Clothing Poverty: The Hidden World of Fast Fashion and Second-Hand Clothes

Description

Have you ever stopped and wondered where your jeans came from? Who made them and where? Ever wondered where they end up after you donate them for recycling? Following a pair of jeans, Clothing Poverty takes the reader on a vivid around-the-world tour to reveal how clothes are manufactured and retailed, bringing to light how fast fashion and recycling are interconnected. Andrew Brooks shows how recycled clothes are traded across continents, uncovers how retailers and international charities are embroiled in commodity chains which perpetuate poverty, and exposes the hidden trade networks which transect the globe. In this new and updated edition, Brooks retraces his steps to look at the fashion industry today, and considers how, if at all, the industry has changed in response to mounting consumer pressure for more ethical clothing. Stitching together rich narratives, from Mozambican markets, Nigerian smugglers and Chinese factories to London's vintage clothing scene, TOMS shoes and Vivienne Westwood's ethical fashion lines, Brooks uncovers the many hidden sides of fashion.

Andrew Brooks is a lecturer in development geography at King's College London, UK. He is also the author of The End of Development: A Global History of Poverty and Prosperity (Zed 2017).

An interesting and important account. * Daily Telegraph * Revealing. * Independent * Brooks packs a great deal of such detail into a fast-paced and readable book. * Morning Star * This engaging and well-written book focuses on some of the least explored outcomes of the fast-fashion system we all live in - that is, what we increasingly and quickly cast off. * Alessandra Mezzadri, SOAS, University of London * Thought-provoking and insightful. A fascinating, must-read text for those interested in the ethics surrounding sustainability in fashion and design. * Alison Gwilt, author of Fashion Design for Living and A Practical Guide to Sustainable Fashion * By bringing global systems of clothing provision into clearer view, the book offers valuable resources for vigorous debate over what an alternative world might look like. * Gillian Hart, University of California, Berkeley * A lively exploration of the hidden world of fast fashion and second-hand clothing that invites us to think of where our clothes come from. * Karen Tranberg Hansen, Northwestern University * A book that sparks with intelligence, mapping a world that connects inequalities, Vivienne Westwood, post-consumption and second-hand garments. * Kate Fletcher, London College of Fashion *