My word of the year is "curious". To be honest I've always been a bit of a Curious George. I love learning about all sorts of things and instead of calling myself nosy, I like using the word "curious" :)
That's led to my love of non-fiction books and today I thought I would share 2 books with you that I think are worthy reads if you want to learn more about how things are manufactured and more specifically why we only make a small percentage of apparel here in the US.
The reason I opened my store 5 years with a focus on ethically made goods and intentionally sourcing fair trade products was a direct result of reading Elizabeth Cline's book titled "Overdressed: The Shockingly High Cost of Cheap Fashion". I'd worked in the apparel industry for a decade and understood apparel manufacturing but this book was a reminder of what demanding cheaper and cheaper goods meant on the other side of that equation. You can only drive down the cost of a button or a good YKK zipper so much. Labor is where the real savings come in.
Cline's book shares stories of the abuses of child labor, incredibly unsafe work conditions, environmental damage that as consumers we are blind to when we but that cheap $9.99 tee. In the early 2000's when the book was published and today she continues to discuss issues in the fashion and apparel industries.
This book made an impact on me and was a part in deciding to open a store and business that tries to support ethical brands as much as possible. Taking the extra time to understand who and where things are made. That often comes with higher prices but then again maybe we just buy one pair of pants instead of two, we have the power as consumers to make choices with where we spend our money. In this age of Temu and Shein this book is a worthy dive into understanding how and why these companies are able to provide goods at a shockingly low price.
My second book is one that I came across last year while listening to something on NPR. Anytime there is a discussion on manufacturing in the US and if it's speaking to apparel my ears perk up. I'm deeply interested in apparel being made in the USA again.
"American Flannel: How a Band of Entrepreneurs are Bringing the Art of and Business of Making Clothes Back Home." by Steven Kurtz. Kurtz is a journalist who tells the story of American Giant, a clothing company and it's owner Bayard Winthrop's journey to manufacture a flannel shirt here in the US. I often take for granted that most people didn't go to the Fashion Institute and didn't take sourcing classes and sewing classes and science classes where you burned different pieces of fabric. A true flannel plaid shirt, one that will last you a lifetime, is not an easy garment to produce. Kurtz does a great job at making it interesting and educational. He also shares the story of a sock company in Alabama struggling to make socks domestically. Woven into these stories are a look back at trade agreements that drove manufacturing to other countries and the slow demise of mills in the US. There's things to be learned here and the information seems timely.
Stay Curious.