To Dye For

April 15, 2023
Why our clothes could be slowly undermining our health. As Wicker shows, fast-fashion garments often have a cocktail of dangerous chemicals embedded in the fabric, and there is no effective national regulation of them. The author, founder and editor-in-chief of EcoCult, first became aware of this issue when investigating health problems reported by airline employees, mainly rashes and eye irritations but sometimes much more serious concerns. The cause was traced back to new uniforms that, like most garments sold in the U.S., had been produced overseas. This led Wicker to look more broadly at the clothing industry, and she discovered that nearly everything contained harmful chemicals, ranging from fungicides to anti-wrinkle additives. Many dyes, especially those used to produce neon colors, are used in dangerous quantities, and toxins can be absorbed through the skin or even inhaled. Wicker supplies a useful glossary of chemicals and notes that one of the most common is formaldehyde, which is harmless in small doses but carcinogenic when used intensively. People with allergies are often the first affected, but there are links to broader health issues, and Wicker has a long list of horror stories. Even more, in the countries where the garments are produced, there are cases where entire communities have been poisoned by toxic fumes or contaminated water. Wicker points to some clothing companies that have started to detoxify their products, but others are seemingly willing to prioritize profits over customer health. She argues for stronger regulation to ensure transparency and a higher level of safety, with an expansion of the oversight of the Consumer Product Safety Commission to include clothing. At another level, consumers can help themselves by avoiding cheap knockoffs, buying natural fabrics, minimizing dry-cleaning, and staying away from garments that have been heavily dyed. Also, writes the author, trust your nose: If something smells bad, it probably is. A disturbing, well-researched study with solid proposals to address a deep-seated problem.

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April 17, 2023
Journalist Wicker urges consumers to think twice before picking up a piece of fast fashion in her incisive debut. Following up on the idea that “fashion products have some of the most complicated and multilayered chemical profiles of any product you or I can buy—without a license, anyway,” Wicker spotlights a host of people who’ve been affected by the fashion industry’s unregulated toxic chemical use, among them flight attendants who wore uniforms that caused bloody skin lesions; an industrial hygienist later discovered the clothing contained Teflon and tributyl phosphate, which trigger skin and respiratory issues. Meanwhile, a fashion production manager describes grim factory visits in China, where she found workers living on-site and using toxic dyes without protection. Wicker enriches her study with fascinating background on how arsenic ended up in makeup and mercury in top hats before manufacturers switched to azo dyes, which are poorly understood and suspected to have carcinogenic effects. While the situation might seem dire, the author suggests consumers can protect themselves by buying used clothing and avoiding dry cleaners, which often use toxic cleaning agents. Wicker makes a robust, sobering case that “much of what historically made fashion dangerous to our health has been invisible,” grounded by copious research and frequently shocking first-person accounts. This is a real eye-opener.

June 1, 2023

Do people need to worry about not only what they put in their bodies but also what they put on them? According to Wicker (editor in chief, EcoCult), the answer is an emphatic yes. Expanding from her career as an award-winning sustainable-fashion journalist and blogger, Wicker takes the reader on an alarming journey into the nightmarish effects of toxic textiles. The book illustrates how chemical-laden clothing has permeated the majority of the market at every price point. Wicker argues her point with cited references to journal articles, interviews, and anecdotes, but she offers little counterpoint to balance the equation if there is one to be had. A glossary of the offending compounds and practices further arms the wary consumer with watchwords. Though it would not pass a peer review from the scientific community, this book will raise enough concern to compel health-conscious readers to seek more information and less toxic clothing options. VERDICT A thought-provoking read for anyone who buys or wears clothes. A recommended addition to collections.--Shannon Titas

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Starred review from April 15, 2023
Fashion journalist Wicker opens this investigation into the dangerous chemicals in clothing dyes with a shocking discussion of flight attendants who recently became ill from their uniforms. Interviews with airline employees who had careers destroyed by the outfits they were required to wear is a powerful opening salvo in a book that delivers one stunning revelation after another. The author's mastery of her chosen subject is impressive, while it is her ability to not only enlighten readers regarding the obvious--fashion, she notes, does not come with an ingredient list--but also to drive home the seriousness of her research that makes this a crucial book. The fact that 40 to 60 thousand chemicals are used in the U.S. without having been tested for their impact on humans is equal parts enraging and terrifying and, as Wicker repeatedly proves, absolutely cause for concern. The dyes, she notes, are used in everything, and yet consumers have no idea what they're made of. Her gripping and deadly serious investigation of this long-overlooked topic hits all the right marks. To Dye For should be widely read and has the potential of being a game changer in an increasingly scrutinized industry.

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