This book should be required reading for anyone interested or working in any aspect of the apparel industry, big or small. Not since Teri Agin’s The End of Fashion does an author address, in such an easily understood manner, the “why’s” that have created what we know today as fashion. More specifically, Cline addresses “fast fashion,” the demise of American apparel manufacturing, and the attitude held by large companies that product quality should be “good enough” but shouldn’t affect making a big profit. Essentially the themes communicated throughout are that consumers today do not know good quality from bad, are easily swayed by incredibly low prices, and expect a lot for a little, usually on the backs of workers making less than a living wage in less than adequate conditions.

What impressed me about this book is that Cline sought to communicate the big picture of what has happened, is happening, and where we can go from here in regards to the production of apparel and textile products worldwide. Although much time was spent discussing the rise of China as the world’s powerhouse in apparel manufacturing and its implications, Cline also laid out the path of countries, including the U.S., taking hold of production opportunities as the quality and cost of living raises for Chinese workers result in higher production costs. She is hopeful that production companies will seek out socially, and ecologically, responsible manufacturing facilities that pay living wages and/or “re-shore” manufacturing back to American soil. Other encouraging trends discussed include the rise, or return, of “slow fashion,” in which local designers make small runs of styles, offering them at local retail establishments, leading to exclusivity and educating consumers on quality. Given that fast fashion is for the most part uninspiring, Cline believes that more people will be seeking to restyle or repurpose what they have in their own wardrobes, leading to more demand for seamstresses and tailors as well as educational opportunities in sewing and design.

In all, Overdressed is an easy, interesting read. In fact, I will be using it in several of my academic classes as required reading to communicate to my students the realities of the apparel industry today. Although the book is a sober reminder of how apparel quality has declined, it does offer a bright outlook for the future of fashion.