Overdressed: The Shockingly High Cost of Cheap Fashion

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Overdressed: The Shockingly High Cost of Cheap Fashion

3.68 of 5 stars 3.68 · rating details · 973 ratings · 297 reviews

Until recently, Elizabeth Cline was a typical American consumer. She’d grown accustomed to shopping at outlet malls, discount stores like T.J. Maxx, and cheap but trendy retailers like Forever 21, Target, and H&M. She was buying a new item of clothing almost every week (the national average is sixty-four per year) but all she had to show for it was a closet and countle...more Until recently, Elizabeth Cline was a typical American consumer. She’d grown accustomed to shopping at outlet malls, discount stores like T.J. Maxx, and cheap but trendy retailers like Forever 21, Target, and H&M. She was buying a new item of clothing almost every week (the national average is sixty-four per year) but all she had to show for it was a closet and countless storage bins packed full of low-quality fads she barely wore—including the same sailor-stripe tops and fleece hoodies as a million other shoppers. When she found herself lugging home seven pairs of identical canvas flats from Kmart (a steal at $7 per pair, marked down from $15!), she realized that something was deeply wrong.

Cheap fashion has fundamentally changed the way most Americans dress. Stores ranging from discounters like Target to traditional chains like JCPenney now offer the newest trends at unprecedentedly low prices. Retailers are producing clothes at enormous volumes in order to drive prices down and profits up, and they’ve turned clothing into a disposable good. After all, we have little reason to keep wearing and repairing the clothes we already own when styles change so fast and it’s cheaper to just buy more.

But what are we doing with all these cheap clothes? And more important, what are they doing to us, our society, our environment, and our economic well-being?

In Overdressed, Cline sets out to uncover the true nature of the cheap fashion juggernaut, tracing the rise of budget clothing chains, the death of middle-market and independent retailers, and the roots of our obsession with deals and steals. She travels to cheap-chic factories in China, follows the fashion industry as it chases even lower costs into Bangladesh, and looks at the impact (both here and abroad) of America’s drastic increase in imports. She even explores how cheap fashion harms the charity thrift shops and textile recyclers where our masses of clothing castoffs end up.

Sewing, once a life skill for American women and a pathway from poverty to the middle class for workers, is now a dead-end sweatshop job. The pressures of cheap have forced retailers to drastically reduce detail and craftsmanship, making the clothes we wear more and more uniform, basic, and low quality. Creative independent designers struggle to produce good and sustainable clothes at affordable prices.

Cline shows how consumers can break the buy-and-toss cycle by supporting innovative and stylish sustainable designers and retailers, refashioning clothes throughout their lifetimes, and mending and even making clothes themselves.

Overdressed will inspire you to vote with your dollars and find a path back to being well dressed and feeling good about what you wear.(less)

Hardcover, 256 pages

Published June 14th 2012 by Portfolio Hardcover (first published January 1st 2012)

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Jan 02, 2013 Jaclyn Day rated it 4 of 5 stars

There’s a lot in this book I could have written myself. The casual pop-ins to H&M to buy an accessory or a $5 tanktop? Check. The hanging on to every rapidly changing trend? Check. The warped view of what “affordable” clothing means to our generation? Check.

The book is a quick read. I finished it in several hours over the weekend. The writing is familiar and casual, but with that comes a set of additional problems. The editing is sloppy and I caught typos throughout, but I did read this on K...more There’s a lot in this book I could have written myself. The casual pop-ins to H&M to buy an accessory or a $5 tanktop? Check. The hanging on to every rapidly changing trend? Check. The warped view of what “affordable” clothing means to our generation? Check.

The book is a quick read. I finished it in several hours over the weekend. The writing is familiar and casual, but with that comes a set of additional problems. The editing is sloppy and I caught typos throughout, but I did read this on Kindle—perhaps the editing gap is there? Anyway, those don’t have anything to do with the content, all of which is scathing, fascinating and frustrating in equal parts. So let’s begin, shall we?

As to the scathing part—I admit that this book indicts me 100%. I’m a fast fashion consumer, absolutely. More than that, I’m passing on my shopping habits to even more consumers through my blog. I’m part of the cycle that Cline talks about and I admit that I felt uncomfortable (and ashamed) all the way through the book. There is really no defending my shopping habits against her arguments of quality, waste and labor. And why would I want to? There’s no defense of our current retail experience or the increasingly competitive and fashion-obsessed consumer that continues to drive it. The brands that Cline mentions occupy a large majority of space in my closet: Target, Forever 21, H&M. There’s a thoroughly critical account of the Missoni for Target mayhem and the fact that people lost their minds over what were essentially cheaply-made replicas of higher quality goods. But, lest you think you escape Cline’s critical eye because you shop at department stores or more middle-of-the-road retailers like J.Crew, Madewell or Gap, she smashes the likes of them and the consumer perception of their “code of conducts” too. By the time Cline has outlined all the problems with most popular retailers, discussed the fact that vintage or thrift pre-1980’s may soon be priced out of the average consumer’s hands and talked about sewing or re-purposing existing clothes as being perhaps the only way out of this crisis, I was ready to throw my Kindle across the room.

As you might imagine, the sweatshop/cheap labor statistics and problems that are inherent with the fast fashion industry (defined as stores containing highly affordable, trend-drive inventory that can change at least once every two weeks) and retailers beyond it take up a majority of the real estate in this book. Cline does discuss other problems too: quality shortfalls, pre-1980’s vintage shortages and the ensuing price jacking, copyright suits (primarily surrounding Forever 21), waste management and all its problematic variables. But, the second you read the title of this book, your mind probably went right to sweatshop labor, right? Our generation has Nike and the sweatshop scandals of the late 1990’s/early 2000’s to thank us for that immediate association between the clothing/textile industry and cheap overseas labor. But, as Cline points out, although we are conscious of how cheap fashion retailers are able to offer such low prices, it doesn’t really stop us from buying. We’re a highly informed consumer that chooses to ignore the information in front of us for the sake of affordability (in and of itself a flawed perception), trendiness and disposability.

But, to Cline’s surprise, buying pricer clothing wasn’t a solution either. The whole fashion retail industry seems to be flawed—top to bottom. She found you couldn’t exactly trust retailers who more stringently audited their factories because, well, you never know—auditors can’t be there 24/7. And the quality of more expensive clothing is sometimes not much better than the quality you can find at lesser prices. Price can be an indicator of quality, says Cline, but it’s not the only marker and certainly not the most reliable of them. Therein is the first of the frustrating things surrounding this huge problem—low prices and poor quality do not always go hand-in-hand, just like high prices and retailers saying they use a more modern, fair labor force to produce higher quality clothing doesn’t either. Basically, as a consumer of clothing, you have few choices available to you that you can feel good about it and trust.

But are you surprised? I’m not. Not really. I’ve seen the United Nations of countries adorning the tags of my clothing. I’m certainly willing to change my buying practices, but the problem is that fast fashion retailers (and that includes any chain retailer anywhere, including TJMaxx, J.Crew or LOFT) make it too easy not to change. If I sound like a mindless lemming following after the crowd wearing leopard print loafer shoes, I definitely am. I’m raising my hand over here and admitting that I am prime prey for the quick trend changeover, the ubiquitous clearance rack, the low prices, the ability to grab a new dress for an event and never wear it again because it’s just that affordable.

So, how will I reconcile the information in Cline’s book with my buying (and blogging) habits? Well, I’d love to know the answer to that. I wish Cline had helped. I really abhor books that discuss sweeping social problems and don’t offer the reader any ability to make a realistic change regarding the subject matter. Cline’s biggest solution? Sew your own clothes. Totally sustainable! Bypassing all the labor problems! Unfortunately, that’s just not realistic. I’m not going to sew my own clothes now or ever. Cline basically realized that outside of sewing/repurposing her own clothes or buying vintage, her budget doesn’t allow her to buy new items that won’t tickle her conscience.

There are other options to consider. Boutiques often carry local or small lines that use domestic labor and are still reasonably priced (which usually means prices between $50-$200). Online shopping offers alternatives too. Modcloth, for example, offers the ability to search clothing by a Made in the USA tag. But, even stores that say they use the same factories as many other designer labels, or audit their factories frequently doesn’t ensure you peace of mind. According to Cline, blindly trusting that a designer label or a retailer will source from a higher quality factory is a fallacy. Even the best factories Cline saw in her worldwide research efforts seemed to be more like open house models, specifically orchestrated for her benefit. As she said, many manufacturers have one or more “show factories” and then outsource portions of the order to other factories—the kinds of factories they don’t show in the Pretty Factory Tour. It’s a jumbled, awful mess. If you’re feeling depressed, join the club.

In the end, it’s probably easiest to treat buying clothing like you do food. The organic, local food movement has made it easier and more practical to procure those goods. The act of buying clothing could be undertaken in a similar way. Buy local and do your research. That, of course, assumes you are willing to accept that such goods will be more expensive than you’re used to and the concept of “clearance” doesn’t exactly apply. It will require a major shift in the way we think about buying and wearing our clothing. I’m not going to sit here and tell you that I’m going to stop shopping at H&M. That would be a lie, and I’m not interested in lying to you. Short of sewing my own clothes, I will start shopping at thrift stores and consignment shops again. I’ll start trying to frequent more local boutiques too. I used to thrift a lot through high school and have gotten out of the habit. Frankly, online shopping makes it too easy for me to get what I want or need at an affordable price. A lot of people get around the fast fashion shopping guilt by saying things like, “I spend more on basics and classic pieces that I’ll wear for a long time.” I’ve tried to say that to myself over the years too. But, I’ve yet to meet someone who says that and still didn’t shit themselves over Missoni for Target, frequents J.Crew every season, buys a new $10 shirt from H&M, or grabs the occasional cheap accessory from Forever 21. I said before that I was frustrated that Cline didn’t offer options beyond sewing for making a realistic change. The depressing reality is that there really aren’t many. Of those options, can we choose to take them? After being given nonstop access to affordable clothing for over a decade, can we take a step back? And here’s the real kicker—do we even want to? Something to think about.(less)

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Feb 08, 2013 Renee rated it 4 of 5 stars

I don't even know where to begin. I remember looking at two friend's closets a few years ago and being shocked speechless over the insane number of clothes they had. Especially considering I saw them in the same clothes over and over and the vast majority spalid on the floor had never been worn. Throw on top that I find most of the clothes I see on people I know wearing to look patently inexpensive(thin, faded, pilled and pulled). This book explained to me how this came to be and how consumer cu...more I don't even know where to begin. I remember looking at two friend's closets a few years ago and being shocked speechless over the insane number of clothes they had. Especially considering I saw them in the same clothes over and over and the vast majority spalid on the floor had never been worn. Throw on top that I find most of the clothes I see on people I know wearing to look patently inexpensive(thin, faded, pilled and pulled). This book explained to me how this came to be and how consumer culture changed when it comes to shopping.

I made a melton wool grey trench coat a few years ago. It's double breasted, down to my ankles and lined with flannel back satin. It's the warmest, best fitting garment I've ever made. It cost me $150. My good friend was shocked I would pay that much to make something when I could have bought a coat for less money and zero time. This coat, easily would have cost over $500 on *sale*. But, a poly / wool / acrylic coat for $90 made much more sense to her.

We live in a culture where we've forgotten that good quality items cost a lost of money. Period.

When I grew up, we shopped seasonally and for special occasions. In my 1930s home, the closets are the size of an outhouse. This book lays out how the expectations on the cost for clothes has changed and how the stores have catered to this. Now, people shop for entertainment and the clothes are inexpensive enough that we don't think twice about buying it. Add on top of this the loss of shame over having 'cheap' clothes and we have a society that has more clothes than ever. This has changed the way our homes are built, the way we shop and the quality we expect.

This book is eye opening and I will never shop the same way again. Ever. I want my clothes to have value and meaning. I don't want to contribute to this consumer culture where we spend more on a meal out than we will on a blouse! A blouse should last for years!

Sigh. I realize this isn't a review, LOL. Read this book. It will change your thinking and they way you live. I'm only not giving it five stars because the author talks about how we need to learn to identify good quality clothing. But, never really goes in to what the average consumer should look out for.

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Sep 01, 2012 Heidi Lawson rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: foodie-hippie

In Overdressed Elizabeth Cline details the problems with what she terms "fast fashion:" the cheap clothing that has permeated nearly the entire market, making it almost impossible to find well made clothes that were made by someone earning a fair wage.

I appreciated all of the points she made... the first time. The major flaw of this book is that it is about 100 pages too long. Cline repeats herself over and over during the first 2/3 of the book. And while she emphasizes many times that cheap mat...more

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Jul 30, 2012 Trena rated it 4 of 5 stars

Overdressed covers the other end of the spectrum as Deluxe: How Luxury Lost Its Luster: cheap fast fashion. It does for clothing retail what Cheap: The High Cost of Discount Culture (attempted to do) for low-cost retail in general.

Cline explores the fast fashion industry and its aftermath: the mountains of waste and the secondary market that can't keep up, the loss of American and other first world garment jobs, the decline in clothing quality (making a secondary market irrelevant because the cl...more

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Jan 22, 2013 Jane rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: nonfiction-memoir

This has been doing the rounds of the interwebs for a while, and it fits into my recent goals to buy less, make more, reduce crap. It was a fairly thought-provoking read, even if not a lot of it was a major revelation. It sucks that good manufacturing jobs are almost extinct in the US, and while the author points to slow fashion in LA and Brooklyn as signs that this might be changing, I hardly think it's on an industry scale yet. I had no idea that when I was a teenager, we still made 50% of our...more

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Apr 23, 2013 Trish rated it 3 of 5 stars

The same thing has happened in Australia too,exacerbated by our high dollar. I am 63 and not even many people of my generation know how to sew clothes either even though attempts were made at school to teach us.Yes pattern making and sewing are very labour intensive tasks but personally quite fulfilling.
The big movement in Australia is spending lots of money on expensive fabrics for quilting and craft rather than using recycled goods. But fortunately on an inetrnational level there are small com...more

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Apr 01, 2013 Lisa Schmeiser rated it 5 of 5 stars

You'll never look at $5 tank tops from Old Navy in the same way again.

After reading this book, I was angry, in a sort of impotent way. If you want beautiful, quality clothing made by people working under humane conditions and being paid a living wage, you had better be rich. The rest of us are drowning under a tide of clothing cranked out by very young, very poor people working with very shoddy materials and very cursory technique. There is no middle ground any more.

Although Cline does a wonderf...more

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Mar 31, 2013 Maurinejt rated it 4 of 5 stars

The book opens with an anecdote about a trendy shoe marked down to seven dollars. The author was amazed at the sale, and bought all that were in her size. Each lasted only a month or so before wearing out, but still she was stuck with 2 pairs unworn that are now passe. Thus she introduces us to the world of "fast" i.e., disposable fashion that beckons from all the stores we love to shop at. She describes the outrage she feels when required to pay more than 30$ for a top, which I have shared. We...more The book opens with an anecdote about a trendy shoe marked down to seven dollars. The author was amazed at the sale, and bought all that were in her size. Each lasted only a month or so before wearing out, but still she was stuck with 2 pairs unworn that are now passe. Thus she introduces us to the world of "fast" i.e., disposable fashion that beckons from all the stores we love to shop at. She describes the outrage she feels when required to pay more than 30$ for a top, which I have shared. We are so accustomed to cheap clothing that we view higher prices as unfair gouging, never mind that outfits have become increasingly more flimsy and poorly made. I was very much reminded of Brave New World, where clothes would fall to pieces after a few months forcing consumers to buy more. And we are more or less there.

The other idea that stuck with me is that we have spent less on our clothes than ever before, while buying more of them. For instance, after World War I, a mid-price ready-to-wear dress sold for $16.95 or just under $200, adjusted for inflation. Yep, I'd have less clothing too if I paid $200 per outfit. And I might even learn to sew, as many women did then for that very reason. Of course, that $200 outfit would also last a lot longer than a polyester shift from Old Navy.

Which is sort of the idea behind the fashion movement Cline is promoting: buying less, more expensive clothes. But clothes that fit better, look better, are well made out of endurable fabrics, and are more unique and expressive. Clothes that you will want to wear for years.

I enjoyed reading the book, and I thought it was an important one. I did feel it could have been better organized, it was arranged by theme so there was a lot of digression and snippets of the same story spanning multiple chapters. It was hard to pick out the thread of the narrative in spots. I do wonder if our drive for cheap, generic fashion is a reflection that what we do in front of a screen is increasingly more important than what we do in person; I also wish she would have looked at weight fluctuation as a drive for disposable clothing. I would guess that the average person today experiences more dramatic size changes than they would have in decades past. The pressure of losing or gaining weight felt by much of the US population may not make a person eager to slap down $300 on a dress that won't fit next year. All in all though, I would recommend Overdressed, and I wish it could be taught in high school.

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Mar 31, 2013 Stephanie rated it 5 of 5 stars

I really loved this book. I'm in the clothing industry myself and even I was shocked by a few chapters. For example, who knew that only 20 % of the clothes you drop off at Good Will or Salvation Army are actually purchased by consumers? The majority of rejected clothes end up being packed into bales, picked up by salvage companies who attempt to recycle them by selling them to rural countries where the people there can buy them for cheap. I think this is a fantastic idea which I knew nothing abo...more

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Mar 07, 2013 Lara Krupicka rated it 4 of 5 stars

I enjoyed this book - it answered some of the questions I've been wondering about. Like why is it that so many of my clothes have to be washed in cold water any more (answer: not just to save energy, but because they're so poorly made, they won't hold up otherwise). And how is it that clothes are cheaper now than twenty years ago (answer:basically you have to read the book).

I learned a lot about fast fashion, the history of the garment industry, and where our clothes come from. The one thing tha...more

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Mar 03, 2013 Elisabeth Montegna rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013-new, non-fiction

Overdressed examines the cheap, fast fashion trend that is typified by H&M, Old Navy, etc. The author shows the effects cheap fashion has had on high fashion, consumer awareness, and the growing environmental cost of disposable clothing. Cline talks to manufacturers in the garment industry in the US, China, Bangladesh, and the Dominican Republic and looks at where these cheap clothes end up after we dispose of them.

The book appears to be well-researched. In addition to the author's own inves...more Overdressed examines the cheap, fast fashion trend that is typified by H&M, Old Navy, etc. The author shows the effects cheap fashion has had on high fashion, consumer awareness, and the growing environmental cost of disposable clothing. Cline talks to manufacturers in the garment industry in the US, China, Bangladesh, and the Dominican Republic and looks at where these cheap clothes end up after we dispose of them.

The book appears to be well-researched. In addition to the author's own investigations into the cheap fashion industry, she references a number of sources (it is a pet peeve of mine that some nonfiction books merely have a bibliography at the end and do not cite their sources within the text). She makes a strong case for abandoning cheap fashion in favor of more expensive, well-made, ethically produced clothing. Importantly, the author does not have a holier-than-thou attitude toward sustainable fashion. She doesn't need to because the data in the book speaks for itself. Certainly I will never be able to look at H&M, or even Gap, in the same way after having read this book.

I read this book because it has been mentioned on a number of sewing blogs that I read. Each review of the book indicated that the book really made the reviewer think hard about the sustainability of the clothes they normally wear. It's one thing to sort of vaguely know that most of your clothes are made by people who are not being paid a living wage, it's another to read about the author's own experience in visiting factories in China (which are not horrible, run-down, dangerous sweatshops, but do severely overwork and underpay their workers, largely due to the demands of American companies who unrealistically want manufacturing costs to go down every year, despite increased prices of materials and costs of living). As you might imagine this sort of thing is of great interest to the home sewing community which is filled with people who make their own clothes in part because they want better fitting, better quality clothes.

I enjoyed reading about the author's own personal journey of discarding cheap fashion. Cline's views on fashion and disposable clothing starts out fairly mainstream and progresses toward the "slow clothing" movement. I thought that more could have been done with this aspect of the book. During much of the book, the author talks about her obsession with cheap fashion and only talks about her changed shopping habits at the very end. I would have been interested in reading more about how the author made the transition from a very large wardrobe of cheap fast fashion to a smaller wardrobe of more ethically produced investment pieces.

I have one major complaint and that is the apparent lack of good editing for grammatical errors. It is not unheard of for a book to have one or two typos or grammatical errors, especially in the first printing. However, this book had several such errors in every chapter. The errors were so prevalent, I began to think that the book had been self-published because it seemed impossible that a well-respected publisher could miss so many mistakes. It turns out, though, that the book was published by Penguin, so I am at a loss to explain the abundant grammatical errors. It would be interesting to see if these mistakes were present in both the hardcover and kindle versions (I read the kindle version).

Despite the apparent lack of editing, I really enjoyed this book. The subject matter was compelling and the author's writing style was very casual and personable (not the dry writing style some nonfiction authors use). I think anybody who has ever wondered about where their clothing comes from or has remarked to themselves about the decreasing quality of off-the-rack clothing would enjoy this book.

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Mar 02, 2013 Laura rated it 3 of 5 stars

The gist of Overdressed is that cheap fashion has changed the way Americans dress and shop. No longer do we invest in good quality clothing, rather we buy things as cheaply as possible. Instead of creating a wardrobe of fewer pieces of high quality, well-fitting things we love, we buy hundreds of items that are trendy, ill-fitting and of such low quality that they may only survive a few washings. Sometimes we don't even bother to wear our cheap finds. It's not uncommon to find clothing in thrift...more The gist of Overdressed is that cheap fashion has changed the way Americans dress and shop. No longer do we invest in good quality clothing, rather we buy things as cheaply as possible. Instead of creating a wardrobe of fewer pieces of high quality, well-fitting things we love, we buy hundreds of items that are trendy, ill-fitting and of such low quality that they may only survive a few washings. Sometimes we don't even bother to wear our cheap finds. It's not uncommon to find clothing in thrift stores with the original tags still attached.

I found out about this book after reading an excerpt from Slate. The article is called "The Afterlife of Cheap Clothes" and it's from chapter 5 of the book. It's a fascinating look at where duds go after they are donated.

I recommend reading this book for all the good information it contains. The quote on the cover sums it up nicely: "Overdressed does for T-shirts and leggings what Fast Food Nation did for burgers and fries." - Katha Pollitt, The Nation. I feel like there are several books similar to Fast Food Nation, but I haven't come across similar books to Overdressed (some on Amazon recommended reading Deluxe: How Luxury Lost Its Luster, by Dana Thomas). The reason I say that is because while Overdressed is great for the information it contains about fast fashion and the damage it does to workers and the environment, the book has its fair share of problems too.

Those problems include numerous spelling and grammar mistakes, to the point that one Amazon reviewer says she got so fed up she marked up her copy of the book and sent it to the publisher. Overdressed is also annoyingly repetitive. Large chunks could disappear from the book and they wouldn't be missed. Instead there should have been a chapter at the end filled with solutions. At the book's website there is a page devoted to "What you can do." Why wasn't that in the book?

Sadly the lack of quality editing holds Overdressed back and if I could think of a better book on the subject to recommend I would. I think the information contained in the book is valuable, and because of that I'd suggest reading Overdressed. Plus it's a fairly quick read (especially if you can ignore all those grammar mistakes, otherwise you'll make yourself crazy).(less)

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Jan 31, 2013 Sheryl Kirby rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: pop-culture, non-fiction

On more than one occasion, I’ve found myself sitting in a restaurant measuring the cost of my meal against the cost of the clothes on my back. This entree costs as much as my shirt. This tiny dessert, more than my scarf. A multi-course tasting menu can ring in at more than a pair of really well-made boots.

Like most people I’m inclined to blame this disparity on the high price of food. But I am wrong to do so, for the problem is not that quality, well-prepared restaurant food is to expensive, it’...more

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Jan 21, 2013 Tracy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: outread-aubrey

I borrowed this book from my son, who has to read it for an English class he is taking, and I'm pretty sure I enjoyed it more than he will, although the information in the book was intriguing. Fashion is gone, at least that was what I got from this. I had no idea about the fast fashion that is apparently the trend today. Styles change rapidly, and the quality of clothing is poor, and really not meant to kept - it's disposable, and priced to wear once or twice. Apparently, no one knows how to mak...more

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Dec 06, 2012 Christina rated it 4 of 5 stars

A beautiful but always badly dressed woman I used to know once told me, "I'd rather have lots of mediocre clothes than just a few really high-quality clothes." This book explains the impact of that attitude: the effect on the environment of millions of tons of cheap, disposable, mostly synthetic garments; on the domestic garment industry, when manufacturing fled to cheaper countries; on the people in those cheaper countries, who work under terrible conditions for equally terrible pay; and a lot...more

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Nov 27, 2012 Donna Brown rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: netgalley

If you’re going to read Overdressed, be prepared for it to leave a nasty taste in your mouth and a lump in your throat when you next open your wardrobe. This really is a pretty damning expose of the ‘fast fashion’ industry, which churns out clothes faster than we can wear them out, leading to massive waste and a wardrobe full of clothes that we wear only once or twice. Why? Because at $5 an item, we still think we’re getting our money’s worth even if we only wear it a couple of times and then it...more If you’re going to read Overdressed, be prepared for it to leave a nasty taste in your mouth and a lump in your throat when you next open your wardrobe. This really is a pretty damning expose of the ‘fast fashion’ industry, which churns out clothes faster than we can wear them out, leading to massive waste and a wardrobe full of clothes that we wear only once or twice. Why? Because at $5 an item, we still think we’re getting our money’s worth even if we only wear it a couple of times and then it goes out of fashion.

I wouldn’t say I’ve ever been excessively fashion conscious and certainly for the last 2-3 years, I tend to only buy something when I need it. I do love shoes but even so I become incredibly attached and will wear them even when they have holes in. This Autumn, I finally threw out a pair after getting my feet soaked not once, not twice but three times! But have I bought an item in the past for $10 rationalising that it doesn’t really matter if I only wear it a handful of times? I probably have.

Fast fashion is all about embracing trends but Overdressed points out that trends change so quickly that some stores are introducing hundreds of new lines each week. Therefore, clothing is becoming disposable as people strive to keep up with the new trends emerging constantly. The cost? Our clothing is gradually becoming of poorer and poorer quality. As is stated in the book, it’s now enough for something not to be lousy. We no longer strive for an ideal, we just want to avoid something awful and if we can, that’s enough.

I was born in the eighties but years ago I was given a jacket from the seventies. It had already survived for years and it lasted for many more. Eventually the lining gave and I had kind of outgrown it anyway. I never managed to replace that jacket with anything near the quality. So, what’s the answer? To buy ‘quality’ brands? Not necessarily. Overdressed points out that in an investigation a $75 polo shirt was found to be little different to a $9 one. For the ‘fast fashion’ brands, pricing drops and quality drops but for the ‘premium’ brands, pricing is staying at a premium, even if the quality isn’t.

Really, all I can say is read this book. You’ll draw your own conclusions and may or may not agree with everything that’s said. But like Jonathan Safran Foer’s ‘Eating Animals’ was a shocking eye-opener to me as a meat-eater, ‘Overdressed’ is the equivalent version for clothes buyers. So pretty much anyone who doesn’t make their own clothes. It would be naive to suggest that that’s the way forward but perhaps it’s a less frightening prospect than a world where a one-wear blouse becomes as common as a paper plate.

**Review originally published on Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dave. I received a copy of the book in exchange for a fair and honest review. I did not receive any additional compensation and all views are my own.**(less)

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Nov 21, 2012 Amity rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: non-fic

Great book. It is a history of clothing in America, and labor issues, and global economics. But it's also a personal story; and that's why it isn't like the other books about this issue.

Cline, in the beginning of the book, takes all of her clothes and puts them in the middle of her apartment. Almost all come from Old Navy, the Gap, Target--'fast fashion' places. My closet is almost exactly the same; less Gap, though. She talks about how buying clothes used to be a once or twice a year deal and n...more

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Nov 13, 2012 Emily rated it 3 of 5 stars

Excellent background on the history of fashion, where our clothes come from and how this has changed so dramatically over the last century. It also really makes you think twice about what you buy and calls into question as to whether more money really means better quality (mainly when it comes to "designer" lines). I myself never really caring much for so called "designer lables" (I've found many times that name doesn't always mean quality) learned a lot about what it really means to have a qual...more

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Oct 14, 2012 sarah rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: nonfiction

Not perfect but at least makes you think about your own habits. Interestingly, the only reasons my habits aren't as bad as they could be (I don't shop a lot and try to make the effort to alter and mend stuff I already own) is that I rarely find things I like that fit me (a topic for a whole other book) and various economic and employment considerations have rendered me unable to afford to shop for entertainment (also a topic for a whole other book). And despite that every once in a while I still...more

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Oct 01, 2012 Alex rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: food-for-thought, non-fiction, sewing-quilting

This book seems to be hot in the home-sewing online community, of which I am an extremely junior/just learning member. Since I am interested in fashion and very frustrated with the options to buy out there (which is why I am starting to sew in the first place), this seemed a great book to check out.

Overall, it's a quick read and while it gives an overview of the fashion industry over the last 100 years, its main focus is fast fashion - the evolution into and zeitgeist of the ever-rotating cheap...more

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Sep 16, 2012 Carolyn rated it 5 of 5 stars

This is a well researched and thoughtful book about fashion and clothing. Who would have ever thought about the long journey that little black dress has taken and how many highly important areas of our local, national and global economic, creative, and environmental issues it affects. Since the American Industrial Revolution the textile and fashion industry has been on a long and tortuous road. The U.S. is really not even in the game any longer. Asia and third world countries have hi-jacked the...more

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Sep 10, 2012 Beth rated it 3 of 5 stars

I skimmed parts of this book. It's about the fashion industry and impact of cheap clothing. The author covers some things about sweatshop conditions and low payment of workers worldwide and talks about the dying garment manufacturing industry in the U.S. since most clothing is now made in China or (soon to be) elsewhere. She also talks about the proliferation of chains like Forever 21, H&M, Walmart, Target etc. and that people today expect to buy clothing for very cheap. This has resulted in...more I skimmed parts of this book. It's about the fashion industry and impact of cheap clothing. The author covers some things about sweatshop conditions and low payment of workers worldwide and talks about the dying garment manufacturing industry in the U.S. since most clothing is now made in China or (soon to be) elsewhere. She also talks about the proliferation of chains like Forever 21, H&M, Walmart, Target etc. and that people today expect to buy clothing for very cheap. This has resulted in the death of most traditional department stores. A former clothes junkie herself, the author analyzes how the race to produce cheap clothes (fast fashion) has resulted in poor quality, throwaway garments that are often good for only a season or so (or just a few washings), and the ethos of many that go along with this because they always want to buy the latest thing. Chains like H&M and Forever 21 are constantly changing their stock, and have fewer of each item available to keep shoppers coming in regularly to see what's new. Then shoppers often buy at full price so these chains make a lot of money on volume alone (even though prices are cheap). In contrast she talks about the opposite trend of super expensive designer brands that are far beyond the reach of most people and have no basis in reality to justify their high costs and how shows like "Gossip Girl" get people lusting after them (evidently the top designers make most of their money on their obscenely priced handbags). The author also gives an interesting history of how people used to own very few garments and did most of their own sewing, to growth of department stores after WWII, up to fashionistas and designer envy of today where people own many more clothes than they wear and discard them frequently. (There was also a chapter on what happens to clothing after it is discarded or donated. Organizations like Salvation Army and Goodwill are receiving more clothing than ever and actually only sell a small portion in thrift stores - the rest is sold to recyclers who use some for rag industry, some is recycled and much more is sold in giant compressed blocks and sent to places like Africa.) Overall, you see how wasteful we all have become in this form of consumerism. The author explores alternatives - what is known as the slow fashion movement. Advocates of this encourage people to buy fewer clothes of better quality, emphasizing organic fabrics, individuality, craftmanship and quality. The author also takes up sewing (shockingly, she said she used to just get rid of clothes if a button fell off since she didn't know how to sew one back on - evidently she is not alone since a whole generation has grown up not learning how to sew). She also talks about the value of vintage clothes, recycling and repurposing clothing (redesigning or re-constructing a garment to give it new life). Lots of food for thought in this interesting book. It makes me want to buy a sewing machine. (less)

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Aug 17, 2012 Beth rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, adult-non-fiction

Does this book truely make a case for slow fashion? I suppose that depends on the reader. I thought she made a convincing case that America is near the end of the cheap fashion age -- not because of our inner conviction, but because of global economic pressure. I was surprised to learn that the garment industry is in as fast a decline as the newspaper business, since I didnt' know how much of a clothing industry we had in the 1980's and 90's. I enjoyed learning about the impact of late-90s anti-...more

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Jul 26, 2012 Emilyn rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: economics, environment, green-bibliophile, non-fiction

I spent quite a bit of time about a week ago going through the entire backlog of posts over at ReFashionista, a very cool blog by South Carolinian Jillian Owens. It just so happened that I had Overdressed on hold at the library and that it came in for me not long after I finished reading the ReFashionista archives.

Overdressed: The Shockingly High Cost of Cheap Fashion by Elizabeth L. Cline is mostly about (you guessed it) fast fashion and the like. This means the ultra-cheap clothing available a...more I spent quite a bit of time about a week ago going through the entire backlog of posts over at ReFashionista, a very cool blog by South Carolinian Jillian Owens. It just so happened that I had Overdressed on hold at the library and that it came in for me not long after I finished reading the ReFashionista archives.

Overdressed: The Shockingly High Cost of Cheap Fashion by Elizabeth L. Cline is mostly about (you guessed it) fast fashion and the like. This means the ultra-cheap clothing available at such retailers as Wal Mart, Target, Zara’s, Aeropostale, etc. Elizabeth Cline was a devoted patron of stores like H & M and Forever 21 at the start of her research for this book. She counted 354 articles of clothing (excluding socks and underwear) in her possession at that time (2009). This was about in line with the American habit of purchasing 64 items of clothing per year. Everywhere Cline looked, even outside of her closet, there were signs of over-consumption of clothing. She interviewed a few of the 20-somethings who post haul videos on YouTube for this book. She also browsed H & M and Forever 21, Target and Wal Mart and observed how quickly stock changed and how poor the quality of each article of clothing was.

She contrasted this with high-end boutiques, vintage clothing sellers, the clothing produced by U.S. companies that pay living wages and a number of other sources that don’t use the cheapest fabric and labor that can be found anywhere on earth. The differences were astounding. And fast fashion obviously has a huge environmental impact. Much of the fabric is polyester or other petroleum-based fibers and people throw out their clothing very quickly because seams rip after just a few wears, buttons fall off and fabric tears. The clothing is meant to be disposable so people have to buy more of it, but it’s getting to the point where it’s completely ridiculous. Who wants to buy a shirt and only be able to wear it once before it falls apart?

The quality of our clothing has been steadily deteriorating, particularly since the early ’90s when NAFTA was ratified and import limitations on clothing were pronounced an unfair advantage to developed countries. Major companies with the resources immediately started moving production overseas and lowering prices. This increased the speed of the downward spiral of clothing quality and number of jobs in the textile industry in the United States. Consumer demand for lower and lower prices have forced retailers to make clothing out of cheaper and cheaper fabric and forced producers to make garments faster and faster without regard to any standards of quality. United States retailers are also starting to leave China (which is becoming a more expensive place to produce clothing as labor prices and materials prices have risen) for the ultra-cheap countries such as Bangladesh and India. This means quality is even worse because those countries don’t have the state-of-the-art machinery and level of skilled labor that China now has.

One of the great things about this book is how much research Cline did, including traveling to places like China and Bangladesh, in order to write it. It’s obviously rather depressing reading about the factories in Bangladesh that pay the mandated minimum wage that isn’t actually a living wage (but the minimum wage in the U.S. isn’t a living wage, so maybe my hopes are too high). Cline does leave us with some glimmer of hope, though. Some consumers are starting to revolt against fast fashion and university fashion programs are emphasizing sustainability and minimal waste in a big way in recent years. Boutiques have opened in places like L.A. and NYC that only carry brands with ethically sourced materials, sewn by people payed a decent wage, and these boutiques are popular and starting to be able to make greater demands concerning sustainability on designers wanting to be carried in their shops. Hopefully this trend continues (and reaches my mid-sized town in the Midwest sometime sooner rather than later).

After looking through the archives at ReFashionista, I hit the secondhand clothing stores in town. That’s normal for me. I did something I wouldn’t normally do, though. I bought a white shirt. As a pale-skinned person with auburn hair, I DO NOT wear white. I also bought a package of dye. I now have a dark green new-to-me shirt that I got multiple compliments on at work the first time I wore it. I think I caught the refashion bug. Not such a bad one to catch.

(less)

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Jun 25, 2012 Christine rated it 2 of 5 stars

Having noticed the problems of consuming fast fashion (H&M, Zara, Gap, every major chain store that makes clothes generally) in the recent years, most of this info was not new to me. (Buy for quality not cheap and fast etc.) There was a book that came out a few years back that touched on a very similar topic (To Die For, by Lucy Siegle), and since that author is UK-based I think she offered some suggestions for alternative "ethical" suppliers for apparel for UK-customers. This book did not s...more Having noticed the problems of consuming fast fashion (H&M, Zara, Gap, every major chain store that makes clothes generally) in the recent years, most of this info was not new to me. (Buy for quality not cheap and fast etc.) There was a book that came out a few years back that touched on a very similar topic (To Die For, by Lucy Siegle), and since that author is UK-based I think she offered some suggestions for alternative "ethical" suppliers for apparel for UK-customers. This book did not seem to offer stateside endorsements....which makes me think there are none that could meet all criteria.

However, the book discusses the background of problems that have been caused by cheap/fast fashion (cannibalization of major department store chains with each other, reduced variability of choice in marketplace as only big brands can stay in competition, seriously warped perceptions of what most people think means "good quality" in clothing when shopping), but offers thin (as in, that's the best you could do??) or for many of us, impractical or unacceptable solutions.

Sewing our own entire wardrobe down to our underwear and shoes is not affordable (in time it takes to make garments, not just money- the price is not low and the quality of materials can be kind of poor, the skills are not there for many and the time working at a low wage job doesn't mean you have time to make clothes as well) and the shrinking availability of quality in resale or vintage goods is not going to be sustainable. At some point, we will have worn out all those pre-1980 manufactured items, so then what?

So although the problem of WASTE is a major byproduct of fast fashion, I'm not really seeing the long-term solutions offered in this book. I think one commenter somewhere also hoped the author would discuss what is an appropriate price point for garments but I can understand that depends on the person and a variety of variable factors. Not all of us will be corporate lawyers who have incomes to pay a tailor to make everything bespoke, and not all of us scraping by on the low end of the spectrum will think it fair we wear "rags".

The book had a New York City centrality too, which bothered me. Designers who are supposedly making quality items with long term lasting products: what if the sizing is not widespread enough for the general population?

Another book that reminded me of a Real Simple magazine cover: where it implies that it will cover some content and when you finally get there, it's so thin on new information that it feels like recycled content (unlike the fibers of that "rag" shirt you are wearing, according to an interviewee in this book).

If you have the time to sew clothes, browse through vintage stores, and hunt for independent designers of well-made clothes, read this book. If you're like the rest of us short on time and money, spend it (your time and your money) elsewhere.(less)

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Apr 28, 2012 Eustacia Tan rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: netgalley

I remember reading a book like this before. It was about branding and clothes and through this topic, I actually understood a lot more about IP rights and stuff. Sadly, I forgot the title so I can't share it with you. But, what I'm trying to say is that this book is just like that - excellent, amusing and educational.

Overdressed: The Shockingly High Cost of Cheap Fashion takes a deeper look into the implications of cheap fashion like H&M, Target, etc It's actually a very well-down piece of r...more I remember reading a book like this before. It was about branding and clothes and through this topic, I actually understood a lot more about IP rights and stuff. Sadly, I forgot the title so I can't share it with you. But, what I'm trying to say is that this book is just like that - excellent, amusing and educational.

Overdressed: The Shockingly High Cost of Cheap Fashion takes a deeper look into the implications of cheap fashion like H&M, Target, etc It's actually a very well-down piece of research, seeing how the author actually went to China and other countries to understand how the clothes are produced.

Even though I myself hardly buy clothes (really, why buy clothes when you can buy books?) I thought this book was very interesting. It seems to cross genres, cover personal experiences, the business managements part, the economics behind this industry, etc. There's even some history in it, if you count the fact that she traces how consumer expenditure on clothing has changed throughout the years, and the socio-economic conditions that accompany/cause each change.

I actually agree with the main thrust of the book. Cheap clothes are a vicious cycle. It makes sense that if you pay less, you value the object less (well, unless it's a book). And if you look at things like Economies of Scale and profitability margins, then the quality of the good has to go down since quality is inversely related to price (think of demand and supply).

Honestly, growing up, I always wore hand-me-downs, so I don't really have the "disposable clothes" mentality that she had. I did try shopping at a cheap fashion store once (I think it's bankrupt now), but I really didn't like the clothes (...so loud...so garish...-shudder-). I tend towards pink(:

If you like the book (and I did), then you should be pleased to know that there is also a blog! It's called The Good Closet and the posts there are thought provoking and interesting (there's a nice mix of both types).

Disclaimer: I got a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for a free and honest review.

First posted at Inside the mind of a Bibliophile (less)

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Feb 13, 2013 Jennifer Crispin rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Over all, an enlightening book about the rise of "fast fashion" and the effect it has had on the fashion industry. Cline does not delve very deeply into the human rights issues involved, but she does indicate that the human rights issues around cheap fashion have been well-covered elsewhere.

She makes a few assumptions that I can chalk up to her age. Several times she makes sweeping statements about when something happened or didn't happen, or what skills and abilities people have. Two that jump...more

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Aug 10, 2012 Connie Mayo rated it 3 of 5 stars

This book tackles an important subject matter, but I kept wanting more solutions and not many were forthcoming in the end. Still, any woman who employs "retail therapy" should probably read this book. Interesting points include the rise of super-high-end Gucchi shopping along with "fast fashion" H&M type shopping, and what happens to all those clothes you give to a thrift store.

I am drawn to books that expose the underbelly of modern living (Omnivore's Dilemma, Bowling Alone, Alone Together,...more

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Aug 02, 2012 Liz DeCoster rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: non-fiction, hobbies

The first part of this book was an interesting, if light, look into the world "behind" fast fashion, though the author didn't go into a great deal of depth. Other chapters of the book focused on factors that have influenced the move towards fast fashion, including economic, social, and cultural changes, but again, with a light brush. Towards the end, Cline summarizes and discusses "solutions" and the future, and this is where the book sort of lost me. The majority of the book was interesting if...more

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May 08, 2013 Zachary Blount rated it 3 of 5 stars

A bit repetitive, but well-researched. The book is of the class that makes you intensely embarrassed for American civilization in the 21st century. Long story short, the chase after faster trends and cheaper clothing has produced a loss of creativity and an utter collapse of quality. Even our good clothing now is of lower quality and shoddier workmanship than were clothes for the poor or even for dolls less than a century ago. The materials are uniformly lousy, and most articles are made to be w...more

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