Overdressed Review

I recently picked up the book Overdressed: The Shockingly High Price of Cheap Fashion by Elizabeth L. Cline and was very enlightened by what her research told.



Overdressed is the study on our culture's new obsession with low-cost, discount clothing. Modern Americans prefer quantity over quality, and we shop at discount chains like Target, H&M, and Forever 21 for colorful outfits that are practically throw away. Some of these clothes we can tell when we purchase them won't make it through one wash cycle, but we want it for one special occasion. Shopping has become an everyday occurrence, and the trends shift rapidly to catch the frequent shopper's eye on each trip. With styles changing so frequently to appeal to consumers, it is easy to get caught up in the "now" trend.

Coming with this idea that we need more clothing options and the ability to keep up with the trends comes the idea that clothing needs to be cheap. Shoppers often brag to one another about bargains and "steals" that they get while shopping. We want our clothing to be cheap and in large quantity. This is a shift in our society--clothing used to be much more expensive and people would cherish the few items they had--reheeling shoes, patching pants, fixing hems and seams. Comparatively, clothing is cheaper now than it ever has been in history. In order to meet this consumer demand, clothing producers have to take some short cuts--making most clothing of poor quality. This practice also drives the cost of high end fashion and designers even higher. As more people covet the designer brands for their quality and their exclusive appeal, the prices skyrocket. Mid-level clothing boutiques can't compete, needing to pay for their materials and overhead, they can't discount their clothing as much as big box stores and they don't have the same fetishized appeal as notorious designers.

Finally, with so much demand for clothing quantity, there is a real environmental strain. Producing clothing has huge water costs associated with it, as well as mass amounts of energy necessary for production. The "disposable clothing" movement (buying cheap clothes that you might only wear once or twice) is an environmental dilemma and is not a sustainable practice. It is much more sustainble to buy clothing second-hand, to cherish what you own, and to pick pieces that will last, despite them costing a bit more.

I found this book culturally enlightening, and it has challenged to curb some of my own shopping habits in order to be more sustainable and live more ethically. I encourage others to read and learn about the business practices, bad working conditions, and environmental costs in cheap fashion.


--Megan