Short Synopsis
In Overdressed, Elizabeth L. Cline sets out to uncover the true nature of the cheap fashion juggernaut, tracing the rise of budget clothing chains, the death of middle-market and independent retail­ers, and the roots of our obsession with deals and steals.

Full Synopsis
Cheap fashion has fundamentally changed the way most Americans dress. Stores ranging from discounters like Target to fast fashion chains like H&M now offer the newest trends at unprecedentedly low prices. Retailers are pro­ducing clothes at enormous volumes in order to drive prices down and profits up, and they've turned clothing into a disposable good. After all, we have little reason to keep wearing and repairing the clothes we already own when styles change so fast and it's cheaper to just buy more.

But what are we doing with all these cheap clothes? And more important, what are they doing to us, our society, our environment, and our economic well-being?

In Overdressed, Elizabeth L. Cline sets out to uncover the true nature of the cheap fashion juggernaut, tracing the rise of budget clothing chains, the death of middle-market and independent retail­ers, and the roots of our obsession with deals and steals.

"[An] engagingly pointed, earnestly researched study." ---Publishers Weekly

“Cline is the Michael Pollan of fashion . . . Hysterical levels of sartorial consumption are terrible for the environment, for workers, and even, ironically, for the way we look.” ---Michelle Goldberg, Newsweek/The Daily Beast

“Overdressed is eye-opening and definitely turns retailing on its head. Cline’s insightful book reveals the serious problems facing our industry today." ---Erica Wolf, executive director, Save the Garment Center

"Well-researched and thought-provoking . . . the book is comprehensive and provocative; a must-listen for anyone who recognizes her own closet in Cline's." ---Library Journal Audio Review