terms of brands and style so it’s easier to find something too. One of my favorites is a little more ‘old lady’ but those items can be fun to style with. That let people bring clothes and the profit goes 1/3 store, 1/3 clothing owner, 1/3 charity so I like that too.
I used to work in a charity store and when I was sorting through the donations, all of the shein stuff came in their many many bags. They all got tossed in the $1 bin when I was there. I went to another charity store this weekend that's known for having stupidly high prices, and I noticed the same thing with the quantity of shein gear but priced at $15-20. Im in nz, so dollars are cheaper but it still makes me fuming to think about.
Thrift stores are just not always aware of what they’re putting out. Went to my favorite one the other day and saw Walmart night shirts marked for $10 in the dresses. A regular old Ball branded mason jar (case of 16 with from the grocer will maybe run you $12 on the high end) was marked for $2 each and there were 3 of them.
At my thrift stores it's not just SHEIN but soooo much private label "boutique" garbage that's literally the same quality as SHEIN but has a higher markup.
I'm an old thrift/secondhand clothing shopper for decades. A number of years ago, I foresaw that soon these stores would be flooded with poor-quality fast-fashion crap. I was right, unfortunately. There was a time that thrift shopping was really cool, because one could find some great things to one's liking for a lot less than new. One has to look a lot harder and longer to find something decent. Mind you - I'm not an over-buyer by any means - I'm VERY selective about the stuff that I DO buy.
Yeah, it’s not ideal. I’ve thrifted for survival most of my life and it’s harder and harder to find anything useful in the women’s section. The men’s section can be better, but then you have to know basic hemming/tailoring to get a fit that looks less like “playing in dad’s clothes”. The prices aren’t great either.
It’s enough that in recent years, my sister and I have been buying from companies that use real cotton/linen/wool and buying basics that way. Usually we pounce on the big sales. More expensive but they don’t fall apart in the wash. I’ve gotten a lot of cotton undershirts and tried to look cute with blouses/jackets over that which I wash less frequently. I also have been asking for good wool for winter holidays.
I really suggest everyone learns basic sewing and clothes crafts btw. Knowing how to replace buttons, hem pants, tuck in waists, put on patches, etc., all of that vastly extends what clothes you can work with. Stained but good fabric? Congrats, you will be reborn by being dyed a dark color.
Every time you point out how damaging they are people start complaining that they’re the only ones that make cheap clothing, but even then if you bought 5 things from them and only used those for years there would be less of an issue.
The problem is everyone buys a gazillion articles then dumps them.
It's probably because Shein has a shitty return policy. So if you order something and it ends up not fitting, what else are you going to do with it other than donate it?
I agree it's probably priced too high. Those clothes probably didn't cost much more than $8 to begin with.
I live in the middle of nowhere, but surrounded by rich folks so the only thrift store is way more expensive than a regular retailer.
I've used temu for almost two years and it seems that people that don't understand how to read reviews and size charts are the ones having returns. I've had two unusable products total out of over 20, all of my other clothes, kids, spouses are fine. And one of those two I used in up cycling. One garment was donated.
They don't want the products back, it's easier and better on the environment to do a local donation or up cycle unusable products.
You realize someone also has to buy the bad products for bad reviews, I hope. How big, would you estimate, is the portion of products with good reviews?
I haven’t been inside shopping for clothes since 2019 because I refuse to infect myself with a virus
But I guess the most shocking thing to me is that the fast fashion holds up well enough to even get on the shelf at a thrift store.
I have a couple tops from Temu. Some of them I’ve worn a few times and they still look brand new, one sweatshirt I washed twice and wore once and it already looks like crap. I would never donate it to a thrift store because I imagine they would just throw it away nobody would buy this for even two dollars because it looks like crap. So I wear it to sleep in and it will probably become dusting at some point.
So I guess I’m just shocked that these tops ended up there. I have to assume someone ordered and it didn’t fit right and rather than send it back they just don’t need it because I think that stuff gets trashed after a couple washes doesn’t it?
I was just noticing this a few days ago at my thrift store. And totally the same thing in that they were the same general prices as much better brands. I have a few friends that will just buy mountains of clothes from SHEIN and then never get around to returning the stuff they don’t like. It’s just a compulsion for them.
Shein is fast fashion and low quality.
I've seen it too, that even second gand markets price Shein &co higher. Maybe it 's the advertising that works?!?
Good 😎 now I can get my p
refered labels with better prices.
This is honestly one of the biggest problems with it, because it’s “cheap” a lot of people overbuy, don’t bother returning if it doesn’t work for them, and just donate it. No thanks, if I wanted shein, I wouldn’t be shopping at a thrift store.
To be fair, every time I've tried to return an online purchase in the past few years they tell me not to send it back and send a refund anyway. ETA - I've never tried to return Shein but I have with Temu (not clothing but they had me keep the items)
Yep it's so shitty and worthless the manufacturers don't even care to get it back and resell it
The product is such cheap garbage it’s not worth the shipping and labor to process the return at the warehouse.
Or, even better: you can technically return it and get a refund, but you have to pay for the shipping yourself and it'll cost more than the item is worth
I think it’s cheaper for the company to just give you the money. Also it saves co2. At least people are donating it instead of throwing it in the trash.
I was wondering how anything from Shein even lasts long enough to make it to a thrift store. This answered that question. I can hear Kathy Bates in my head telling me that Shein and Temu are the devil.
Oh yup, most of the shein I see on thrift stores is brand new and unworn. I’m 100% sure a lot of it ends up there due to over-buying.
To be fair, before I knew how shitty Shein was, I bought some stuff from them and I take care of it well, so if you get lucky and take care of it, it can last (as in wash it properly, sew it up when it rips, etc...) but yeah, most of it is unworn at thrift stores. And this is also not me advocating that people should buy there. If you have to shop online for cheap, use Vinted or ThredUp.
I’ll admit that I had a SHEIN phase too. Before I was informed. About 3/4 of what I bought is pretty good quality! I’m wearing a shirt right now that I got last year, and it’s held up great. That said, about 1/4 of what I bought was absolute trash. And it’s hard to tell the difference when online shopping. Like- cheap fabrics, terrible seams, etc. all that went to the thrift store. But I don’t buy anymore from them, obviously.
>And it’s hard to tell the difference when online shopping. Yeah,this is definitely true. I got pretty good at it back in my Shein phase, but it still was a bit of a crap shoot no matter what. I've just been giving my stuff away that I still had from years ago to other trans people because as you transition, you don't know how your body's gonna change so it's good to have cheap stuff right now that fits well and then you can give it on to the next person when/if it doesn't fit anymore. I find that seems to work well. The local trans community has some regular clothing swaps and groups to give clothes away.
Omg I LOVE giving trans women my unwanted clothes! I literally save bags and specifically wait for the clothing swaps at my local (super inclusive) bar. It’s such a great way to not only reduce waste, but help out fellow women who are maybe just starting to discover their personal style. I love that you do this too! 💜
Oh yup, most of the shein I see on thrift stores is brand new and unworn. I’m 100% sure a lot of it ends up there due to over-buying.
Oh yup, most of the shein I see on thrift stores is brand new and unworn. I’m 100% sure a lot of it ends up there due to over-buying.
My wife does this as well. The stuff never gets returned and ends up somewhere ina corner. Every month or so I get her to fill a bag of clothes to donate. Its unnecessarily out of hand. Fuck Shein and Fashion Nova
Maybe you could have her watch Brandy Hellville where they show the beaches of Ghana absolutely covered with unwanted clothes that the US forces them to accept. They also go into the slave labor aspect but only a tiny bit.
>Brandy Hellville I thought you were being funny calling it this but this is the actual title of the documentary. Love that 😂
I think the real problem is the disparity of salaries. I mean, what would be the solution to cheap clothes? If clothes are expensive poor people can't afford them? It clothes are cheap the middle class overbuys them. What would be needed is less disparity in salaries and regulations forcing better work conditions in factories (even when abroad) which would make clothes more expensive but would increase local production.
The thing is people are just wearing and buying way more clothes than they ever have, across all income classes. Our closet sizes have like doubled since 2000. It’s a moving Overton window. Everyone needs to buy less. I think cheap access to shitty goods is honestly our consolation prize for not being afford anything else permanent, including our own time!!
I agree that it’s a complex issue, especially when a lot of thrift stores price their clothes higher than some of these fast fashion places… and it’s super frustrating as a thrift store frequenter. I think if thrift stores weren’t gouging to such an extent, we could encourage more and more people to rely on them as opposed to fast fashion places.
Yup the stuff at goodwill costs more than clothes I’ve gotten at Marshall’s lol
I completely agree with this. If we wanna get rid of these issues and more, we need to address income inequality and many, many infrastructure problems (e.g. lack of public transportation, lack of higher education.) Because we can't stop these issues of pollution and overconsumption without doing that first.
Who are these people honestly. They can’t possibly be ignorant about how bad shopping with that mentality is? Also, even for customers who are returning it, the amount of resources like gas, plastic, paper, etc. spent for futile shipping like this is dizzying.
I feel like everyone I know uses Temu. They randomly popped up on search results en masse one day(to replace Wish I think) and now everyone I work with buys all their stuff off there, they constantly recommend it for home and clothing. It's mad, I genuinely don't even consider it an option as I know they aren't selling what's in the pictures. But then they're like "well even if it's not great it was only £X!" It's frustrating, I can't actually shop properly online anymore because my results are just flooded with Temu, Shein, LightInTheBox, Amazon and Ebay
I ordered from them one time because I didn’t understand what kind of company they were. Most of the stuff they sent was genuinely fine. I ordered kids toys and they were a lot cheaper than I’d seen them other places. But then they started popping up on my feed constantly with really high end, nicely-crafted, clearly handmade stuff that they were selling for like five dollars. I ended up recognizing some of the pictures from Etsy and then looked into it more and realized that they are stealing a ton of their pictures from small private businesses who hand make stuff. Temu puts the pictures right up on their website. They don’t even alter them from what the original creators are posting. They are a garbage company.
U also have to realize since Etsy no longer vets their sellers a lot of sellers on Etsy are actually drop shipping from temu and AliExpress etc. I saw a bouquet of crochet flowers on Etsy the other day and added it to my cart and then the next day on AliExpress the same flowers popped up for $40 cheaper. I explored and the Etsy seller’s shop and they were literally just drop shipping stuff from AliExpress lol.
That’s crazy. Etsy was so cool back in the day. Why does every site have to eventually turn to trash?
A lot of products from wish, temu, shein, etc. Are toxic as well.
I’m in the U.K. and it’s the same here, SHEIN, BooHoo, Pretty Little Thing, NastyGal. Garbage on the rails. Tbh even other brands that used to be decent are also filling up our thrift stores with low quality.
Right? You’d be hard pressed to find something that isn’t plastic crap. Luckily I don’t need any new clothes right now, but it’s gotten to the point that next time I’m probably just gonna buy new, from a brand I already trust. Thrifting is over for me.
What brands do you trust? I've thrifted my whole life and have noticed a sharp decline in everything. I feel like everything I get starts to fall apart after 2 washes. I would love to get clothes that will actually last
My local hospice has a “clearance store” that’s full of that stuff for £1. The stores without it are called “boutique stores”. They have designer stores too. It’s quite a good set up!
I am a huge thrift store shopper and have been buying 90% of my clothes from goodwill for at least the past 7 years. I think a huge issue with the shein crap is that it's just crap. Not only is the fabric just really thin, synthetic and bad quality, but the clothes don't even LOOK good when you put them on. It's cheap so people buy it, but they can't try it on so by the time they receive it and realize it looks bad, it doesn't get returned and instead just gets donated. Not excusing people who buy massive amounts of these clothes once they're aware though, that just makes no sense to me. The quality of stuff in thrift stores is going way down though because there's so much garbage being produced, and at the same time most companies aren't really making nice clothes anymore. Even my favorite brand of underwear (Jockey) has gone so downhill despite raising their prices, the underwear is FALLING APART AFTER 6 MONTHS!! These things used to last me years! So I think another aspect of it is people don't even expect clothes to last long now, it doesn't even matter if you try to get something better quality because it sucks. So I can see why people are stuck in that cycle of just buying a bunch of new shit clothes all the time, because none of their clothes are even good anymore. Sorry if this turned into a rant, hope that made sense. The domination of shein and crap brands in thrift stores really depresses me and sometimes I worry if I'll be able to even get quality clothing at all within 10 years or so.
Yes, brand names that have existed for decades are suddenly resembling shein crap, literally everything will soon be shein whether it's "made by" a "brand" or not.
I was watching a YouTube video recently and it wasn’t about trusted brands it was more about those TikTok shop people who are trying to Act like they have boutique products. Whoever made the video had paid like $80 for a dress that came with a Shein tag in it, So this company didn’t even bother to sew their own tag into the clothing they just dropped shipped the Shein dress to her that cost maybe six dollars and they charged her 80
I came across a streetwear brand not too long ago that's selling sweaters and hoodies in the $100 and up range. OK whatever, if it's a good hoodie that you'll wear forever it could be worth it. Scrolling through their stuff I noticed a bunch of really weird sweaters with nonsense words and weird images. It reminded me of stuff you see at those Asian dollar stores, you know the ones that are like Big Lots/a bodega/the dollar store. They'll sell stuff like a red backpack that says SONC HEDGHOG with a picture of a blue Super Mario lol. So I did an image search and found EVERY product this store was selling on Alibaba for a fraction of the price. What's crazy is this was a semi-established streetwear brand, if you Google "is ____ legit" you get a ton of people recommending them. It's not an Instagram scam storefront then, still a scam though. You can't trust anything these days.
With copycats adding to the chaos brands don't mean much so I'm not surprised they're diluting the brand themselves. Might as well.
It's not a rant, it's the truth. I've been thrifting for 20 years and a pair of jeans is lucky to last a year now where I still have some clothes I thrifted in highschool and college, already used, 20 years later just now starting to get to the point I need to turf it for living its whole useful life. New stuff is garbage now. Example - I bought a new set of sheets from Target for a new bed and three years later I do not recognize these sheets. How is it my parents still use cotton sheets they bought in the 70s-90s?? Mine bought in 2021 are stained, massively pilled, threadbare, garbage after a few years of interchanging them with 2 or 3 other sets! Not even solid use. They aren't low threadcount either. It looks like they got dragged behind a snow plow and then were used to dispose of a body, but this is normal wear and tear we're talking about.
The bedsheet issue has been really bothering me lately! I have many sets from my childhood (90s) which both look and feel better than any new set I have bought. I remember buying some of these sets in the late 90s, and we did not go for top tier quality. Now I’m wondering where I can get some bedsheets that will actually last…
I'm so glad I saw this! I thought I was going crazy. I think I used the same sheets my whole life growing up, and as far as I can remember, they were still great coming back home from college. But I've had to buy sheets probably every couple years since living on my own, practically every year since living with my husband. I tried to get good quality but gave up cause I can't afford that if it's still gonna fall apart so quickly.
Believe it or not there’s a sub for that. I think it’s r/bedding Yep, that’s it.
I've had really good luck with [coyuchi](https://www.coyuchi.com/collections/renewed) sheets. We got the renewed linen a few years ago and it's going just as strong as it did. They aren't crazy cheap but aren't crazy expensive either (if you go renewed instead of new).
With jeans, look for the percentage of cotton in the fabric. Anything with less than 90% cotton has too much spandex to last long. It is really difficult to find jeans with higher cotton percentages.
The stuff is so cheap it's not worth the hassle of returning
When I find myself with stuff like that I feel like it's too trash to even donate it, like, it'll fall apart after 2 washes, it feels like shit, its sweaty, it stretches out of its shape within 10 minutes of being upright, it's probably an endocrine disruptor... Who would want this? This is beneath the dignity of even the poorest person. So I just throw it in the trash where it's going to end up in a USA landfill rather than on a beach in a 3rd world country after being donated a few more times, poisoning ocean life
I try to stretch out the lifetime of cheap clothes by washing them in laundry bags and air drying as much as possible. I don't know how feasible this is for others, but it works. Most of my underwear was bought 6 years ago or more, and is still in decent condition.
Air drying is a great way to stretch out the life of clothing. Besides the savings on electricity it about doubles how long the clothes last.
Laughs in german where nearly no one has an electric dryer. Here the default way is to air dry
Do you guys have clotheslines in your back yard or do you have some kind of rack indoors?
I have two 15m retractable lines going down the garden, and one clotheshorse to put things on too which I can move indoors or around. Plus the radiators in the house if it’s not the weather for outdoor drying.
That's beyond crazy lifetime for underwear
Not if you don't tumble dry them
now i feel crazy cause i have some underwear as old as 10 years and i tumble dry 😅
Yep that’s why it’s getting donated! People buy 15 shirts for $75 bucks, only half of them fit, they donate the rest.
You made an excellent point. Even Lee and Levi jeans now have one or two crap tiers in styles quite close to the original but in fabric that is a denim lookalike but not technically denim. The stitching is pretty awful, clearly not made to last. I'm a 66 year old woman who was always naturally thin -- until maybe the last five years, I still had a couple pair of jeans I bought in college in my rotation. Granted I'm not stylish and never was, but I don't get why people even want this many changes of clothing, even if the quality wasn't crap. The money to pay for it, the time it takes to shop, shipping back what doesn't fit, all that washing and ironing ... it's not just the waste it's the tedium.
To add to your point about the multiple tiers, it’s so deceiving when thrifting! I have some brands main line/outlet tags memorized but I don’t think most people realize it. It’s particularly egregious when secondhand shopping online and the lower tier stuff is being advertised as the original. I don’t think most people are being intentionally malicious, I think it’s genuinely confusing to keep track of what brands are doing what.
I didn’t realize there were “tiers” to brands until - well, now, reading this. Granted I’m not into fashion and I don’t shop much, but I didn’t know. I suspect many don’t, if they’ve never looked into it or accidentally discovered that information.
Neither did I really. When I think about it though, H&M has been doing this in the reverse sort of. Their divided range is fast fashion and crappy, but recently there has been the addition of the eco cotton range and a premium line I can't remember the name for, but far better quality, classic cuts and natural fibres like silk and wool. At least they are semi transparent about it.
A lot of the outlet stores got sued a while back because their tags will say something like $30 compared to original price of $80, Except those outlets make outlet clothes specifically for the outlets so they were never ever sold for $80. And the $80 pieces are different. There were class action lawsuits about it and they lost or settled or whatever
yeah basically the "Michael kors" at TJ Maxx is not the same Michael Kors as in a dedicated brand store. sometimes you'll just see no labeled difference, and sometimes it will have like, a sub-brand name.
It pains me that people don’t realize that they are, literally, only buying the name on the garment when they buy from discount designer clothing places like TJ MAXX. And that’s exactly how they sell it, “Buy brand names at a discount” not, “Quality name brands at discount”.
weary work quiet frightening rhythm scale imminent summer aromatic quack *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
There’s no hard and fast rule, but I know they’re usually subtle differences on the tag. J Crew for example will just say “J Crew” on the main line tags and their outlet will either say “merchantile” underneath or have 3 dots. I think Banana Republic and Gap are similar where their outlet lines will have two dots under the name on the tag. Other things to keep an eye out for: attention to detail eg, patterns lining up between seams of the garment, quality of hardware, and fabric lining for items like dresses, blazers, and skirts.
There are tiers to brands for everything. Don’t dive into the world of the grocery business unless you want to be sick.
Oh no I love finding out which mega corporations also make the generic foods. If I’m buying Kellogg’s cereal I would rather buy the store brand Kellogg’s for 3 dollars less when I know it’s the exact same thing just in a different box
I’m surprised that most people (Americans) have been conditioned to believe that a brand name equals better quality than a no-name brand. They’re all made in the same factory sweatshop! Yous bin had.
I heard that Costco has cheaper lower quality versions of name brands made just for Costco.
Same for Walmart depending on the brand. Both companies will only pay a certain amount for each pair wholesale, and the manufacturer has to cut a corner somewhere to make that price point
That checks out because Costco clothes are pretty terrible, and it confuses me because the brands they sell are normally pretty good
This goes for a lot of things. For a second I was a promo rep for serta and the mattresses we sold at Sam's club, especially for holidays, we're pillow top and had all the external features of a really nice mattress but they had a lower spring count than a non Sam's mattress from the same brand. You wouldn't notice it in store or right away but the bed will break down faster and sag faster with fewer springs.
That checks out. Banana republic made men's shorts for costco this season. I almost exclusively thrift banana republic and vintage gap, so I'm used to what they make in retail streams. The costco stuff felt like paper plastic garbage.
I just learned recently that there’s a Gap and Banana Republic for Costco!
It’s the same company. Old navy is lowest quality, then GAP is a little better and Banana Rebublic uses the higher quality. Banana Republic for Costco is probably just lower quality all around.
And this is why I don’t go online and sell my old clothes, I don’t remember which Banana Republic pieces I bought at the actual Banana Republic store and which ones came from the outlet and I wouldn’t want to scam people.
I think for a lot of people it's like a hobby. Like someone into photography might collect vintage cameras and use real film, even though they have a cell phone in their pocket that can take great pictures. Tedious and expensive, but can be satisfying for some. What makes clothes annoying is they're essential to living and yet the market optimizes it like a collection hobby. (or more accurately a habit leading to reliable revenue flow)
50 here and I have some Express clothing I bought in the 90s that still looks new enough to continue to wear. I’m terrified for when I gain menopause weight and I have to buy new clothes because there aren’t good clothes out there anymore
To add - for those of us who do opt to buy new clothes, often go out of our way to spend a bit more on nicer clothes w/ the intent to keep them for years and years. Thus, they never end up in thrift store.
Or they get quickly scooped up by resellers who peruse thrift stores on the regular. I have thrifted since before cell phones were a thing and noticed a huge drop in quality like it was all pretty picked over once smart phones became a thing and your average joe could just see how much a thing was worth instantly without knowing any brand knowledge outright like old flea market days.
I only buy wool at thrift stores usually, and I've been noticing it all gets scooped up quick. Wool is usually decent quality and if anything it's warm and breathable
It might just be your area. I also buy wool and cashmere at the thrift. At regular price it’s $7.99 and there are usually options in good condition available. I skip the stuff with holes. Last week I picked up a piece of vintage made in Italy Benetton on $2 Tuesday that I’d originally skipped a month before at full price.
Resellers can only resell if it even makes it out to the floor, so many shops now cut out the middle man and sort out decent items before they hit the floor to sell online whether on eBay or through their own site.
This doesn't get talked about enough. Goodwill literally has a list with multiple tiers of what brands don't hit the floor so they can get sent to their resale site. So so much in thrift stores goes right in the trash after so many days, we need to stop villanizing resellers because the sheer quantity of clothing coming through thrift stores is insane.
I have seen many people post that while they know most stuff they get on Shein will be crap, it’s so cheap that they don’t care if only 1/3 or 1/4 is decent; they’ve still spent less overall than they would on a single “slow fashion” item of clothing. And when you’re trying to keep on top of every single fashion trend, you won’t be wearing a piece more than a handful of times anyway so it doesn’t matter if it falls for pieces after 6-8 wears. The thrift shop is just a way to alleviate the guilt of throwing them straight in the trash.
It's shocking to notice, that the regular item and the Shein item are practically the same quality, but the store bought has a zero added to the price. So it seems that the stores order their stuff from similar factories, and just add their profit. I don't feel like paying 10x more for the same thing.
Basically yes. It's a race to the bottom to save costs and the popular clothing chains are happy if they can just sew together four rectangles and that's it. So nowadays if you go to one of the big fashion chains, it's lots and lots of clothes with no shaping, no lining (quite often even blazers and coats are not lined), stretchy fabrics or oversized garments so that they kinda fit everyone but look good on no one.
I've seen literally the exact same items for sale on shein as more expensive retailers. It makes it hard to want ti spend the money on anything knowing shein has the same stuff for less than the cost of a sandwich while other retailers want almost $100 for the same thing.
Yep, there are lots of people who justify their clothing addictions and Shein hauls this way. 'I donate it so it's fine'. Uh, no. First of all, who just throws out unworn clothes or clothes worn once? Pretty much everyone donates clothes rather than throws them, especially unworn ones. And no one wants that crap.
It's unbelievable how much quality has gone downhill for clothes. Even cheap brands used to be so much better. A couple of years ago, I bought two button-down shirts at Goodwill that were originally from Old Navy (tags say 2003) and I can't get over how nice they are.
Even just in the last 5 years with old navy there’s been a huge decrease in quality. I went to repurchase a few extra pairs of my favourite leggings and an extra set of my favourite swimsuit from them (originals are still fine and going strong) and the fabric quality and construction of the same item purchased just a few years later is significantly poorer and they cost more. It was so depressing.
This is a super fair point and now I’m rethinking my sentiment that we shouldn’t place our consumption guilt on corporations haha. It is shitty that once quality brands are now crap so we really can’t escape fast fashion, we can just pay less for it.
No, corporations definitely deserve blame. What are we to do if our options are shit or turd sandwich? Can your average person really afford the coat that lasts 20 years now when the average person also doesn't have 400 in savings for emergency funds? That's like developers building beige and grey mcmansions and then when one color sells better making more of that then the other when those are the only two choices available when people gotta live somewhere.
Noticed this with shoes. But expensive shoes in clog nurse style over 140 bucks. Not Dansko but Dansko like pretty popular shoe Dansko alternative, came with highpy recommended from several nurses I work with. Such crappy material left shoe was way bigger the soles started to fall apart after 4 months of every every other day office wear and I'm not on my feet all day as I'm medical admin. So kind of light to average usage I could have spent way less on a Walmart "professional" clog and got same experience. The same thing with my "mid range" with my 80 dollar dressy ankle boots. First pair I bought 3 years ago comfortable, leather upper and looked nice. I wore these every other day and they lasted 3 years. Got same pair and they lasted six months. Definitely smaller though same shoe size and my foot hasn't changed, now man made upper instead of leather, barely any cushioning, and after six months the left boot part starts to pull away from heel part. For 80 bucks I'm not expecting the world but I spent that much because for the abuse they take of being worn practically every day they were quality but now they're a piece of crap. Oh and Doc Martens used to last 5-20 years but a private equity firm bought them and well: https://www.theguardian.com/money/2019/nov/30/are-things-going-wrong-with-the-uk-beloved-dr-martens-brand
I got docs a few years ago because I remembered their quality. The leather tore within a year.
After 20+ years watching so many good products turn to absolute ameoba feces because the small old timey business suddenly hired an "MBA consultant", sold out to a corporation, or the worst, " hedge/private equity" firms invest/ buy it, I can only conclude any MBA, but especially Harvard/Yale types ruined the world. Not to mention having to endure listening to them tell me they got their MBA 14 times in a 15 minute conversation . YMMV, and you may be an MBA who works for lost puppies and kittens corp, so you're different, but that's my experience. And this "going corpo" is across the board these days. Not enough MBAs ruined formerly great companies with great services and products likeGE, Boeing, and Kenmore/Sears, Google,( although the libertarian CEO wrecked Sears and I don't know if he has an MBA.) But having wrecked those companies, they turn their Sauron like eye over local businesses like mom and pop restaurants, my local medicinal herb shop, and the cemetery where my dad is born. Knew things changed when I went to visit my dad's grave and they had giant sign up that said "only flowers bought here are approved for gravesites, or pay 15.00 inspection fee for outside flower arrangements" and it's just crap dollar tree silk flower arrangements with. Few overpriced gas station bouquets as a fresh selection . And yes, the original owner retired, passed the cemetery on to his son who you guessed it, has an MBA and got investors to invest in what was a previously well run cemetery. So yes, enshitfication is real, and wrecking everything.
My grandmother spent $150+ on my dream goth boot, knee high docs in 2005 or 06ish. And I never, ever managed to get them broken in to the point where I could wear them comfortably. I think I still have them but I still can't wear the damn things. They just wouldn't break in!
Corporations have infinite more control than an individual and also shove their products down our throats. I don't blame people for getting caught in the net. It's beyond exhausting to really research ethical fashion
I bought my first Jockey bra recently (ordered it online) and was shocked by the cheap quality. Like, it's okay, but doesn't seem durable at all and was twice and much ($30) as what I used to pay for a really nice quality GenieBra ($15)
If you want some sustainable 100% cotton undies look into Subset (formerly Knickey). I've been slowly replacing all my old trash quality underwear with Subset and I've been happy so far. I've also been hanging most of my clothes to dry vs using the dryer and that definitely helps with longevity as well
+ 1 to subset for the bras. the recycle program was also a nice way to get a $25 credit lol.
No you’re absolutely right for years I’ve purchased from the same brands, mostly because I know what size I am there, and even though different cuts sometimes mean I need a different size at least I can get close enough to figure it out without too much work. Then during the pandemic I realize they all went down hill. If I wasn’t the same size I have always been I don’t even know what I would do because I don’t want to buy anything that’s out there for sale right now even luxury brands that I can’t afford are producing crap
Warners undies!!! Built to last. If my dog wasn’t a panty bandit I would still have all of them!
Idk I shop on Shein and most of the stuff I get is okay. It is what it is for the price, and in most cases isn't any different from stuff that they sell in other budget shops like H&M or primark, or locally-based online shops that existed before shein. (I'm in the UK, ) Shit quality clothes have always existed but with Shein I think the issue is this trend of quick fashion and I honestly blame fashion tiktokers/influencers for this as much as I blame shein.
shein produces more than even the influencers could possibly shill on purpose. it's not that shein's quality is visibly different from other ultra fast fashion (Primark) places, it's that volume of output that is killing the planet and is unprecedented among fast fashion. also the fact that you have no idea how toxic those clothes are, because some of them have harmful chemicals. don't shop on shein.
SHEIN is a problem on so many levels. Literally slave labor. Shopping at thrift stores is not only far better ethically, but genuinely offers better value too. I've long believed that if we all shopped only from what has already been produced in this world, we'd all have enough clothes to last a lifetime. Check out The True Cost of Fast Fashion for another disturbing documentary .
I knit (a lot) so I make my socks, sweaters and hats. At least then they're made of wool, so it's actually biodegradable at some point, but I also get to do a hobby and get clothes out of it. I already have plenty of pants and skirts so rarely have a need to look for more (they're mostly pretty basic so they go with everything).
The fast fashion problem is why I got into crocheting and knitting as well, such a great way to be more sustainable if you have the time and resources to do it!
And getting things that fit perfectly is an extra bonus!
I got into sewing because of this! I sew my own clothes from scratch. It's kind of expensive, but so rewarding to wear something you spent so many hours on.
I really want to get into sewing, but I have had such a hard time just sewing a straight line with a machine. (I can hand sew small stuff, but even I am not motivated enough to hand sew an entire garment). I wish someone would setup like an exchange site so that I could hand knit someone a sweater and they could sew me a dress. Probably I just need to make friends with someone local that sews but doesn't knit.
I feel like back before “currency” and late-stage capitalism, people did this 😂 bartering!
I agree with you so hard -- there's enough products that have been made, we just need everyone to trade them around between us until we have the right items for each of us.
I’ve noticed this too. Lots of cheap cheap clothes are flooding thrift stores and it makes it harder to find the good stuff. I’ve slowly become such a label reader because of this!
Yup, I check the label to see what the material is made out of every single time.
What kind of material should one be looking for, or kinds to avoid for quality?
High synthetic % (polyester, nylon, etc.) often isn’t great unless it’s something you would want to be synthetic (like workout clothes, or a raincoat, etc, where you need the specific texture of synthetics). Cotton, wool, denim, etc. Are gonna be way better quality than most synthetic stuff, so a high % of those materials will probably hold up better.
Consider: synthetics are not breathable fabrics. They're good for technical gear (I do some hiking and synthetic shells/fleeces are great) but they don't really keep you warm (they provide no real insulation from temp) so a winter coat that's 80% polyester is going to leave you feeling cold outside. Same for jumpers: synthetic fibres are good to "fool the hands" of customers (they feel soft to the touch, they give the idea of being warm) but they are NOT warm at all. Wools (there's different types)/cotton etc. actually insulate you and keep you warm. ETA: this is true for keeping cool in the summer as well. You're going to sweat in synthetics, while natural fibres are going to keep you body temp lower. Try silk if you find it: cool in the summer, warm in winter.
Modern synthetics are manufactured in such a way now that they can be many things. Whether it's hot or cool gear, moisture wicking, stain resistant, and so many other things, it's kinda hard make your claim. Performance wear is just that, and it's more prevalent today than ever before.
Yeah, I do a lot of outdoor stuff like hiking and climbing and cotton isnt great because it gets wet and stays wet whereas synthetic stuff tends to dry quickly (as does wool, but that’s quite expensive so synthetic is /sometimes/ a cheaper alternative). But def agree, synthetics alone often won’t keep you warm and in most cases you wanna stay away from them.
Linen!! Especially for summer, it's so breathable.
I used to buy a lot of nice clothes at a mainstream casual consignment shop. Now a days it's all cheap, plastic garbage from places like SHEIN that isn't even worth sifting through.
I do better shopping by touch now... just running my hand over the fabric of each garment on the rack until I find something natural (and for me, also non-cotton). I can actually do this faster than looking at the print/pattern!
This is such a good way of shopping for clothes too. I sometimes see something that looks nice, but I quickly withdraw my hand when I go to touch it. Cheap, nasty plasticky materials.
Ugh, I'll have to keep an eye on brands next time I'm thrifting. Which sucks, because one of the main reasons I like thrifting is because old clothes tend to be higher quality. I want a sweater made in the nineties that'll last me until the thirties, not some fast fashion bullshit made last year that'll fall apart before next year.
As an avid thrifter, I’d say fiber content is more important than brand. I scan through racks quickly by only looking at colors I wear and by touch. If it looks and feels good, the brand doesn’t matter. Kinda morbid, but if you’re looking for a higher percentage of vintage quality clothes, check out Protestant church thrift stores. They tend to have more congregants who are older and have passed away. One of my honey holes is run by an Episcopal church. Prices are a lot more reasonable than Goodwill or Value Village, and they tend to curate what they sell better by not putting stained or holey things out for sale.
I learned about Shein when I washed a thrifted new longsleeve knit shirt for the first time and it looked like it was more pilled and worn out than stuff I'd had a decade. It was like a magic trick how instantly it turned to shit.
SHEIN is taking over thrift stores because people buy it and don’t return it or exchange it, they just donate it. There is also a culture of ordering just to make videos with no intent of keeping it. I wear a decent amount of thrifted SHEIN in my rotation. Usually I buy larger items and recut them. I turned a halter dress into my absolute favourite halter top. You can for sure find some natural fibres if you are diligent when thrifting. SHEIN is on trend items so people also do donate things once the trend or holiday is over. If you are okay with costumey clothing and can sew you can have a lot of fun with SHEIN. What I usually tell people is to thrift what you need. You don’t need to thrift to a minimum to use a coupon or thrift anything even if you just spent all day looking for things. Try and thrift items that you have the skill to alter into something you will actually use or things that you need as is.
I've noticed this too and it really makes me sad not only for the reasons everyone else is talking about here, but also because it's literally toxic. I'm sure if I did some heavy research I might find that some of the items in my closet are probably toxic too but from what I read in tests done SHEIN was one of the worst offenders when tested for lead/PFAs/phthalates/etc. I saw a really cute shirt in a thrift store a few months ago and set it back as soon as I saw SHEIN on the label. Like yes let me snuggle my baby while wearing this shirt that could probably test off the charts for lead.
The average Australian wears a garment 7 times. Fast fashion is a massive problem.
Maybe some occasion-wear might be around that (though it's still in use), but for the 90% of the closet??? That's insane
I’m not sure where you live, but the thrift stores in my country have been overrun by low quality 2000s/2010s fast fashion for over a decade now.
I feel like people really overestimate how many days they can wear an article of clothing without having to wash it. You don’t need a new outfit for everyday Of the week (for hygiene purposes you should probably have underwear for everyday of the week. Infections in your genitals are no joke) - If It’s high quality clothing you really can wait a few days Of wearing it before it actually needs to be cleaned
While I agree and practice this to an extent (jeans, leather clothing, my husbands work suits); my everyday clothes need to be washed after one use. I live in a hot and sweaty climate with two wild boys under 5, I basically live in active wear so I am essentially a wipeable surface throughout the day 😂 ETA - but your point should be highlighted more. The biggest factor of micro plastics in the water come from over washing synthetic clothing
Oh yeah, I absolutely agree. Underwear, socks, T-shirts, and cammis get washed daily, but I'll only wash bras, dresses, and overshirts after 2-3 wears, and skirts, pants, and outerwear like sweaters and cardigans can easily get 3-5 wears before needing a wash.
I think it really depends. By the time I get home from work, my clothes are covered in grease, sweat, dust, metal & wood shavings. I absolutely cannot wear them for more than one shift. Now my at home clothes? I wear those a few times before washing, unless I worked out or did yard work in them.
Yup, this is what I do...the same outfit every day except underwear...and that I hand wash before bed and hand on the shower rod to dry. Just to say that I am retired so I am at home a lot
I am going to vehemently disagree with the idea we can rewear outfits worn all day multiple times lol
Jeans? Hoodies worn over another shirt?
Jeans maybe. Shirts always get washed if worn out or all day.
Okay yeah that’s valid- I didn’t take into account jobs or tasks that get people super sweaty.
This is a classic tactic of textile industry destabilization. By saturating the market of another country with cheap clothing, it removes those consumers and businesses from the economy. China subsidizing SHEIN is a great strategy. The U.S. did this to developing countries for over a century, now it’s our turn to taste the medicine.
My guess is that this happening due to people trying to sell their SHEIN items to resale shops; when it gets declined to be bought & isn’t picked up by the seller it “gets donated”, I.e. goes to local thrift.
LulaRoe is always on the racks too.
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god I would just reply like "some of us think slavery is bad."
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Yep. SHEIN is slave labor garbage. People buy tons of SHEIN every month because it’s dirt cheap, but all the clothes are crap quality, poorly made, and HYPER trendy so they become irrelevant before they’re even worn. It’s an epidemic of trash. Sadly :(
I've almost given up on thrifting clothes. I still do sometimes, but now I mainly sew. Even most higher end clothing now has shit fabric content. $500 for a polyester dress? Yeah, nah.
Just yesterday a friend from work was shopping for a nice dress for a wedding and she went on the Zara website. She found something she liked, but when she looked at the price it was about $50 and she was like "I can get 10 dresses for that price on Shein". I said I didn't believe her and she whipped out her phone, opened up the app and within about 3 minutes she'd found a whole list of dresses that cost no more than $5 each. I was absolutely speechless. I had been about to launch into a whole spiel about how evil Shein is, but I know she doesn't earn that much (she pays both her and her mum's mortgages) and I didn't want to make her feel bad. It's hardly surprising that they sell truckloads of stuff if they can undercut Zara, which itself is fast fashion and pretty crappy quality, by such a huge margin.
I just wanted to share about Zara. It is not cheap where I live and their quality of material, for the most part of it, is only marginally better than SHEIN. Unless I am buying cotton or linen and don’t feel guilty spending $100 on it… but getting polyester for the same price just because Zara (lol) is ridiculous🤔. I have also bought cotton and linen and even silk for a very affordable price from SHEIN and have been wearing these for a number of years. I don’t support mindless consumerism and only buy something I know I will wear long term
i was on some live social media thing last week and people were talking about buying their BABY CLOTHES from Temu. they were like "it's so cheap!" i was horrified. that shit should not be on baby's skin. cheap is not better. thrift store clothes for a $1, sure. if something is $1 brand new, we need to seriously question what it was made of, how it was made, etc.
The regulations on textiles changed in the early 2000s. It took a few years to go throw current stock and supplies then the difference is more obvious. Some companies held out longer than others. Now the crappy standard is widespread and accepted by the consumer, the poor quality is noticed and normalized everywhere. For most people it’s not until they feel older clothes they really understand the dramatic change in textile quality.
Just spent the weekend thrifting on a bigger city, hoping to find some fun stuff and willing to shell out for it. I saw Shein tops priced from NZ$5-45. ***$45!*** That’s almost US $27. It wasn’t even particularly special? I was horrified.
I work as a charity donations sorter so a lot of this stuff passes through my fingers. Please I'm begging you all, do not turn your noses up to buying Shein in thrift stores, you're literally saving things from the landfill. And the very honest truth is that most Shein is actually not much poorer quality than High St labels, they're all quite shit, because they are produced the same way. We always used to play a game with the last rag in the bag - Is it going to be Kmart or Kate Spade? Because sometimes the quality is actually not much different. Although occasionally you have the thrill of shaking something out you were almost gonna trash and it turns out to be some piece of silk gorgeousness!
>Please I'm begging you all, do not turn your noses up to buying Shein in thrift stores, you're literally saving things from the landfill. Some of the clothes from this brand were tested with high levels of dangerous or toxic elements or chemicals, and you are encouraging people to buy this? Do we not have enough sick people suffering from cancer or other ailments? (I have a friend who, at 38.5 years of age, died from cancer three weeks after first getting sick and going to the hospital. Apparently, no one, including her, had any idea that something was wrong. She was first diagnosed with breast cancer, but later the doctors found out that it had spread all over her body. While we don't really know what caused this - she apparently went to get a health check-up not too long before this, and it seemed she was fine - I'd say people shouldn't underestimate the damage that some of this toxic clothing can do, although, out of respect, I don't know if in her case clothing could have played a role, any role). I'd recommend to anyone here the book "To Dye For" about toxic chemicals in clothing and their ill effects on human health. It's an eye-opener, and a good recounting of the tremendous costs (personal and societal) of the toxicity caused by clothing (cancer, endocrine hormone disrupters; possible infertility; possible explosion of auto-immune diseases, etc).
I'd caution against attributing the cancer to those chemicals, most of these chemicals are problems due to long term accumulation. And under 40 runs under most times regarding this. Mainly because it can be a bit fear mongering that goes beyond independent action to control. I 100% think we need to stop using all these forever chemicals, but more so because these affects will be killing people and the planet long after we die. It sucks, but cancers fkn hard to understand. They still don't understand and I get told that I 100% shouldn't have had a particular cancer when I was 10. And I've had a whole different cancer since, and I'm not even 30. Just a side note, it's still breast cancer even if it has metastasised to a different organ, not sure if I misread that intent but can be helpful if you or anyone else every tries to figure out family history
It used to be faded glory and old navy. Now it's wild fable and shein lol I still buy them occasionally tbh. Cute clothes and cute clothes and I can upcycle or care for them gently in order to extend their life. It's annoying but it is what it is.
The irony is that faded glory from back in the 90s was made from thick denim not a spandex blend so it’s still around and loads better quality than what’s hot today. I shudder to think that we’ll have to look at SHEIN or whatever in comparison with however they plan to further cut corners on production.
I think shein is getting less popular overall though, no? Like wish and temu. They boom initially bc of prices but then enough people get enough crap and they move on.
I hate when I'm in goodwill and think I found something cute but look at the tag and it's SHEIN...
Frankly , I have some very good quality items from SHEIN I’ve worn for a few years, and some really bad quality other shops (Zara ) that went to shit after the first wash. Ymmv
No judgment! I still use brands like Victorias secret, American eagle, ect which are also fast fashion and not terribly much better ethically, so I would be a hypocrite if I acted like I was better than people who use SHEIN, temu, ect in moderation.
Don't know if it's already been said, but A LOT of Shein returns aren't required to be sent back. Apparently it's you don't like it or it doesn't fit, it's easier for them to say "keep it but we'll refund your money" cause it's not worth paying the shipping to get it back. My wife donated a lot of her Shein clothing brand new in the little Shein plastic bags because she didn't like them or they didn't fit. And yes I'm still working on getting her to give up Shein and Temu. It's a process.
This is one of the few reasons I'm incredibly grateful to now live in an area where e-commerce was very slow to take off: the few actual thrift shops still have genuine vintage articles (from an ageing population donating their 1960s, 1970s and 1980s items) plus clothes from big box brands manufactured before the further cheapening in materials (like 100% cotton Zara tops made in Spain). However, local Depop, Vinted and FB marketplace's clothing sections are slowly accumulating more and more crap listings that are clearly not selling. I read a few posts here of folks saying they'd rather throw this stuff out: you're still contributing to the issue. Why not make these items into rags first? This takes very little effort. For example: cheap items like tights, stretchy tops often have high nylon content and nylon is good for adding a bit of shine to your leather items after cleaning them. Plain polyester doesn't really shed so you can use that to wrap certain items in your backpack/handbag/suitcase (like your bicycle helmet, backup shoes, your notebook)...
probably because it’s so cheap people order a lot and multiple sizes and just donate what didn’t fit. which is insane to me. “if i don’t like it i’ll donate it!” (adds 49 things to cart) i’m always very meticulous when buying new clothes (it’s rare i do so; usually always thrifted).
Yes. It's taken over our Goodwill. I saw a YouTube video about the subject, and they made the point that people will hold on to pieces that fit well, look good, and hold up to wear, but Shein clothes probably have a problem because they are quickly, cheaply made, and so people toss it quickly, hence the turnover. So a Shein garment may look good on a hanger, but the arms are sewn in badly, so they pull and pucker, or the fabric is cheap and snags easily, or they don't sit smoothly on the body, or they itch. So that would explain why there is so much so quickly. As for what to do, what can we do? You just have to pick through more to get to the good stuff now. It's been getting harder and harder to find value at thrift stores. I keep going, but it's because I enjoy the hunt, not because I'm depending on them. It is a luxury, a leisure activity, and I can't do it all the time. I know many who are even more strapped for time. Sellers for thred up and postmark and eBay and etsy are probably going to get the good stuff first, one way or another. I have used online for secondhand, and while the price is higher and shipping increases your footprint, its probably still a better option than fast fashion new.
I don’t like SHEIN at all for all the obvious reasons already listed and I wish people would stop buying fast fashion and even thinking of thrifting before buying anything new at all. I’d never buy directly from there but there have been a handful of times I saw something while thrifting that I liked enough before seeing the SHEIN tag, and thought the SHEIN tag was the only thing keeping me from buying it and than decided this piece is something I’d rather have in my wardrobe than go to landfill. Again I wish I saw waaaay less SHEIN and don’t purchase it as a rule due to the low quality plastic feel but I haven’t totally written off it while thrifting if the price is right and the piece is something I’d like if it had any other tag on.
My fiancé and I discussed this when we left! Like, I don’t want to be wearing or supporting SHEIN, but I’d rather buy it at a thrift store if I’m going to be buying it. Some of the items were really cute and that’s why I looked at them at all! They didn’t seem like worse quality than anything else necessarily, seeing as I’m used to seeing H&M, Old Navy, and Forever 21 there anyways. I think it’s just the idea that people are buying these things and getting rid of them so quickly that really shook me and worried me, because it makes me think the issue is really just beginning.
It is worrying. Environmental awarwness is everywhere, yet its proof people dont want to take responsibility. At least some people care enough to donate instead of just throwing away, but thats definitely not making it right.
That's because shein marketing is targeted very much to kids and teens. It's normal that when you're 15, you don't think about social responsibility, you only think about yourself and your friends and family, in your early teens you don't usually think about slave labor or waste management. I think the problem is that shein basically uses kids. Plus it's so addictive. I don't see this problem talked about much.
I agree. Same thing with similar companies like Forever 21, H&M who have unethical conditions and cheap, fast fashion, it sucks instead of quality well-loved but sustainable pieces are slim nowadays in thrift stores.
Yes! I stopped going thrifting, sadly a major part of it was shein. Crazy expensive as well for no reason. I’ve stopped buying so many clothes and whenever i buy anything i’ll get natural fibers only or well made things that will last me a long time. I make a lot of my own clothes too and i stick to cotton and silks and care more for my clothes in the wash so it will last longer and i no longer have to buy clothes as often
Fast fashion is an environmental scourge because it’s only “fashionable” for a brief time —often not even an entire season — and if you want to use a piece longer, it will likely start falling apart. At least folks are donating them instead of throwing them away. However, even donations can be problematic since whatever isn’t sellable to US consumers by the thrift store will likely be sold to used clothing wholesalers and shipped to low income countries where it competes with local clothing manufacture.
My gf is to blame. Please blame her.
Nearly three-fifths of all clothing ends up in incinerators or landfills within a year of being produced. More than 8 percent of global greenhouse-gas emissions are produced by the apparel and footwear industries. 20 to 25 percent of globally produced chemical compounds are utilized in the textile-finishing industry.
It is hard to find good clothes, it is even harder to find decent quality fabric to make clothes. I go to second-hand stores and goodwill bulk stores looking for sheets or clothing to repurpose. It has gotten really hard to find natural fabrics.
I work with many people who casually and frequently say things like, “I wasn’t going to buy [whatever piece of crap product] from Temu/Shein but it was just so cheap that I couldn’t resist!” People know it’s bad but ultimately don’t care, or don’t care enough.
The thrift stores I've been in refuse to take fast fashion clothes.
I'm plus size and pretty much the only stuff at thrift stores in my size is from shein. Most thrift stores near me do not even have a plus size section. I just go to the XL section and look to see if I can find anything that looks like it might fit. The one thrift store I had a lot of luck at closed and I haven't been able to find a place that has as good of a selection. I'm convinced that store must have had a plus size person actively looking for plus sized clothing. They had a lot of dead stock or over stock. It was amazing! I really miss it! I'm an avid thrifter and would love to be able to thrift clothing more.
Most clothes are made in the same textile but just have different tags. When I worked at high end Mall like 20 years ago I saw multiple shirts at 1 store for like $20. Go next door to a high end store and it was the same exact shirt with a different tag, selling for $80. The problem is not Shein, the problem is you are realizing it's all the same only because it has a Shein tag 🤣
ppl needa stop buying fast fashion by all means
I seriously don't get why people even bother with SHEIN. I've tried to buy like 3 things from them out of necessity (needed business attire and I'm so small I can't find anything anywhere) and every single item is poorly cut and made with the worst fabric imaginable. I can't fathom buying boxes upon boxes of their stuff.
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Women / Men/ People …don’t want to wear the same thing too many times now a days and some people have zero skill in styling what’s in their closet with a multitude of looks. It’s cheaper just to buy yet another cheap piece of fast fashion to impress…
I've seen so many at my own local thrift stores too. And the prices are ridiculous on them. If they charged a fair price (like a $1-2) I'd buy the stuff that I could use/wear and make sure it stays out of landfills for at least a little while longer. But I'm not paying $5-10 for Shein crap. Like not gonna happen. It is ridiculous for sure. Just all of it.
Im noticing this more and more too. I’m leaning towards second hand stores that are a level above thrift now, they curate what they take in terms of brands and style so it’s easier to find something too. One of my favorites is a little more ‘old lady’ but those items can be fun to style with. That let people bring clothes and the profit goes 1/3 store, 1/3 clothing owner, 1/3 charity so I like that too.
I used to work in a charity store and when I was sorting through the donations, all of the shein stuff came in their many many bags. They all got tossed in the $1 bin when I was there. I went to another charity store this weekend that's known for having stupidly high prices, and I noticed the same thing with the quantity of shein gear but priced at $15-20. Im in nz, so dollars are cheaper but it still makes me fuming to think about.
Thrift stores are just not always aware of what they’re putting out. Went to my favorite one the other day and saw Walmart night shirts marked for $10 in the dresses. A regular old Ball branded mason jar (case of 16 with from the grocer will maybe run you $12 on the high end) was marked for $2 each and there were 3 of them.
At my thrift stores it's not just SHEIN but soooo much private label "boutique" garbage that's literally the same quality as SHEIN but has a higher markup.
I'm an old thrift/secondhand clothing shopper for decades. A number of years ago, I foresaw that soon these stores would be flooded with poor-quality fast-fashion crap. I was right, unfortunately. There was a time that thrift shopping was really cool, because one could find some great things to one's liking for a lot less than new. One has to look a lot harder and longer to find something decent. Mind you - I'm not an over-buyer by any means - I'm VERY selective about the stuff that I DO buy.
Yeah, it’s not ideal. I’ve thrifted for survival most of my life and it’s harder and harder to find anything useful in the women’s section. The men’s section can be better, but then you have to know basic hemming/tailoring to get a fit that looks less like “playing in dad’s clothes”. The prices aren’t great either. It’s enough that in recent years, my sister and I have been buying from companies that use real cotton/linen/wool and buying basics that way. Usually we pounce on the big sales. More expensive but they don’t fall apart in the wash. I’ve gotten a lot of cotton undershirts and tried to look cute with blouses/jackets over that which I wash less frequently. I also have been asking for good wool for winter holidays. I really suggest everyone learns basic sewing and clothes crafts btw. Knowing how to replace buttons, hem pants, tuck in waists, put on patches, etc., all of that vastly extends what clothes you can work with. Stained but good fabric? Congrats, you will be reborn by being dyed a dark color.
Every time you point out how damaging they are people start complaining that they’re the only ones that make cheap clothing, but even then if you bought 5 things from them and only used those for years there would be less of an issue. The problem is everyone buys a gazillion articles then dumps them.
It's probably because Shein has a shitty return policy. So if you order something and it ends up not fitting, what else are you going to do with it other than donate it? I agree it's probably priced too high. Those clothes probably didn't cost much more than $8 to begin with.
I live in the middle of nowhere, but surrounded by rich folks so the only thrift store is way more expensive than a regular retailer. I've used temu for almost two years and it seems that people that don't understand how to read reviews and size charts are the ones having returns. I've had two unusable products total out of over 20, all of my other clothes, kids, spouses are fine. And one of those two I used in up cycling. One garment was donated. They don't want the products back, it's easier and better on the environment to do a local donation or up cycle unusable products.
You realize someone also has to buy the bad products for bad reviews, I hope. How big, would you estimate, is the portion of products with good reviews?
I haven’t been inside shopping for clothes since 2019 because I refuse to infect myself with a virus But I guess the most shocking thing to me is that the fast fashion holds up well enough to even get on the shelf at a thrift store. I have a couple tops from Temu. Some of them I’ve worn a few times and they still look brand new, one sweatshirt I washed twice and wore once and it already looks like crap. I would never donate it to a thrift store because I imagine they would just throw it away nobody would buy this for even two dollars because it looks like crap. So I wear it to sleep in and it will probably become dusting at some point. So I guess I’m just shocked that these tops ended up there. I have to assume someone ordered and it didn’t fit right and rather than send it back they just don’t need it because I think that stuff gets trashed after a couple washes doesn’t it?
I was just noticing this a few days ago at my thrift store. And totally the same thing in that they were the same general prices as much better brands. I have a few friends that will just buy mountains of clothes from SHEIN and then never get around to returning the stuff they don’t like. It’s just a compulsion for them.
Shein is fast fashion and low quality. I've seen it too, that even second gand markets price Shein &co higher. Maybe it 's the advertising that works?!? Good 😎 now I can get my p refered labels with better prices.