A popular TikTok video denouncing the labor practices of Shein and other so-called “fast fashion” brands contains mostly misleading images. They don’t come from cases where help seekers found real notes in clothing bags. However, in at least two cases, the origin of these notes is unknown, and at the time of writing, we do not know the results of the research carried out upon their discovery.
In early June 2022, various social media users claimed to have found information about garment workers on clothing labels from Shein and other companies, including SOS messages.
In many posts, someone uploaded a photo of a label that reads “tumble dry, do not dry clean, due to water saving technology, wash with conditioner first to soften.” screenshot of a tweet with an image where the Twitter username is cut off to protect privacy:
Regardless of the name, it is not clear from the photo itself which brand of clothing the tag is attached to. It is also clear that the phrase “I need your help” is not a call for help, but rather clumsily formulated instructions for washing the item of clothing in question. We sent an email to Shein asking if the above stickers are on his clothes and we will update it if we get a response.
Shein posted a video on his official TikTok account refuting claims that “SOS” and other viral images were related to his brand, stating:
“Shane takes supply chain issues seriously,” the statement said. “Our strict code of conduct includes policies against child and forced labor, and we will not tolerate violations.”
Some argue that the phrase “need your help” is a hidden message. We did not find confirmation of this, especially since the phrase occurs as part of a longer sentence with a different meaning.
The widely shared TikTok video included images of the labels with various messages asking for help and, apparently, a wider message that fast fashion companies are hiring garment workers under such appalling conditions that they are frantically conveyed on clothing labels.
The clothing industry has long been blamed for poor working and operating conditions. However, TikTok videos are misleading because not all of the images included in the video can be described as fast fashion clothing labels. Some of the images are screenshots taken from earlier news reports, while others are not necessarily related to the history of the garment industry.
A photo from the video, which has been viewed over 40 million times as of this writing, shows a woman standing in front of a FedEx package with the word “Help” scrawled in ink on the outside of the package. In this case, it is not clear who wrote “Help” on the parcel, but it is unlikely that the seamstress received the parcel at the point of shipment. It seems more likely that it was written by someone in the entire shipping chain from ship to receipt. Apart from the caption added by the TikTok user, we did not find any label on the package itself that would indicate that Shein sent it:
The note in the video reads “Help me please” handwritten on a cardboard strip. The note was allegedly found in a lingerie bag by a Brighton, Michigan woman in 2015, according to media reports. The underwear is made at Handcraft Manufacturing in New York but made in the Philippines. The news reported that the note was written by a woman identified as “MayAnn” and contained a phone number. After the note was discovered, the clothing manufacturer launched an investigation, but we still do not know the outcome of the investigation.
Another hashtag in the TikTok video allegedly read, “I have a toothache.” A reverse image search reveals that this particular image has been online since at least 2016 and shows up regularly as an example of “interesting” clothing tags:
In another image in the video, Chinese fashion brand Romwe has a label on its packaging that says “Help me”:
But this is not a distress signal. Romwe addressed this issue in 2018 by posting this explanation on Facebook:
A Romwe product, the bookmarks we give to some of our customers are called “Help Me Bookmarks” (see photo below). Some people see the item’s label and assume it’s a message from the person who created it. No! It’s just the name of the item!
At the top of the message, an “SOS” warning was written, followed by a message written in Chinese characters. The image is from a 2014 BBC news report on a note found on trousers purchased from the Primark clothing store in Belfast, Northern Ireland, as the BBC explains:
“A note attached to the prison certificate stated that the prisoners were forced to work 15 hours a day tailoring.”
Primark told the BBC it opened an investigation and said the trousers had been sold years before news reports broke and that checks into their supply chain since production found “no evidence of jail time or any other forms of forced labor.
Another image in the TikTok video contained a stock photo instead of an image of the actual clothing tag:
Claims that certain clothes contain hidden messages are widespread on the Internet, and sometimes they are true. In 2020, for example, outdoor clothing brand Patagonia sold clothing with the words “Vote the jerk” on it as part of its climate change denial activism. Another story from clothing brand Tom Bihn went viral in 2004 and (erroneously) claimed to be targeting former US presidents Barack Obama and Donald Trump.
Mystery deepens after Michigan woman finds “Help Me” note in her underwear September 25, 2015, https://detroit.cbslocal.com/2015/09/25/mystery-deepens-after-michigan-woman- finds-help-note-in-underwear/.
“Primark Investigates Allegations of ‘May’ Lettering on Trousers.” BBC News, 25 June 2014 www.bbc.com, https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-northern-ireland-28018137.
Bethany Palma is a Los Angeles-based reporter who began her career as a daily reporter covering crime from government to national politics. She wrote… read more
Post time: Nov-17-2022
