What do you think?
Rate this book
Consumed: On Colonialism, Climate Change, Consumerism, and the Need for Collective Change
Aja Barber wants change.
In the 'learning' first half of the book, she will expose you to the endemic injustices in our consumer industries and the uncomfortable history of the textile industry; one which brokered slavery, racism and today's wealth inequality. And how these oppressive systems have bled into the fashion industry and its lack of diversity and equality. She will also reveal how we spend our money and whose pockets it goes into and whose it doesn't (clue: the people who do the actual work) and will tell her story of how she came to learn the truth.
In the second 'unlearning' half of the book, she will help you to understand the uncomfortable truth behind why you consume the way you do. She asks you to confront the sense of lack you have, the feeling that you are never quite enough and the reasons why you fill the aching void with consumption rather than compassion. And she makes you challenge this power disparity, and take back ownership of it. The less you buy into the consumer culture the more power you have.
CONSUMED will teach you how to be a citizen not a consumer.
In the 'learning' first half of the book, she will expose you to the endemic injustices in our consumer industries and the uncomfortable history of the textile industry; one which brokered slavery, racism and today's wealth inequality. And how these oppressive systems have bled into the fashion industry and its lack of diversity and equality. She will also reveal how we spend our money and whose pockets it goes into and whose it doesn't (clue: the people who do the actual work) and will tell her story of how she came to learn the truth.
In the second 'unlearning' half of the book, she will help you to understand the uncomfortable truth behind why you consume the way you do. She asks you to confront the sense of lack you have, the feeling that you are never quite enough and the reasons why you fill the aching void with consumption rather than compassion. And she makes you challenge this power disparity, and take back ownership of it. The less you buy into the consumer culture the more power you have.
CONSUMED will teach you how to be a citizen not a consumer.
288 pages, Hardcover
First published September 16, 2021
612 people are currently reading
19086 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 689 reviews
September 13, 2021
Is it poor taste to say your own book is actually quite alright if you do say so yourself? Probably. But taste is one of those concepts that simply depends on the person you ask.
November 22, 2021
So torn on this one!
So I really really like Aja. Originally I started following her on Instagram and had no idea that a book was in the works. When it was published I waited a few weeks (as Aja would suggest) to make sure that I really wanted it and sure enough it did not leave my mind, so I got myself a copy.
Unfortunately I think maybe I overestimated this book - and this could be entirely based on the knowledge level I had going into it. I thought that Aja's book would be on the level of their Instagram posts - snappy, sharp and approaching the issue comprehensively from all angles. The book, however, feels like it was configured all wrong.
I think that Attenborough's 'A Life On Our Planet' is a great way to format books like these: start off with your witness statement (how the issue has personally impacted you), then delve into the reality of the issues (here is where the facts come in handy) and then a 'how we fix it' to tie it all up at the end. All of these elements were present in Aja's book, however they came in at random moments, accompanied by asides which were often productive discussion topics (e.g. the mispronunciation of ethnic names) but were put into sections about different issues entirely, which only detached you from what you had been reading previously.
I think this book tried to tackle too much and that may also contribute to it being underwhelming for me - the fashion industry (as a job industry) is a separate discussion from the fashion industry as environmentally destructive. Both important, but not clearly defined as separate issues in this book, which from the title kind of sounds like its only about the latter. The discussion on colonialism was also very disorganized and chaotic purely because it didn't use case studies in a very productive way in my opinion. Ideally you would open this section with a brief summary of how fashion links to colonialism and then dive into specific examples (Kantamanto Market in Ghana, The impact of the East India Trading Company and British colonialism on Indian textile production which we now exploit and cheapen). Instead, the chapter is a hodge-podge of other people's opinions and explanations, meaning the chapter is void of much consistency and linearity. Generally, I think that the discussion became too rudimentary because it bounced around from one country, one case, one time in history to another without outlining where the link was in a very comprehensive way.
The book, in my opinion, gets much better towards the end of this chapter and then into the following ones - however I still have one remaining critique, and that is simply that the book is really repetitive in this part. I think an editor could have chopped this remaining section down a tonne simply by removing expressions or paragraphs which had already been said in a slightly different way earlier on. It still would have been as impactful and thought-provoking for the reader.
Generally this book taught me a couple new things and reaffirmed some of the beliefs which I already held and goals I had set myself. Aja's tone is super friendly and transparent throughout which I think would be great for somebody just starting out with reading about fast fashion, consumption and the impacts on the climate. I found that their enthusiasm about the topic was apparent in their writing, but I think for me I got stuck on some of the elements which I think could honestly have been saved with a touch more editing.
Nonetheless, a book with subject matter as important and relevant as this has to get at least 3 stars, especially when its coming from somebody like Aja, who has devoted her career to discussing sustainable and ethical fashion choices whilst simultaneously being a voice for the POC whose voices we unfortunately do not hear when they are working too many hours producing shitty clothing for Boohoo.
So I really really like Aja. Originally I started following her on Instagram and had no idea that a book was in the works. When it was published I waited a few weeks (as Aja would suggest) to make sure that I really wanted it and sure enough it did not leave my mind, so I got myself a copy.
Unfortunately I think maybe I overestimated this book - and this could be entirely based on the knowledge level I had going into it. I thought that Aja's book would be on the level of their Instagram posts - snappy, sharp and approaching the issue comprehensively from all angles. The book, however, feels like it was configured all wrong.
I think that Attenborough's 'A Life On Our Planet' is a great way to format books like these: start off with your witness statement (how the issue has personally impacted you), then delve into the reality of the issues (here is where the facts come in handy) and then a 'how we fix it' to tie it all up at the end. All of these elements were present in Aja's book, however they came in at random moments, accompanied by asides which were often productive discussion topics (e.g. the mispronunciation of ethnic names) but were put into sections about different issues entirely, which only detached you from what you had been reading previously.
I think this book tried to tackle too much and that may also contribute to it being underwhelming for me - the fashion industry (as a job industry) is a separate discussion from the fashion industry as environmentally destructive. Both important, but not clearly defined as separate issues in this book, which from the title kind of sounds like its only about the latter. The discussion on colonialism was also very disorganized and chaotic purely because it didn't use case studies in a very productive way in my opinion. Ideally you would open this section with a brief summary of how fashion links to colonialism and then dive into specific examples (Kantamanto Market in Ghana, The impact of the East India Trading Company and British colonialism on Indian textile production which we now exploit and cheapen). Instead, the chapter is a hodge-podge of other people's opinions and explanations, meaning the chapter is void of much consistency and linearity. Generally, I think that the discussion became too rudimentary because it bounced around from one country, one case, one time in history to another without outlining where the link was in a very comprehensive way.
The book, in my opinion, gets much better towards the end of this chapter and then into the following ones - however I still have one remaining critique, and that is simply that the book is really repetitive in this part. I think an editor could have chopped this remaining section down a tonne simply by removing expressions or paragraphs which had already been said in a slightly different way earlier on. It still would have been as impactful and thought-provoking for the reader.
Generally this book taught me a couple new things and reaffirmed some of the beliefs which I already held and goals I had set myself. Aja's tone is super friendly and transparent throughout which I think would be great for somebody just starting out with reading about fast fashion, consumption and the impacts on the climate. I found that their enthusiasm about the topic was apparent in their writing, but I think for me I got stuck on some of the elements which I think could honestly have been saved with a touch more editing.
Nonetheless, a book with subject matter as important and relevant as this has to get at least 3 stars, especially when its coming from somebody like Aja, who has devoted her career to discussing sustainable and ethical fashion choices whilst simultaneously being a voice for the POC whose voices we unfortunately do not hear when they are working too many hours producing shitty clothing for Boohoo.
December 19, 2021
1 Star. DNF’ed.
This is a genuinely bad book, and I don’t say that lightly, but for a non fiction title covering such broad and significant topics, this is an awful attempt.
Firstly, not a single source throughout the whole book? The only time a source is referenced, it’s jus the occasional in line citation to a recent internet article. It’s a pretty poor effort and I have no idea how this got published WITHOUT A SINGLE REFERENCE?
Secondly, the writing style is incredible sloppy and most of it reads more like a really aggressive social media post. I would admire the attempt at trying to make such large subjects more accessible, however it just comes across as really lazy and uninformed writing.
An example of this comes on page 68:
“Essentially these big companies want to come to Kantamanto, take the waste which is polluting neighbourhoods for next to nothing, put it into a blender to melt the materials down into new materials (this is a very simplified definition....no one @ me.)”
What??? Where was the editor on this....the author constantly makes huge sweeping generalisations without backing it up in any way and constantly presents her own opinion as fact.
I will say this: the author does a good job at recognising the systematic problems and linkages between fashion and environmental disaster, however her critical abilities never go beyond that (especially in her “solutions” which amount to....give more money to people?)
Ultimately a huge disappointment. It reads, sounds, and feels like a very long Instagram post, and not in a fun or interesting way. My low rating is also how dangerous it is to present information so poorly. The information here is not informative, opinion is treated as fact, and I would be generally wary of any author or editor who doesn’t see a problem with providing no evidence to any of the claims made throughout the novel.
(And if, like me, you were disappointed by this and you're looking for a book around consumption and environmentalism, go read the much more refined No Logo by Naomi Klein.)
This is a genuinely bad book, and I don’t say that lightly, but for a non fiction title covering such broad and significant topics, this is an awful attempt.
Firstly, not a single source throughout the whole book? The only time a source is referenced, it’s jus the occasional in line citation to a recent internet article. It’s a pretty poor effort and I have no idea how this got published WITHOUT A SINGLE REFERENCE?
Secondly, the writing style is incredible sloppy and most of it reads more like a really aggressive social media post. I would admire the attempt at trying to make such large subjects more accessible, however it just comes across as really lazy and uninformed writing.
An example of this comes on page 68:
“Essentially these big companies want to come to Kantamanto, take the waste which is polluting neighbourhoods for next to nothing, put it into a blender to melt the materials down into new materials (this is a very simplified definition....no one @ me.)”
What??? Where was the editor on this....the author constantly makes huge sweeping generalisations without backing it up in any way and constantly presents her own opinion as fact.
I will say this: the author does a good job at recognising the systematic problems and linkages between fashion and environmental disaster, however her critical abilities never go beyond that (especially in her “solutions” which amount to....give more money to people?)
Ultimately a huge disappointment. It reads, sounds, and feels like a very long Instagram post, and not in a fun or interesting way. My low rating is also how dangerous it is to present information so poorly. The information here is not informative, opinion is treated as fact, and I would be generally wary of any author or editor who doesn’t see a problem with providing no evidence to any of the claims made throughout the novel.
(And if, like me, you were disappointed by this and you're looking for a book around consumption and environmentalism, go read the much more refined No Logo by Naomi Klein.)
October 21, 2023
I enjoyed this book about consumerism and resisting it for the sake of our world’s collective wellbeing. I thought Aja Barber did a great job of writing about how consumerism intersects with oppressive forces such as racism and fatphobia. Her writing is conversational, though still thorough and intelligent.
I appreciated how she included specific strategies for resisting consumerism in regard to clothes (e.g., actually wear the clothes you buy several times, unsubscribe from notifications from stores and companies, check in with yourself emotionally before going to purchase something). Her commentary about class and how some people may underestimate their wealth made a lot of sense to me. Even though I found that her writing felt a bit too discursive for me in certain sections, I think Consumed is a smart and honest attempt at addressing consumerism and its environmental and psychological impacts.
I appreciated how she included specific strategies for resisting consumerism in regard to clothes (e.g., actually wear the clothes you buy several times, unsubscribe from notifications from stores and companies, check in with yourself emotionally before going to purchase something). Her commentary about class and how some people may underestimate their wealth made a lot of sense to me. Even though I found that her writing felt a bit too discursive for me in certain sections, I think Consumed is a smart and honest attempt at addressing consumerism and its environmental and psychological impacts.
September 30, 2021
You like fast fashion. You buy too much. You stumble over Aja Barber on Instagram and buy this book. All of a sudden, you’re a climate activist, fighting for the rights of garment workers in countries you’ve never heard of, let alone visited.
December 11, 2021
Wow, this book really needed an editor. The writing is sloppy and both individual chapters and the book as a whole are poorly organized. This added to overall disappointment: The subtitle and some of the recommendations lead me to expect a deeper analysis. I learned very little from this book.
October 15, 2023
Consumed was the first book I ever pre-ordered, and I was thrilled when I received it in the mail. I had been following Aja’s work on Instagram for years and was impressed with her informational—albeit informal—fast fashion presentation for the Slow Factory’s Open Education program this year. She has a talent for distilling complicated environmental and fashion concepts for a layman’s audience. However, Consumed makes bold, generalized claims—often lacking citations—and is poorly structured to the extent that crucial sections get lost in her asides and redundant platitudes. Perhaps this is a failure on the part of Grand Central Publishing, who didn’t provide Aja with an editor? Regardless, Consumed misses the mark, as its shortcomings eclipse some of the most important discussions in the book: the impact of textile waste in Ghana's Kantamanto Market, Anannya Bhattacharjee’s take on labor rights for garment workers in Asia, and Aja’s tips on how to get off the hedonistic capitalist treadmill as a Global North consumer.
Aja makes many blanket statements in Consumed. In fact, one of her chapters is titled, “How Society Works,” a bold claim, since she doesn’t explicitly disclaim that she’s referring to society in the Global North. Additionally, she argues that “wealth inequality is at its widest gap ever” on page 118, and “planned obsolescence is a trick as old as time” without providing any statistics to back up either claim. I think that the former statement can be supported with evidence while the latter…not so much (I’m pretty sure that planned obsolescence has only existed for the past 100 years or so.) I was also shocked that Aja cited Wikipedia multiple times in her book, providing definitions of “gender binary” on page 128-129, and “greenwashing” on page 160. Wikipedia is inconsistent at best, so Aja should have referred to more established sources here. Additionally, on page 204, Aja discusses a process by which a hypothetical Walmart moves into a small town and destroys the local economy—a phenomenon that I have definitely read about—but does not point to any real-life instance where this process took place. These are only a few examples of this greater pattern of hyperbole, which can be easily substantiated with deliberate research and citations.
From a structural standpoint, Aja could have omitted rhetorical questions and statements like “I couldn’t agree more,” which cheapen the content of the preceding paragraphs. Aja tries to squeeze as many of her thoughts as possible into this book, but this method does not work in her favor. For example, Aja feels the need to discuss the validity of vocational schools on page 192—which I agree are an important asset to any functioning society!— but uses up valuable real estate in her section about conspicuous consumption. On the flip side, I enjoyed her “Ways to Learn Actively” section on page 184-187, which serves as a template of how the whole book could have been organized, providing concrete, easy-to-follow tips on how to become a more conscious consumer. And it was only 3 pages!
I think that Aja can employ a few strategies for future books. For one, footnotes! Footnotes (especially à la Junot Díaz in The Brief Wonderous Life of Oscar Wao) can be incredibly useful here, since Aja provides a lot of personal commentary in her work. That way, readers can absorb key facts and information more easily, and can refer to whatever primary source she cites. From an organizational and educational standpoint, I think that Aja can move the Urge/Purge exercises to a Discussion Questions section at the end of the book. And of course, she needs a bibliography to substantiate her claims.
Despite my criticisms, Aja’s work as a plus-sized, Black, sustainable fashion advocate cannot be underestimated, and I hope that her future work continues to positively influence her readers.
Aja makes many blanket statements in Consumed. In fact, one of her chapters is titled, “How Society Works,” a bold claim, since she doesn’t explicitly disclaim that she’s referring to society in the Global North. Additionally, she argues that “wealth inequality is at its widest gap ever” on page 118, and “planned obsolescence is a trick as old as time” without providing any statistics to back up either claim. I think that the former statement can be supported with evidence while the latter…not so much (I’m pretty sure that planned obsolescence has only existed for the past 100 years or so.) I was also shocked that Aja cited Wikipedia multiple times in her book, providing definitions of “gender binary” on page 128-129, and “greenwashing” on page 160. Wikipedia is inconsistent at best, so Aja should have referred to more established sources here. Additionally, on page 204, Aja discusses a process by which a hypothetical Walmart moves into a small town and destroys the local economy—a phenomenon that I have definitely read about—but does not point to any real-life instance where this process took place. These are only a few examples of this greater pattern of hyperbole, which can be easily substantiated with deliberate research and citations.
From a structural standpoint, Aja could have omitted rhetorical questions and statements like “I couldn’t agree more,” which cheapen the content of the preceding paragraphs. Aja tries to squeeze as many of her thoughts as possible into this book, but this method does not work in her favor. For example, Aja feels the need to discuss the validity of vocational schools on page 192—which I agree are an important asset to any functioning society!— but uses up valuable real estate in her section about conspicuous consumption. On the flip side, I enjoyed her “Ways to Learn Actively” section on page 184-187, which serves as a template of how the whole book could have been organized, providing concrete, easy-to-follow tips on how to become a more conscious consumer. And it was only 3 pages!
I think that Aja can employ a few strategies for future books. For one, footnotes! Footnotes (especially à la Junot Díaz in The Brief Wonderous Life of Oscar Wao) can be incredibly useful here, since Aja provides a lot of personal commentary in her work. That way, readers can absorb key facts and information more easily, and can refer to whatever primary source she cites. From an organizational and educational standpoint, I think that Aja can move the Urge/Purge exercises to a Discussion Questions section at the end of the book. And of course, she needs a bibliography to substantiate her claims.
Despite my criticisms, Aja’s work as a plus-sized, Black, sustainable fashion advocate cannot be underestimated, and I hope that her future work continues to positively influence her readers.
April 2, 2022
If you are aged between 13 and 16 years of age and are just learning about the unjust systems of wealth inequality, colonialism and the extractive and harmful practices of consumerism fuelled by late capitalism please you’re the audience I would recommend this book for. Call me a snob, but this is not how you write a book. No references, blanket statements with a narrative voice that’s like a rant on Instagram, commentary that could have done with editing to avoid repetition all - for me - made it insufferable to read.
May 7, 2022
Sorry, this book is neither even marginally well-written, nor does it do what I had hoped for. As some other reviewers have mentioned, it reads as an obnoxiously long social media post that's practically overflowing with conflating and often contradictory arguments (all of them unsupported).
And, like too many such posts, Barber specifically says that if you don't agree with her, you just aren't ready to listen or haven't "done the work." All the while simultaneously - and explicitly - telling the reader that she's not interested in other perspectives or interpretations. Lovely that.
It's too bad, considering the damage the fashion industry is doing, the problem deserves better than this. If you're interested in the content I had hoped to see in this book, read Dana Thomas' "Fashionopolis" instead (my thoughts on that book - if you're curious).
As for "Consumed," yeah, don't consume this one...
And, like too many such posts, Barber specifically says that if you don't agree with her, you just aren't ready to listen or haven't "done the work." All the while simultaneously - and explicitly - telling the reader that she's not interested in other perspectives or interpretations. Lovely that.
It's too bad, considering the damage the fashion industry is doing, the problem deserves better than this. If you're interested in the content I had hoped to see in this book, read Dana Thomas' "Fashionopolis" instead (my thoughts on that book - if you're curious).
As for "Consumed," yeah, don't consume this one...
January 2, 2022
4.5 stars
This was great! There was a lot here that I feel like I was exposed to in terms of the impact of fast fashion, but this was pretty comprehensive, very well articulated, accessible, and I absolutely loved how Barber kept tying everything back to Colonialism. It made everything she shared very impactful and I just know this will change my buying habits and the questions I ask myself before I purchase. This is definitely something I think everyone should read.
January 21, 2022
I read this as part of a book club discussion about the horrible sprawling impacts the fast fashion industry has had on the world, and because I was really interested in Aja Barber's work and perspectives. Maybe it was just me already being familiar with many of the topics discussed and how they relate to one another (as a lefty environmental studies grad student), but I felt like I didn't learn much from this book. It was very surface-level, repetitive, and scattered, which made it extremely difficult to actually process the information. Maybe it's a reflection of how much target audiences' attention spans have disintegrated over the past decade. Or maybe whoever was assigned to edit this "book" (extended rant) didn't actually do their job.
On the bright side, this extended rant has inspired me to seek out other books on consumerism, colonialism, and the climate crisis, and to check out the work of the many activists mentioned throughout. I give it one star for voice/passion, and another for inciting rage (though much of my rage stemmed from struggling with the atrocious lack of organization), because I can at least direct this rage towards burning down our capitalist hellscape.
On the bright side, this extended rant has inspired me to seek out other books on consumerism, colonialism, and the climate crisis, and to check out the work of the many activists mentioned throughout. I give it one star for voice/passion, and another for inciting rage (though much of my rage stemmed from struggling with the atrocious lack of organization), because I can at least direct this rage towards burning down our capitalist hellscape.
January 25, 2022
I’ve been following Aja for a while on Instagram and Twitter and have learned so much from her and admire her a lot, which is why I couldn’t wait to read this book, which I pre-ordered as soon as it was announced.
I think this is a great book for people like me — those who have used consumption to fill a void, who used to pride themselves in not wearing the same thing twice, who was led to believe that the more you have, the better you are. As someone who works in the social media / fashion world, it definitely was a wake up call to the ways I perpetuate consumerism.
It’s a good introduction on consumption, especially when it comes to fast fashion, and I think it’s a must read for anyone who finds happiness in clicking the buy button.
While I enjoy her witty comments on social media, I do think it did the book a disservice as a whole, as it was a bit distracting with the serious topics at hand. While I wish the content was a bit more organized and backed up with more sources and statistics, I think the format is perfect for someone who is learning about climate change and consumption for the first time. It’s definitely approachable and digestible in that way.
I think this is a great book for people like me — those who have used consumption to fill a void, who used to pride themselves in not wearing the same thing twice, who was led to believe that the more you have, the better you are. As someone who works in the social media / fashion world, it definitely was a wake up call to the ways I perpetuate consumerism.
It’s a good introduction on consumption, especially when it comes to fast fashion, and I think it’s a must read for anyone who finds happiness in clicking the buy button.
While I enjoy her witty comments on social media, I do think it did the book a disservice as a whole, as it was a bit distracting with the serious topics at hand. While I wish the content was a bit more organized and backed up with more sources and statistics, I think the format is perfect for someone who is learning about climate change and consumption for the first time. It’s definitely approachable and digestible in that way.
March 28, 2023
As a well-read leftist, I'm obviously empathetic to questions of imperialism, racism, and exploitation and do my best to be as mindful as possible. But this book is little more than a strident collection of facts and examples that I was already very familiar with. It is a failed opportunity to inform readers about the truth of the fashion world and what we are oblivious to in late-stage capitalism. Instead of practicing journalism, Barber writes things like "and for the people in the back," as if this is more of a book that has been dictated but not read or edited. Barber is simply not a very good writer. Reading this book was like willfully surrendering my head to someone screaming loudly into my ear for a few hours about topics I already knew. "AND LET ME SUMMARIZE HOWARD ZINN, YOU EVIL PRIVILEGED FUCK!" Yeah, already read Zinn in my twenties. Very familiar. Much respect to him and you, but there's no need to fucking yell at me. Especially when you haven't ENLIGHTENED me in any way. But I'm giving it a charitable two stars (instead of one star) to support the cause. And I'm being VERY generous here.
September 21, 2021
'Consumed' landed on my doorstep on Saturday and I couldn't put it down. Aja Barber writes engagingly about the mechanisms of fast fashion, their roots in colonialism and racism, the appalling waste and exploitation of workers, the western world's attitude to consumption and the harm it causes. She is direct and honest throughout, and her tone feels rousing and encouraging. I love that she targets systems rather than individuals. While she makes it clear we as individuals have power and influence, and calls on us to be acutely aware of our privileges, she doesn't blame us unduly for the way things are and motivates us to fight systems and organisations. She defends a socialist model, which I love - a state of being where we recognise that we have enough and treasure our possessions. More wouldn't make us happy. This book is full of common sense, compassion and humanity, gives you plenty to reflect on, and will surely lead to welcome change. Read it!
May 2, 2022
This book had some really great points in it and a few things I was grateful to learn about that I hadn't come across before, but I don't think I'm the target audience for this. It was a bit too instagrammy for me? Maybe it would be a great intro to fast fashion/intersectionality/consumerism/capitalism for a teen or someone who was wanting to know more about it in a very accessible way. I liked the illustrations and the physical book is beautiful, but also felt like the structure was a little disjointed, and although the personal anecdotes were helpful in some places, I thought they were way overdone. Ngl I flicked through a fair amount... 😬 (But! I'm gonna take my broken shoes to a cobblers now, so that is a positive ok!)
April 1, 2025
2.5 - Very little use of sources, which made it feel like one long instagram post.
February 17, 2022
5⭐ on 🎧
Hands down the best nonfiction book I've read since Wordslut!! (Wordslut is my nonfiction gold standard FYI.)
If you enjoy shopping and care about the environment, I think this book will change how you think about shopping--both why we do it and how it impacts the world. Even if you're not a huge shopper, this book will probably make you rethink where you shop and how you rewear and reuse stuff.
I wouldn't call myself a huge shopper but I am someone who goes to Target just for fun and I totally get sucked into clothing stores' "50% off today only!" sales. Aja Barber breaks down how companies use flash sales, factory and outlet stores and advertising to convince consumers to continue to buy clothes. Our culture has literally made it weird to rewear stuff too frequently or too often.
But as Aja shares in this book, the consumption of clothing has created other problems. From microplastics to underpaid garment workers to millions of "donated" clothes fillings dumps in Ghana, we have created a systemic problem. Maybe this isn't news to everyone, but I definitely didn't know the scale of the problem until now. It's too easy to dismiss this problem when we really do need a call to action to help be more sustainable.
I learned so much from this book. It is an absolute must read. I loved Aja provided concrete actions on how to go initiate change and I look forward to seeing how I can adjust my habits to help reduce my consumption.
Hands down the best nonfiction book I've read since Wordslut!! (Wordslut is my nonfiction gold standard FYI.)
If you enjoy shopping and care about the environment, I think this book will change how you think about shopping--both why we do it and how it impacts the world. Even if you're not a huge shopper, this book will probably make you rethink where you shop and how you rewear and reuse stuff.
I wouldn't call myself a huge shopper but I am someone who goes to Target just for fun and I totally get sucked into clothing stores' "50% off today only!" sales. Aja Barber breaks down how companies use flash sales, factory and outlet stores and advertising to convince consumers to continue to buy clothes. Our culture has literally made it weird to rewear stuff too frequently or too often.
But as Aja shares in this book, the consumption of clothing has created other problems. From microplastics to underpaid garment workers to millions of "donated" clothes fillings dumps in Ghana, we have created a systemic problem. Maybe this isn't news to everyone, but I definitely didn't know the scale of the problem until now. It's too easy to dismiss this problem when we really do need a call to action to help be more sustainable.
I learned so much from this book. It is an absolute must read. I loved Aja provided concrete actions on how to go initiate change and I look forward to seeing how I can adjust my habits to help reduce my consumption.
July 26, 2022
Grabbed this off the shelf at my local library thinking it could be fun. Quickly realized I was not the target audience. This book is more suitable for a much younger reader in that it provides a very simplistic overview of many complex issues. As others have noted, the whole books regrettably reads more like a social media post rather than a piece of investigative journalism or serious work of nonfiction.
If you are a teen or someone who has somehow never been exposed to ideas of colonialism, intersectionality, etc. then this book could be a nice intro. But afterwards you'd be best served by reading more serious works.
If you are a teen or someone who has somehow never been exposed to ideas of colonialism, intersectionality, etc. then this book could be a nice intro. But afterwards you'd be best served by reading more serious works.
March 31, 2022
If you’re ordering from Shein, have the Amazon app at your fingertips, or you take bags of clothes to “donate”, this is required reading. Aja Barber lays out the reality of this level of consumption and how it effects the garment workers and planet as a whole.
Fast fashion combined with social media is an intoxicating combination. Influencer culture has so many of us trapped in a cycle of buy buy buy. This book really helped me to see how I AM part of the problem, but I can also be part of the solution.
Fast fashion combined with social media is an intoxicating combination. Influencer culture has so many of us trapped in a cycle of buy buy buy. This book really helped me to see how I AM part of the problem, but I can also be part of the solution.
June 1, 2022
There really wasn't a lot of scientific evidence to back up claims, rather it was more of a memoir/personal account of changes needed in the fashion industry to reduce waste. Basically the argument is just "don't buy fast fashion". It didn't really teach me anything new, except for Chapter 2 on modern day colonialism which was an interesting take and the landfills Ghana full of our clothes.
January 1, 2023
This book was highly disappointing. It reads like a social media post and is highly biographical, which at times is an advantage for the reader to relate but also why am I reading so much about her life?
Also where are the sources? I was hoping for the points to have references that would be collated in an index but there is nothing at the end of this book. Only a how the the author was educated.
Everything in the book is general, the tackling of the big 3 is so general it hurts.
This book is like me having a conversation with friends at a bar at 2am, not a publishable text.
This reads like a publishing house has paid a influencer to write a book on fast fashion.
I would recommend this book ONLY to people who have NO KNOWLEDGE WHATSOEVER on fast fashion.
Also where are the sources? I was hoping for the points to have references that would be collated in an index but there is nothing at the end of this book. Only a how the the author was educated.
Everything in the book is general, the tackling of the big 3 is so general it hurts.
This book is like me having a conversation with friends at a bar at 2am, not a publishable text.
This reads like a publishing house has paid a influencer to write a book on fast fashion.
I would recommend this book ONLY to people who have NO KNOWLEDGE WHATSOEVER on fast fashion.
April 21, 2022
At one point the author literally uses an investopedia.com definition to form the entirety of an argument. She says "third world is an outdated and offensive term," inserts a quote from the website which essentially says "third world is an outdated and offensive term," then just caps with "So, there's that." How in the world could that possibly convince anyone who wasn't already in agreement? This is by no means a substantial part of the book but it feels like it really encapsulates its chronic lack of substance, at least in the 5th I read before dropping it.
May 16, 2022
I had such high hopes for this book and it started out pretty good, but as it went on, it felt repetitive and a little messy? I feel like Barber tried to tackle too many topics, without going deep enough into any of them.
June 25, 2024
All over the place and reads more like a social media post
April 17, 2022
I didn’t finish the book, it’s difficult to read & follow with no structure or reference. It’s more of a compilation of rants one would expect on Instagram.
January 16, 2022
Aja Barber dives into the interconnected topics of fashion, colonialism, climate change, consumerism (and even unpaid internships!)
I think this book is great for people who are new to the topic and are keen to learn more. I do hope she writes more books covering every single topic in more detail!
If I ever hear someone saying “we give them jobs”, “fashion brands are trying”, “oh look they made a video with a couple of queer people” I will just throw them this book at their faces!! 😡
-what sort of labour do we value in society?
- who gets to immigrate for work opportunities?
- colonialism is present in the fashion industry: takes resources away, exploits workers, sends back clothes..
-80 pe cent of garment workers are women
- althought the form has changed colonialism continues today: we extract value taking this value to the colonizing country
Quote:
“A brand’s corporate responsibility is only as effective as the most marginalized member of their supply chain says it is”
I think this book is great for people who are new to the topic and are keen to learn more. I do hope she writes more books covering every single topic in more detail!
If I ever hear someone saying “we give them jobs”, “fashion brands are trying”, “oh look they made a video with a couple of queer people” I will just throw them this book at their faces!! 😡
-what sort of labour do we value in society?
- who gets to immigrate for work opportunities?
- colonialism is present in the fashion industry: takes resources away, exploits workers, sends back clothes..
-80 pe cent of garment workers are women
- althought the form has changed colonialism continues today: we extract value taking this value to the colonizing country
Quote:
“A brand’s corporate responsibility is only as effective as the most marginalized member of their supply chain says it is”
February 27, 2022
I really wanted to like this book, but it was suuuuper entry level. The subheading ‘colonialism, climate change, and consumerism’ promised far more than the content delivered. In fact, the extent of the colonialism chapter was, essentially, clothes are made in China and the landfill ends up in Africa. That’s it. I thought this book would have more evidence and clear analysis, but it was really just a haphazard explainer with a bit of memoir thrown in. If someone like Angela Saini had written this, I would’ve loved it.
January 22, 2022
I can’t believe this book doesn’t have more reviews. It’s excellent. I am no doubt the target demographic for it, but I really think anyone could takeaway tangible goals and lessons from it.
I appreciated that Aja doesn’t berate the reader (like I find a lot of how-to/self-help/social-commentary books tend to do) but instead guides you towards reframing your consumption in a way that makes you actually want to do the work.
I appreciated that Aja doesn’t berate the reader (like I find a lot of how-to/self-help/social-commentary books tend to do) but instead guides you towards reframing your consumption in a way that makes you actually want to do the work.
February 27, 2022
This book is a great entry-point for folks who haven’t yet, or are very newly considering their position within systems of oppression. Consumption and participation within the fast-fashion cycles is the mechanism to get people to think more critically about their responsibility to others and the planet, but it goes much deeper beyond fashion and environmentalism.
December 22, 2022
CAPITALISM, CAPITALISM, BILLIONAIRES, CLIMATE CHANGE, THE ONE PERCENT. Things I yell in my sleep.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 689 reviews