And as consumers we are encouraged to not question this. In fact, Barber uses examples from the early days of the pandemic. Governments encouraging the people to go out and spend. To consume. To idk themselves and others because the economy is king.

A critique on what we buy, how it's made and the systems behind it that make an unfair and broken cycle' - New York TimesInvestigating “what happens to our unwanted clothes, and especially Kantamanto,” Barber found that “our waste is getting dumped in the global south like Ghana, Kenya and Rwanda,” and concludes that “the system really craps on non-white people at the beginning and end of the process,” crediting the organisation Slow Factory for its work educating on this topic. We live in a world of stuff. We dispose of most of it in as little as six months after we receive it. The byproducts of our quest to consume are creating an environmental crisis. Aja Barber wants to change this–and you can, too. A critique on what we buy, how it’s made and the systems behind it that make an unfair and broken cycle’– New York Times The book, in my opinion, gets much better towards the end of this chapter and then into the following ones - however I still have one remaining critique, and that is simply that the book is really repetitive in this part. I think an editor could have chopped this remaining section down a tonne simply by removing expressions or paragraphs which had already been said in a slightly different way earlier on. It still would have been as impactful and thought-provoking for the reader.

Overall, this is essential reading for those looking to learn a little bit more about such important issues as colonialism, climate change and consumerism. We are all part of this system, and we can all play a part in changing it. So read this book, feel your anger, direct it to those with power, and get inspired to make an impact. As Barber says: “You are so powerful. Every decision you make on this planet has an effect.” Capitalism requires a certain amount of exploitation to be feasible and it's done this by tapping into existing structures of colonialism. Exploiting poorer countries with high populations of colour. These corporations spend more on advertising and marketing than they do on the wages of the people that make their exorbitant amount of clothing. They target countries with lax labour laws, with poor safety and where they can save as much money as possible to inflate their profit margins. It's disgusting. Fast fashion is deeply rooted in racism. And that's not to say what happens to the environment around these production centres, it is horrific exploitation on every level. The people. The community. The environment. The resources. Wells, Kaitlyn (18 July 2022). "Purging Old Clothes? Here's How to Responsibly Donate and Repurpose Your Castoffs". The New York Times. If you buy one book about sustainable fashion, make it this one. Consumed is an urgent call to action to demand a fashion system that is actually fair for both people and planet, not just Big Fashion billionaires. I adore Aja and I love this brilliant book.' - Venetia La MannaI will say this: the author does a good job at recognising the systematic problems and linkages between fashion and environmental disaster, however her critical abilities never go beyond that (especially in her “solutions” which amount to....give more money to people?) Consumed: On Colonialism, Climate Change, Consumerism, and the Need for Collective Change is a mouthful and a must-read for the current political and ecological crisis. If you’re reading this article, then you can benefit from reading this book. A call to action for consumers everywhere, Consumed asks us to look at how and why we buy what we buy, how it's created, who it benefits, and how we can solve the problems created by a wasteful system. We live in a world of stuff. We dispose of most of it in as little as six months after we receive it. The byproducts of our quest to consume are creating an environmental crisis. Aja Barber wants to change this--and you can, too. Hands down the best nonfiction book I've read since Wordslut!! (Wordslut is my nonfiction gold standard FYI.)

This is a genuinely bad book, and I don’t say that lightly, but for a non fiction title covering such broad and significant topics, this is an awful attempt. Barber skilfully links this consumption to racism, colonialism and exploitation of non-white populations. The book explains colonialism as “when a country with power and resources dominates another country and extracts resources (both material and labour) while imposing new cultural norms,” while sharing a mindset with racism and the slave trade. She posits that, although officially colonialism like the British Empire ended before most consumers of fast fashion were born – the current global set-up of design and marketing in the rich countries of the north, and production in the global south at cut-throat prices – mirrors that of the historical definition and is just as harmful.the second half of the book focuses on action, which i was hype for. it’s easy (& true!!!) to say that the onus should be on corporations & the government to fix the problem of overconsumption & climate change, but that’s not an excuse to be finding small actions we can all take individually too. as someone who’s been plant-based for nearly 6 years for sustainability reasons, i am a strong believer in the combination of individual choices + collective action!! there are a ton of super accessible actions shared (& some that seem a little out-of-touch to anyone who’s not an influencer). for me, the main takeaway (& the one i have been prioritizing for the last 2-3 years) is that to be more sustainable, we just need to buy less shit. it’s easier said than done, but honestly, it’s really not that hard!! a little impulse control & some hobbies to turn your attention away from online shopping, voila. i swear i have felt so much happier with more free time (& money!!) & fewer clothing items that will ultimately end up in a landfill. Barber continues to highlight the human as well as environmental impact of the fashion industry. It is the BIPOC community that continues to be exploited by the fashion industry through worker exploitation and cultural appropriation. It is the BIPOC community that are forced to confront the worst consequences of climate change. Barber explores the concept of racial capitalism, which is where brands benefit monetarily from non-whiteness. Diversity is commodified, and all about money rather than genuine social change. In a direct and non-patronising style, Barber emphasises that feminism, colonialism and racism are inextricably linked, and we must do what we can from our intersection. Zhou, Maggie (21 September 2021). "Colonialism & Fast Fashion Are Inextricably Linked — Aja Barber Explains How". Refinery 29. I think this is a great book for people like me — those who have used consumption to fill a void, who used to pride themselves in not wearing the same thing twice, who was led to believe that the more you have, the better you are. As someone who works in the social media / fashion world, it definitely was a wake up call to the ways I perpetuate consumerism. I read this as part of a book club discussion about the horrible sprawling impacts the fast fashion industry has had on the world, and because I was really interested in Aja Barber's work and perspectives. Maybe it was just me already being familiar with many of the topics discussed and how they relate to one another (as a lefty environmental studies grad student), but I felt like I didn't learn much from this book. It was very surface-level, repetitive, and scattered, which made it extremely difficult to actually process the information. Maybe it's a reflection of how much target audiences' attention spans have disintegrated over the past decade. Or maybe whoever was assigned to edit this "book" (extended rant) didn't actually do their job.