65 pages 2 hours read

Kelsey Timmerman

Where am I Wearing?: A Global Tour to the Countries, Factories, and People That Make Our Clothes

Nonfiction | Book | Adult | Published in 2008

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Preface-Part 1

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Part 1: “The Mission”

Preface Summary

Kelsey Timmerman opens by describing how he has changed since Where Am I Wearing? was first published in 2008. He is now a husband and father. He has also continued his quest to become an engaged consumer and a better “global citizen” and regularly visits universities and high schools to speak on these themes. He explains that he revised the book in 2012 since he felt that there was information to add. Wherever possible, he has included updates on the stories of the workers featured in the book and changes to the economic context of their countries.

Prologue Summary: “We Have It Made”

Timmerman is American, but his clothes were made in other countries. His underwear was made in Bangladesh, his jeans came from Cambodia, and his flip-flops were made in China. The concept for Where Am I Wearing? began when he noticed that his favorite T-shirt was made in Honduras. Now, Timmerman cannot see a clothing label without thinking of the garment makers he met while researching his book. The dramatic difference between the workers’ lifestyles and his own is the difference between being a maker and a consumer.