Reviews
Women in Clothes by Donora Hillard, Leanne Shapton, Sheila Heti, Ann Tashi Slater, Heidi Julavits
lesserspottedpard's review against another edition
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
4.5
bthnywhthd's review against another edition
5.0
Loved the format, the insights, the realness. It felt like reading a fashion magazine without the airbrushed women, the overpriced items in ads, and the content aimed at making one feel inadequate because of her pant size and sexual magnetism.
janeofalltrades's review against another edition
4.0
A nice exploration into the relationship between women and the clothes they wear. Helped me kick off my own journey into fashion.
bookdragonhoard's review against another edition
2.0
I skimmed this book. It had some potential, some interesting insights into women's relationships with clothes and fashion, but for the most part it was noise in fine print. Needed some major editing to bring out it's strengths.
quietdomino's review against another edition
3.0
Highly enjoying wide scope here. Also am enjoying (and feel compelled to replicate) the photographs of various wardrobe multiples. So many striped shirts...
hollypablo's review against another edition
2.0
This book wins the prize for the best worst organization. It's dizzying, to say the least, but still a fine read.
I found a few "conversations" intriguing, especially the ones centered on labor. Julia Wallace explores the lives of garment workers in Asia, such as Vantha, whose entire salary is almost equal to the price of -one- bra she makes for export. Mac McClelland talks about how learning about factory conditions has made her a more ethical shopper. I especially enjoyed Ly Ky Tran's shocking discovery that her entire immigrant family was exploited and basically used as a sweatshop while she was a child growing up in New York. That kind of crazy you just can't make up.
I enjoyed the longer length stories much more than the raw survey portions. So much content. Not for the faint of heart.
I found a few "conversations" intriguing, especially the ones centered on labor. Julia Wallace explores the lives of garment workers in Asia, such as Vantha, whose entire salary is almost equal to the price of -one- bra she makes for export. Mac McClelland talks about how learning about factory conditions has made her a more ethical shopper. I especially enjoyed Ly Ky Tran's shocking discovery that her entire immigrant family was exploited and basically used as a sweatshop while she was a child growing up in New York. That kind of crazy you just can't make up.
I enjoyed the longer length stories much more than the raw survey portions. So much content. Not for the faint of heart.
delaneybull's review against another edition
3.0
This was an interseting book. I liked the concept, and some of the stories and pictures were great. I got only about 19% of the way through it, though, and I was overwhelmed at how much more there was to read. I feel (like other reviewers have said) that this book needed some cuts from an editor, because it's a really massive length for the short vignettes it contains. And I think it's a book that's much more successful in print. I struggled to see some of the photos and smaller interviews while reading the mobile version, and my kindle is in black and white, which obviously takes away from the experience.
oceanelle's review against another edition
5.0
This is honestly the most important book I've read in a long, long time. I'm going to go buy it now.
All I can really say is that there was so much heart, so much love, and so much genuine self put into this book. Wow.
All I can really say is that there was so much heart, so much love, and so much genuine self put into this book. Wow.
charlotteklopfer's review against another edition
5.0
Every woman that I know should read this book.
frasersimons's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
5.0
Absolutely a modern classic, to my mind. I haven’t much of an interest in fashion but this structure was absolute genius. With something close to 600 answers to a survey, some short stories, personal anecdotes, and some interviews between some pretty high profile figures—from lingerie models, actors, writers, artists, people from different continents, from different stratifications of class—this just immaculately cultivates the most interesting interrogation of embodiment I’ve ever consumed.
The audiobook has a lot of actors, all were great. Presumably the royalties would go to many people, so it’s also just a cool project. It’s different. It’s artistic in the best way. Stories of grief, love, time past, futures dreamed, memories emerging, constructions of urban environments from around the world. Really, it feels like absolutely everything, all experience erupts from this formulation. It’s not just eclectic it’s encompassing, and then gives voice to a staggering amount of people. It’s got photos of mothers explored. Favourite pieces of clothing. Style changes from eras. All of which is in the pdf I got for the audible purchase! It convinced me to pick up the book, too, which is really hard to find.
Absolutely one of my all-time pieces of nonfiction. I was never bored and almost all of the time wildly fascinated.
The audiobook has a lot of actors, all were great. Presumably the royalties would go to many people, so it’s also just a cool project. It’s different. It’s artistic in the best way. Stories of grief, love, time past, futures dreamed, memories emerging, constructions of urban environments from around the world. Really, it feels like absolutely everything, all experience erupts from this formulation. It’s not just eclectic it’s encompassing, and then gives voice to a staggering amount of people. It’s got photos of mothers explored. Favourite pieces of clothing. Style changes from eras. All of which is in the pdf I got for the audible purchase! It convinced me to pick up the book, too, which is really hard to find.
Absolutely one of my all-time pieces of nonfiction. I was never bored and almost all of the time wildly fascinated.