When it comes to kids’ activities, parents know the costs can add up quick. There’s a reason that you don’t see many inner-city kids being signed up for things like hockey. You wanna be an equestrian Shaniqua? Tough luck. That equipment alone is worth at least 2 months of groceries. Let’s add dance classes to that list real quick. It doesn’t intuitively seem like a hobby that should be expensive. Essentially, all you need to dance is feet, right?
Wrong. In our hyper-capitalist hellscape of a society, you need needs that you didn’t even know you needed just to accomplish the bare minimum. In the case of dance, you’re not only paying for the classes which already come with a hefty fee, you have recital costs, transport for competitions, and of course, costumes. But one dance mom’s recent experience has her crying foul over what she calls a “scam” from her daughter’s studio.
Megan, known as @alwaysembarrassed on TikTok, went viral this week after revealing that her daughter’s dance recital costume cost a whopping $100 from the studio. Seems a little steep, but not totally outrageous for a custom outfit, right? But here’s the thing. Megan did some digging and discovered the identical costume being sold on ultra-fast-fashion retailer Shein…for just $10.
Is this dance company trying to pull a fast one on its clients?
“I was like, hold up, what is going on here?” Megan said in her viral video, which has racked up over 4 million views so far. “I feel like I am being scammed.”
In the clip, she explains that when she confronted the studio about the major markup, they tried to justify the $100 price tag by saying it covered costs like measuring the students (lol), steaming the costumes, picking an outfit matched to the performance, and providing hangers and garment bags. But Megan wasn’t buying it, and neither am I, especially since the “garment bags” were just basic plastic trash bags.
“Please weigh in ’cause I need to know how nuclear I can go,” she asked viewers.
Megan @alwaysembarassed on TikTok
The comments section was split, with some dance teachers and studio owners defending the practice as standard to cover overhead costs of putting on a recital. But plenty of others agreed it seemed like a blatant rip-off, considering the real garment cost.
In a follow-up video, Megan acknowledged that in her outrage, she may have been too “fiery” in her original criticism. Her daughter has gone to this studio for years and generally enjoys it. But the mom maintained she was still “a bit surprised” by the extreme markup.
Shein’s ethically questionable past
The controversy highlights some bigger issues around Shein and the fast-fashion industry as a whole. The company has come under intense scrutiny and criticism for a slew of unethical practices in its meteoric rise as the largest online-only retailer.
In addition to being accused of ripping off designs from small artists and businesses, Shein is facing a federal lawsuit over alleged racketeering and plagiarism. It’s also been called out by lawmakers and human rights groups for alleged use of forced labor from persecuted minority groups in its Chinese supply chain.
Maybe most damningly, the fast fashion giant has an environmental track record that’s almost as bad as Donald Trump’s rap sheet. According to estimates, Shein’s breakneck production cycle creates as much carbon dioxide as over 180 coal-fired power plants every year through its reliance on cheap, unsustainable materials.
“One of the biggest issues with Shein is their lack of disclosure,” sustainability expert Jasmine Schmidt told CBS MoneyWatch.
“They are one of the biggest private companies and they don’t actually disclose their volume of production, where they’re sourcing materials from and their emissions.”
Jasmine Schmidt
At the same time, Shein’s ultra-cheap offerings have struck a chord with cash-strapped Gen Z consumers always hungry for the latest trends. The brand’s aggressive influencer marketing and daily drops of thousands of new styles have made it a viral obsession on TikTok and beyond. For a struggling dance mom already shelling out big bucks for her kid’s passion, an inexpensive costume likely seemed like an easy win before the shocking markup.
But many young shoppers are starting to sour on Shein as they become more aware of the human cost. In fact, over the last year, the share of Gen Z adults considering purchasing from the brand dropped by 7 percentage points.
“Most environmental waste and damage comes from overconsumption, so to be truly green and sustainable, you don’t want people to buy as often,” said retail analyst Neil Saunders. “Shein are the ones that are taking fast-fashion to superspeed, leading to an enormous amount of unnecessary and disposable consumption, and that’s not great for the environment.”
While dance mom Megan hasn’t revealed if she’ll actually fight the studio over costume fees, her viral videos have reignited the conversation around deceptive pricing, overconsumption, unethical labor practices and the environmental toll of the fast-fashion machine.
Recitals and dance are expensive enough, so the last thing parents need are shady costume upcharges to worry about too. We’ve gotta do better because these billionaire’s aren’t (willingly) coming to save us. Let’s hope more studios bring transparency to their costume sourcing going forward. And as sustainability becomes a bigger priority for Gen Z, Shein and its controversy-plagued peers may find that their explosive growth can’t be sustained.