Best Ethical Alternatives to SHEIN: Style Without Hidden Costs

SHEIN’s cheap garments hide an expensive cost.

They’re terrible for the planet, can be filled with toxic chemicals and dyes, lead to huge quantities of waste, and are usually made by underpaid and exploited workers in sweatshops. On top of that, this company is notorious for stealing designs from indie brands struggling to stay in business. 

But even though you’re clearly aiming to be more sustainable with your wardrobe (kudos for that!), I get it: it can feel hard to find ethical alternatives to ultra fast fashion brands if…

• You’re on a budget
• You genuinely love SHEIN’s colourful and stylish designs and, so far, you’ve only seen neutral and basic ethical brands

It doesn’t have to, though!

We put together a simple guide to help you switch to ethical alternatives that feel aligned (not limiting) and also find ethical brands similar to SHEIN.

Remember: replacing SHEIN with hauls from eco-friendly brands is not a solution

Even when you choose good brands and eco-friendly materials, overconsumption is never sustainable. 

You’d stay trapped in the vicious cycle of always needing to buy new clothes and treating them as throwaway items. This would still fuel waste without justifying each garment’s environmental footprint (on average, we should aim to wear it at least 30 times to offset the energy and carbon emissions of its production).

So, once you find the right sustainable SHEIN alternatives for you, I highly recommend shopping and rewearing your clothes mindfully. 

For example, this could mean:

• Focusing on your style rather than impersonal temporary trends, and only buying clothes you can see yourself rewearing for years (which will mean you’ll feel happier whenever you rock them and save money in the long run! More on that soon)
• Getting creative with your wardrobe, remixing the same garments and accessories to put together different outfits instead of always buying something new 
• Choosing clothes that go well with what’s already in your wardrobe, not just standalone or statement pieces

Ethical alternatives to SHEIN for the same (or even lower) budget

Just because you’re after “new” clothes on a budget, it doesn’t mean they need to be new or that you need to buy them!

Buying second-hand clothes from Vinted and Depop

What many people don't know is that second-hand clothes aren’t as sustainable as we’d like to think. Much of what you find on those platforms isn't actually vintage or pre-loved.

In fact, many sellers are fuelling overconsumption by purchasing lots of fast fashion clothes, only wearing them once or twice, and reselling them straightaway.

However, because you won’t give money to those brands and, instead, you’ll help an existing item last longer, it’ll still be more sustainable than buying them directly from fast fashion brands like SHEIN.

Renting clothes 

This is especially handy (and smart) if you only need a new outfit for an event or short period of time, like a holiday or evening out.

Rather than buying it and then letting it gather dust in your wardrobe, borrow it from platforms like Rent the Runway, By Rotation, or Hurr.

Doing a clothing swap

This is a cheap and fun alternative to buying clothes from SHEIN and similar stores.

You can either attend a clothing swap in your area, host one and turn it into a party, or swap garments with a friend, especially one with a similar style.

Getting creative with your wardrobe

And before you skip this idea, have you actually taken everything out of your wardrobe, gone through all your forgotten items, and tried combinations you had never thought of before?

Pairing something up in creative ways or accessorising it can genuinely look like a brand new outfit!

Best ethical brands “similar” to SHEIN 

There's no sugarcoating this: if you were expecting ethical SHEIN alternatives with similar price tags, you’d be disappointed. Sustainable fashion comes with a higher pricetag but for good reason.

• Those brands pay their workers fair wages instead of keeping them trapped in modern slavery conditions
• They use eco-friendly materials and processes, not the “cheapest but terrible for the planet” option
• They have lower margins and don’t encourage overconsumption. So, they often struggle to be profitable

But if you shop them mindfully and focus on cost per wear, you will save money in the long run, especially when you consider that the average SHEIN customer spends $100 on clothes every month.

For example:

• Buying 3 SHEIN dresses on a whim for a tenner each (€30 altogether) and only wearing them twice? Their individual cost per wear is €5 (€10 ÷ 2)
• Investing in one ethical dress you absolutely love (€80) and rewearing it 30 times? Only €2.66

With that in mind, here are some of my favourite sustainable SHEIN alternatives.

Blondegonerogue

This affordable ethical alternative to SHEIN upcycles deadstock materials into vibrant and stylish clothes, prioritising eco-friendly fabrics like organic cotton.

Baukjen

This brand crafts designs to empower women and give them confidence in their everyday life, and they choose ethical materials like recycled polyester, organic cotton, and mulesing-free wool.

Yahmo

This brand is all about individual style with a good conscience… and they literally had their designs stolen by SHEIN itself!

The Launch

Every month, they launch a new collection which you can pre-order and will receive within 3 weeks. So, they only produce the quantities that have already been purchased, without overproduction and waste.

Jenerous

This ethical SHEIN alternative adds a contemporary twist to traditional Indian skills and designs. I especially love their dresses!

Alohas

This brand minimises waste by only working with a pre-order system, and they use the best vegan and sustainable materials.

Find more sustainable SHEIN alternatives on Project Cece

At Project Cece, we brought hundreds of fair trade brands in one place and added filters to simplify your choice.

This includes a Price filter to help you find ethical SHEIN alternatives within your budget. That’s right: you no longer have to choose between sacrificing your style or beliefs.

Start shopping (mindfully)