💵 Talking money with friends?

Happy Monday! It’s August 28 — people are talking about the SHEIN and Forever 21 partnership, whether to discuss money with friends, and more.

As always, we’ve summarized and organized the different shades of perspective, so you can see the big picture quickly.

🛍️ In the news: SHEIN & Forever 21 partnership

Forever 21 items will be available on the SHEIN website, and SHEIN items will be available in Forever 21 stores. While some praise the business decision, others say it’s bad for the planet.

🛍️ The WSJ covers additional details: SHEIN is buying around a third of SPARC Group (which runs Forever 21), and SPARC will receive a minority share of SHEIN.

🛍️ @neilretail thinks it’s a win-win deal for the two clothing brands. SHEIN (founded in China) benefits from linking itself to a well-known American brand — and the deal could distract from the criticism of SHEIN’s labor practices.

🛍️ But Fortune says the deal is bad for the planet. Fast fashion is about getting people to buy cheap clothes often — encouraging people to discard a lot.

🛍️ NY Magazine agrees — and notes that SHEIN may have toxic chemicals in its clothing. Plus, it has poor labor practices — workers earn as little as $20/day.

💵 Cultural trend: Talking money with friends?

As we get older, it seems like we talk less often about money with friends. Should we restart some of these conversations?

💵 Stylist says it's good to be open about finances with friends — it encourages honesty, bringing you together. Keeping it secret makes it feel shameful.

💵 Financial Gym thinks it’s fine, but the key is to avoid comparison. Keep the conversations judgment-free, ask questions, and set boundaries. Talking money is taboo for many Americans, but we can break that barrier.

💵 But this Redditor on r/Frugal thinks comparison is inevitable. If you're the one who's "better off", then keep your mouth shut — unless your friend is making some bad choices.

💵 The Atlantic says the taboo is stronger when you have more money. People feel shame about their wealth; lower-income folks are more often open books.

Quick hits

🏛️ The Taliban government in Afghanistan prohibited women from entering the country's Band-e-Amir national park. (BBC)

🥇 Simone Biles won her record-setting 8th US Gymnastics Championship in San Jose, California. (ESPN)

🎤 Bob Barker, longtime host of the game show "The Price is Right", died at age 99. (CBS News)

🏀 France was eliminated from FIBA World Cup contention after losing its opening games against Canada and Latvia. (NBC Sports)

That’s it for today. Reply at [email protected] to let me know what you think of our newsletter, or to suggest a topic for next time.

Here at Shades we’re trying something new – quick summaries from different points of view. We think it’s a better way to stay informed and see the big picture. Please reach out if you’re curious to learn more!

- Jeff (co-founder of Shades)