Where Am I Wearing? Lib/E: A Global Tour to the Countries, Factories, and People That Make Our Clothes

by Kelsey Timmerman

Where Am I Wearing? traces the author's journey from Honduras, to Bangladesh, to Cambodia, to China, and back again to discover the origins of his favorite clothes, including his sandals, pants, boxers, and t-shirt. It intimately describes the connection between impoverished garment workers' standards of living and the all-American material lifestyle. It is a personal and intimate look at globalization and outsourcing, answering the How are the lives of foreign workers affected?, Why are these workers so poor?, and How guilty should we feel? Timmerman's travels to the people who made his clothes reveal that globalization isn't a black or white, good or bad, issue. It's much more complex. Where Am I Wearing? bridges the gap between global producers and consumers by introducing readers to the human elements of globalization names, personalities, hopes, and dreams with the economic and political elements serving as a backdrop. Whether it be bowling a few frames with workers in Cambodia, riding a roller coaster with workers in Bangladesh, or dining on their floor during a power outage, the book puts a face on the impersonal force of globalization. Not only does it show readers why they should care about the workers that make their clothes, it gives them a reason to care. In this revision, Kelsey completes the story by travelling back to a small village in Honduras to find a key garment worker from the first edition. However, he is now living in California. Kelsey heads north from Honduras to track him down, and discovers him living a double life, with a new, expecting, American wifewhile continuing to support his Honduran girlfriend and kids back home. The man shares his complex story of love and sacrifice, heartache and hope, and life as an illegal immigrant.

Audio CD

Published July 20, 2020

About the author

I'm the author of "Where Am I Eating? An Adventure Through the Global Food Economy" and "Where Am I Wearing: A Global Tour to the Countries, Factories, and People That Make Our Clothes"

I've spent the night in Castle Dracula in Romania, gone undercover as an underwear buyer in Bangladesh, played PlayStation in Kosovo, taught an island village to play baseball in Honduras, and in another life, worked as a SCUBA instructor in Key West, Florida.

I live with my wife and two kids Muncie, IN, the hometown of Garfield.

I read a lot of nonfiction to inform my writing, but try to sneak in some fiction, from cowboys to space battles, to wizards when I can. I'm also really pumped to have an excuse to read kid lit now...kids.