Many students at AFHS love nothing more than sitting in their bedroom, opening up their laptop and spending the afternoon scrolling absent-mindedly on online stores, content in their knowledge that plastic bags encasing their new wardrobe will arrive on their doorstep in hours. According to CNBC, while retail therapy can occasionally lift spirits, a study out of Boston College and Harvard Business School suggests that splurging on luxury items will backfire and make people feel worse.
From an emotional perspective, buying luxury goods provides instant gratification. After all, acquiring these products makes people feel good, raising self-esteem, confidence, and superficially, social status. Nailya Ordabayeva, associate professor of marketing at Boston College, explains why, saying, “consumers are particularly attracted to luxury when they feel less confident and less powerful compared to others.”
Fast fashion doesn’t just harm the psyche, it harms the Earth. Numerous instances of horrendous working conditions and cheap clothing piling up in Goodwill stores and in the deserts of Chile, “where fast fashion goes to die,” continues to be ignored as the general public continues to shop at stores like SHEIN.
SHEIN, the greatest perpetrator, originated in China in 2008, boasting an Instagram following of 18 million people and spreading “the beauty of fashion.” Selling clothes at alarmingly low prices and of dubious quality, caused goodonyou to wonder “just how ethical is SHEIN?” They noted that SHEIN, “was no stranger to controversy.” In fact, as recently as 2020, the brand came into the negative limelight when accused of selling wildly offensive items, ranging from Islamic prayer rugs to use for decorative mats to swastika necklaces. Not quite what one thinks of as, “the beauty of fashion.”
Allie Markle (11) agrees, saying that, “the people who use Shein for their retail therapy are creating more harm than good.” She asserts that “fast fashion is giving into the horrible labor conditions of the people who make the clothes.” BBC supports Markle’s statements, reporting that, “a number of staff across six sites in Guangzhou were found to be working 75-hour weeks” and that researchers also found no emergency exits and barred windows.
SHEIN targets the vulnerable teenage group by advertising and sponsoring influencers on Instagram and TikTok. Roberta Lee, a sustainable fashion stylist, points out that SHEIN and other fast fashion firms not only use polyester fabrics which don’t biodegrade, but more importantly that SHEIN “preys on the fears of outfit repetition syndrome.”
The next time you, AFHS, decides to go to online retailers, or maybe even SHEIN, think about the actual blood, sweat, and tears hidden behind the shiny clothes. But you probably won’t, after all, new microtrends in fashion pop up every other week, and you must stay in style, something incredibly shortsighted.
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