Summary

In the opening pages of "Fashion," Schlossberg says the problem with the fashion industry is not just its irresponsible production of clothing, but its expectation that customers should demand more sustainable practices. The industry, however, does not operate with transparency. Customers have little means of discovering the veritable operations behind the products they buy and wear.

In "Thirsty for Denim," Schlossberg describes the origin of denim, and Jacob Davis and Levi Strauss's role in its early days. While blue jeans began as a functional and durable style and form of clothing for the working class, they have grown into an American symbol over the past 150 years. Denim begins with cotton, the farming of which requires a great deal of land, water, and chemicals. Much of this cotton is grown with GMOs, or cultivated in already water-poor areas...