The True Cost of Cheap Fashion: How Ultra-Fast Brands Like Shein & Temu Are Hurting Women and the Planet

By Molly Benjamin, Founder of Ladies Finance Club

Listen to the full podcast here.

We’ve all been there, scrolling through endless “new arrivals,” tempted by $12 dresses and next-day delivery. But what’s the real cost of that bargain? In this episode of Get Rich, Molly chats with Kat Halliday, Head of Ethical Fashion at Baptist World Aid, to uncover how fast fashion and its even more dangerous sibling, ultra-fast fashion, are impacting women, the planet, and the entire fashion industry.

How Ultra-Fast Fashion Took Over

Traditional fast fashion already moves quickly, but ultra-fast fashion brands like Shein and Temu have taken it to new extremes. While Zara might release 35,000 new styles in a year, Shein adds between 2,000 and 10,000 new designs every single day.

This constant churn fuels our consumer behaviour, the endless scrolling, flash sales, and influencer hauls feed dopamine hits that keep us hooked. Kat compares it to a casino:

“These brands are designed to be addictive, you can’t stop scrolling, and you lose track of how much you’re buying.”

The Human Cost Hidden in Every $10 T-Shirt

Behind every piece of cheap clothing are women garment workers, often in unsafe conditions, earning below a living wage. Kat explains that each item of clothing passes through about 100 pairs of hands before it reaches your wardrobe. Divide that $10 T-shirt by 100, and there’s little left for fair pay.

Brands prioritising profit over people are part of a system where fashion industry responsibility has taken a back seat to speed and volume. As Molly points out, “If something costs less than a cup of coffee, someone isn’t being paid properly for it.”

The Environmental Crisis of Clothing Waste

Australia throws away over 200,000 tonnes of clothing every year, that’s more than four times the weight of the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Most of it is made from polyester, a type of plastic derived from crude oil. Every wash releases microplastics into our oceans, and every dump adds to our growing landfill problem.

The rise of ultra-fast fashion has turned clothing into a disposable product, with environmental damage that lingers for centuries.

“When clothing is that cheap,” says Kat, “we start to see it as disposable. But it’s not, it’s made from oil, and it’s made by people.”

Spotting Ethical Brands (and Greenwashing)

So how do we tell ethical brands apart from those just pretending to care? According to Kat, price isn’t always a guide. Surprisingly, brands like Kmart and Target perform better than some luxury labels in the Baptist World Aid Ethical Fashion Report, which rates over 450 brands on human rights and environmental impact.

Look for fashion certifications like:

• Fairtrade (protects workers’ rights and fair pay)
  
• Better Cotton (supports sustainable cotton farming)
  
• Ethical Clothing Australia (certifies fair local manufacturing)
  

Be cautious of vague labels like eco, green, or sustainable with no evidence. True ethical fashion brands are transparent about their sourcing and production.

How to Shift Your Shopping Habits

Changing habits doesn’t mean giving up your love of style. It means redefining what “value” really looks like. Kat and Molly share easy ways to support sustainable clothing:

• Love what you already own — tailor, mend, or restyle.
• Buy less, choose better — quality over quantity.
• Shop secondhand or rent outfits for special occasions.
• Wash cold, line dry — it saves money and the planet.
• Use the Baptist World Aid Ethical Fashion Guide to check how your favourite labels score.
  

As Kat puts it:

“Ask yourself, what story do you want your clothes to tell?”

The Power to Create Change

Fixing fashion isn’t just on us as consumers, but our choices do matter. Boycotting unethical brands, supporting sustainable clothing, and contacting your MP to support stronger legislation all push for accountability.

“We’ve all helped create this system,” Kat says, “so we all have a role in fixing it — consumers, brands, and governments alike.”

Fashion can still be fun, expressive, and empowering, without costing the earth or someone else’s dignity.

🎧 Listen to the full episode of Get Rich to learn how your wardrobe can reflect your values and help reshape the future of the fashion industry.

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