Customer Reviews

Fashion Victim: Our Love-Hate Relationship with Dressing, Shopping, and the Cost of Style

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This book truly opened my eyes to the ways fashion touches all of our lives, from the accelerating pace of trends to the dangerous spread of chain stores that the author calls McFashion to the ridiculous physical harm we do to our bodies just to be fashionable. In one example, a doctor quoted in the book talks about how a woman's toe almost had to be amputated because she wore tight high heels too much. Talk about a fashion victim!

I seriously never thought about fashion in this way before. An impressive work of reporting, the book is filled with interesting statistics and facts like how 27 percent of women would give up three years to be thinner.

Lee's punchy tone is a real treat and makes the reading that much more enjoyable. And she does a good job of including examples that aren't just aimed at people of one particular age, gender or economic range, opening up the audience to include pretty much anyone. I'd give it a strong A minus.

Finally, someone has written a book to explain the wildly ridiculous and addictive phenomenon of fashion. This book takes an insider's look at what attracts consumers to fashion and some of the bad things it does to us. I'm not exactly Carrie Bradshaw wearing Jimmy Choos and miniskirts every day, but after reading this book, I realized that I could be considered a fashion victim, too.
The strongest part of the book has to be the author's writing style. It's an easy read but not at all fluffy like how other fashion related books can be. I definitely recommend it.

Michelle Lee proves that fashion writing doesn't have to be stuffy or boring. I found her so-called "casual" tone to be refreshing; it felt as if she was speaking directly to me. I loved that she shared her own fashion struggles between love and hate with her readers. Ms. Lee's anecdotes are witty and bring to mind many of my own experiences as a slave to fashion.

The reporting was informative and insightful. Occasionally, I had a hard time forcing myself to put the book down because I found some of the stories so interesting. As I read, I found myself outraged at the treatment of sweatshop workers, yet embarrassed that I still bought mass-produced clothing anyway. I lamented the takeover of fast, disposable fashions (Lee calls this "McFashion"); yet I rejoice at the ease of grabbing the latest trends off the rack. These are some of the fashion dilemmas that Ms. Lee shares with us. She confesses that she herself is a fashion victim, with a mixture of pride and shame, but offers some helpful advice to those who wish to kick the habit.

This book was a pleasant surprise and an enjoyable read. I'm not a fashion critic, a fashion writer, or a fashionista. I'm just a regular person with three closets full of nothing to wear. If you're anything like me, you'll like this book.

... Rather than just bashing fashion completely, the author makes the point that its power is so strong that even she falls under its spell at times. I like that because I'd much prefer reading a book from the perspective of a recovering Fashion Victim than some person arguing why fashion is completely evil.
One or two chapters do get a tiny bit choppy toward the end but they're still filled with very interesting material. I thought the chapter on fur was well done. The writing was superb and it addressed topics that a lot of other writers don't touch on (like, do anti fur activists hurt their cause more than they help?). I also enjoyed the sections on how designers manipulate consumers when it comes to sizing and also the section on the potential dangers of dry cleaning, since I admit I do a lot of it.
It's not a perfect book but I still think it deserves 5 stars for bridging the gap between intelligent and entertaining.

As a fan of social sciences nonfiction, I was pleased to come across Michelle Lee's excellent exploration into why, generation after generation, consumers continue to buy into a concept which is at its very core so fleeting. I was particularly intrigued by the chapter called McFashion, in which Lee compares today's trendy disposable clothing to fast food junk. And I appreciated that a mainstream book tackled the subject of sweatshops in a very readable way.
It's an added treat that Fashion Victim is written in an easy-to-read and at times extremely humorous manner. The author admits that she herself has succumbed to the social pressure of being a fashion victim and rather than launching a tirade against the entire system, she displays some compassion for the poor souls who have bought into it like her.
I've often wondered about many of the same subjects that are brought up in Fashion Victim. I live near some of the world's biggest malls, including the state's biggest outlet mall. It's amazing that people come from miles away to go shopping! In a way, this book extends far beyond the subject of fashion and is more about our consumer culture and how fashion has become part of the mainstream. It's not just the pure fashion lovers who the names Prada and Gucci.
A definite recommend.

I agree with the reviewer from CT--Michelle's tone is very friendly, very personal and gives you the sense that she is the friend who knows all the tricks of the trade and wants to share them with you. I really enjoyed that aspect of her style, and she even admits that, by definition, she's a Fashion Victim, too.

She starts you off by defining a fasion victim, and I doubt that any of us could read this passage without agreeing that we've been a fashion victim once or twice. From there, she takes us into the world of models, clothing manufacturing, and all things related to fashion. She gives thorough treatment to the violent past of clothing makers and the sweatshops--if you don't know much about either of these topics, she gives you a GREAT education. The chapter where she covers designer knock-offs and clothing quality is an interesting read. Prepare to be surprised!

One of the main themes of the book concerns the illusions that the fashion industry creates for consumers. I didn't realize fashion shows only last 10-15 minutes at best, and I laughed out loud when she quotes a friend who went to a runway show and at its end remarks, "THAT'S ALL?!" Michelle also makes a fantastic point that the world of fashion was once esoteric, but now, the whole industry is very mainstream. Industry magazines sit right alongside issues of Newsweek, and Fashion Week now has TV coverage! Models have become household names. She reminds us that many models were just really skinny young girls who grew into older really skinny girls, and she makes her reader feel less intimidated by divulging that they are created to look perfect by lights, airbrushing, tape, heavy makeup, you name it. Knowing that a model fights with common skin issues or clothes that don't fit right will make you breathe out. :-)

I appreciated how she relates her story about stuffing herself painfully into a size 2 dress for fashion's sake--and how the dress only looked right when she was standing. I've been there a few times myself... You'll find yourself nodding and agreeing with her in a LOT of places.

I gave this one 4 stars because I felt that her chapter on fur ran on a little too long. I'm not a fur fan, but this chapter made me sympathize with the farmers--read about the Ebbets Farm Raid and be stunned how 'good' intentions of activists destroyed a family. There's no way to cover the subject without rousing strong feelings on either side, but I really wished she'd have given more page space to another topic. Fur and fashion could be a whole separate book. The fur chapter runs on significantly longer than the others in her book.

Overall, a refreshing, fun read that anyone who is interested in the world of fashion would enjoy!

Very nice. I consider myself a very tough cookie when it comes to rating nonfiction and I thought this book was very well done. This book is to fashion what Fast Food Nation is to McDonalds. I'll never shop the same way again!

Michelle Lee has struck a fine balance between paying homage to fashion while poking fun at it at the same time. No matter how you slice it, this is a great book. I was instantly attracted to the topic and was pleased by the incredible amount of information packed into these pages.

I related so much to the chapter on body image, in particular. It really worked because she didn't take the obvious holier than thou approach. And I actually laughed out loud to some of her Fashion Victim's 10 Commandments.

A fascinating book by a talented writer. Five very enthusiastic stars!

FASHION VICTIM was a pleasant surprise. I found it to be refreshingly witty and informative. I am a self professed fashion victim (my closet full of shoes tells the tale!). I am glad that someone has written a book about why fashion grips people like it does.

I was incredibly interested and horrified at some of the information the author brought up in FASHION VICTIM, like that 75 percent of American men own a pair of Dockers and the billions of dollars in foot problems that high heeled shoes cause women. It's absolutely mind-boggling.

If I had to pick one part that was a little slow, it was the chapter on sweatshops but I admit it's a topic that doesn't hold my interest as much, say, vanity sizing or killer shoes.

I enjoyed this book much more than some of other fashion related books that came out this year. Can't wait to read her next book.

This is a terrific book! Actually, I think it might be the finest book on the American fashion industry and the psychology behind fashion that I have read in years. Michelle Lee has obviously done a great deal of good research and backed up her theories with believable statistics and unique examples.
However, after reading this book I have some troubling questions.
Have we, in the English speaking world, evolved into a society of culturally dim-witted, simple minded, fast food junkies? Have we eliminated clever and original ideas and replaced them with concepts that in their "sameness" celebrate profits to such a degree that eventually we will all look, speak and live exactly the same way? Is this all happening so that a few people in a few places can sock away a whole lot of dough?
But the scariest question is this:
Is this what one is referring to when one speaks of "freedom"?
It's up to the consumer to say no to these concepts and to demand products which are not only reflect thoughtfulness and creativity, but also demonstrate just a little more respect for other cultures, the enviornment, even the world at large. But as long as the public continues to follow this road, and a few people continue to makes loads of money with it, it will continue to flourish.
Lately, I have grown increasingly tired of hearing the word "brand". It doesn't mean anything anymore. Not quality or style or overall satisfaction.
I need a big change. I've decided with the help of this book, that I will search for that clever and unusual garment or handbag, that delicious morsel of real, unprocessed food and I will read more books like this one.
I hope I'm not alone.