Worn By Sofi Thanhauser

Episode

Title

First
Broadcast

Repeated

Comments

Linen

20220124

20220125 (R4)

Sofi Thanhauser loves clothes.

She has travelled across the world to meet people making linen, cotton, silk, synthetics and wool to get to the heart of an industry which is worth four times the global arms trade.

In Worn: A People's History of Clothing, Sofi examines what's changed in the history of fabric production and explores local stories of craft, labour and industry. She wants to know how and why we moved from a system of making fabric for ourselves to a complex one that sullies creativity, the environment and worker rights.

Between 2000 and 2014, clothing production around the world doubled. This was possible because clothing had become almost completely disposable. But fast fashion's evils aren't new problems, textile making has been damaging our environment for centuries.

In this episode, Sofi profiles the oldest fibre - linen. How has it gone from a cloth worn by everyone to the preserve of the rich? Sofi travels to New England to find out more about the relationship between women, spinning wheels and cloth. From the museum guide in 18th century dress to descriptions of the women working in England's industrial north, Sofi discovers that the female experience of manufacturing is often based on hard labour and exploitation.

Read by Lanna Joffrey

Abridged and produced by Alexandra Quinn

A Loftus Media production for BBC Radio 4

American author Sofi Thanhauser explores stories of craft and labour through five fabrics.

Cotton

20220125

20220126 (R4)

Sofi Thanhauser loves clothes.

She has travelled across the world to meet people making linen, cotton, silk, synthetics and wool to get to the heart of an industry which is worth four times the global arms trade.

In this episode, Sofi travels to Lubbock in Texas to watch the cotton harvest. It's a town with a rich history where Buddy Holly's band used to play at the local Cotton Club. Two local third-generation farmers, Dennis and Edwin, show Sofi the environmental changes they've witnessed on their land. She learns about the fragility of the area's production processes and the effect on human health and wellbeing.

Read by Lanna Joffrey

Abridged and produced by Alexandra Quinn

A Loftus Media production for BBC Radio 4

The writer Sofi Thanhauser travels to Lubbock in Texas to watch the cotton harvest.

American author Sofi Thanhauser explores stories of craft and labour through five fabrics.

Silk

20220126

20220127 (R4)

Sofi Thanhauser loves clothes.

She has travelled across the world to meet people making linen, cotton, silk, synthetics and wool to get to the heart of an industry which is worth four times the global arms trade.

In this episode, Sofi travels to southern China to meet Mr Bo, the owner of a silk filature where strands of silk are unravelled from the silkworm's cocoon. But business is hard and he fears for the future.

Read by Lanna Joffrey

Abridged and produced by Alexandra Quinn

A Loftus Media production for BBC Radio 4

Sofi Thanhauser travels to China to meet those struggling to keep silk production afloat.

American author Sofi Thanhauser explores stories of craft and labour through five fabrics.

Nylon

20220127

20220128 (R4)

Sofi Thanhauser loves clothes.

She has travelled across the world to meet people making linen, cotton, silk, synthetics and wool to get to the heart of an industry which is worth four times the global arms trade.

In this episode, Sofi charts female employment opportunities with the rise of nylon in the 20th and 21st centuries. From rationed wartime stockings to 1970s designer career wear', nylon has been central to women's experience of household and office work. Although it has been a liberating fabric, Sofi finds that more recently it has come to represent both political and personal exploitation.

Read by Lanna Joffrey

Abridged and produced by Alexandra Quinn

A Loftus Media production for BBC Radio 4

DuPont archive courtesy of Hagley Library.

The writer Sofi Thanhauser explores the freedoms and restrictions nylon has afforded women

American author Sofi Thanhauser explores stories of craft and labour through five fabrics.

Wool

20220128

20220129 (R4)

Sofi Thanhauser loves clothes.

She has travelled across the world to meet people making linen, cotton, silk, synthetics and wool to get to the heart of an industry which is worth four times the global arms trade.

In this final episode, Sofi charts the history of wool from 19th century Wyoming shepherds to the Navajo women preserving their culture of weaving today. It's a history that has been, at times, brutal and violent.

Read by Lanna Joffrey

Abridged and produced by Alexandra Quinn

A Loftus Media production for BBC Radio 4

The writer Sofi Thanhauser meets American weavers. She calls them 'the army of the small'.

American author Sofi Thanhauser explores stories of craft and labour through five fabrics.

Episodes

Episode	Title	First Broadcast	Repeated	Comments
01	Linen	20220124	20220125 (R4)	Sofi Thanhauser loves clothes. She has travelled across the world to meet people making linen, cotton, silk, synthetics and wool to get to the heart of an industry which is worth four times the global arms trade. In Worn: A People's History of Clothing, Sofi examines what's changed in the history of fabric production and explores local stories of craft, labour and industry. She wants to know how and why we moved from a system of making fabric for ourselves to a complex one that sullies creativity, the environment and worker rights. Between 2000 and 2014, clothing production around the world doubled. This was possible because clothing had become almost completely disposable. But fast fashion's evils aren't new problems, textile making has been damaging our environment for centuries. In this episode, Sofi profiles the oldest fibre - linen. How has it gone from a cloth worn by everyone to the preserve of the rich? Sofi travels to New England to find out more about the relationship between women, spinning wheels and cloth. From the museum guide in 18th century dress to descriptions of the women working in England's industrial north, Sofi discovers that the female experience of manufacturing is often based on hard labour and exploitation. Read by Lanna Joffrey Abridged and produced by Alexandra Quinn A Loftus Media production for BBC Radio 4 American author Sofi Thanhauser explores stories of craft and labour through five fabrics.
02	Cotton	20220125	20220126 (R4)	Sofi Thanhauser loves clothes. She has travelled across the world to meet people making linen, cotton, silk, synthetics and wool to get to the heart of an industry which is worth four times the global arms trade. In Worn: A People's History of Clothing, Sofi examines what's changed in the history of fabric production and explores local stories of craft, labour and industry. She wants to know how and why we moved from a system of making fabric for ourselves to a complex one that sullies creativity, the environment and worker rights. Between 2000 and 2014, clothing production around the world doubled. This was possible because clothing had become almost completely disposable. But fast fashion's evils aren't new problems, textile making has been damaging our environment for centuries. In this episode, Sofi travels to Lubbock in Texas to watch the cotton harvest. It's a town with a rich history where Buddy Holly's band used to play at the local Cotton Club. Two local third-generation farmers, Dennis and Edwin, show Sofi the environmental changes they've witnessed on their land. She learns about the fragility of the area's production processes and the effect on human health and wellbeing. Read by Lanna Joffrey Abridged and produced by Alexandra Quinn A Loftus Media production for BBC Radio 4 The writer Sofi Thanhauser travels to Lubbock in Texas to watch the cotton harvest. American author Sofi Thanhauser explores stories of craft and labour through five fabrics.
03	Silk	20220126	20220127 (R4)	Sofi Thanhauser loves clothes. She has travelled across the world to meet people making linen, cotton, silk, synthetics and wool to get to the heart of an industry which is worth four times the global arms trade. In Worn: A People's History of Clothing, Sofi examines what's changed in the history of fabric production and explores local stories of craft, labour and industry. She wants to know how and why we moved from a system of making fabric for ourselves to a complex one that sullies creativity, the environment and worker rights. Between 2000 and 2014, clothing production around the world doubled. This was possible because clothing had become almost completely disposable. But fast fashion's evils aren't new problems, textile making has been damaging our environment for centuries. In this episode, Sofi travels to southern China to meet Mr Bo, the owner of a silk filature where strands of silk are unravelled from the silkworm's cocoon. But business is hard and he fears for the future. Read by Lanna Joffrey Abridged and produced by Alexandra Quinn A Loftus Media production for BBC Radio 4 Sofi Thanhauser travels to China to meet those struggling to keep silk production afloat. American author Sofi Thanhauser explores stories of craft and labour through five fabrics.
04	Nylon	20220127	20220128 (R4)	Sofi Thanhauser loves clothes. She has travelled across the world to meet people making linen, cotton, silk, synthetics and wool to get to the heart of an industry which is worth four times the global arms trade. In Worn: A People's History of Clothing, Sofi examines what's changed in the history of fabric production and explores local stories of craft, labour and industry. She wants to know how and why we moved from a system of making fabric for ourselves to a complex one that sullies creativity, the environment and worker rights. Between 2000 and 2014, clothing production around the world doubled. This was possible because clothing had become almost completely disposable. But fast fashion's evils aren't new problems, textile making has been damaging our environment for centuries. In this episode, Sofi charts female employment opportunities with the rise of nylon in the 20th and 21st centuries. From rationed wartime stockings to 1970s designer career wear', nylon has been central to women's experience of household and office work. Although it has been a liberating fabric, Sofi finds that more recently it has come to represent both political and personal exploitation. Read by Lanna Joffrey Abridged and produced by Alexandra Quinn A Loftus Media production for BBC Radio 4 DuPont archive courtesy of Hagley Library. The writer Sofi Thanhauser explores the freedoms and restrictions nylon has afforded women American author Sofi Thanhauser explores stories of craft and labour through five fabrics.
05	Wool	20220128	20220129 (R4)	Sofi Thanhauser loves clothes. She has travelled across the world to meet people making linen, cotton, silk, synthetics and wool to get to the heart of an industry which is worth four times the global arms trade. In Worn: A People's History of Clothing, Sofi examines what's changed in the history of fabric production and explores local stories of craft, labour and industry. She wants to know how and why we moved from a system of making fabric for ourselves to a complex one that sullies creativity, the environment and worker rights. Between 2000 and 2014, clothing production around the world doubled. This was possible because clothing had become almost completely disposable. But fast fashion's evils aren't new problems, textile making has been damaging our environment for centuries. In this final episode, Sofi charts the history of wool from 19th century Wyoming shepherds to the Navajo women preserving their culture of weaving today. It's a history that has been, at times, brutal and violent. Read by Lanna Joffrey Abridged and produced by Alexandra Quinn A Loftus Media production for BBC Radio 4 The writer Sofi Thanhauser meets American weavers. She calls them 'the army of the small'. American author Sofi Thanhauser explores stories of craft and labour through five fabrics.