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Worn

A People's History of Clothing

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Worn

By: Sofi Thanhauser
Narrated by: Rebecca Lowman
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About this listen

Brought to you by Penguin.

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.

©2022 Sofi Thanhauser (P)2022 Penguin Audio World China Capitalism Socialism Africa Imperialism
All stars
Most relevant  
It's taken me a few months to listen to this because I was savouring every moment. A wonderful book if you are interested in textiles and clothing.

Well researched and well written

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Relevant to everyone. Well researched. Sharply written, compassionate, prescient, insightful, fast paced. Many wonderful historical vignettes. But so too the stories of those whose voices have been ill oft heard or silenced in the wake of imperialism, empire, capitalism, and commerce.
I cannot recommend this book more highly. How it has not won a glut of awards yet is beyond me.

You must read this!

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Such a compelling book. Really enjoyed all of the historical accounts and the geopolitical analysis.

Recommend by another book - Really glad I did.

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