American Apparel was the epitome of college co-ed fast-fashion. There was a storefront in most college towns and the concept of nostalgia-driven designs took on quickly.

Kate Flannery couldn't believe her luck when she was scouted by an American Apparel worker to come model for them. At first trepidatious to leave her copy-writing job (her first real job after graduating from Bryn Mawr and moving to LA), this seemed like a progressive company where she could easily move up the ladder.

Flannery's memoir details her gritty journey from from folding clothing in LA stores to "travel opportunities" galore, flying all over the country to hire staff and launch new openings. Travel perks, clothing allowances, and entry to parties and clubs were all great at first. But Flannery quickly realizes and reveals the dark undercurrent of sexual scandals stemming from founder Dov Charney.

While initially revered for his forward-thinking, sweatshop-free policies, Dov comes into the limelight as a serial abuser. When Flannery sees this for herself, she holds nothing back as she shares her harrowing insight.

Look for this book July 2023!

**I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

Quick read, very specific audience. I enjoyed it because author is the same age but I think anyone older or younger would not have interest unless they work in that field.

A great memoir! Kate Flannery (No, not Meredith) writes about her time out of college, moving to LA and submerging her entire life into her work with American Apparel in the 2000s.
Having traveled back and forth between the coasts myself 2003-2010, I remember the AA explosion in retail very well. The sleazy ads on the back of Vice magazines, the barely there yet simple clothing that never came in my size, and of course, the controversy.
Kate was pretty deep in with the company and gives a very candid look at what transpired during the AA Era.
I really felt for Kate and her emotional roller coaster and battle of her moral compass.
I really enjoyed this read and would recommend to those who like memoirs, and want a taste of the 2000s nostalgia.
Thank you, Netgalley, publisher, and author for the ARC.

Strip Tees was easy to read and engrossing. I liked the insight into the author's time working at American Apparel in L.A. There was so much that went wrong, I really rooted for Katie throughout.

Strip Tees is Kate Flannery’s debut book - a memoir so detailed in the story of its protagonist and page-turning-ly riveting that I often forgot it was fully based in truth, and not a thrilling and disturbing work of fiction. I wish it was made up, but this is a story we’ve heard before and we’ll hear again. It’s nostalgic and honest, drenched in a foreboding feeling that only grows with every page. It’s also filled with a deep compassion for Hollywood’s lost children longing for a place to call home, like Dorothys stuck in a dirty, disorienting Oz, hoping for their wish to be granted at the Wizard’s slimy behest.

Strip Tees recounts Kate Flannery’s experiences working with American Apparel, a company built on the backs of young women, who were often taken advantage of to build its success. Early on, the fresh-faced Kate deftly ignores the approach of someone offering her a prophecy of the Mothergod, weary of the dangers she’s heard stories of lurking in LA. Not long after, she falls for a different sales pitch - to join the ranks of the American Apparel brand - run by women, inspired by women - a community she can latch onto, be of use to. At the top of this food chain is (of course) a man. But Dov is different. Dov is a father figure, a friend, a support system. Surely with so many women around, American Apparel is safe. And Dov is going to take Kate places. But the longer she stays, the more Kate realizes that getting out is impossible. Here, people are part of the brand, selling themselves little by little until empty, the last bits of their soul captured in polaroids and art splashed across the walls.

Character is central here, and as an audience I rooted for Kate the whole time. I rooted for her to find early success and make something of herself. I rooted for her in each subsequent moral victory, wars waged without sleeping around or taking bribes. Even as things turned sour, as the dreamy sheen was rubbed off and the harsh light of day spurned harsh realities, I wanted her to be okay. I wanted her to make it through and then I wanted her to make it out. But like many before her, Kate’s success is built on the sacrifices of others, and that’s something she grapples with until the very end. It felt clear to me how someone could be sucked in, could ignore and justify until it all seems so normal. Strip Tees reads like a confession and absolution all in one, with a heroine who can never fully sell herself on her own pitch. The end is hopeful, but the reader knows something Kate doesn’t too. Even still, it’s important for us to tell and hear these stories, so we can break the chain of abuse and all be part of what comes next: something better, where dreams don’t have to be sold on the way There, down that winding, yellow road.

2000s nostalgia is here and it's inevitable that American Apparel will be central to a lot of that reminiscing. What I liked about Flannery's memoir is that it doesn't land too heavy on the side of, "all my experiences were bad and everything was terrible". She has a direct, readable style of writing that made this zip by.

"Wasn’t this everything I had wanted?"

Strip Tees, Kate Flannery's memoir of her experience at upstart clothing company American Apparel in the early aughts, follows the journey of a young woman rediscovering her true self. Kate moved to Los Angeles and started working for American Apparel, pulled into a glittering utopia full of possibilities. She found a job along with a sense of purpose, a progressive opportunity, a step in the right direction towards feminism. Led by the creative vision of Dov Charney, the company's founder, the girls at American Apparel seemed to have it all. They participated in various aspects of the business including the marketing campaigns, scantily dressed in the ads posted in the stores, stripping down in the name of feminism. They thought they were taking control of their sexual autonomy but was something else actually at play?

Dov's defiance of social norms was the apparent strength of the company, the beginning of a revolution, one where ethics and capitalism could co-exist. Kate quickly became noticed as having a vision and was selected to travel around the country to scout for models and to look for locations for new stores. She contributed a lot of value to the company's success yet she often didn't receive the recognition she deserved. But when allegations of sexual misconduct came to light, it became difficult to ignore how wrong things truly were.

Kate was a strong, independent young woman trying to find her place in the world while getting lured by empty promises from a company that could only be described as a cult with its loyal followers. I admired Kate's dedication and ambition as well as her desire to be valued for her competency and not her looks, wanting to earn her achievements to climb the ladder based on merit rather than by sleeping with her boss. Kate started with the need to feel accepted as the quintessential classic American Apparel girl, sacrificing herself for the greater good of the company. She believed in the company more than she believed in herself until she finally realized her true worth and took back her power.

Instead of fostering sexual liberation and breaking boundaries, American Apparel was a cautionary tale of ownership and entitlement, manipulation and exploitation of young women and teenage girls for the founder's self-gain. The company thrived in an environment of misogyny and racism at the hands of the patriarchy but when this fearless young woman challenged everything, it became a lesson in accountability and consequences.

"I was like a desert rose now, sprung from those seeds that have to be scorched in fire to bloom."

I loved how Kate took charge of her life again, finding her voice along with her self-respect. I may not agree with every decision she made but she rose from the ashes instead of falling victim to systemic dysfunction. I truly think she came out of her experience at American Apparel better than before. Her story was compelling and I rooted for her throughout while feeling nostalgic for Los Angeles during that era. I felt like I was traveling with her, living in her world and experiencing and feeling everything she went through. The book was well written and mostly well paced but it seemed to be somewhat rushed near the end. I would have liked to read more details about Kate's life once she took control of it again as that was where the true heart of this story could be found.

American Apparel eventually shuttered and the epilogue addressed Kate's path following her time at the company but the mention of her new boss sadly made me wonder how far we've actually come. Feminism still has a long way to go but women like Kate can help us move forward and get to where we rightfully belong.

** Special thanks to Henry Holt & Company and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this ARC. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own. Quotes subject to change at time of publication. Available July 18, 2023. **

Strip Tees is a great snapshot in time. My favorite part is actually in the epilogue with the mention of everything MUST be better working for Les Moonves ;)

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC for an honest review.

Great book and story about the author's experience as an employee of American Apparel. She works and models for the company and has some amazing tales to tell. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. I am giving the work by Flannery four stars. Her writing and storytelling is wonderful! It felt like I was in LA experiencing everything with her.

STRIP TEES is a captivating memoir that takes readers behind the scenes of the rise and fall of American Apparel, through the eyes of one of its employees. Kate Flannery arrives in Los Angeles in the early 2000s and is thrilled to start working at the company—but soon, its glamorous, empowering facade falls away, revealing a toxic, misogynistic workplace environment and leaving her to make some difficult choices. I really enjoyed Flannery's writing style—it was so engaging, witty, and honest throughout! Thank you to NetGalley and Henry Holt & Company for the ARC.

It was only a matter of time before we had a nostalgia driven renaissance for the early aughts, and twenty years hence, we have the first of what will likely be many memoirs about the period. Strip Tees is a pretty straightforward telling of one young woman's time working at American Apparel, scouting talent for new locations and being sexually harassed by every man in her path. It's a fast read and revisits the days of gold lame leggings and the ability to do mountains of cocaine without fear of fentanyl. It's not Proust but it'll keep you entertained on a plane.

A fresh memoir from an American Apparel employee at the height of its popularity. I didn't learn anything I didn't already know about CEO Dov Charney, but the story is gripping. I loved how Flannery called out misogyny as a widespread pox among powerful men in Hollywood.

Really enjoyable memoir written by Kate Flannery detailing her time at American Apparel in the early 2000's. Funny, self-deprecating, and self-aware, she gives us a behind the scenes look at the rise and fall of the retail giant. We see how women are routinely treated as less than, and Kate tells it in a smooth, nicely paced tale.

Thank you Netgalley and Henry Holt & Co for the ARC!

I really enjoyed Flannery's memoir, it was engaging and a quick read because of that. Most of us know about some of the creepy stories that have emerged from American Apparel but this book drew back the curtain even further. The author did a nice job of neither romanticizing her past there nor being preachy about her time with the company. The writing style was straightforward and honest and I really appreciated that. The ending felt a little rushed to wrap up and I would've liked to have read more about her last few years there and her recovery after being at such a cult-like workplace.

I was living in La at the time and I remember how excited people were by the brand.Lately the truth about the owner the way the young girls were used and abused.This was an eye opening look behind the scenes and a true cautionary tale.#netgalley #henryholt

I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Even though I barely remember American Apparel, I enjoyed this book. It's a lesson in how young women are treated in almost ANY business. You get a good idea of how easy it would be for someone, male or female, to fall prey to these vultures. Well written, flows smoothly. I wonder what became of some of the other women she writes about.

Strip Tees is a captivating, humorous and humanizing memoir about a young woman's new career at a budding retail company-slash-aspiring revolution called American Apparel.

Hey, remember American Apparel? I bet a vague recollection of their sexually-fueled minimalistic ads came to mind. You know the ones - strategically posed photos that were all skin and little to no clothing that made you wonder what was actually being advertised. A lot of blank space and Helvetica that always made the point of reminding you their clothes are American-made and sweatshop-free. Then the op-ed article from a journalist subjected to, uh, unethical behavior by the man at the helm of the company and the allegations of sexual misconduct by current and former employees. Then the decline in popularity and quality. Then a buy-out from retail giant Gildan and the brand's subsequent quiet descent into, "American Apparel's still around? Huh."

Strip Tees is one of the most enthralling memoirs I've read. I'd put it alongside I'm Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy - a huge comparison, I know, but this deserves just as much attention. As a fan of the brand at the height of millennial/Tumblr popularity circa early 2010's (the ombré tennis skirts! The wooden-heeled sandals! The plunging, coochie cutting one-piece swimsuits!), this book caught my eye and an unexpected wave of nostalgia came flooding through me. I came for the tea about company culture and a glimpse into the design and manufacturing process, but I stayed for the writing.

Flannery's soul-sucking years at American Apparel kept the world from seeing her true talent - writing. Flannery's voice is refreshingly evocative and memorable. There's a perfect balance of humor, frustration and moral quandaries and the pacing never skipped a beat. Even if you're not interested in reading about a retail brand's attempt at a revolution and the cult-like work culture centered around a creepy, emotionally-regressed man-child, read it for Flannery's writing. You won't be disappointed.

Thank you Henry Holt & Company and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Pub date: July 18, 2023