Strip Tees

May 1, 2023
A former clothing industry insider dishes on the anti-feminist excesses of a company she once embraced but then later called a cult. When a stylish young woman offered Flannery a job with American Apparel, a company unfettered "by logos or politically correct tribalism," she readily accepted. The opportunity seemed the perfect remedy to months of unemployment in her adopted city of Los Angeles and a perfect fit for her next job. The millennial females who sat behind desks in the corporate office or modeled American Apparel clothes in their stores made the company seem like a feminist utopia. Flannery's first hint that all was not what it seemed came when she learned that the retailer's free-spirited owner, Dov Charney, dated several of her colleagues and had once masturbated in front of a female journalist. At the time, however, the ambitious Flannery ignored what she saw and heard, choosing instead to seek her "true purpose" with the company. After she recruited a high school junior into the company, Flannery soon found herself flying all over the country to scout girls for different American Apparel branches. Suddenly, the colleagues who had earned their positions by sleeping with Charney became icons of sex-positivity rather than victims of sexism. Giddy with what she believed was her own self-made success, the author indulged in parties, marijuana, and casual sex with subordinates. Even as Charney found himself embroiled in sexual harassment lawsuits, Flannery, driven to maintain the LA life she loved, continued to support him and the ideology of anti-puritanism he used to control the women he used for sex and profit. As the author details her initiation into the realities of corporate misogyny, the author provides a disturbing look at the dangerous ways modern capitalism can debase, deform, and blind the individuals it exploits. A candid and provocative memoir.

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May 22, 2023
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.

June 16, 2023

Flannery decided to leave what she deemed a boring corporate job to head to Los Angeles. She didn't know what she would find, but she knew she needed to give L.A. a try. In her memoir, she tells the story of her beginnings at American Apparel, where she was brought into the fold at this up-and-coming fashion company that touted an egalitarian workspace, not sweatshops and stuffy corporate offices. But what started out as a dream job quickly became toxic. Long hours, sexual harassment charges against founder Dov Charney, and the reported frequency of sexual relationships between Charney and his employees all caused Flannery to rethink her position. The book shows and describes that behind the scenes, American Apparel was a misogynistic, broken system destined for failure. Yet even after an assault, Flannery chose to continue working there. This book shows and tells why. Flannery's memoir is raw and engaging. VERDICT An intriguing read for those interested in the story behind the rise and fall of American Apparel and how a feminist can continue working in a place that does not support women.--Rebekah J. Buchanan

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