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Worn : A People's History of Clothing

By: Material type: TextTextPublication details: New York : Pantheon Books, 2022Description: xviii, 375 pages ; 24 cmISBN:
  • 9780525566731
Subject(s): LOC classification:
  • GT511.T53
Summary: In this ambitious, 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 Quatorze to the labor camps in modern-day Chinese-occupied Xinjiang. We see how textiles were once dyed from 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, relying on chronically underpaid and exploited laborers. But she also shows us how micro-communities and companies of textile 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 anecdotal material, Threads 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
List(s) this item appears in: New Arrivals
Holdings
Item type Current library Collection Shelving location Call number Status Date due Barcode Item holds
Books Asian University for Women Library Non-fiction General Stacks GT511. T53 (Browse shelf(Opens below)) Available 030733
Total holds: 0

In this ambitious, 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 Quatorze to the labor camps in modern-day Chinese-occupied Xinjiang. We see how textiles were once dyed from 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, relying on chronically underpaid and exploited laborers. But she also shows us how micro-communities and companies of textile 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 anecdotal material, Threads 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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