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Worn

A People's History of Clothing

Audiobook
2 of 2 copies available
2 of 2 copies available
A NEW YORKER BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR A sweeping and captivatingly told history of clothing and the stuff it is made of—an unparalleled deep-dive into how everyday garments have transformed our lives, our societies, and our planet.
“We learn that, if we were a bit more curious about our clothes, they would offer us rich, interesting and often surprising insights into human history...a deep and sustained inquiry into the origins of what we wear, and what we have worn for the past 500 years." —The Washington Post

In this panoramic social history, Sofi Thanhauser brilliantly tells five stories—Linen, Cotton, Silk, Synthetics, Wool—about the clothes we wear and where they come from, illuminating our world in unexpected ways. She takes us from the opulent court of Louis XIV to the labor camps in modern-day Chinese-occupied Xinjiang. We see how textiles were once dyed with lichen, shells, bark, saffron, and beetles, displaying distinctive regional weaves and knits, and how the modern Western garment industry has refashioned our attire into the homogenous and disposable uniforms popularized by fast-fashion brands.
Thanhauser makes clear how the clothing industry has become one of the planet’s worst polluters and how it relies on chronically underpaid and exploited laborers. But she also shows us how micro-communities, textile companies, and clothing makers in every corner of the world are rediscovering ancestral and ethical methods for making what we wear.
Drawn from years of intensive research and reporting from around the world, and brimming with fascinating stories, Worn reveals to us that our clothing comes not just from the countries listed on the tags or ready-made from our factories. It comes, as well, from deep in our histories.
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    • Library Journal

      June 1, 2022

      Artist, musician, and writer Thanhauser (creative writing, Pratt Inst.) combines a broad history of clothing with interviews and reportage exposing the modern apparatus behind global mass-produced fashion. She jokes that she was a "polemical teenager" in a charming introductory anecdote. Yet, this audio book incisively shows the links among American foreign policy interests, the textile industry's move to overseas production, and centuries-long patterns of labor exploitation that persist in sweatshops today, as a whole it will leave listeners feeling informed and thoughtful rather than harangued or guilty, if more likely to consider garment construction and fabric type along with the "Made in" label the next time they buy a shirt. Rebecca Lowman's narration is precise, accurate, and highly attuned to fluctuations in genre and tone, fitting the text like a glove. VERDICT This expertly narrated, forceful debut is mandatory listening for armchair historians and economists alike.--Lauren Kage

      Copyright 2022 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

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  • English

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