If you are an outdoorsy person who loves going on a swim now and then, you must have heard of Cupshe.
It is a brand popularly known for its affordable designs and huge variety.
They sport a huge collection of styles that come in sizes up to 4x.
This makes it a trendy choice for all women around the world.
The question arises though, is it a fast-fashion company?
Yes, it is a fast-fashion swimsuit brand.
You must be wondering how to identify a fast fashion brand?
All fast fashion brands share some common factors. They carry hundreds and thousands of styles that touch upon the latest fashion trends.
Fast fashion brands have very little turnaround time between the garment seen on the catwalk and when it hits the racks.
They bring celebrity and ramp designs within reach of the masses. That too, in days.
Another trait common to all fast fashion brands is that they use cheap, low-quality materials which do not last long and have to be discarded after a few wears.
Is it ethical?
If you’re talking in terms of sustainability, then sadly Cupshe does not rank high on that note. It is not an ethical brand.
Cupshe has its hand on the pulse of fashion! It continually produces trendy clothing which people buy immediately because these designs are all the rage.
As soon as the customers feel the fashion is fading away or the clothes get worn out after a few uses, the customers chuck them out and get another of the running items off the shelves.
No doubt, as a shopper, having an affordable wardrobe means a lot. You can look and feel great without shelling out thousands of bucks.
It looks like you know the best-kept secret. It is a great combo of style and affordability.
However, in reality, it is not that good for the environment.
No sustainablity policy
If you go the Cupshe’s website, you won’t find any formal and official sustainable policy. This most probably means that the company isn’t exactly BIG on going green.
Many fashion brands not only make you look good but also do good for the environment. Cupshe doesn’t seem to be one of them, which is obvious considering its low prices.
On its website, Cupshe proclaims that it uses high-quality apparel which will last ‘more than just a few washes’.
However, this is not good enough. We believe Cupshe could have done much more to be a sustainable brand.
For instance, a brand tentree pledges to plant 10 trees for every item purchased.
- Similarly, fashion Levi’s touts recyclable denim and ethically sourced cotton. Another brand Fair Indigo manufactures its garments with organic Peruvian Pima cotton.
Cupshe uses synthetic materials such as chifon and spandex. Chinlon is a nylon fabric.
Nylon ranks top of the list of synthetic materials when it comes to environmental impact.
The production of nylon is energy-intensive. It causes huge emissions of greenhouse gases leading to global warming.
Not only this, washing nylon and plastic-based textiles leads to the release of plastic microbeads into the ocean. This causes marine pollution.
Nylon is non-biodegradable and will remain on Earth for hundreds of years.
In contrast, some eco-friendly swimwear brands are setting up high standards when it comes to going green.
Another company, Vitamin A makes its swimsuit with recycled nylon and plant-based fibres. Its packaging boxes are biodegradable and fully recyclable.
Summersalt manufactures its swimwear with recycled textiles and ships them in recyclable packaging.
Another swimwear brand, Girlfriend Collective has gone one step farther!
Its tops, bottoms, and one-pieces are made from recycled fishing nets and post-industrial waste.
Considering these examples, Cupshe isn’t putting in efforts to reduce its environmental impact.
Factories
Cupshe claims to have ethical factories where it ensures safe and human working conditions. It also declares it adheres to environmentally conscious practices BUT it doesn’t detail those practices.
Cupshe is BSCI certified and states that it doesn’t use child labour in any form.
Packaging
Cupshe is a $150 million business. If each of the items shipped goes individually packed in non-recyclable plastic, you can imagine the huge strain it puts on the environment.
On its website, Cupshe says its packaging is designed to be aesthetic and reusable. While the bags can be reused for carrying toiletries and stationery, it is essentially plastic and not eco-friendly.
Where does it get their clothes?
Cupshe’s headquarters are based in China. However, they do have warehouses based in several international locations.
Customers’ packages are shipped from whichever warehouse is closest to their location.
This is beneficial for the customers as they don’t have to pay exorbitant shipping fees in case of any returns.
As far as the source of the materials is concerned, Cupshe’s swimsuits are made of synthetic material.
Hence, if you are looking for swimwear that not only looks good on you but is also eco-friendly swimwear, Cupshe may not be the best option.
It does offer great styles but at the price of the environment.
