News24 | Polyester sold as satin: Some Shein ads banned in SA

A Shein listing for an ‘elegant champagne luxurious beaded and sequin satin ruffle hem high slit fishtail evening dress’ (far left), compared with photos uploaded by a customer, showing a heavier polyester garment with little of the advertised sheen or drape.

ARB

• The Advertising Regulatory Board has banned some Shein advertising following a complaint about its use of AI and suspicious quality badges in clothing listings.
• A customer flagged a listing for an evening dress that appeared glossy and flowing, complete with a badge showing that Shein had performed quality assurance on the product.
• Real-life review photos showed a duller, heavier polyester-elastane garment with none of the advertised sheen or drape.
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South Africa’s advertising watchdog has banned Chinese fast-fashion giant Shein from using AI-enhanced images and misleading fabric badges that make cheap polyester garments look far more luxurious than they are.

The Advertising Regulatory Board (ARB) probed a complaint highlighting a glaring gap between Shein’s polished product images and the reality photographed by customers.

A listing for an “elegant champagne luxurious beaded and sequin satin ruffle hem high slit fishtail evening dress” showed a glossy, flowing gown complete with an “S-Verified” badge – meaning Shein claimed to have independently confirmed the product and its features.

But photos uploaded by the customer told a vastly different story: a duller, heavier polyester garment with little of the advertised sheen or drape.

Shein contended that the “satin” description referred to the fabric’s feel and style, not its content – which is 93% polyester and 7% elastane.

The company admitted to using AI to generate images, but said this does not in itself mean that an advertisement is misleading.

It also said variations in perceived colour are normal due to lighting and camera differences, and fit varies naturally between individuals.

Shein also contended that the listing cannot be assessed on just one image. All information should be considered – including the product description and design details, colour description, size guide, and customer reviews.

But the ARB disagreed.

It found that the buyer would have to scroll through various sections to find accurate information in the listing, and that it would not address the misleading initial impression created by the image and badges.

The regulator said “Satin” label and “S-Verified” badge suggested a premium satin garment, while the AI-enhanced images showed a sheen and drape that a polyester-elastane blend cannot produce.

“It is accepted that an advertiser puts the best version of the product forward, and that clothing may look very different on different body types. However, the differences apparent in this listing are not merely attributable to body shape or height. They reflect a material difference in perceived fabric quality, directly linked to the way the product is visually presented.”

While the regulator agreed that AI-assisted imagery is not inherently misleading, where it “idealises” the sheen, drape, or texture of a garment and creates a premium fabric impression, the result is “a materially inaccurate” representation of the product.

The ARB found that Shein had used “Satin” logos and “S-Verified” quality assurance badges on products that were not made of satin, creating a false impression of high-end fabric quality.

It instructed its members – including large media houses – not to accept or publish any Shein advertising that uses stylised fabric or quality indicators such as “Satin” or “S-Verified” where the fabric is not actually satin.