Shein Review 2022: Is SHEIN Legit or This Company Is A Scam?
So, you’ve seen all the influencers flaunting Shein fits on TikTok, or maybe have been bombarded with ads for the Shein website. Hey, the pieces are always cute and incredibly cheap.
But is Shein legit or a scam? Like, do they actually make good clothes? Do they ship fast or have a nice customer service team?
The rise of ecommerce site SHEIN is shrouded in mystery and the clothes. Discover phenomenal alternatives to Chinese fast-fashion retailer SHEIN for trendy and cheap clothing for women.
Are you a fan of Shein, or does the company give you pause? This post explores a range of e-commerce destinations for trendy and cheap fast-fashion brands like Shein from stalwarts like Asos, Boohoo and H&M to ethical and sustainable clothing alternatives such as Milk It and Pact.
About SHEIN
Before getting into alternatives to Shein, let’s take a look at the company:
What is SheIn Clothing?
Shein is a Chinese e-commerce platform owned by the Zoetop Business Co. that has become a wildly popular giant in online trendy fast fashion, particularly among teens and young adults. By the end of 2021, Shein had grown to command nearly one-third of the fast-fashion market in the United States.
With a global reach through e-commerce, it sells stylish clothes for men, women, and children. The United States is its biggest consumer market.
One reason Shein has become astronomically successful is the efficiency of its supply chain.
From clothing design to manufacturing, the company maintains tight control over every facet of its business operations, and it makes effective use of automation, data analytics, and artificial intelligence to produce large volumes of clothes targeted at different markets.
TikTok and SHEIN Hauls
Social media platforms, particularly Instagram and TikTok, have been integral to Shein’s success. In fact, Shein is the most mentioned brand on TikTok according to Statista.
Terry Nguyen explains at Vox that, “Shein’s ubiquity, most notably on TikTok, has catapulted the retailer to cult status among young women across the globe.”
Younger consumers with trendy tastes and limited income are especially drawn to Shein, and the company uses an arsenal of strategies to quickly test the appeal of new products and secure online sales.
Nguyen highlights how social media is integral to Shein’s on-demand, small-batch approach to production. “If a specific top goes viral overnight on TikTok… Shein will be able to instantaneously ramp up production on the garment and place additional orders depending on demand,” she writes in Vox.
Through its massive selection of quickly-produced, small-batch, of-the-moment clothing, Shein serves as a destination for cosplay as well as a variety of aesthetics and subcultures including Grey, Dark and Light Academia, Cottagecore, Grunge, Metrosexual, Rude Boys and Rude Girls, and Thriftcore.
What does a SHEIN Haul mean?
A Shein haul refers to the practice of ordering, unboxing and displaying a large amount of cheap clothing from Chinese fast-fashion retailer Shein in front of the camera for social media. While Shein hauls have become most popular on TikTok, there are plenty of examples of the practice on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, and YouTube.
Who founded SHEIN?
Shein’s founder and CEO is Chris Xu, aka YangTian Xu. Christened Shein’s “fast fashion mastermind,” Xu has a background in SEO and digital marketing and had previously sold wedding dresses online.
Where is SHEIN based?
Shein’s corporate headquarters is located in Guangzhou, China. Shein’s Founder originally launched the company from Nanjing, China.
When was SHEIN founded?
Shein was founded in 2008 by entrepreneur Chris Xu.
Who owns SHEIN?
Shein is owned by Zoetop Business Co. Ltd. according to trademark filings available via Justia, online reports and lawsuits filed against the company.
Does SHEIN operate physical stores?
Although Shein has opened up pop-up stores in Chicago, Miami, and other major U.S. cities, the company doesn’t have a network of brick-and-mortar locations in the United States.
How do you pronounce SHEIN?
The correct way to pronounce Shein is “SHE-in,” not “shine,” according to the company via a tweet from its official Twitter account.
What does SHEIN mean?
According to Euromonitor, the Chinese pronunciation of Shein is “Shang-yin,” which means “addiction.”
Searching for Alternatives to SHEIN That Ship From The USA
Shein has also seen its share of controversy. If you’re looking for brands like Shein for women and men, consider these stylish alternatives: Brands Like SHEIN clothing for women.
Websites like SHEIN for Cheap Clothes Online
These brands and stores like Shein may be a better fit for on-trend styles.
- Amazon Labels Lark and Ro and Goodthreads offer trendy fast-fashion alternatives to Shein.
- Stradivarius is Zara’s “trendy little sister” (for women only).
- Milk It – This UK based trendy clothing company makes its garments using recycled or sustainably-produced materials, making it an ethical alternative to Shein.
- Nasty Gal, started with 22-year-old Founder Sophia Amoruso selling vintage out of a basement in San Francisco over eBay in 2006. The company rose and fell quickly, declaring bankruptcy in 2016. The UK-based group revived the brand, which markets to “the ‘girl in progress'” who is “badass to the core, ever-evolving and growing, striving to be better every. damn. day.” Shop Nastygal for everything from cute Valentine’s day lingerie and pajama sets to faux leather knee-high boots to bodycon mini-skirts.
- PrettyLittleThing, another UK-based alternative to Shein, was co-founded in 2012 by Umar Kamani and is part of the bourgeoning Boohoo group empire. Prettylittlething has cheap, trendy fashion from racer bodysuits to roll neck sweaters to crop tops to slinky lingerie.
- Meshki is a Sydney, Australia-based on-trend clothing brand for women. While their clothes aren’t as insanely cheap as SHEIN, their affordable-luxury lineup of dresses, tops, bottoms and basics won’t break the bank. (Think dresses in the $75-$100 range.) Meshkis’ mission is “to empower people worldwide to be confident, ambitious & unstoppable (and dressed head to toe in Meshki).
- 4th and Reckless – This UK-based alternative to Shein makes “Iconic tailored clothing and footwear with an edge. Nordstrom carries the brand too.
- Fashion Nova calls itself “unapologetically sexy” and “the world’s leading quick-to-market apparel and lifestyle brand” for women, which turns around seasonal trendy styles quickly and cheaply like Shein. Look to Fashion Nova for cheap bodysuits, miniskirts, dresses, jeans, shoes and more for women.
- Charlotte Russe – Headquartered in California, Charlotte Russe is targeted to appeal to young women in the teens and twenties with a mix of dirt-cheap fast fashion that mixes everything from denim to fleece to booties and cartoon-printed onesies, making it an interesting U.S.-based alternative to Shein.
- Charming Charlie – Omnichannel retailer Charming Charlie is famous for color throughout its retail stores and across its lineup of trendy clothing. (The clothes are organized by color.) Founded by entrepreneur Charlie Chanaratsopon, the brand has seen its ups and downs — it filed for bankruptcy twice — but has endured as a solid U.S.-based alternative to Shein.
- Hot Topic is a grungy alternative to Shein. As I wrote elsewhere, “for fashion, try Hot Topic for jeans as well as a dizzying assortment of graphic t-shirts for men and women; skater skirts, plaid pants and themed leggings for women and hoodies, and wild short-sleeve button-up shirts for men.”
- Missguided – Aimed at Millennials and Gen Z women, look to UK-based omnichannel retailer Missguided for what the company labels “forward-thinking online fashion.” Like other alternatives to Shein, Missguided specializes in frequent blowout sales off a large selection of racy dresses, cozy knitwear and loungewear, tops, denim and more. (I came across one for 80% off!) I like that Missguided puts its mission front and center: “to empower females globally to be confident in themselves and be who they want to be.”
- Gymdeity is a sleek and super-trendy online fashion boutique for women. Their Instagram fashion forward pieces, includes gym clothes prices ranging from $10 - $22 with free shipping. Trendy styles form Scrunch leggings, sexy sports bras, scrunch shorts, and matching workout sets ship from the USA.
