OPL BOOK SUMMARY:  The clothing business is a big business – an approximately 2 trillion dollar business – and employs hundreds of millions of people around the world. Elizabeth L. Cline is a voice to share that, sadly, fashion is not a positive force in our world. Garment workers are not earning a living wage.  Microplastic from our clothes is polluting our water, and unwanted fashions are overflowing in landfills and markets around the world. 

If you are concerned by fast fashion and the harm the clothing business does to people and our planet, you will enjoy this practical guide to becoming a conscious consumer of clothing. Elizabeth was traveling and promoting her book, Overdressed, when her approach to conscious dressing crystalized. She shares her approach to transforming from an impulsive, fast fashion shopper to a conscious consumer.

Cline recommends starting with a wardrobe impact inventory. The average American only wears about 18% of the items in their closet. It is an eye-opening experience to take inventory.  By understanding the number of items in your wardrobe, as well as their countries of origin and their toll on the environment, you can make sustainable, more informed decisions in the future. The results can be amazing as you join others in changing the world.

Cline is an expert in sustainability and labor rights in the fashion industry, a professor of Fashion Policy and Consumerism and Sustainability at Columbia University, and the author of Overdressed and The Conscious Closet.

Available used at BetterWorldBooks.