A shopper posted on Reddit about the symptoms they experienced after wearing new clothing they purchased from Shein.
They called some of the symptoms "lingering and scary."
The original poster shared that after washing and wearing Shein clothing, they developed a variety of symptoms, including a cough, wheezing, rashes, congestion, and fatigue.
They have stopped wearing the clothes but reported that some of the symptoms are lingering, so they posted to see if anyone had a similar experience with the brand.
What's happening?
The fast-fashion industry, including companies such as Shein, focuses on the rapid production of low-quality, trendy clothing at a low cost.
Authorities have found that clothing from Shein and other fast-fashion companies has been found to contain toxic substances, posing risks to human health when long-term or repeated exposure occurs.
The fast-fashion industry also poses a serious risk to the environment.
Why is avoiding fast fashion important?
A report by Le Monde stated that some products sold by Shein and other fast-fashion companies contain toxic chemicals at levels higher than legal limits. These chemicals have been classified as human carcinogens by the International Cancer Institute and are known to cause other health issues.
The fast-fashion industry is also quite harmful to the environment. The industry uses a tremendous amount of resources and produces a great deal of waste in the manufacturing process. In addition, consumers are discarding the low-quality clothing after a brief period. All of this results in a massive amount of textile waste that ends up in landfills. Since the materials are often produced with planet-warming chemicals, the manufacturing process contributes to air pollution, and when clothing ends up in landfills, the chemicals can leach into the soil and water supply, affecting wildlife and human health.
What's being done about the problem with fast fashion?
Awareness is the first step toward solving the problem. We can let family and friends know about the issues with fast fashion and encourage them to refrain from purchasing goods from companies that engage in these practices.
Which of these factors would most effectively motivate you to recycle old clothes and electronics?
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By spending a bit more money to purchase high-quality, sustainable clothing, we can have healthier fabrics and enjoy durable, timeless products that can be stylish over a longer period of time instead of participating in microtrends that end up in landfills in a short amount of time.
Thrifting and shopping secondhand are also great, cost-effective alternatives. We can give clothing a new life, and we can often find high-quality merchandise at low prices.
Redditors had mixed feelings about the OP's issues with their Shein clothing, and some were concerned.
"That's the danger of wearing plastic clothing," one Redditor commented.
Another said: "OMG that is concerning!"
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