Worn Out by Alyssa Hardy

WORN OUT by Alyssa Hardy is a new non-fiction work about fast fashion, a high interest topic for our students. Hardy is a former senior news editor at InStyle and fashion news editor at Teen Vogue; she clearly has a message to convey: “loving fashion is not the problem, it’s the ways in which we consume it that can be.” Writing for New Press, a nonprofit, public interest publisher, Hardy concentrates on discussing the fashion industry’s relationship with climate change and poor labor conditions. In her Introduction, Hardy refers to changing fashion tastes during the pandemic and eloquently points out, “When we praised essential workers, no one talked about people behind the sewing machines.” She relates numerous examples of worker mistreatment, including by brands like Guess, Forever 21, and American Apparel. Her passion is evident, but she often writes in first person and frames the stories with her personal experience, including limited notes or references. Our student researchers are likely to find more background, statistics, and suggested action steps in slightly older works like Fashionopolis, and Unraveled. WORN OUT, described by Publishers Weekly as a “scorching exposé,” could serve as a supplementary text with profiles of poor business practices and recent activists.