Strip Tees
A Memoir of Millennial Los Angeles
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4.0 • 31 Ratings
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- $11.99
Publisher Description
Strip Tees is a fever dream of a memoir—Hunter S. Thompson meets Gloria Steinem—about a recent college graduate and what happens when her feminist ideals meet the real world.
At the turn of the new millennium, LA is the place to be. “Hipster” is a new word on the scene. Lauren Conrad is living her Cinderella story in the “Hills” on millions of television sets across the country. Paris Hilton tells us “That’s hot” from behind the biggest sunglasses imaginable, while beautiful teenagers fight and fall in love on The O.C.
Into this most glittering of supposed utopias, Kate Flannery arrives with a Seven Sisters diploma in hand and a new job at an upstart clothing company called American Apparel. Kate throws herself into the work, determined to climb the corporate fashion ladder. Having a job at American Apparel also means being a part of the advertising campaigns themselves, stripping down in the name of feminism.
She slowly begins to lose herself in a landscape of rowdy sex-positivity, racy photo shoots, and a cultlike devotion to the unorthodox CEO and founder of the brand. The line between sexual liberation and exploitation quickly grows hazy, leading Kate to question the company’s ethics and wrestle with her own.
Strip Tees captures a moment in our recent past that’s already sepia toned in nostalgia, and also paints a timeless portrait of a young woman who must choose between what business demands and self-respect requires.
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
In her sharp, candid memoir, Kate Flannery offers a searingly honest look at the meteoric rise and spectacular fall of American Apparel. When Flannery started working at the L.A. fashion brand, it appeared to be a feminist utopia where female employees were heard and valued. But behind the scenes, “free-spirited” owner Dov Charney regularly slept with employees and masturbated in front of journalists. It’s fascinating to follow the seemingly levelheaded Flannery as she finds herself falling under Charney’s creepy spell and see how his employees’ cultlike devotion led them to dismiss his increasingly unhinged behavior as just another manifestation of being sex positive. The first-time author’s unsparing, warts-and-all storytelling gives Strip Tees the feel of a heart-to-heart with a smart, self-aware millennial about fashion and culture. It’s a riveting read full of charm, humor, and vulnerability.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Flannery's bold debut memoir chronicles her experiences working for clothing company American Apparel in the aughts. Eager to break into the fashion industry after graduating from Bryn Mawr, Flannery had only been in L.A. a few months when she was approached with an offer to join the budding company as a retail employee and occasional model. Enamored by the concept of "ethical capitalism" peddled by CEO Dov Charney, and the prospect of working in an ostensibly feminist environment, Flannery eagerly accepted. It wasn't long before she, in turn, recruited a young, fresh-faced "Classic Girl" to model and work retail and Charney—who often dated these women while they were on company payroll—sent Flannery to New York to scout more. Despite scandalous rumors about her boss, Flannery remained resolute that she "wouldn't have to be a Dov girl to climb the ladder." As she continued to bring new women into the fold, however, Charney's predatory behavior permeated the cultish company, and she opted to leave. Flannery succeeds in illustrating the fashion industry's blurred lines in the decade prior to #MeToo, and the tough choices women faced between professional success and personal safety. This is an authentic portrait of the battle to remain true to oneself.
Customer Reviews
Worth the read
The lines of sexual liberation and exploitation is a constant battle and this is such a raw view of both.
Amazing
I really enjoyed the dark underbelly of a very popular brand of my youth.