The current best-selling hoodie on the Shein fashion platform has a reference to Psalm 118:6 on the back and a slightly smaller logo on the front.

International media report that this basic one-colour, wide, hooded hoodie is the most popular.

The item reads: “Faith over fear, the Lord is on my side: I will not fear, what can man do to me?” and is located in the section called “EZWear”.

That section has several urban designs, a clothes aimed at Generation Z, those born in the late 90's and early 2000's, which are nevertheless sought after by people of different ages.

Some jerseys, tops and T-shirts shown on the Chinese retailer's website feature secular phrases, but there are also those with Bible verses and Christian faith phrases.

Another popular item is a flannel that reads: “God with us”.

The “boom” of Christianity

Janira Planes, an analyst of trends in social media, memes and internet culture, told the Spanish newspaper El Confidencial that “at first it may seem surprising that a shop like Shein has something like that”, but “it fits in perfectly with the new trends we have seen on the internet”.

She mentioned the so-called “boom of Christianity” in the digital media that “has grown above all as a pop phenomenon and has been fed by an activism that has created strong online communities”.

Planes explained that this situation is most visible in the United States, where there are dozens of websites that not only evangelise, but also sell all kinds of merchandising.

One example is the brand of professional basketball player Jonathan Isaac, who plays for the Orlando Magic and is the creator of Unitus, a brand that in 2023 launched basketball shoes with Christian designs.

Sudden and fast growth

The growth of Shein has been sudden since 5 years ago, and many believe it to be due to the pandemic, as sales have increased.

According to Statista, Shein closed 2023 in first position, with a revenue of around 702 million euros, followed by Zara and Zalando.

Shein's growth has also been exponential, as in 2019 it closed with a market capitalisation of 5 billion US dollars and by the close of 2022, it had already multiplied its value by 20, reaching 100 billion dollars.