What about SHEIN

While I've never ventured into SHEIN territory before, the recent buzz surrounding it has piqued my curiosity. Just opening the site for the first time has left me intrigued.
Upon entering, I was bombarded with a barrage of discount codes. How is it that I'm receiving a 25% discount for orders over 9 euros?

After dismissing the pop-ups, I realized that reaching that 9 euros was quite the challenge. Challenge accepted! A pair of sunglasses (€2), a pajama set (€4), a phone case with a cardholder (€1), and a t-shirt (€2) brought me to €9. That's a lot of products for that money, especially with an additional €2.25 off.
As I contemplate checking out, I feel an unpleasant tension—cognitive dissonance. Numerous questions arise in my mind. Do other buyers feel this tension too, or are they proud of snagging a cheap deal? In the case of tension, how do they cope? Do they adjust their attitude? ("Maybe I need to reconsider how much I actually care about the environment.") Or do they rationalize the dissonance away? ("I only ate meat once this week; this purchase is fine.") And how happy are they when the delivery person shows up at their doorstep the next day?

Fast fashion not only harms the consumer's psychology but also the environment and humanity. Consumers are encouraged to overconsume because there are always new trends and collections available, making them feel they need to keep buying to stay relevant. And it works.
I'm curious whether France's 'bonus-malus' plan against fast fashion will actually reduce overconsumption. Will it make consumers see the 'fair price' and the real value of a product again?

Let me first say that the proposed €5 tax on each item from companies selling more than 1000 new products daily is a bold step towards promoting local, sustainable consumption. It's a wake-up call reminding us to reconsider the true value of our purchases.

In my opinion, we won't solve the problem of overproduction by solely looking at a tax surcharge and banning advertising. We need to demand quality and durability!
Have you ever noticed that fast fashion brands like Zara rarely advertise? That's because their customers trust they'll be surprised by new products when they visit a Zara store. So, how effective will the advertising ban be?
The average lifespan of products has dramatically decreased by 40% over the past 15 to 20 years due to the new, rapid consumption pace, affordable prices, but mainly due to low-quality clothing.

It's possible that the surcharge will lead Zara's and Shein's to further lower their quality to reduce production costs so that the surcharge has less of an impact on margins.

Your fast fashion wardrobe becomes more and more a pile of waste ready to be incinerated because the quality is so poor that it can't even be recycled. Nothing to be proud of.

I reminisce about the pride I felt buying my first pair of Patta's. I'd saved for months. The night before, I scraped together my last bit of pocket money; I couldn't sleep from excitement. I bought and wore my first Air Max 1 with such pride. And after 10 years of wear, I was even prouder! Who knows that feeling?
By investing in quality, Willem, Don and I at Achilles and the Tortoise are promoting a different approach to circularity: enjoying a good garment for as long as possible. This not only contributes to a sustainable wardrobe, but you also need to buy new clothes less often. And let's be honest, it's also good for your wallet if your garment lasts more than five washes!