Book Reviews: Strip Tees-Memoir of a Millennial Los Angeles by Kate Flannery

“I was in Los Angeles for less than a month before I got scouted by a cult.”

This is how Kate Flannery’s book Strip Tees: Memoir of a Millennial Los Angeles opens. And with a line like that how could I not keep reading? Scouted by a cult? Tell me more!

Kate Flannery (no, not the actress who played Meredith on “The Office) was a recent graduate from Bryn Mawr. Not finding fulfillment in her post-grad job at Urban Outfitters in Philadelphia, Flannery left for the sunny climes and a new start in Los Angeles. However, things weren’t going so well. Flannery was out of a job, and her funds were dwindling. She was in a deep funk.

While drowning her sorrows at a dive bar, Flannery was approached by an attractive woman, a complete stranger, who wanted Flannery to interview with the clothing retailer American Apparel.

American Apparel may be a sleazy footnote in retail history, but in 2005 American Apparel was hot, hot, hot. The company was lauded for its American made, non-sweatshop made clothing, which included T-shirts, shorts, bathing suits, and the like. American Apparel was the brainchild of creator Dov Charney who initially was seen as a good guy with his non-sweatshop clothing made in the USA that paid its workers a decent wage. But soon rather nefarious details began to emerge about Charney about his less than savory behavior.

I’m getting ahead of myself. American Apparel was the clothing choice of many Millennials like Flannery, and after an interview, she was hired to work at one of the stores. Though probably a bit too educated and over-qualified to be a shop girl, Flannery was thrilled to have a job and grew close to many of her co-workers. She did so much more than ring up customers’ purchases. She managed hiring and took photographs for American Apparel’s very infamous and very recognizable advertisements.

It wasn’t long before Flannery ascended the ladder at American Apparel and went beyond her shop girl role. She went on the road, scouting new recruits, and opening new American Apparel stores (including the now closed location in my lower east side Milwaukee neighborhood).

Flannery was exhilarated to be doing so well with American Apparel, and for the longest time she relished her work despite the travel and long hours. She was working for the hippest clothing company around, and it was intoxicating.

However, things weren’t always so rosy at American Apparel and much of it had to do with Dov Charney, the king of sleaze. Dov was known for sleeping with many of his subordinates (called “Dov’s Girls). He had no shame and would walk around in his underwear and have sex with girls in the stores’ dressing rooms. He was also accused of masturbating in front of a writer from the now defunct Jane magazine while she interviewed him. Ick.

At first Flannery tried to ignore Dov’s behavior, thinking these women were just uptight. It was the time of “indie sleaze” and “do-me feminism.” But after a while, Flannery just couldn’t ignore Dov’s behavior and the behavior of other employees including one asshole who tried to sexually assault her. And though initially American Apparel seemed to be about sexual liberation, it soon became clear it was more about sexual exploitation. Flannery soon realized she needed to make a change in her life. So she did. And through it all she came to grips of what was really important to her.

It’s now American Apparel is now out of business. Flannery has gone onto better things like writing for the reality show “Rupaul’s Drag Race.” But Strip Tees is a riveting tale of a singular time in fashion and one Millennial’s coming of age in the aughts. I found American Apparel to be a riveting and fast-paced read whether your a rapidly aging hipster still coveting your American Apparel t-shirts, or anyone interested in everything from the world of retail, growing up, and finding oneself..

Book Review: The Kingdom of Prep-The Inside Story of the Rise and (Near) Fall of J.Crew by Maggie Bullock

J.Crew, the quintessential clothing label is so much more than apparel. It’s been the go-to fashion pieces from its roll-top sweater to sequined ballet flats for around 40 years now. Starting off as a catalog, it has morphed into a collection of brick and mortar stores, a popular internet presence, and seemed to reach its apex during the Obama administration with fashion retail icons like Mickey Drexler and Jenna Lyons at the helm. But what is the exact story of J.Crew? Fortunately, fashion journalist, Maggie Bullock gives us the skinny in her extensive book The Kingdom of Prep: The Inside Story of the Rise and (Near) Fall of J.Crew.

It was the early 1980s, and being preppy was all the rage. Lisa Birnbach’s The Preppy Handbook was a huge bestseller (didn’t matter it was satire). Muffy and Chip were layered in polo shirts (often with popped collars) and had dock siders on their feet. Being a prep was all about the Ivy League and being a total WASP. And even if you went to a state university and your last name was Esposito you could still look like a prep. All it took was the right uniform.

Like today, preppy clothes weren’t exactly hard to find. You could find khaki trousers and polo shirts at places like LL Bean and Land’s End. And if you were looking for a more elevated and stylish, and not too mention much more expensive fashion of prep, there was Ralph Lauren.

Arthur Cinader, already a successful business man with his catalog Popular Club Plan, was inspired by the whole preppy style and look, and wanted to offer a happy medium between lower priced brands like LL Bean and Land’s End and pricier fair like Ralph Lauren. Thus, in 1983, he created J.Crew and offered clothing for men and women with a preppy flair. It didn’t matter Cinader had no experience in fashion, and J.Crew’s earliest company was located in the very unglamorous New Jersey. Cinader had the entrepreneurial prowess and know-how to make J.Crew work. Arthur’s daughter, Emily, soon joined J.Crew after graduating from the University of Denver with a degree in marketing. It was Emily’s classic and fresh-faced style that helped hone J.Crew’s look and image. And no, there is no person named J.Crew. It’s made up.

Slowly and surely, J.Crew became very successful soon after its debut. It’s catalog was a welcome sight in shopper’s mailboxes and J.Crew’s rolled neck sweater became a must-have. Even writer, Bullock claims to have coveted a rolled neck sweater herself. J.Crew’s catalogs featured attractive and athletic models, both female and male, often doing something quite sporty rather than posing like soulless mannequins. And J.Crew hit the big time when they booked the top supermodel, Linda Evangelista, for their catalog.

J.Crew went from strength to strength. It expanded to include actual brick and mortar stores, and Cinader was quite exacting in how he wanted his stores to look like. J.Crew moved its location from New Jersey to the much more fashionable New York City. However, by the 1990s, J.Crew was failing to keep up the pace. This was when Cinader decided to sell 90% of it to a private equity firm. This did not help for many of the CEOs brought along didn’t exactly jibe with J.Crew’s unique vision and image.

However, help was on the way. Mickey Drexler, who had a great deal of success with The Gap, was brought on as CEO. And the fashion icon, Jenna Lyons (now on The Real Housewives of New York), was brought on as womenswear director. Combined, these two brought a J.Crew resurgence in the 2000s. Jenna, especially, gave J.Crew a new twist. Though J.Crew was still preppy, it was preppy with a twist. Jenna gave us sequined ballet flats and bold statement necklaces. Michelle Obama was a big fan of J.Crew. She wore their gloves on inauguration day in 2009, and her daughters, Malia and Sasha, were adorably outfitted in J.Crew’s children’s line CrewCuts. In fact, when it was found out that the Obamas were J.Crew fans, the company’s website crashed the day after Barack Obama was sworn in as President of the United States.

Of course, J.Crew has had it’s ups and downs since then, and has also been embroiled in juicy gossip regarding Jenna Lyon’s love life. And Bullock goes into great detail chronicling every stellar moment of J.Crew and as well as its lower moments. Bullock is clearly a lover of both fashion and fashion history, and she clearly did her homework when researching the history of J.Crew, fashion, retail, and the preppy lifestyle. I learned so much about J.Crew and I really appreciated all the fabulous photographs with the book. In fact, I wish there were more. And now I’m hankering for a J.Crew rolled neck sweater.

The Kingdom of Prep is a knowledgeable and interesting read for anyone who is a fan of J.Crew or interested in the business of fashion and retailing.

Book Review: The Last Days of Video by Jeremy Hawkins

Back in the day, long before streaming, the only way you could see a movie you actually had to watch in at a movie theater or hope you could catch a rerun on the TV. That all changed when video cassettes came out in the 1980s. Finally, you could go some place and check out one of your favorites or you had chance to find a new cinematic treasure. Sure, we checked out movies from chains like Blockbuster or Hollywood Video, but many of us have fond memories of going to our local independent video stores where you could rent out everything from monster hit movies to indie gems to the classics, and so much more. The staff of these treasured places were true film buffs and very knowledgeable about various genres. They were committed to the craft of film and shared that commitment with other film buffs.

Nowadays, Blockbuster, Hollywood Video, and the indie places are misty memories. Though you can stream movies via various services, maybe find a Redbox at your local grocery store, or maybe check out videos/DVDs from your local library. But being able to peruse the shelves of your favorite video store was truly a glorious thing.

Author Jeremy Hawkins takes us down memory lane in a time where video stores were waning, Netflix was sending out videos through the mail, and streaming was in its infancy in his funny and heartbreaking novel The Last Days of Video.

Wax Waring is the proprietor of the indie video store Star Video in the fictional college town of Appleton, North Carolina. For the longest time, Star Video is where the denizens of Appleton rented their tapes and then DVDs. Now its the year of our Lord 2007, and there is a threat on the horizon. A Blockbuster is opening up not far from Star Video, and Wax and his employees are not happy about this development.

Wax is a hot damn mess to begin with. He’s misanthropic, incorrigible, and a little too fond of getting drunk. But being a huge movie buff since he was a kid, Star Video should be Wax’s passion. Wax has dealt with a lot of obstacles in his way, and a Blockbuster is just another obstacle, a huge corporate behemoth that threatens Star Video and Wax’s way of life. What can Wax do to make Star Video survive this horrible onslaught?

Along for the ride are two of Wax’s employees at Star Video, Alaura and Jeff. Alaura is a rapidly aging manic pixie girl crossed with a goth. She has a penchant for getting involved with Mr. Wrongs and different types of religion looking for a sense of belonging (which also inspire her tattoo collection). But she does have enough sense to keep Star Video running as smoothly as possible (not always easy with Wax’s outbursts and frequent drinking and hangovers). Jeff is new to both Star Video and Appleton. He’s a student at Appleton University, a film buff begrudgingly studying business, but wanting to know more about different kinds of movies, and is developing a mad crush on Alaura, an older women.

The threat of Blockbuster behooves Wax, Alaura, and Jeff to save Star Video. There are also other situations that threaten their beloved video store, including a faith based video distribution company that isn’t thrilled about some of the videos Star Video rents out (porn and R-rated movies), and a weird life training cult that nearly sucks in Alaura. And then there is Netflix mailing out DVDs and the advent of streaming.

Wax, Alaura, and Jeff conspire different ways to save Star Video. One includes an old high school chum of Alaura’s a once rising star film director who sadly has released a couple of flops and is now seeing the ghost of Alfred Hitchcock.

Will Star Video survive or will it end up in the dustbin of cinematic and retail history? I absolutely loved The Last Days of Video. The characters are fully-sketched, and despite being total screw ups, you can’t help but root for Wax, Alaura, Jeff, and Star Video. This book made me nostalgic for one of my favorite independent places to rent videos, Video Adventures (RIP) on Milwaukee’s lower east side. Whether you remember the last days of video or just think of those days as ancient history, The Last Days of Video is a great read.