
Worn
A People's History of Clothing
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Narrated by:
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Rebecca Lowman
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By:
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Sofi Thanhauser
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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Critic reviews
A New Yorker Best Book of the Year
“Meticulous…eye-opening…Much of Worn is really about labor inequity…[and how] the pedestrian objects that fill our daily lives can carry a heavy historical and ecological legacy.” —Grist
"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, as well as into the material conditions and social consequences of their production...Read this book. As an argument against the horrors of fast fashion and the social and environmental disasters it provokes, it is powerful and persuasive." —The Washington Post
"This is a must-read for anyone who takes fashion seriously." —Glamour, "The First Great Books of 2022"
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an essential book.
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Material Matters
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Intriguing
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I see the world differently after reading it, a change in perspective is truly a gift.
Beautiful and insightful book.
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Wonderful listen
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Well woven story.
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Loved this book.
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A beautiful history of how fabrics have become us.
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This book does a wonderful job at highlighting the history of particular aspects of clothing. From east coast garments to Native Americans to south east Asia it’s all here and more.
It also highlights the environmental injustice of the clothing industry. And shows how society has lost touch with true garment making.
Worn has more than just 1 meaning
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Everything I wanted
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