Opinion
Hot or not? 9 sought-after sunscreens and what I think of them
by Natalie Hemengül
Trying Temu’s ultra-fast fashion on for size: bargain or waste of money?
5.10.2023
Translation: Julia Graham
Pictures: Stephanie Vinzens
The new low-cost marketplace Temu is giving Shein and Aliexpress a run for their money. I decided to put this supplier’s clothes to the test. Here’s why I’ll be steering well clear of them in future.
Temu, the cheap store that’s been occupying the top spot in both the Swiss Apple App Store and Google Play Store for weeks. «Team up, price down» is the company’s catchy slogan. It’s obvious that this refers to the quantity rather than quality of what’s on offer.
The online marketplace acts as an intermediary between customers and various sellers, mostly Chinese. As a result, there’s a wide array of items. You’ll find just about everything from sofa covers to doughnut stands and headphones. In fact, Temu was launched for the Western market and headquartered in Boston, USA. Nevertheless, it’s still a subsidiary of the Chinese e-commerce giant Pinduoduo.
Cheaper than Shein and Aliexpress
In terms of price, Temu undercuts comparable competitors such as Shein, Aliexpress and Wish – at least for now. In the initial phase, for instance, the company wants to rapidly gain market share by offering extremely low prices and accepting losses in order to do so. This is a widespread tactic that Amazon also once used with success. Now pretty much a year old, Temu got off to a meteoric start since its launch in September 2022, giving ultra-fast fashion giant Shein hefty competition.
According to the Bloomberg Second Measure analytics tool, US shoppers spent 20% more at Temu than Shein in May of this year. But can Temu keep up when it comes to fashion? Clothes and accessories, after all, form a significant proportion of the range – so I checked it out.
The pungent smell is repulsive
For review purposes, I ordered a handbag (8 francs), sunglasses (3.10 francs), two dresses (8.50 and 9.90 francs) and two tops (4.50 and 8.50 francs). Let me start by saying that as there are lots of sellers on Temu, both the price and quality of products vary.
Delivery is free and I received my order after just shy of two weeks. A big drawback hits me as soon as I unbox my items, taking the form of a pungent, chemical odour. I want to banish the stuff to the basement and out of my conscious mind – so that’s what I immediately do. I certainly don’t want to let it touch my skin. Until Head of Content Martin Jungfer reminds me of my planned Temu story. So I get the pile of stinky plastic out of the basement, wash it properly and reluctantly try the stuff on. As far as quality goes, I’m not disappointed as I have absolutely no expectations. In one instance, I was even positively surprised.
Two flops and one positive surprise
One of the long-sleeved dresses and a small handbag don’t pass my test and leave something to be desired. The latter is crumpled from being in transit and was glued together so messily that it’s left the handle sticky. I have to wash my hands three times after briefly inspecting the bag just to get rid of the glue smell. A long-sleeved maxi dress with a naked print à la Jean-Paul Gaultier looks pretty trashy, and not in a good way. The shiny fabric feels like a swimming costume, which, with its long sleeves, makes it particularly sweaty. The print seems too rudimentary to achieve the desired effect.
The sunglasses, on the other hand, look quite passable as an accessory. I doubt they provide good sun protection, judging by the price and bright lenses alone. Meanwhile, the asymmetrical one-shoulder top in the chaotic noughties print seems fine. Once again, the fabric isn’t at all breathable, but at least the top is sleeveless and therefore airy. The grey bandeau dress with the ruffles doesn’t exactly look high quality, but it’d do for everyday wear. At least the thin polyester fabric feels a bit more comfortable than the long-sleeved dress and top.
I think the cropped green knitted jumper is really pretty. It’s surprisingly soft, and you wouldn’t know it was less than nine francs. It could just as easily be from one of the established fast fashion brands the likes of Zara, Weekday or JJXX. In terms of finish, I’d give an OK for all the garments.
I’d still rather give it a wide berth
I’d say that Temu’s merchandise falls within the same quality range as that of comparable ultra-fast fashion stores such as Aliexpress, Shein, Boohoo and Pretty Little Thing, and it’s equally unpredictable. Personally, at this point in my life, I wouldn’t choose to order from Temu or similar low-cost suppliers. Aside from quality, there are, of course, ethical concerns. Clothing can’t be that cheap unless someone or something is paying the price.
But for me, the deciding reason why I don’t buy things like this is I simply don’t enjoy it: from the shopping experience, to the quality, guilty conscience and concern that the garments might contain toxins. Last year, a Greenpeace lab analysis (site in German) at the independent Bremen Environmental Institute (BUI) showed that 15 out of 47 Shein products tested contained concerning levels of problematic chemicals, such as phthalates and formaldehyde. 15% of the samples even exceed EU limits. I assume that a test on Temu products would yield similar results.
Would I theoretically wear the green knitted top? Sure. But will I actually? Probably not. Because it doesn’t trigger feelings of happiness or appreciation when I look at it. A new piece of clothing for eight francs just seems wrong. Because I love the feeling of having invested in a quality piece of clothing or accessory that I know will still look good and retain its value a few seasons later. I set much store by pieces that make me feel good when I wear them and that fill me with joy at the thought of them hanging in my wardrobe.
Secondhand is the better cheap alternative
Obviously, I understand the desire to be fashionable and have a varied wardrobe, even on a budget. But in this case, there are better options than filling your wardrobe with disposable fashion. If you can’t or don’t want to spend a lot of money, I’d recommend buying secondhand rather than from companies like Temu.
For instance, the last time I was in a charity shop, I spied beautiful trousers and blazers made of 100% virgin wool for just ten francs. Unbeatable value for money. Besides, there’s always something serendipitous about coming across a garment that fits you perfectly in a charity shop, flea market or secondhand designer store. I bet you’ll enjoy buying and wearing a find like this more than a dubious cheap buy from Temu.
Has endless love for shoulder pads, Stratocasters and sashimi, but a limited tolerance for bad impressions of her Eastern Swiss dialect.
Fashion
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