Fashionopolis: Why What We Wear Matters

Dana Thomas has an engaging writing style. She describes in detail the environments she visits and the people she interviews in order to instill in the reader a sense of familiarity with the interviewees, almost as if they were fictional characters.The new book, Fashionopolis, unravels the intricacies of the textile and clothing production chain. Thomas's access ranges from exclusive venues such as Stella McCartney's studio and the “vault” where Levi's keeps originals of world-class jeans, to unhealthy denim laundries in Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam, and factories in Dhaka, Bangladesh.“Fashionopolis” begins by discussing the compulsion for consumption and the social and economic impact of the industrial revolution and mass production, until globalization and outsourcing of labor. This first part of the book (read with tissues nearby) describes the hardships of cities that were manufacturing centers in the US but saw production migrate to lower-wage countries, leaving a trail of unemployment. The fast-paced, low-cost production of fast fashion is criticized. The horrors of uncontrolled overseas production are evidenced by reports from Honduras and Bangladesh. Thomas goes beyond describing the collapse of Rana Plaza, including the background of Sohel Rana, the owner of the building. It recognizes the merits of brands adhering to the Accord on Fire and Building Safety, but does not forgive the fact that the proposed agreement already existed years before the disaster, without companies making any commitment except the American group PVH Corp. and the German Tchibo network. And also points out that PVH Corp. had only previously joined the pact because of media revelations.Thomas then delves into the jeans universe, examining the use of pesticides and genetic modifications in cotton growing, the impact of synthetic pigment dyeing, and the environmental shock caused by the effluents from the laundry process. But with each step of the journey, it offers a counterpoint, like organic cotton production.In the second part of the book, Thomas's eye turns to brands, rescuing craftsmanship (Alabama Chanin), US production (Billy Reid, Little River Sock Mill, Zero + Maria Cornejo) and the revival of textile production in the United States. England and the USA. But the overt optimism of these pages does not make the author less critical: Visiting Reformation, California, she seems to question the contradiction between the brand's sustainable practices and the speed of its launches. I feel she leaves it to the reader to decide.Back in jeans, Thomas investigates the production of natural indigo, the coveted Japanese brands of denim jeans and the Jeanology denim finishing system, reducing pollutant use and water consumption.In the third and final part of the book, Thomas acknowledges Stella McCartney's influence in promoting sustainable materials and practices for the fashion industry. While in the Kering group, McCartney advocated an end to the use of natural and synthetic PVC-based fur. Claire Bergkamp is the Head of Ethics and Sustainability at McCartney, and is responsible for many of the material choices, including Canopy-certified viscose, Egyptian-grown organic cotton, New Zealand farmed wool and recycled nylon.Innovations are not limited to the materials or methods used in the production of clothing. The way clothes are being marketed is also undergoing transformations. The retail model, through department stores, has shown its decline due to changes in consumer preference and the advent of e-commerce. Thomas cites the English Selfridges network as a rare exception for being able to stay connected to customers' expectations with ethical and sustainable practices. In the luxury market, the electronic sales platform “Moda Operandi” is reinventing service from sophisticated spaces where consumers primarily receive fashion and entertainment advice. Nordstrom launched a similar concept in 2017.Comfort and convenience are the watchwords of retail, and Amazon, the electronics giant, has launched Prime Wardrobe, a service that allows customers to sample goods at home before making their purchase. According to Thomas, the smart virtual assistant Alexa can be programmed with the Style Check app for fashion consulting; she compares consumer photos with fashion images and offers hints about fit and color choices for clothing. It's like having a virtual fashion advisor inside your closet!Thomas recognizes the exponential growth of the clothing retail market, with the proliferation of consignment, sale and barter platforms. She cites the example of The RealReal that sells used but luxury clothing and accessories. Finally, the clothing rental model is presented as a partial retail replacement, describing Rent the Runway's success story.“Fashionopolis” could be an alarmist and depressing book, due to the backdrop of human exploitation and environmental impact of the fashion industry. In his thanks, Dana Thomas reveals the moments of frustration and difficulty in compiling such diverse, and many negative, subjects. But the author succeeds in articulating and organizing the content so that the reader concludes the book with a sense of optimism. Given several positive examples, it is possible to have hope for the future. I hope that those interested in fashion, as they read this work, will make more conscious choices to solve the dilemma about what to wear.

The other night I went to my son and daughter-in-law's house for a casual Friday night dinner. They have two young daughters and some time before dinner was devoted to the girls trying on clothes and shoes their mother had ordered on line - giving their measurements and shoe sizes - and deciding what they were going to keep and what would go back. This modern day Wells Fargo Wagon delivery system is only one of the ways that clothes for all ages get made and distributed these days. In her book, "Fashionopolis: The Price of Fast Fashion and the Future of Clothes", author Dana Thomas takes the readers behind the scenes to look at clothes made for Zara and its competitors, which provide cheap fashion just made to wear-and-throw-away, to the "back to nature" clothes, hand made in communities in the US and Europe. Zara's clothes are made in real-life sweat shops based in Asia and Central America, and Thomas doesn't stint on giving the hoary details of those places.Thomas also looks at the history of fashion and how politics has often affected it. I hadn't realised how much NAFTA had helped wipe out much of the manufacturing base in the United States since the 1990's. Thomas shows how our decline was matched by the uptick in world-wide production went to areas where it was cheaper to produce. I didn't get the sense she was condemning NAFTA; rather that she was explaining the after-effects.Dana Thomas's book on the ins-and-outs of how today's fashions are produced and how the future of fashion will look is not for the reader casually interested in the subject. She covers fashion from the designs to the manufacturing to the distribution of clothing and accessories and the reader should be at least somewhat familiar with the names and the histories and techniques she refers to.

Good book to open your eyes to the waste and harm that the clothing industry causes on society and our world. A bit long winded, and a bit short on how to fix the system on a broad scale. The book is made up of many short narrations of different parts of the clothing industry.

I love to upcycle clothing, particularly turning exquisite men’s suits and clothing into skirts and other unexpected creative projects. It never occurred to me to analyze the tragic impact of fast fashion on our planet. While half of the book focuses on the horrors such as factory fires, child employment (enslavement?), poor quality clothing that gets worn just a few times, the other half of the book focuses on ways to solve the problems. There are so many (s)heroes who are changing the way fashion is done. The book is both fascinating and inspiring.

This book clearly outlines the excesses of modern fashion and their effects on creators, labor, the environment, and consumers. She doesn't stop at outlining problems, though, she highlights some of the most interesting and innovative companies today that are pioneering new approaches that can inspire change in this massive industry. A must read for both fashionistas and sustainability needs!

Both books (young adult version) are a must read for anyone who buys and wears clothes

A detailed look at where we are, the rights and wrongs from creation to the sale of retail clothing, what we do right and what we do wrong and the questionable future of the approaches we use. It left me with more questions unanswered than answered, but certainly will make me look closer at the decisions that I make.