Publishers Weekly
06/06/2022
Journalist Hardy debuts with a scorching exposé of how the fashion industry “works to actively cover up and perpetuate climate change and labor injustice.” With the rise of “fast fashion,” Hardy explains, new styles are marketed to consumers several times a year, while old styles are consigned to landfills. She also documents rampant sexual harassment, low wages, and poor working conditions endured by garment workers, many of whom are immigrants with no power to complain; the environmental costs of toxic dyes and synthetic fabrics; and efforts to address the problems through unionization, consumer education, and activism. One of the book’s most intriguing sections uses the case study of Nike’s Air Jordan sneakers to analyze how celebrity marketers help companies distract consumers from “nefarious labor practices.” Elsewhere, Hardy critiques companies for claiming that their products are organic or “environmentally friendly” when they’re only “marginally sustainable,” and discusses how subcontracting allows brands hide their dependence on sweatshop labor. Empathetic profiles of factory workers and others negatively impacted by the fashion industry bolster Hardy’s call for policy changes to counter the abusive and misleading practices she outlines. This will have readers thinking twice before they make their next purchase. (Sept.)
From the Publisher
Praise for Worn Out:
“Worn Out is the perfect read for those who love the art of fashion and want to understand the gist of fast fashion and what meaningful change looks like.”
—Teen Vogue
“In Worn Out: How Our Clothes Cover Up Fashion’s Sins, former Teen Vogue and InStyle editor Alyssa Hardy takes a hard look at the brutal repercussions the fast-fashion industry has on the millions of garment workers it employs—who are mostly women of color.”
—Bust
“A scorching exposé. . . . [Worn Out] will have readers thinking twice before they make their next purchase.”
—Publishers Weekly
“This eye-opening account will almost certainly give fashion consumers pause.”
—Booklist
“Worn Out is a powerful examination of the ways in which the success of fashion is built on the backs of women of color and immigrants. Rather than shame the individual for their choices though, Hardy proves that we don’t have to sacrifice our own sense of style in order to advocate for the rights of working women all over the world.”
—Saru Jayaraman, president of One Fair Wage and author of One Fair Wage
“Deeply researched and profoundly empathetic, Worn Out sidesteps the runway and sashays past the corner office to focus on the most important people in the fashion industry: the garment workers. Their labor is rendered invisible by an industry that prefers to look past the misery and abuse that characterizes their daily grind, and instead pushes them to fill brutal quotas for shockingly low wages. Hardy sees them, though, and through this book, makes it clear that the human cost of cheap fashion is far too high.”
—Kim Kelly, author of Fight Like Hell
“The workers who stitch our fashion dreams into reality don’t often get the credit they deserve. Bringing their experiences into the spotlight, Hardy balances a genuine love of fashion with sharp reporting on the less-than-rosy environmental and labor realities of the industry.”
—Véronique Hyland, Elle fashion features director and author of Dress Code
“With Worn Out, Hardy encourages even her most informed, impassioned readers to reexamine their relationship with clothing, all while demonstrating how to advocate for those endangered and marginalized communities whom the global fashion industry takes advantage of. Read this book, and be prepared to think critically about how—and why—we wear what we do.”
—Maura Brannigan, editor-at-large of Fashionista
