“One of My Final Straws” — Ex–Boutique Worker Claims Store Stocked Shein Items, Cut Tags Off

A TikToker who goes by Karalynn (@kara_lynn33) on the app uploaded a video where she appears to have gotten her hands on evidence that a boutique she previously worked at was allegedly purchasing items from Shein, then cutting off the tags and putting them on shelves with jacked-up prices. She posted about her experience in a TikTok that saw thousands of comment replies.

"One of my final straws at the boutique that was taking advantage of me was the fact a Shein package showed up with like 20 of the same dresses," Kara writes in a text overlay at the top of her video, intimating that there was some foul play afoot at the boutique she worked for when it came to where they were sourcing their clothing from.

She then went on to dictate exactly what she thought that foul play looked like, claiming that her supervisor of the business basically requested that she actively participate in fraud:

"4 smalls. 4 mediums. 4 larges and 4 XLS. I texted the owner and she said 'cut the Shein tags off, put our tags on it, take a pic of you wearing it and put it on the website,'" Kara penned in a second part of the overlay.

She added in another overlay: "I ignored the text for obvious reasons and when I came back to work the next day I saw this...."

So what did she see exactly? After a few seconds pass by in the video, the clip then transitions to video footage of her looking at the dresses in question.

Kara holds a portion of the garment in her hand, showing that the tags on them have indeed been cut off and narrating: "All of the items don't have any tags..."

Her video then transitions to footage of the interior of a trash can lined with a white bag. Inside of the newly lined receptacle are several snipped black clothing tags.

Kara digs her hand into the trash can, extricating a few of them to show off into the lens: they are clearly brandishing the Shein logo: "She is cutting tags off," the TikToker can be heard whispering off camera.

While she doesn't exactly name the boutique or clearly delineate where it's located, Kara does provide a general location in a caption for the video while tagging Shein in the process: "PSA if you go to a boutique in northeast Florida make sure their items aren't on Shein. Anyways @SHEIN you may want to see this," she penned.

Kara isn't the only person who's reported seeing retailers allegedly order Shein items and then post them for resale in their own stores/boutiques under false pretenses. This one Redditor who uploaded to the r/Depop sub (Depop is a website dedicated to reselling) wrote how much it grinds their gears whenever they see "vintage" shops tearing off tags from Shein clothes and then jacking up the prices to foist on unsuspecting customers.

"Not sure if this has been said but I find it soo frustrating when I see a piece of clothing I like and when I have it delivered the tag has been cut out, see it on the Shein app itself or avoid the tag with Shein on and labelled it with another brand! I always ask the seller to add the tag of the clothes to make sure before I purchase something," they wrote.

There was one user who said that it's extremely difficult to spot Shein chic vs vintage chic because of how apt the clothing manufacturer is at producing dupes: "The problem with that is that Shein on occasion will copy certain brands and styles. In some cases it is so close to the original that it has to be intellectual property theft. How is that program going to differentiate between Shein and the actual brand?"

Blogilates actually penned a massive hit piece against Shein after the brand allegedly stole a design they came up with. In the same article, the writer called out Gen-Z for its hypocrisy when it comes to actually living/embodying the virtuous ideologies they claim to inhabit.

"Yes, I am angry that Shein stole my design....but I am 100 billion times angrier that a business that runs on robbery is being supported and rewarded like this. What confuses me is that Gen Z, the generation that comes off as very ethically conscious, sustainability-focused, and authenticity oriented, is also the group that is fueling this monster’s rise. Women under 25 is the target demographic of Shein …and also happens to be part of my audience’s demographic as well," the blogger wrote.

The same blogger also highlighted how other designers have allegedly had their clothing creations blatantly ripped off by Shein as well, claiming that the manufacturer even goes so far as to rip off the branding and marketing campaigns that goes into promoting these clothing items.

When it comes to small boutiques buying clothing items from Shein, ripping the tags off, and then re-selling them to customers, it's easy to understand where the temptation to make a quick buck comes from.

When it comes to manufacturing costs, contending with a $100 billion worth company that purportedly uses slave labor, including allegations that millions of Uyghur Muslims who are currently forced to endure unspeakable sexual and physical abuses to make affordable skirts and evening gowns, is a tall order for anyone.

And while one may certainly not agree with purchasing items from Shein due to these alleged human rights violations carried out against its workforce, it's easy to understand the temptation many businesses may have in purchasing items from Shein and then foisting them as their own offerings.

As a consumer, however, who is expecting to have a bespoke experience, and not ultimately end up with an item that is purchased from a discount retailer with jacked-up pricing, that could make one feel pretty grimy.

What do you think? Should shoppers just do their due diligence any look for any signs of tags being clipped? Does it really matter where it comes from if you like how it looks on your body after you wear it?