39 Trendy Alternatives to SHEIN for Crazy-Cheap Clothing in 2024

Discover on-trend alternatives to fast-fashion retailer SHEIN for stylish and affordable clothing for women and men like Cider, Asos and more.

Are you a fan of Shein, or does the company give you pause?

This post explores a range of e-commerce destinations for trendy and cheap brands like SHEIN from fast-fashion stalwarts like Asos, Boohoo and H&M to ethical and sustainable clothing alternatives such as Milk It and Pact.

The Rise of Fast Fashion

The global market for fast-fashion is large and growing. Fast fashion sales totaled $68.6 billion in 2020 and could rise to almost $212 billion by 2030.

While companies like H&M and Zara pioneered the rise of cheap fashion over the past two decades, a new breed of direct-to-consumer e-commerce brands from the United States, Europe and Asia have accelerated and refined affordable, of-the-moment clothing in recent years.

Companies like Asos, Boohoo, and PrettyLittleThing, along with Chinese-born competitors including SHEIN, Peacebird and Temu, are leveraging TikTok, Facebook and Instagram both to respond to the latest trends via small-batch manufacturing and to push their own designs out via influencers and slick ads.

Statistics suggest that consumers have mixed feelings about fast-fashion.

While more than fifty percent of Americans think fast-fashion is going out of style, 48% of Americans don’t want to be photographed in the same clothing twice, and young adults feel pressure to wear a different outfit every time they go out.

About SHEIN

Before getting into alternatives to Shein, let’s take a look at the cheap Chinese-born fast-fashion giant:

What is SHEIN?

Founded in 2008 in Nanjing, China, Shein is a e-commerce platform owned by the Zoetop Business Co. that has become a wildly popular giant in online trendy fast fashion, particularly among teens and young adults. By the end of 2021, Shein had grown to command nearly one-third of the fast-fashion market in the United States.

With a global reach through e-commerce, it sells stylish clothes for men, women, and children. The United States is its biggest consumer market.

Bloomberg News describes the appeal:

The kids…are all over it. As with so many online phenomena, Gen Z and young millennial shoppers have propelled Shein’s rise, in thrall to the company’s never-ending, always-changing catalog of clothes at prices that stretch even the most meager allowance.

How Trump’s Trade War Built Shein, China’s First Global Fashion Giant, Bloomberg News

Shein is undeniably popular. It ranks second behind Amazon on a list of favorite e-commerce sites for teens. In 2022, installations of Shein’s mobile app exceeded Amazon for the first time.

Shein, observes Packy McCormick in the Not Boring Substack, “makes Amazon look positively expensive.”

One reason Shein has become astronomically successful is the efficiency of its supply chain.

From clothing design to manufacturing, the company maintains tight control over every facet of its business operations, and it makes effective use of automation, data analytics, and artificial intelligence to produce large volumes of clothes targeted at different markets.

TikTok and SHEIN Hauls

Social media platforms, particularly Instagram and TikTok, have been integral to Shein’s success. In fact, Shein is the most mentioned brand on TikTok according to Statista.

Terry Nguyen explains at Vox that, “Shein’s ubiquity, most notably on TikTok, has catapulted the retailer to cult status among young women across the globe.” 

Younger consumers with trendy tastes and limited income are especially drawn to Shein, and the company uses an arsenal of strategies to quickly test the appeal of new products and secure online sales.

Nguyen highlights how social media is integral to Shein’s on-demand, small-batch approach to production. “If a specific top goes viral overnight on TikTok… Shein will be able to instantaneously ramp up production on the garment and place additional orders depending on demand,” she writes in Vox.

Through its massive selection of quickly-produced, small-batch, of-the-moment clothing, Shein serves as a destination for cosplay as well as a variety of aesthetics and subcultures including Grey, Dark and Light Academia, Cottagecore, Grunge, Metrosexual, Rude Boys and Rude Girls, and Thriftcore.

What does a SHEIN Haul mean?

A Shein haul refers to the practice of ordering, unboxing and displaying a large amount of cheap clothing from Chinese fast-fashion retailer Shein in front of the camera for social media. While Shein hauls have become most popular on TikTok, there are plenty of examples of the practice on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, and YouTube.

Who founded SHEIN?

Shein’s founder and CEO is Chris Xu, aka YangTian Xu. Christened Shein’s “fast fashion mastermind,” Xu has a background in SEO and digital marketing and had previously sold wedding dresses online.

Where is SHEIN based?

Shein relocated its corporate headquarters to Singapore from Guangzhou, China in February 2022. Shein’s Founder originally launched the company from Nanjing, China.

When was SHEIN founded?

Shein was founded in 2008 by entrepreneur Chris Xu.

Who owns SHEIN?

Shein is owned by Zoetop Business Co. Ltd. according to trademark filings available via Justia, online reports and lawsuits filed against the company.

Does SHEIN operate physical stores?

Although Shein has opened up pop-up stores in Chicago, Miami, and other major U.S. cities, the company doesn’t have a network of brick-and-mortar locations in the United States.

How do you pronounce SHEIN?

The correct way to pronounce Shein is “SHE-in,” not “shine,” according to the company via a tweet from its official Twitter account.

Hi there! It’s pronounced SHE- in. 😀

— SHEIN (@SHEIN_official) March 19, 2021

What does SHEIN mean?

According to Euromonitor, the Chinese pronunciation of Shein is “Shang-yin,” which means “addiction.”

Searching for Alternatives to SHEIN

Shein is just one example of a cheap fast-fashion retailer, and has also seen its share of controversy.

Julienna Law at JING Daily details “mounting concerns” about SHEIN’s practices:

Adding 6,000 new items each day to its site and producing them at lightning speed, the Guangzhou-based manufacturer has been accused of 75-hour work weeks (violating Chinese labor laws) and clogging landfills with returned items. On top of this, Shein has been named a defendant in at least 50 federal lawsuits alleging trademark or copyright infringement over the past three years.

Full Steam Ahead For Shein Despite Mounting Concerns by Julienna Law, JING Daily

If you’re looking for other fast fashion brands for women and men, consider these alternatives to Shein for cheap clothing:

List: Trendy Alternatives to SHEIN for Cheap Clothing

These brands and stores like Shein may be a better fit for on-trend style and affordable fashion. I’ve done my best to note whether the stores cater to women and/or men:

1. Cider is a smoking-hot, Tiktok-fueled alternative to SHEIN with a knack for sending trendy pieces viral from tank tops to knit dresses to sweaters. Launched in 2020 and “rooted in Los Angeles,” Cider’s global presence “makes it possible for users to have more selection than Zara, at the price point of Forever 21, on-demand, and with minimal waste.” Explore Cider’s “Pick-a-Mood” collections to discover curated outfits for moods from sad to fancy, and its unisex collection that includes options for men.
2. Asos is one of the best brands like SHEIN for an outrageously large selection of dirt-cheap and stylish fashion for women and men. Asos is an awesome choice for everything from lace-up knit camis and $20 wrap mini-dresses for women to skinny-fit button down shirts for men and super-affordable trench coats for men and women.
3. Boohoo, a UK-based retailer, sports Insanely-affordable clothing for men and women, making it another good alternative to SHEIN for everything from $15 maxi-skirts to $7 print t-shirts.
4. Pact Apparel offers amazingly affordable apparel for women and men and is an outstanding alternative to Shein for sustainable clothing. Pact is an awesome place to find affordable organic cotton clothing for women and men.
5. Amazon Prime Labels Lark and Ro and Goodthreads offer trendy fast-fashion alternatives to Shein for women and men. (Try their labels for free with Prime Try Before You Buy service.)
6. rue21 – This Pittsburgh-based retailer’s mission is “to provide the latest trends with an affordable price tag” and make “cool, casual clothes for the raddest people we know.” rue21,which is part of the Open to All inclusivity campaign, sells fast-fashion for women and men (“guys” and “girls” on their website).
7. Cotton On – Try Cotton On for affordable, trendy-yet-sustainable clothing for women and men with an Australian flair.
8. Urban Outfitters is a great brand like Shein for trendy, occasionally-grungy, fast fashion for women and men from their house brands like UO, BDG and Out from Under.
9. J. Ing – Founded by Jing Zeng, California-based J. Ing is an Asian-owned fashion brand that sells “fashion-forward, expertly tailored, statement pieces for self-assured women” and recently launched a line of affordable wedding dresses Look to J. Ing for stylish attire for work and a dressed-up evening out.
10. American Eagle (AE), the mall staple, sports cute floral-print ruffle mini dresses and cropped cable-knit cardigans for women, and solid joggers and denim for men and women.
11. Nasty Gal started with 22-year-old Founder Sophia Amoruso selling vintage out of a basement in San Francisco over eBay in 2006. The company rose and fell quickly, declaring bankruptcy in 2016. The UK-based group revived the brand, which markets to “the ‘girl in progress'” who is “badass to the core, ever-evolving and growing, striving to be better every. damn. day.” Shop Nastygal for everything from cute Valentine’s day lingerie and pajama sets to faux leather knee-high boots to bodycon mini-skirts.
12. Aeropostale, aka Aero, is another mall staple that offers super-cheap, of-the-moment basics and denim for men and women. Women can look to Aero for $4 camis, $8 crop tops, and $15 dresses. Men can find $12 pique polos, $10 v-neck t-shirts, $25 soft-spun joggers and chinos. Aero is also a good place to find affordable denim for women and men, including buy-one-get-one-free deals. Originally founded in 1987 in Seattle, Washington by R. H. Macy and Company, Aeropostale is now owned by the SPARC Group, which also rescued Brooks Brothers, Forever 21, Nautica, Lucky Brands and Reebok.
13. PrettyLittleThing, another UK-based alternative to Shein, was co-founded in 2012 by Umar Kamani and is part of the bourgeoning Boohoo group empire. Prettylittlething has cheap, trendy fashion from racer bodysuits to roll neck sweaters to crop tops to slinky lingerie.
14. Meshki is a Sydney, Australia-based on-trend clothing brand for women. While their clothes aren’t as insanely cheap as SHEIN, their affordable-luxury lineup of dresses, tops, bottoms and basics won’t break the bank. (Think dresses in the $75-$100 range.) Meshkis’ mission is “to empower people worldwide to be confident, ambitious & unstoppable (and dressed head to toe in Meshki).
15. Modcloth is a fun alternative to Shein that focuses on fast and cheap vintage-inspired fashion for women.
16. Uniqlo – Look to Japanese fast-fashion house Uniqlo as an excellent-if-less-flashy alternative to Shein for women, men and kids with a reputation for durability.
17. Shuuk – Calling itself “the one and only Tax Free, Cross Border, Multi Brand, Multi Currency, and Multi Language Fashion E Commerce,” Shuuk offers a wide range of cheap casual clothing and loungewear for women and a smaller selection for men. Look for sub-$20 sweats, denim and (for women) flowy casual dresses. Five-day Fedex shipping is free on orders over $50.
18. Express is another shopping mall favorite that sells cheap fast fashion, including affordable denim and tops, for women and men. Try Upwest, their new comfort-focused offshoot for another alternative to Shein.
19. Forever 21 continues to focus on fast-fashion for women as well as men and girls, following their emergence from bankruptcy. The company is an intriguing alternative to Shein for affordable premium denim, activewear and graphic t-shirts for women and men.
20. H&M, the omnichannel global retailer based in Sweden, is one of the pioneers of trendy-fast fashion for women and men, and has to be on any list of alternatives to Shein.
21. DePop is wild. Billed as social e-commerce, it lets users sell designer, vintage and preloved clothing online with users modeling their wares. I’ve seen everything from a handmade vintage retro tapestry corset to a subversive grunge fairy green long sleeve top to a Vintage Stussy Velour Tee.
22. Beginning Boutique – Founded by Gen Z entrepreneur Sarah Timmerman, Australia-based Beginning Boutique positions itself as “the go-to online destination for all your weekend event needs” for women. They claim that “if you’ve got a ticket to it, we’ve got an outfit for it.” While the company isn’t as ridiculously cheap as Shein, look for unique going-out outfits including sexy dresses and unique cropped tee shirts. Get free shipping to the United States on orders of $100 or more.
23. Stradivarius is Zara’s “trendy little sister” (for women only), and an excellent European-based alternative to Shein.
24. Pull&Bear – Like Stradivarius, Pull and Bear is also part of the massive Spanish-French Inditex Group that also owns Zara. Founded in 1991, Pull&Bear has been cropping up on TikTok feeds as a trendy fast-fashion clothing brand for men and women. Look for super-casual and slouchy options including wide-striped button down short sleeve shirts for men and loose-fitting rustic trousers for women.
25. PacSun was a staple of American shopping malls in the 1990s that once boasted 1,300 stores in all 50 States before shrinking and declaring bankruptcy in 2006. Today’s version of PacSun offers a wide array of casual trendy clothing for women, men and kids from their own in-house labels alongside on-trend brands like A$AP Worldwide, Brixton, Colour Range, Dr. Martens, Fear of God, Formula 1, Kappa, Michell and Ness, Obey, Peppermayo, Santa Cruz, Ryan Destiny, Storm Reid, The Ragged Priest, and The North Face. I love the look of Peppermayo’s cute, colorful and inexpensive tops for women and the casual, slouchy and simple Essentials Fear of God for men.
26. Milk It – This UK based trendy clothing company makes its affordable garments using recycled or sustainably-produced materials, making it an ethical alternative to Shein.
27. 4th and Reckless – This UK-based alternative to Shein makes “Iconic tailored clothing and footwear with an edge. Nordstrom carries the brand too.
28. Fashion Nova calls itself “unapologetically sexy” and “the world’s leading quick-to-market apparel and lifestyle brand” for women, which turns around seasonal trendy styles quickly and cheaply like Shein. Look to Fashion Nova for cheap bodysuits, miniskirts, dresses, jeans, shoes and more for women.
29. Charlotte Russe – Headquartered in California, Charlotte Russe is targeted to appeal to young women in the teens and twenties with a mix of dirt-cheap fast fashion that mixes everything from denim to fleece to booties and cartoon-printed onesies, making it an interesting U.S.-based alternative to Shein.
30. Charming Charlie – Omnichannel retailer Charming Charlie is famous for color throughout its retail stores and across its lineup of trendy clothing. (The clothes are organized by color.) Founded by entrepreneur Charlie Chanaratsopon, the brand has seen its ups and downs — it filed for bankruptcy twice — but has endured as a solid U.S.-based alternative to Shein.
31. Hot Topic is a grungy alternative to Shein. As I wrote elsewhere, “for fashion, try Hot Topic for jeans as well as a dizzying assortment of graphic t-shirts for men and women; skater skirts, plaid pants and themed leggings for women and hoodies, and wild short-sleeve button-up shirts for men.”
32. Missguided – Aimed at Millennials and Gen Z women, look to UK-based omnichannel retailer Missguided for what the company labels “forward-thinking online fashion.” Like other alternatives to Shein, Missguided specializes in frequent blowout sales off a large selection of racy dresses, cozy knitwear and loungewear, tops, denim and more. (I came across one for 80% off!) I like that Missguided puts its mission front and center: “to empower females globally to be confident in themselves and be who they want to be.”
33. Oh Polly is a sleek and super-trendy online fashion boutique for women. Their fashion forward pieces, including under-$50 mini, midi and maxi dresses, are all dsigned in the UK.
34. Dolls Kill is a contrast to fast-fashion brands like SHEIN and PrettyLittleThing, offering clothes for “misfits and Miss Legits.”
35. Venus Fashion got its start in Jacksonville, Florida in the mid-1980s as a catalog company focused on flattering-fit and inclusive-sizing swimwear for women. The brand has evolved with the times and is now an online fashion destination for versatile, feminine and well-filling clothing for everything from a night out to a resort vacation. Venus continues to offer a wide range of affordable swimwear options (Kate Upton and Julie Henderson once sported their suits for the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition) as well as slinky sweater dresses, flowy jumpsuits and rompers, and sexy lingerie.
36. Dorothy Perkins offers on-trend “high-street fashion” for women in U.S. sizes 2-18 online from the UK.
37. Brandy Melville traces its roots to Italy, where Silvio and son Stefan Marsan founded the brand in the 1980s. The company opened its first store in Los Angeles in 2009, selling clothing in only “one size” for women. (That size tends to corollate with women’s U.S. size 0-2.) The company has faced criticism for its (obvious) lack of inclusive sizing and social media-led focus on “young, thin, pretty whiteness.”
38. Adika positions itself as “a digital native fashion brand for the digital native generation.” The Israel-based company promotes the hashtag #AdikaGirl, who “is ALWAYS on the grid. Posts, likes, shares and swipes – but no Tweets” and “always on trend with cutting edge fashion.”
39. Aljok – It’s hard to know what to make of Aljok, which shows up frequently in our household’s Facebook feed and sells cute-looking clothing for women. It lists “XBP International LTD” with a London address in its contact information. Dig a little deeper, and it appears that XBP International’s corporate officer, Tao Zhou, is based in Shanghai, China. Trustpilot reviews for Aljok are mixed. BBB reviews of Aljok are poor. While Aljok claims on its website that all of its products are “manufactured in and shipped from the United States,” XBP appears to own another fast-fashion site Melelly.com, which has overlapping inventory, though Melelly claims that is clothing is made in Vietnam and the Philippines. I’ve ordered from the brand, and we’ve been mostly happy with the clothing so far, though the colors of the items we received definitely differed in some cases from the online photos.

Other Chinese-Born Fast-Fashion Stores Like SHEIN

There are a growing number of other fast-fashion brands like Shein born or based in China that offer a similar business model. (A number of the companies listed below have been accused of knocking off existing labels or shady business practices, and some of them cannot even produce a secure https connection, so be aware when buying and browsing.)

1. Rihoas is a label founded in 2021 by Hong Kong-based Xibor Limited that sells vintage-inspired fast-fashion clothing for women. Rihoas reviews are mixed on SiteJabber and Trustpilot as well as on various Reddit threads.
2. Peacebird – Founded in 1995, Peacebird is one of the largest retail companies in China with more than 4,600 brick-and-mortar stores. Peacebird, whose prices aren’t quite as bargain basement as SHEIN, focuses on a higher-end, dressed-up aesthetic punctuated by collaborations with everyone from French designer Coralie Marabelle to local Chinese brand Shushu/Tong Studio. Chairman Zhang Jiangping pledged that Peacebird will publish carbon footprint information for all Peacebird’s products by 2030 and achieve net zero emissions for the company’s entire value chain by 2046.
3. TideBuy is a Chinese fast fashion site founded by Bin Li in 201. Originally launched with a focus on wedding dresses, TideBuy now offers a whopping 30,000 cheap fashion items for men and women from casual to special occasion outfits (and cheap wedding dresses).
4. Romwe – If you’re looking for stores like Shein, know that Romwe is owned by Shein and they cross-sell clothing via each others’ platforms. Romwe markets its clothing as cute, fun, and extremely low-cost fashion for women and men.
5. Temu – Chinese-born e-Commerce goliath Pinduoduo launched Temu, a U.S. fast-fashion marketplace in September 2022 and moved its headquarters from Shanghai to Ireland in 2023. The retailer clearly aims to compete with SHEIN — at one point, their Google website result featured the phrase “don’t overpay for shein” — though for now, their competition shouldn’t worry. Temu’s website is an underwhelming and extraordinarily disorganized display of fast fashion with seemingly no ability to filter items based on type (pants, shirts, dresses, etc.). A quick search for “men’s sweater” brought up a Retro Titanium Steel Pendant as the third result. Temu appears to be advertising heavily, at least in my feed.
6. EMMOIL styles itself as a leading fast-fashion streetwear alternative to SHEIN. The company has been around since 2019 and features cargo pants and shorts, slouchy jeans, necklaces and chains and more. The trademark for the label is registered by China-based STARWE LIMITED. EMMOIL Reviews from Sitejabber and Reddit leave a lot to be desired, with reviewers trashing EMMOIL’s clothing quality and customer service.
7. FairySeason is a Hong Kong based online fast-fashion retailer owned by BESTWO International Co. that offers a wide range of cheap clothing for women including shirts, socks and more from $2.99.
8. Modlily is a Chinese fast-fashion site that launched in 2009. It positions itself as an online boutique for trendy women’s clothing. It offers thousands of items, many of them at rock-bottom prices.
9. Solado – Hong Kong-based Solado specializes in racy dresses, two-piece outfits and resort-wear for women.
10. Choies – Geared largely towards female customers, Choies is a Chinese fast fashion site that offers cheap clothes in a variety of styles.
11. Commense is a Hong Kong-based fast fashion site for women’s clothing that Reddit users observe uses the same photos as other Chinese fast-fashion companies.
12. YesStyle – Based in Hong Kong, YesStyle focuses on Asian fashion for women and men. Many of their garments have been produced by a variety of Chinese, Taiwanese, Korean, and Japanese brands.
13. Emery Rose is another Chinese fast fashion site owned by Shein’s parent company Zoetop Business Co. according to Justia. (Last I checked, the site couldn’t provide a secure connection.)
14. Allylikes is Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba’s competitor to SHEIN. Currently, Allylikes only ships to Europe (not the United States) and caters to women only.
15. Esprit. Founded in San Francisco and headquartered in Hong Kong and Germany, Esprit provides a variety of fast-fashion clothing for women, men, and children. The company remains active in certain Asian and European markets but not currently in North America, though that may change in the future.
16. FashionMia. Although FashionMia has a men’s collection, it focuses primarily on women’s fashion, emphasizing the affordable prices and irresistible attractiveness of the trendy clothing it offers.
17. Emmiol – Is Emmiol legit? English is definitely not the first language for this Chinese fast fashion brand for women and men, whose website states that “coined from a Spain word, Emmiol means beauty.” Vox calls Emmiol one of the “ghost stories of Instagram.” Emmiol’s trademark is registered by Hong Kong-based Starwe Limited.
18. Zaful, DressLily, SammyDress, RoseGal, TwinkleDeals, Nasty Dress, and TrendsGal. The China-based “ShenZhen Global Egrow E-Commerce Co” operates a constellation of fast-fashion alternatives to Shein that has a rocky history of marketing ultra-low priced clothing to women via slick ads on Facebook and other social media platforms.

Deep Dive: Review 17 of the Best Stores Like SHEIN for Affordable Trendy Clothing

Below is a deeper dive into some of my favorite alternatives to Shein for trendy, cheap clothing for women and men:

Cider

Cider has to be the hottest Tiktok-fueled alternative to SHEIN for trendy clothing around.

Founded in 2020 by entrepreneurs Fenco Lin, a former Bloomingdales buyer, Yu Oppel (Wu), a former Ubereats executive, and Yclosets founder Michael Wang, this global digital-native brand is “rooted in Los Angeles” with offices in the United States, UK, Singapore, China and elsewhere.

Venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz, a leading investor, observes that Cider’s global footprint “makes it possible for users to have more selection than Zara, at the price point of Forever 21, on-demand, and with minimal waste.”

Try browsing Cider’s unique “Pick-a-Mood” collections, which sort by outfits for feeling sad, grunge, fancy, sexy and more.

Cider’s clothing has a knack for going viral, from the floral lace-up tank top that Jennie Kim of Blackpink wore to a knit cami split midi dress to a sweater full of oranges.

While Cider largely caters to women, it also features a fashionable unisex collection of sweaters, fleece, pants and more that men can dig into.

Pact Apparel

Pact Apparel is one of my top picks for sustainable clothing brands, and it offers reliably high-quality, ethically-sourced apparel for men, women, and children. The company prioritizes fair trade and commits to avoiding sweatshops and child labor and yet their clothing is still remarkably affordable. Its garments are made with organic cotton, which is more environmentally friendly than regular cotton.

For women, Pact shines with flare midi dresses, cozy fishermen sweaters and chunky cardigans, and basics like bodysuits, sweats and .

The selection of basic men’s wear includes supremely comfortable boxers and briefs as well as my favorite colorful socks on the planet.

Pact has also become an ethical alternative to Shein for kids’ clothing, including zip-up hoodies, basic tee shirts and shorts, tanks and camis, shorts and pants.

Asos

London-based Asos has in-house designers and brands, and also curates items from hundreds of other brands from Ralph Lauren and The North Face. Asos is especially popular among young men and women, which has led to a partnership with Nordstrom to extend their retail reach.

Asos sells an outrageous variety of super-cheap, on-trend clothing.

For women, Asos has advertised high-waisted skinny jeans for women for as low as $18, vintage-inspired leggings and smock dresses both for under $8, halter tops for $15, and hourglass wrap tops for under $20.

Men can find stylish striped t-shirts for $15, comfy hoodies for under $20, half-zip sweaters from $21, and chinos and “smart pants” from around $13.

In addition to all of that, Asos Marketplace is a stellar destination for vintage and pre-loved clothing for women and men.

Whether you want a low-key, laidback look or something more bold and colorful, Asos has you covered.

Boohoo

Boohoo is an online-only company that produces trendy and insanely cheap clothes quickly, a business model that has propelled its success among teenagers and young adults. The company produces some of its garments in the U.K., where it was founded.

For women, check out Boohoo for $8 sweater dresses and sweeping wide leg pants and oversized boyfriend shirts for $20 or less alongside velour tracksuits, textured wool coats and ruched midi dresses.

Men’s clothing ranges from biker jackets and faux fur coats to jeans with graphic prints. Although Boohoo remains popular, it has been facing pressure from its young customer base to become more ethical.

Cotton On

Cotton On, combined with sister brands Ibody, IKids and Typo, is Australia’s biggest global omnichannel retailer “taking the Aussie lifestyle to the world.”

For women, Cotton On has an excellent selection of basics, sweats and sleepwear including crop tanks, baby tees, seamless v-neck bodysuits and classic sweatpants alongside trendy going-out clothing like knit midi skirts, longline cardigan sweaters, miniskirts and sleek long-sleeve mini-dresses.

Cotton On’s fast-fashion clothing for men includes everything from organic t-shirts to heavy plaid overshirts to relaxed tapered jeans.

Cotton On may not be the absolute cheapest option around, but they have a range of sustainability initiatives in support of people and the planet, making their affordable clothing is a terrific alternative to Shein.

Uniqlo

Founded in Japan, Uniqlo now operates in over a dozen countries. In the U.S. market, it’s especially popular among young urban professionals, who favor the brand’s affordable and durable clothes.

The clean, low-key, and classy designs give a timeless quality to the garments. Along with selling beautiful and durable clothing for women and children, Uniqlo offers men a wide selection of items. For men, look to Uniqlo for anti-odor socks, pile-lined pants, and long-sleeve t-shirts all made with the company’s innovative insulation technology. Uniqlo also makes my favorite affordable cashmere sweaters.

Amazon Prime Fashion labels

People shop at Amazon because of the online giant’s reliability, convenience, and affordability, which includes deals for Prime members. In addition to its extensive selection of clothing for women and children, Amazon has multiple in-house brands that are known for stylish men’s wear. These include Goodthreads, which is an alternative to J. Crew and Banana Republic. With what’s available on Amazon, you can put together a variety of outfits for leisure, business, and athletics.

American Eagle (AE)

Longevity and adaptability are two impressive qualities you see in American Eagle, which is known for its high-quality casual apparel. It has done an exceptional job appealing to teenagers and young adults and succeeding in both online sales and through brick-and-mortar stores. For male shoppers, the company’s durable and stylish activewear and loungewear are especially appealing. The jeans are also noteworthy and come in a range of styles, including the men’s athletic-fit jeans and the flare jeans, jeggings, and high-waisted jeans for women.

Urban Outfitters (UO)

Over decades, Urban Outfitters has built a reputation as a trendy and forward-thinking company. Though UO isn’t the cheapest alternative to Shein on this list, the company gives men and women memorable ways of expressing themselves through apparel and home décor.

For women, Urban Outfitters carries everything from high-waisted flair jeans and plaid slit pants to satin mini-skirts, shimmery mini-dresses and “modern love corsets.”

For men, Urban Outfitters offers a trendy selection of graphic t-shirts, oversized shackets and shirt jackets and variously baggy, skinny, and checkerboard jeans from their own brands and others such as Puma and Ralph Lauren.

One of the new ventures from Urban Outfitters is an online thrift store; it appeals to people who want to resell clothes and lessen the environmental impact of fast fashion.

For even more options, see Modern Fellows’ list of brands like Urban Outfitters.

Shuuk

Founded in Punta del Este, Uruguay in 2020 by a group of partners including CEO Michel Cohen, fast fashion e-commerce startup Shuuk carries a wide range of cheap casual clothing for women and smaller collections for men, kids and home. Look to Shuuk for high-waisted jeans, tons of loungewear and sweats and, for women, flowy farmhouse dresses and more. Many of Shuuk’s items are under $20.

The company prides itself as “the one and only Tax Free, Cross Border, Multi Brand, Multi Currency, and Multi Language Fashion E Commerce, in association with Fedex, offering 5 business days with free Shipping for orders over $50.”

Express

With hundreds of brick-and-mortar locations and a design studio in New York City, Express is a major player in fast fashion, selling well-made clothing staples for men and women. The attire ranges from classy full suits to the pajamas, plush robes, and other supremely comfortable clothes that belong to the UpWest label. When launching UpWest in 2019, Express committed to donating some of the profits to charities that promote mental health and well-being.

Depop

Launched in London, Depop is an application where people sell clothes to each other directly, including vintage pieces and items from top brands. Shopping for men’s wear, you may find flannel-lined pants from J. Crew or a graphic t-shirt with the logo of your favorite team. Of the more than 30 million users on Depop, roughly 90 percent are under the age of 26. Seeing the promise in the resale platform, which extends the life of clothes, Etsy recently purchased it for $1.6 billion.

H&M

As a giant in fast fashion, H&M has been setting trends for decades in clothes for men, women, and children. The Swedish company offers many cleanly designed classic items, such as V-neck sweaters, wool-blend coats, and cotton chinos. As the fashion industry struggles with addressing issues of sustainability, H&M has been investing millions of dollars in various solutions, including new technology for recycling clothes.

Forever 21

Although Forever 21 filed for bankruptcy in 2020, it continues to offer trendy clothing under a group of new owners in the Authentic Brand Group. (Side note: Authentic Brand Group also resuscitated Brooks Brothers post-bankruptcy.)

Forever 21 is most strongly associated with young women’s fashion and the pleasure of shopping at malls, but it also sells clothing for women and men online at low prices, such as crew socks, drawstring hoodies, and other attractive athleisure. The brand’s push for greater social responsibility includes recycling shipping boxes and auditing factories for unsafe conditions.

What Are Your Favorite Alternatives to SHEIN?

It’s always a pleasure to discover stylish clothing brands. Please share your own picks for alternatives to Shein and what you like best about your favorite companies. Highlight the ones you’ve come to trust for the quality of their garments, the reliability of their services, and the integrity they display in their business operations.

Photo credit: Featured photo courtesy of Lucas Hoang via Unsplash.