Weekend Review: Wardrobe Crisis

Wardrobe Crisis / Clare Press

I picked up this book on sale, because of the relevant subject matter, and because I am already familiar with the author through her podcast of the same name. She interviews all sorts of people working in sustainability in fashion and it is fascinating.

This was her first book -- she has another new one that I'll be on the lookout for now, called Rise & Resist which goes more specifically into how people are standing up for better sustainable fashion and what you can do too.

This book is more of a history of the fashion world and how we've got to where we are. Clare Press writes like she talks -- light, breezy, with tangents and asides. I really like the style, but some readers do find it a little harder to follow than they expected. I felt like someone was just sitting down and talking to me and sharing a lot of stuff, and it seemed natural and unpretentious to me.

The chapters cover a range of topics, from the history of couture brands to that of supermarket retail tricks -- from materials and plastics and pesticides, to overproduction and cheap prices -- and how exactly our culture moved from fewer clothes that we took care of, to wear-once crap at places like H&M or in Europe, Primark, just as a couple of examples.

Press touches on a variety of topics and themes and so the narrative does flit around a bit in shorter chapters. I liked it and found it interesting and never dull. It's not just about the fashion industry and all of the environmental issues there, though it does cover that. It's also about the psychology of the consumer and how this brands both manipulate and profit from out of control consumerism. And it's also about history, and people, and possibilities.

I really enjoyed it. And I also enjoy Press' regular podcast on these topics, too, so if you haven't checked that out yet, do! It's the perfect combo, this book and the podcast, and once I get my hands on her newest book I'll let you know how that fits in too.