Author(s): Sofi Thanhauser

History | Textiles | Read our reviews!

A finely spun history of clothes and where they come from Linen, Cotton, Silk, Synthetics, Wool- through the stories of these five fabrics, Sofi Thanhauser illuminates the world we inhabit in a startling new way, travelling from China to Cumbria to reveal the craft, labour and industry that create the clothes we wear. From the women who transformed stalks of flax into linen to clothe their families in 19th century New England to those who earn their dowries in the cotton spinning factories of South India today, this book traces the origins of garment making through time and around the world. Exploring the social, economic and environmental impact of our most personal possessions, Worn looks beyond care labels to show how clothes reveal the truth about what we really care about.

_____________________________
STELLA'S REVIEW:
Worn is a wide-ranging and compelling look at clothing and textiles through the lens of five fabrics: linen, cotton, silk, synthetics and wool. Thanhasuer explores the social, economic, and environmental impacts of one of our most intimate possessions. A material culture history that reveals global links, as well as personal stories and our desire for clothes from ancient to contemporary times. As a maker of objects and a lover of clothes and their construction, with a good dose of interest in history and the social fabric that binds people and things, I loved this book. Each page revealed another fascinating detail in the history of clothing and the people who were engaged in the planting and harvesting of plants, in the processes — natural or chemical — and manufacture of fibre and the twisting, weaving or whatever other method imaginable to make fabric and then those textiles into the clothes we wore (and wear), through necessity and desire. Whether it is the arrival of the ‘season’ as denoted by the French court of Loius XIV or the rise of the factory workers in New York city fueled by the influence of young educated Jewish migrant women or the appalling treatment of workers in the American South, historically (slave and cheap labour) and today (illegal migrants) or the environmental impact of over-production of cotton in both America and China to the detriment of the land, the people and water reserves, you will find something in Thanhuaser's explorations that will surprise, intrigue and pique your curiosity about our relationship with what we wear and the origins of this relationship. The crafting of this book makes the vessel filled with so many facts, geopolitical analysis, fine details, expansive timeframes, technological advances, rich personal stories and empathetic observation, a pleasure to read. The decision by Thanhauser to tell this story through the lens of the five fabrics and the focus on particular (historical as well as contemporary) individuals — its people — makes Worn a lively, empathetic and engaging cultural history. 
__________________________

Review: Fascinating . . . a good yarn . . . the joy of this history of clothing, which is eminently readable and meticulously researched, is its focus on people -- Paula Byrne * The Times *
This riveting behind-the-scenes story of the clothes on our backs is a must-read for clotheshorses everywhere * Harper's Bazaar *
A terrific book especially for those who want to be informed about sustainable clothing. Knowing the history is fascinating. -- Alexandra Schulman
Richly evocative . . . One of the great pleasures of this panoramic history of getting dressed is Sofi Thanhauser's ability to spot moments like these where human desire and material culture collide -- Kathryn Hughes * Guardian *
Knowledgeable, fascinating . . . explores the complex systems woven between the producers of cloth and its consumers . . . bulges at the seams with finely spun descriptions of the places and people she encounters -- Kassia St Clair * Economist *
The story of what we wear is the story of who we are, and Worn offers a riveting, provocative, and eye-opening account. One cannot make sense of our modern world without this book -- Brian Christian * Author of The Most Human Human *
Expansive . . . elegantly chronicling how textile production came to be defined by worker exploitation, misogyny, environmental devastation, and colonialism . . . Yet she also finds space to appreciate sartorial marvels and to celebrate the loom aficionados, "denimheads," and "wool enthusiasts" who aim for a more ethical, analog future * New Yorker *
Extraordinary . . . fascinating . . . a wonderful way into history, quite often through the voices of people who don't have a say in history -- Cerys Matthews
A masterpiece of investigative reporting and a riveting adventure story, Worn is both panoramic and richly particular. Thanhauser is the best of guides: humane, engaging, generous with historical anecdote and always able to reveal the telling detail. She shows how the cost of fashion far exceeds any retail price tag, and how the revival of venerable traditions might yet lead us to a sustainable future -- Geraldine Brooks * author of The Secret Chord *
An incredibly well-reported account of how fashion, far from being trivial, has shaped human history -- Pippa Bailey * New Statesman *
This is a must-read book for anyone interested in textiles. In it Sofi Thanhauser tracks the ingenuity, creativity and human cost of textile production across centuries and cultures in a book which combines remarkable research with heartfelt care -- Clare Hunter * author of Threads of Life *
Captivating and deeply researched . . . Thanhauser unearths the secret life of fabrics with skill and precision. Readers won't look at their wardrobes the same way again * Publishers Weekly *
A fascinating read, laying out how our increasingly careless use and discarding of clothing has come to damage our planet. Thanhauser has carried out a remarkable mass of research on clothes and the fibers they are made from. She has stitched it all together in a clear and engaging style that invites one to keep reading and to start mending our ways -- Elizabeth Wayland Barber * author of Women's Work: The First 20,000 Years *
Original, insightful and thought provoking . . . a delight to read such rich insights into the weaving and knitting together of industries, societies, political initiatives and economies of cloth that truly demonstrates humans activities -- Dilys Williams * Director of the Centre for Sustainable Fashion *
Sofi Thanhauser's history of cloth is not just about clothing: it is about ethics, workers' rights, women's progress, climate justice. It is the about the fabric of who we are. And as told in Worn, it also makes an absolutely gripping read! -- Peggy Orenstein * author of Girls & Sex and Boys & Sex *
Admirable concision and formidable scholarship . . . Now and then in the life of a book reviewer, a book comes along that makes you glad to be one . . . Worn falls plumb into this category -- Nicola Schulman * Oldie *
Thanhauser's geographical reach is impressive . . . as is the rigour of her examinations of the cultural, economic, political and environmental impacts -- Lucy Scholes * Telegraph *

Author Biography: Sofi Thanhauser is a writer and artist with a lifelong fascination for clothes. Her work has appeared in numerous publications including the Spectator. In 2012, Sofi began creating 'Matriarchy Now' t-shirts and as demand soared, her efforts to scale up production in an ethical manner led her to investigate the global questions explored in this book. She lives in Brooklyn and teaches in the Writing Department at Pratt Institute.