In 2004, recent college graduate Kate was miserable working at Urban Outfitters until she was approached by a young woman who appeared completely comfortable in her own skin--skin that she was showing a lot of. She is wooed Kate into a dream job at American Apparel, the then rising star of the retail fashion industry. American Apparel was domestically-produced, sexy, and carefree; they were the anti-establishment, indie band brand of the early 2000's.

I can definitely remember the prominence of American Apparel in the teen mags I read growing up and seeing the ads everywhere. They were iconic in the sense that the branding was immediately recognizable: a little brash but also seemingly effortlessly cool and minimal in an era that was over the top. I vaguely knew about all the controversy surrounding the founder, Dov, back from when the company went bankrupt, but I didn't know the true ins and outs. Flannery is a masterful storyteller that brought me as a reader directly into her world of the dark side of sunny LA. Strip Tees is extremely juicy and almost reads like a novel, which is even harder to stomach realizing this happened to so many women, including Kate herself. There is so much important commentary within the memoir on not only the predatory allure that can easily suck in even the strongest woman, but also on identity, finding/losing yourself, and womanhood. As someone who as a teen thought the women in these ads were so "cool", it truly is a bit sickening and heartbreaking to realize the brutal truth and what the women went through.

As someone who practically lived at American Apparel during its heyday in the mid 1990’s to early 2000’s, shopping for both for my family and myself, I was very interested to hear what a former insider would say about the company. STRIP TEES proved to be both a provocative and very candid memoir about the almost cult-like atmosphere that pervaded the company culture and ultimately, led to its downfall.

Recent college grad Kate Flannery was initially seduced by the supportive atmosphere of the company: “𝘏𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘦 𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘥 𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘶𝘱.. 𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦, 𝘸𝘦’𝘭𝘭 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥 𝘵𝘰𝘨𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳.” That was actually the company mantra, referred to as “the hustle”. At the center of the edgy and subversive corporate culture was the charismatic founder Dov Charney, who had inappropriate relationships with many of the young American Apparel employees but who managed to hold them all in his rather manic orbit.

Dov respected no boundaries and ultimately the author, a self-described feminist, ended up staying with the company longer than she probably should have. She was a valued member of the team and made an impact in the company’s early glory days. Dov’s spectacular fall from grace isn’t dissected in detail here; instead, this is a very real account from a young woman who thankfully survived the toxic atmosphere that was American Apparel.

I view the company’s once-edgy ads through a different lens now, but at the time they were considered ground-breaking. Highly recommend the audiobook, narrated by the author herself!

“𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘸𝘢𝘴𝘯’𝘵 𝘢 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘰𝘭𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯. 𝘐𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘢 𝘵𝘦𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘳𝘵 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘢𝘯𝘺.”

This definitely kept my attention. At points it's a rough story to listen to, and caused wonder of why someone would put themselves into that situation, but it was an entertaining listen. The ending was abrupt and kind of disappointing.

This book represents the best of what a tell-all bio can offer. She lived it so you don't have to. Anyone who remembers the slightly glamorous/slightly gross exploitation advertising of American Apparel and the subsequent scandal that moved it firmly into "gross" will relish this peek behind the scenes. The writing is sharp and funny. The author is able to make herself relatable even as she's telling a story very few of us can relate to

👚👚👚👚👚 / 5

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the advanced listen in exchange for an honest review!

I tend to not read the synopsis before reading books and just trust the vibes. When I saw that Kate Flannery was coming out with a memoir, I was so excited and didn’t hesitate to request the galley. However, I soon found out that this wasn’t by the actress who played Meredith in “The Office.” While I was upset to learn this, I decided to listen to it anyway to find out who this person is/was. I was pleasantly surprised by the author’s captivating writing and vulnerability throughout. It almost seems unbelievable that all these things happened to her, but as a young woman, I can’t help but completely understand all of it. I’m so glad I stumbled upon this one and stuck with it. This is a must-read for everyone!

I had seen reviews floating around Instagram and Goodreads about Strip Tees, but I didn't really pay attention to them. I remember hearing about American Apparel, but the main thing I remember about it, tbh, is the 5SOS song that mentions American Apparel underwear. But I saw it on NetGalley as an available audiobook, and I decided, why not?

Kate Flannery (not of The Office) was just a normal young woman, looking for adventure and a career, when she was scouted by American Apparel. It's easy to see how she was sucked into the culture and honestly ignored her own instincts throughout her time with them. I think these aspects of her story, in particular, go to show how easy it is to be caught up in what we think is something exciting and revolutionary, but when we start to notice things that maybe aren't quite like they seem, we can talk ourselves into denial.

This was a really interesting memoir to listen to. And while I can't say I'd have made the same decisions Kate did, how would I really know that if I wasn't in her shoes? Being what, 23, and able to travel around the country starting stores of a booming brand? Yea, that sounds pretty sweet to me. Her time with American Apparel also reminds me of an abusive relationship, where you know it's not right to stay, but it's not as easy to get out as people think.

I think the only part of this book I was truly disappointed with was the ending. It felt a bit abrupt to me. Where is Kate now? I know we learn some about her in her bio, but I'd have liked to hear more from her in an epilogue or a closing chapter rather than just ending the book how she did.

Overall, this was a really good memoir, and I'd highly suggest listening to it. I flew through this audiobook, both because I loved Kate's writing and also because I loved her narration.

**Thanks to NetGalley for an ALC of Strip Tees.

This was a wild ride. A tell-all exposing the underbelly of the cult-favorite of every millennial - American Apparel. As a sucker for their zip up hoodies in middle school, every word struck up a vivid memory of ad campaigns and store layouts. A quick read!

The author is a good writer with a flair for interesting phrasing and she's got a bunch of disturbing anecdotes up her sleeve. It's the story of a young woman navigating early 2000s LA at a "disruptive" company where the boss likes to drop his pants at staff meetings and bang his employees in dressing rooms at its retail clothing outlets.

One anecdote: The author gets cast in a Rolling Stones music video by her agent. She'll earn $250 for the day for kissing a young man on camera — or $500 if she agrees to kiss another young woman. She needs the money and agrees to kiss the "girl." During the video shoot where she's basically wearing a bikini while making out with the other woman, they're sprayed with a hose with freezing cold water over and over. On the last take, water from the hose knocks her top off, exposing her right breast. The male Swedish director and male crew all immediately turn their backs out of respect. Everyone apologizes. The other woman helps her get resituated and they finish the shot. The video comes out and to her shock, it includes her naked breast. She thought everyone realized this was not something she agreed to, and she protests to her female agent, who tells her not to rock the boat.

It's just one of countless examples of men taking advantage of women in often creepy sexual ways, often under the guise of "sex positivity" and chastising anyone as a conservative prude who doesn't go along.

The author is nearly raped by a co-worker before escaping out a window — and her boss financially blackmails her into sending a letter to HR that it was all a misunderstanding and no big deal.

The book — mostly about the sexist culture at American Apparel — captures being a millennial in the Aughts. The author has a way with describing the sex-charged atmosphere and the drugs. The elation and fun that she felt after having sex with someone she liked was being "tipsy on f--- joy." In another case, she was being rammed "with all the finesse of a teenager trying to learn a stick shift."

Her attempts at putting a feminist spin on her experiences often felt forced, as in phrases like "the boot print of the patriarchy stamped on my forehead."

This is a good book that will speak more to some readers than it did to me. It's got a fast-paced narrative going from one messed-up aspect of her company's culture to the next. But for me, it would've been better to either leave the feminist theory out and focus even more on the author's thoughts, which I never really got a handle on, or make an attempt at more substantial commentary about misogynist business culture.

Or here's another way to say it: The author does a lot of internal monologues about how messed-up the things are going on around her, but they all seem vetted by a committee in 2022. I didn't get the feeling I truly understood what she was thinking at the time. Better to say what she was thinking at the time and then how she thinks about it now, instead of merging those two things.

But maybe I'm bring my own biases to the book. It is good and an interesting look at how men misuse the banner of sex positivity.

My favorite recent look at misogyny in American culture comes from Chavissa Woods' "100 Times: A Memoir of Sexism." I'd try it first.

OK this was a powerful book. I came of age after American apparel came to be. We got one in our large but not glamour city in 2009 and it was cool at the time, but not the way things are cool now. I remember working retail at a fashion boutique in 2012 and hearing about Dov and what a creep he was when the store was closing a short, few years later. Hearing this story put a lot of context behind everything I’d heard.
The trauma, the author experience why is so sad. I honestly really felt for her throughout the book even when she started doing some not so great things herself. It’s sad that a company would be able to function this way. I really hope that some justice was eventually brought against him.
And while I really did enjoy the read, I cannot say that I would recommend it to my students. I feel like there’s a lot of trauma that we need to be impact. And I can’t say that it’s something I would be able to give minors. I do think it’s important to teach kids about this sort of thing, but I can’t say I would be able to adopt this into a curriculum.

This book does a great job of capturing the culture of the fashion industry and California in the aughts. It captured both the author's confidence and enthusiasm in her abilities and the naivete that she doesn't admit to. I wish the book had done more to fully interrogate what was going on at American Apparel at a sociological level. Instead, it stayed clearly in the personal memoir lane, and it did that well.

Fantastic memoir about the rise and fall of one of Tumblr's favorite brand American Apparel. I loved Kate Flannery's voice and I was completely sucked into her story, the cult-like personalities and the business structure. It's so, so good! Even if you don't normally like memoirs or nonfiction, pick this one up. I can't recommend it enough.

Thank you Netgalley for providing a digital ARC.

A captivating memoir that had me reminiscing about the 2000s and the many toxic hours I spent scrolling through aesthetic American Apparel ads on Tumblr. Flannery's voice is super engaging, and it was interesting to do a deep dive on a company that helped fuel the early years of my body dysmorphia. My main takeaways–the 2000s were cursed, no job will ever be worth abandoning your values for, and men are gross.

*Audiobook*

After Kate Flannery graduates college, she moves to LA where she works her way up the corporate ladder of the company American Apparel. At first she loves everything the company stands for: feminism, sex positivity, and ethical manufacturing. But the higher Flannery climbs, the more she questions what is really going on and how she can get out.

This is a memoir read by author. I always enjoy hearing writers tell their own stories, and she did a great job with the narration. From the first chapter she calls American Apparel a cult, and all the signs are there: a leader (CEO Dov Charney) with a god complex who the workers borderline worship, employees attempting to recruit and convince young people (primarily females) that the company is a “revolution,” and a work environment that isolates employees from a life outside of the company. Obviously it’s easy in 2023 to see the red flags, but it’s also easy to see why this was such an intriguing job and way of life for the young women who were responsible for growing the company. I wish more time would have been spent on Flannery’s final years at the company after her unsuccessful time job hunting and the downfall of American Apparel. She admits to being stuck at a company that was a pariah of the retail world, but then it goes into the epilogue. The ending felt very rushed in an otherwise detailed, engaging story. Thanks to NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, and Kate Flannery for this free ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I really enjoyed Strip Tees! I requested in impulsively, not fully understanding what I was getting into. I loved that it began with Flannery feeling so pleased with herself that she avoided being sucked into a cult. I thought that was great, It was a real journey and quite compelling. I don't read a lot of book about cults and California... unless I do.

Listening to the author narrate was one of the most enjoyable parts and really brought to life what was happening in her life at that time for me. I would highly recommend listening to the audio of this book.

This memoir has the potential to ruin any idyllic views of a capitalist society, cult like behavior, and narcissists - if there can be idyllic views of such things.
I adore a memoir read by its author, Kate Flannery does a beautiful job combining humor with the bleak reality that was U.S. fashion houses in the aughts. I felt like I was watching a docuseries on American Apparel.
If you enjoy memoirs, documentaries, or engaging authors you should read this book.

Strip Tees: A Memoir of Millennial Los Angeles by Kate Flannery

Thank you to @netgalley, @macmillianaudio, and the author, @katecflannery for the opportunity to read this #advancedlistenercopy in exchange for my #honestreview! Happy Pub Day! ❤️🤍

Amidst the rise of Laguna Beach and sun-kissed Cali style, Kate begins working for rising brand American Apparel. She jumps in fully to the company and doing anything and everything to make the brand successful and to grow her career and advance within the company, drawing the line at the morally questionable behavior of some of the Dove girls. Her true self begins to fade as she finds herself tumbling down the rabbit hole of sex appeal, body and sex positivity, and cult-like dedication to the brand. The likes ultimately blur from dedication to abuse as Kate struggles to right the ship and find fulfillment.

This book hit so hard! As someone who grew up during the era that the events of the book took place, there was a lot of nostalgia and also PTSD for the rampant ED and sexism of the age. Kate is so GD brave and fierce and I’m so happy she made it through and found a life that made her happy. I recommend this memoir for all the millennial girlies - if you had a Hollister era, this is for you. ❤️

TWs: profiling, SA, gaslighting, manipulation, exploitation, bribing

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ - 4/5

Thank you Netgalley for this audio edition of Strip Tees by Kate Flannery.

The thing with cults is that they come in so many shapes and sizes. And one size that isn't talked about enough is that of the workplace. And sometimes it's the most alluring workplaces that have the cultiest tendencies.

Kate was desperate for a job when recruited to work for American Apparel as a model. And it didn't take long before she was fully enamored with the company along with it's charismatic owner Dov. But it also doesn't take long before there are whisperings of Dov's shadier practices, most notably the circle of girls he always has surrounding him. And Kate is quick to feel fully immersed in Dov's world, and Dov will stop at nothing to keep his and his company's reputation at the top.

This is very prevalent as far as all of the cult and #metoo talk of today are concerned. I think stories like this need to be told, yelled, for as long as it takes so that young girls no longer fall prey to people like Dov. This particular story though, while important, just didn't do much for me. It had the pacing of a travelogue, but with really unpleasant material. I also did NOT like the ending, so many loose ends.

Thank you #Netgalley

Wow this really brought my back to my college days. I remember the American Apparel craze that suddenly took over the world. I had no idea of what was really going on behind the scenes and how a workplace like this could take over an employee. Kate does a great job in sharing how she got sucked into this job, how she put it first. They gave her attention and more responsibility, who wouldn't want that? But at what cost did this take on Kate? Appreciate Kate's honesty about how this job affected her sense of self and the year ahead of her.

I really enjoyed this memoir. I felt like Flannery had given herself enough time to process and reflect on the events she recounts, and the narrative distance and perspective made for compelling storytelling. The story itself of a millenial woman coming to terms with the lies we have been taught about feminism and capitalism and empowerment was compelling. And there was a heavy dose of early 2000s nostalgia here as well. Overall, a perfect balance of thought-provoking and fun to read.

Review: This was a well told story with good narration. It mostly covers the authors time while working for American Apparel.
Recommended For: Millenials.