Shein Responds to Viral Claims That Employees Hiding “Help Me” Messages in Their Clothes

Fast fashion company Shein has denied accusations that factory workers leave disturbing messages on clothing labels.

The Chinese retailer was recently at the center of an online conspiracy theory, after a viral TikTok video purported to show different messages written or sewn onto the labels of Shein clothing.

Speculation began last May, when a video posted to TikTok compiled images of some of these messages, including ones that read “Help me,” “SOS,” and “I have a toothache.” While it’s unclear whether these notes were specifically written by Shein employees, the video has still been viewed more than 40 million times on the app, prompting users to inspect their own Shein labels in case there was a hidden message sewn into their shirts.

There was reportedly no call for help in the packages of clothes, but some people shared photos of a care label that read: “Tumble dry, do not dry clean. Due to water-saving technology, we need your help to wash with mild detergent the first time to make the clothes softer.”

But according to Snopes, the “need your help” wording is just a clumsy translation of the garment’s washing instructions.

Since its founding in 2008, the Guangzhou-based company has become known for its cheap and abundant clothing offering. With a value of $100 billion, the fast fashion retailer is now one of the world’s most valuable companies, surpassing fashion giants Zara and H&M.

Shein has been heavily criticized in recent years, with accusations of child labor and worker exploitation. In July 2021, Reuters reported that Shein had failed to publicly disclose working conditions across its supply chain, as required by law in the United Kingdom. In November of that year, a Swiss advocacy group found that a number of employees, mostly migrants, in Guangzhou were working 75-hour weeks.

The company has now hit back at the accusations and provided evidence. On June 1, Shein responded to the conspiracy theory in a video posted to TikTok, claiming that the photos of the tags shared in the original viral video actually came from other companies.

One of the notes, which read “Help me plz” handwritten on a piece of cardboard, actually came from a package a woman received from the Philippines in 2015. Another photo of the “Help Me” message was actually taken from a stock photo site. And Shein confirmed that the “Need your help” care label was just a poorly worded label asking customers to keep fabric soft by using a milder detergent.

In another video posted today to the company’s official TikTok account, Shein acknowledged the confusion surrounding the product label, reminding customers that its intention was to provide instructions on using “fabric softener when washing the garment for the first time.”

“However, some misunderstanding may have been caused by the wording of this label,” Shein said.

“Recently, several videos have been posted on Tik Tok containing misleading and false information about SHEIN. We want to make it very clear that we take supply chain issues seriously,” a Shein spokesperson said. The Independent“Our strict code of conduct prohibits our suppliers from using child or forced labor and we do not tolerate non-compliance with these rules.”

In 2020, the brand was heavily criticized for selling a metal necklace adorned with a swastika on its website. That same year, an independent designer accused Shein of stealing his garment pattern.