Why I Stopped Buying Fast Fashion and Started Ordering Directly from China Let me take you back to a rainy Tuesday in Portland, Oregon. I was staring at my closet—a chaotic mix of Zara, H&M, and a few thrifted gems—and feeling completely uninspired. The clothes were fine, but they all felt the same. And then I saw it: a dress a friend had brought back from a trip to Shanghai. The fabric was unlike anything I owned, the stitching was impeccable, and the cut was somehow both modern and timeless. “Where did you get this?” I asked. She shrugged and said, “I just bought it from a Chinese seller online.…