Worn

A People's History of Clothing

By: Sofi Thanhauser

Narrated by: Rebecca Lowman

Length: 13 hrs and 13 mins

Publisher's summary

A NEW YORKER BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR • A sweeping and captivatingly told history of clothing and the stuff it is made of—an unparalleled deep-dive into how everyday garments have transformed our lives, our societies, and our planet.

“We learn that, if we were a bit more curious about our clothes, they would offer us rich, interesting and often surprising insights into human history...a deep and sustained inquiry into the origins of what we wear, and what we have worn for the past 500 years." —The Washington Post

In this 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 XIV to the labor camps in modern-day Chinese-occupied Xinjiang. We see how textiles were once dyed with 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 and how it relies on chronically underpaid and exploited laborers. But she also shows us how micro-communities, textile companies, 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 stories, Worn 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.

©2022 Sofi Thanhauser (P)2022 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

A New Yorker Best Book of the Year

“Meticulous…eye-opening…Much of Worn is really about labor inequity…[and how] the pedestrian objects that fill our daily lives can carry a heavy historical and ecological legacy.” —Grist

"We learn that, if we were a bit more curious about our clothes, they would offer us rich, interesting and often surprising insights into human history...a deep and sustained inquiry into the origins of what we wear, and what we have worn for the past 500 years, as well as into the material conditions and social consequences of their production...Read this book. As an argument against the horrors of fast fashion and the social and environmental disasters it provokes, it is powerful and persuasive." —The Washington Post

"This is a must-read for anyone who takes fashion seriously." —Glamour, "The First Great Books of 2022"

Horrors of the industrial revolution Continued

In case you were unaware of the abuses the textile industry foisted upon the environment, women and children this book will be a wake up call. Unfortunately I am well schooled regarding those issues. I had hoped this book would delve into fabrics and clothing prior to the industrial revolution. It doesn't. Just another grinding, scolding epistle.

Beautiful and insightful book.

This is a book well worth your time and attention. The details and insight within are fascinating.
I see the world differently after reading it, a change in perspective is truly a gift.

Could be a good 2-page article. Makes for a lousy book

I read this book along with my book club. We are no strangers to this type of nonfiction. We found this book to be boring, repetitive and needlessly, depressing. Rather than some thing telling us a fascinating history of clothing, and what it means culturally to people this book dwelled on the environmental consequences of every different type of fabric or clothing production process. That would be fine, although not what we expected, but there were no solutions presented in this book. The reader is left, knowing that they are causing horrible, environmental and social harm with no sense of how to improve things. The writing was over long and delve deep into details that were not relevant to the point. This book also seem poorly, edited.

Intriguing

As someone who is a seatless, a costumer, a weaver, a spinner and a new tapestry maker, this book started at the beginning and showed an interesting trail of clothes and arts. The how’s and why’s were fascinating. Although it is long I know I will be rereading it soon. Absolutely fascinating book.

Everything I wanted

“Worn”, the audio version, was such a fantastic joy to listen to. It’s written in a way that’s like story telling. The history of the fibers and the people who were and are affected by them is fascinating. And the narrator was impressive with her pronunciation and tone. Very talented. Thank you so much for this. I will definitely listen to it again and again.

Read this book!

Colin Ruel-Chilmark,MA

Sofi Thanhauser has done for our clothing what Michael Pollan did for food. A comprehensive and utterly engaging book. Incredible in its scope and completely fascinating. Definitely read this book.

A beautiful history of how fabrics have become us.

The author has laid out a beautiful thread of how humankind's history is indelibly woven into the clothes that we wear. The stories are spun with personalities and souls. In an industry that is rife with pain, she paints a picture of emotions and sacrifices for textiles and clothing. A comprehensive compendium where the author's true passion exudes.

Material Matters

The history of humans working to cover and clothe themselves explains our heroic and tragic cycles of progress and exploitation. I highly recommend this book. Maybe we can do better. Here’s hoping.

This book is mistitled

This is not a “people’s history of clothing”. It is a collection of random insights into unsustainable textile practices. I wish it had been titled as such.

Well woven story.

I loved this book. When Sofi was writing articles for magazines and newspapers, I love her writing, but I always wanted more. She is a captivating author and I look forward to her next book.