cline

“Mass-produced clothing ,like fast food, fills a hunger and need, yet is non-durable and wasteful,” Cline argues.

Towards the end of Overdressed, Cline introduced her ideal, a Brooklyn woman named Sarah Kate Beaumont, who since 2008 has made all of her own clothes – and beautifully.

This top-down conception of the fashion business couldn’t be more out of date or at odds with the feverish would described in Overdressed, Elizabeth Cline’s three-year indictment of “fast fashion”.

By offering on-trend items at dirt-cheap prices, Cline argues, these brands have hijacked fashion cycles, shaking an industry long accustomed to a seasonal pace.

But as Cline is the first to note, it took Beaumont decades to perfect her craft; her example can’t be knocked off.

"Mass produced clothing, like fast food, fills a hunger and need, yet is non-durable and wasteful," Cline argues.

But as Cline is the first to note, it took Beaumont decades to perfect her craft; her example can't be knocked off.

Though several fast-fashion companies have made efforts to curb their impact on labor and the environment -- including H&M, with its green Conscious Collection line -- Cline believes lasting change can only be effected by the customer.

Towards the end of Overdressed, Cline introduced her ideal, a Brooklyn woman named Sarah Kate Beaumont, who since 2008 has made all of her own clothes-and beautifully.