Wardrobe Crisis

Who makes your clothes? This used to be an easy question to answer it was the seamstress next door, or the tailor on the high street—or you made them yourself. Today, we rarely know the origins of the clothes hanging in our closets. The local shoemaker, dressmaker, and milliner are long gone, replaced a globalized fashion industry worth $1.5 trillion a year.

In Wardrobe Crisis, fashion journalist Clare Press explores the history and ethics behind what we wear. Putting her insider status to good use, Press examines the entire fashion ecosystem, from sweatshops to haute couture, unearthing the roots of today’s buy-and-discard culture. She traces the origins of icons like Chanel, Dior, and Hermès; charts the rise and fall of the department store; and follows the thread that led us from Marie Antoinette to Carrie Bradshaw.

Wardrobe Crisis is a witty and persuasive argument for a fashion revolution that will empower you to feel good about your wardrobe again.

Clare Press is Marie Claire’s fashion editor-at-large. She has worked as a fashion designer, brand consultant, editor, and columnist, including stints at Sunday Style, Vogue, the Monthly and Instyle. Clare’s fashion journalism has also been published in Harper’s Bazaar, Elle, Marie Claire, the Australian, the Sydney Morning Herald, the New York Times Magazine, and many more. She is a passionate advocate for sustainable and ethical fashion, and sits on the Australian advisory board of Fashion Revolution.