The popularity of affordable sites like Shein has created an increase in fast fashion. While it’s nice to have cheaper options, especially on a tighter budget, many people don’t realize that keeping up with trends is hurting our environment. Fashion changes every day, which makes people change their wardrobes frequently as new items rise in popularity. Social media presents the new fashion to the designated audience, which then creates a huge consumption of an item that will get “old” in a month.

When shopping, there are items that are worth spending the money in order to get better quality, but when it comes to finding a similar item for a cheaper price, many people will jump at the offer. As the lower prices drive more sales, so does the turnover in trends. The amount of clothing trends there has been in the last few years has grown. From sweater vests to corsets, the idea of “classic fashion” slips everyone’s mind. Everyone is guilty of this, but places like Shein takes it one step further.

The quality of Shein clothing is always changing, but the prices always stay low. One shirt can fall apart after one wash while a sundress can last you years. The cheapness of the store makes it appealing to all, but the quality of the items is never worth it. The reviews of many of the products also vary based on what you are looking for.

And the damage doesn’t just hit our wallets–it’s about the environment, too. As a result of fast fashion, there has been an increase in the damage of our water. Many water sources are being dried up and pollution has increased in rivers. After washing clothing many microfibers are released into the water creating water pollution. These results have impacted our environment detrimentally, but we can put a stop to the harm by decreasing our involvement in fast fashion.