Worn: A People's History of Clothing

A finely spun history of clothes and where they come from Linen, Cotton, Silk, Synthetics, Wool- through the stories of these five fabrics, Sofi Thanhauser illuminates the world we inhabit in a startling new way, travelling from China to Cumbria to reveal the craft, labour and industry that create the clothes we wear. From the women who transformed stalks of flax into linen to clothe their families in nineteenth century New England to those who earn their dowries in the cotton-spinning factories of South India today, this book traces the origins of garment-making through time and around the world. Exploring the social, economic and environmental impact of our most personal possessions, Worn looks beyond care labels to show how clothes reveal the truth about what we really care about.

About the Author :
Sofi Thanhauser is a writer and artist whose work has appeared in numerous publications including the Spectator. An expert at shopping for vintage clothes - she has probably spent 10,000 hours hunting for sartorial treasure - Sofi's curiosity about the stories captured in care labels, from fabric composition to country of origin, led her to investigate the global questions explored in this book. She lives in Brooklyn and teaches in the Writing Department at Pratt Institute.

Review :
Fascinating . . . a good yarn . . . the joy of this history of clothing, which is eminently readable and meticulously researched, is its focus on people This riveting behind-the-scenes story of the clothes on our backs is a must-read for clotheshorses everywhere A terrific book especially for those who want to be informed about sustainable clothing. Knowing the history is fascinating. Richly evocative . . . One of the great pleasures of this panoramic history of getting dressed is Sofi Thanhauser's ability to spot moments like these where human desire and material culture collide Knowledgeable, fascinating . . . explores the complex systems woven between the producers of cloth and its consumers . . . bulges at the seams with finely spun descriptions of the places and people she encounters The story of what we wear is the story of who we are, and Worn offers a riveting, provocative, and eye-opening account. One cannot make sense of our modern world without this book Expansive . . . elegantly chronicling how textile production came to be defined by worker exploitation, misogyny, environmental devastation, and colonialism . . . Yet she also finds space to appreciate sartorial marvels and to celebrate the loom aficionados, "denimheads," and "wool enthusiasts" who aim for a more ethical, analog future Extraordinary . . . fascinating . . . a wonderful way into history, quite often through the voices of people who don't have a say in history A masterpiece of investigative reporting and a riveting adventure story, Worn is both panoramic and richly particular. Thanhauser is the best of guides: humane, engaging, generous with historical anecdote and always able to reveal the telling detail. She shows how the cost of fashion far exceeds any retail price tag, and how the revival of venerable traditions might yet lead us to a sustainable future An incredibly well-reported account of how fashion, far from being trivial, has shaped human history This is a must-read book for anyone interested in textiles. In it Sofi Thanhauser tracks the ingenuity, creativity and human cost of textile production across centuries and cultures in a book which combines remarkable research with heartfelt care Captivating and deeply researched . . . Thanhauser unearths the secret life of fabrics with skill and precision. Readers won't look at their wardrobes the same way again A fascinating read, laying out how our increasingly careless use and discarding of clothing has come to damage our planet. Thanhauser has carried out a remarkable mass of research on clothes and the fibers they are made from. She has stitched it all together in a clear and engaging style that invites one to keep reading and to start mending our ways Original, insightful and thought provoking . . . a delight to read such rich insights into the weaving and knitting together of industries, societies, political initiatives and economies of cloth that truly demonstrates humans activities Sofi Thanhauser's history of cloth is not just about clothing: it is about ethics, workers' rights, women's progress, climate justice. It is the about the fabric of who we are. And as told in Worn, it also makes an absolutely gripping read! Admirable concision and formidable scholarship . . . Now and then in the life of a book reviewer, a book comes along that makes you glad to be one . . . Worn falls plumb into this category Thanhauser's geographical reach is impressive . . . as is the rigour of her examinations of the cultural, economic, political and environmental impacts