It's the bad quality, idea stealing and exploitation of staff for me

 So, I'm sure you all know or at least have heard of Zaful, Shein and Romwe. The online clothing stores with what seems like they have the best bargains. You can buy a range of different items for cheap and it seems like they sell everything and anything. The offers are very tempting and very easily drag you in, however have you ever stopped to think about how these items can be so cheap? Fast fashion is one of those things that can be quite easy to ignore, but I think once you are made aware of it, it can be quite difficult to forget about. For example, the other day I watched a You Tube star do a Shein haul, I was cringing at the amount of items she had and how much they cost and the fact that she was promoting this. Now, I'm not saying this is an issue that can be fixed overnight and that I don't buy fast fashion items because I do, but I do think there needs to be some kind of balance and I don't think these brands are the best way to be finding that balance. 

I strongly recommend reading Lauren Bravo's book How to Break Up with Fast Fashion. It really raises awareness for the fast fashion industry and very unjudgementally offers the advice and knowledge you need to do your part. I also wrote a blog post about my experience with the book and the efforts I am taking to try and reduce my use of fast fashion:

How a Book and a Global Pandemic Helped Me Cure My Fast Fashion Addiction

So these retailers are certainly not the only brands contributing to these issues, that is for sure. However, like I said, they are not exactly doing anything to try and help. So, for me I am going to avoid them at all costs and not only for the negative impact they are having towards fast fashion but for other reasons too. So, this is where I stand. 

It is very clear these brands have a lot of money. When you type in any clothing shop online, Shein will always be above them. They must have paid a lot of money to make this happen. Also, if you're active online, you will most likely have noticed the amount of influencers hauling for them, they will be either paying them to show these clothes or sending them for free. This may not seem like a bad thing, but if you think about how cheap their clothes are, the money they're spending on advertising, it doesn't leave much room for anything else. It's just speculation at this point, but how much are they paying their staff?

So, here are some reasons why you should avoid these brands at all costs. 

1.  Ethically, these brands don't give a sh*t. 

Recently Shein were in the news for a very controversial (more like plain right wrong) item they were selling. The item was a metal swastika pendent necklace. I mean, need I say more?  They did defend these allegations with an excuse, of course. They explained that it wasn't a Nazi symbol, but the Buddhist swastika symbolising spirituality. But, I do think that this was a MASSIVE oversight, considering what the symbol represents and the history behind it, the supposed 'misunderstanding' should never of happened in the first place. I would also like to add they were caught under fire AGAIN for selling prayer mats as decorative rugs too...

2. They lie. 

I recently read a buzz feed article which stated that they used pictures from other retailers websites. The item in question was a swimming suit from Zaful but the image was taken from a copy of 2013 Harper Bazaar. They were selling the item for $17 but the actual swimsuit in the picture was retailing for $246. 

Read it here and see the pictures to prove it: Buzzfeed News: Here's Why You Should Think Twice About Clicking on That $12 Dress on Facebook

If they have done it with one item, then there's a good chance it happens with a lot more. It will also explain why when you receive the item, it looks a lot different to it's pictures. 

3. Cheap, but at what cost?

Yes, their clothes are cheap. But have you ever considered if the item is THAT cheap, then how much was the person who made it paid? Now of course this is all speculation but it doesn't add up, especially if you consider how far the item is coming from, the cost of shipping, the money the company will make, how much they spend paying their influencers, ads, etc; it is not leaving a lot of money left for the garment maker? Is the £6 dress you're wearing worth the exploitation of the person who made it? Unfortunately, this is a reality in fast fashion, 'In the textile factories, some workers do not earn enough in a month to pay for one of the garments that they are producing. They are forced to work in unbearable conditions in order to meet the demands for disposable discount fashion'(https://www.fairtrade.org.uk/media-centre/blog/the-true-cost-of-fast-fashion/). This is an awful cost and for what? A dress that you may only wear once. This is ALL fast fashion brands and not just the ones I am mentioning now. But this must be something you consider when buying something so cheap. 

Now, this may not be enough for you to change your ways, for some people it wont be. It took me along time to realise how bad it was and it is hard to give up, I know that. So here are some reasons that may effect YOU personally. 

4. Awkward customer service and difficult returns and refunds

The last time I purchased from one of these brands was Zaful and it was August. I simply returned the items I had received because the quality of them, was unacceptable. The playsuit I received was as if they had sewn it backwards by mistake, but I had actually bought two in different sizes and they were both like that. Clearly no mistake, just bad quality. 

I really wish I was able to get a better picture here, I only took it because they insisted in having a photo to prove it. But as you can see the material hanging down has been attached inside out, this was the case with both playsuits I ordered. That bit of material also looked ridiculous and unnecessary. 

I would also just like to add, this was clearly their fault and after showing them proof, they still made me return the items and pay £8 for postage.... I returned the item in August and received my refund at the end of October. There was a lot of back and forth with them about getting my money back, I provided proof of postage and everything. It took a lot of time and words to receive my money back. NEED I SAY MORE? I think that pretty much speaks for itself.

 5. The quality of the clothing is not worth your time or money. 

The buzz feed article earlier shows that they are using other images, which makes sense to why when you receive the product it's different to the photo. However, sometimes the clothes you receive just don't add up. 

Jumpsuit with the worlds lowest crotch. 

The measurement for the jumpsuit just didn't work. The crotch was way too low, and this is one of the most common issues with the clothing; the measurements. They just don't fit a human body properly. My torso is not short, therefore the crotch on this jumpsuit shouldn't be this big on me. 

I have seen much worse than this from other people too. Sometimes the quality of these brands just hit the right spot and that is why they continue to be successful, but these minor errors just show the environment these clothes must be being made in. 

So in conclusion, I am not going to sit here and tell you that I am above all and have never shopped at these places because I have. Nor am I going to go through my wardrobe and throw away all the items from these brands, that would be a waste of the work and exploitation of the person who made it. I am going to try and shop more responsibly and I think if everyone did that, then we would make an impact. In reality, Fast Fashion is a good way for all to afford clothes, it allows people love fashion without the hefty price tag but at the same time I think changes need to be made. There are plenty of retailers who are affordable and who are doing what they can do be better. These are the brands we need to be shopping with, the more people who stand by that, the better.  However, one thing I am saying though is NOW I am going cold turkey with Zaful, Shein and Romwe.