Strip Tees

A Memoir of Millennial Los Angeles

By: Kate Flannery

Narrated by: Kate Flannery

This program is read by the author.

“Compelling and brave, Kate’s story is a must read for all young women learning how to navigate adulthood and identity.” —Lili Reinhart, New York Times bestselling author

Strip Tees is a fever dream of a memoir—Hunter S. Thompson meets Gloria Steinem—about a recent college graduate and what happens when her feminist ideals meet the real world.

At the turn of the new millennium, LA is the place to be. “Hipster” is a new word on the scene. Lauren Conrad is living her Cinderella story in the “Hills” on millions of television sets across the country. Paris Hilton tells us “That’s hot” from behind the biggest sunglasses imaginable, while beautiful teenagers fight and fall in love on The O.C.

Into this most glittering of supposed utopias, Kate Flannery arrives with a Seven Sisters diploma in hand and a new job at an upstart clothing company called American Apparel. Kate throws herself into the work, determined to climb the corporate fashion ladder. Having a job at American Apparel also means being a part of the advertising campaigns themselves, stripping down in the name of feminism.

She slowly begins to lose herself in a landscape of rowdy sex-positivity, racy photo shoots, and a cultlike devotion to the unorthodox CEO and founder of the brand. The line between sexual liberation and exploitation quickly grows hazy, leading Kate to question the company’s ethics and wrestle with her own.

Strip Tees captures a moment in our recent past that’s already sepia-toned in nostalgia, and also paints a timeless portrait of a young woman who must choose between what business demands and self-respect requires.

A Macmillan Audio production from Henry Holt & Company.

©2022 Kate Flannery (P)2022 Macmillan Audio

Critic reviews

“As the author details her initiation into the realities of corporate misogyny, the author provides a disturbing look at the dangerous ways modern capitalism can debase, deform, and blind the individuals it exploits...A candid and provocative memoir.”—Kirkus

“Hypnotically devastating and funny in unexpected ways, Kate Flannery's Strip Tees fearlessly guides us back to her early working days, questioning her choices while exposing the heartbreaking, often outrageous, manipulations that seduced her into the cult-like milieu of American Apparel. It's so wild, and she captures it superbly.”—Laura Albert, aka JT LeRoy, author of Sarah and The Heart Is Deceitful Above All Things

“Strip Tees was a book I could not put down. As I read Kate Flannery's memoir of being one of the first American Apparel employees, I was flooded with Millennial nostalgia and then hit by the realization that I wore tube socks as a 14-year-old girl because Dov Charney was into old issues of Hustler where women wore tube socks. This book is a feminist, inside look at one of the creepiest corners of the 2000s.”—Blythe Roberson, author of How to Date Men When You Hate Men

Takes me back to a much different time!

Takes me back to a much different time, truth always comes out. Hope this sheds light on other brands and or companies that do as they please without getting caught.

Wow! True Story

Be prepared for stay with the author and travel to meet, people, places, and experience events. Well balanced and interesting. Time flies when listening to this true story.

5 enthusiastic Deep-V Tees up

Kate really takes a “you had to be there” era and puts the reader right there with her. Incredible snapshot of a super influential and problematic company/movement.

Would make a great movie

Kate Flannery worked as part of the hiring team at American Apparel, once a thriving and hip clothing brand with a widespread presence across the United States and the rest of the world. In her book, she exposes the toxic culture that permeated the company founded by CEO Dov Charney.

There's a great story here, but I feel like the author doesn't fully capitalize on it. To begin with, I wasn't won over by the prose. There's a refreshing informality about it, but some of the writing sounds like high school chatter. Also, to some extent, I feel like Flannery is both trying to bake the cake and eat it. She knew what was going on in the company, but never left. Had American Apparel's ascent continued, it is likely that she would have stayed put, as she did for years. She's right to draw boundaries and denounce some of the worst offenses. For example, there's a chilling episode in which one of her co-workers, a guy that she hires and goes to bed with, later molests her and may try to rape her. I also understand why she'd bring her audience's attention to CEO Dov Charney, who comes across as a predatory boss and was ultimately fired due to allegations of sexual harassment. However, she, herself, participated in some of the bacchanalian behavior that she condemns. And while she does engage in self-criticism, it often feels superficial, merely ticking the box of political correctness. I find the attitude somewhat opportunistic. I think she's at her best when she's most candid and introspective, unafraid of exposing herself and the psychology behind the company's carefree, party vibe that seduced so many working inside, and which so easily slipped into inappropriate conduct.

It's easy to picture this memoir taken to a whole new level if a great director were to adapt it for film. I'm thinking something along the lines of ''The Social Network' meets 'Boogie Nights'.

Was hoping for the redeeming part..

I enjoyed listening to this book for the story of an era and a store I remember well.
However there’s a lot of problematic parts to this book that Kate was very much complicit in.. hiring people to have sex with them? That’s very much the same behaviour as the owner.. calling someone “big dick Vick”, that’s harassment. If a male wrote this it would be extremely bad.. I was waiting and hoping for a redeeming end but it never arrives.. it’s just a plain tale about someone who participated in bad behaviour at a terrible company, I don’t really understand the appeal.

Wow! Incredible read

I couldn’t stop reading this - even if you’re not a fashion girlie, this book is funny, engaging and very relatable!

try it!

A gripping story with excellent narration. I very much empathized with the author, who is a great story teller and easy to listen to. This book was finished in no time

Interesting perspective

Got a little too long towards the middle but I guess those stories had to be told. Quite interesting to hear especially being familiar with the brand and the rumors, just not some of the background stories.

Incredible!

Listened in two days. I could not put this down. Great job by the author and the narration is phenomenal. Looking forward to a future Moonves book!

Solid. New author. Fresh

A memoir about a time in the early 2000’s. I had heard bits and pieces about “American Apparel”, but was basically ignorant about what it was all about. I’m a 50 year old male that doesn’t know anything/care to know anything about the retail fashion industry. Even so, I found this audiobook captivating