Travels of a T-shirt in the Global Economy pgs 1-140

In the first 140 pages of the book, Travels of a T-shirt in the Global Economy, I have learned many things about how t-shirts are made and used around the world. While the clothing we see in the current period is expensive, the process all clothes go through before being placed on shelves or online stores to be purchased. They go through a massive complex system, and the author explains it by bringing it all the way back to cotton fields in West Texas in pgs 20-40. I discovered that Lubbock, Texas, is one of the largest cotton-producing regions in the country. The area Lubbock resides in is flat, wide-open land that allows easy access to produce cotton on a large-scale. 

After reading pages 45-60, it made me realize how heavily cotton farmers depend on the US government. This is so that they can remain financially stable to continue producing all their raw fiber. Now I understand how politics might tie with the cotton industry within the United States. 

In pages 70-110, the author covers factories in China and how they collect cotton from farms like Lubbock and turn it into clothing. Once the cotton is received, employers spin it into yarn to be knitted to create pieces of fabric. Afterwards, these fabric pieces are then sewn together to create the clothing that all humans wear. Rivoli made it clear to readers that China had become the world's leading clothing manufacturer while the book was being written. This didn't surprise me at all, as China has become the world's second-largest economy today. Once these clothes are made, they are ready to be shipped out to other wealthier nations such as the US and Europe. 

While reading through the last few sections of the book, I learned what happens to most clothes once they are worn and used by many citizens. When citizens discard their T-shirts, they are shipped out to developing countries such as Africa. They go towards people who don't have the money to afford purchasing new clothes that have never been worn before. This shows readers like me that a T-shirt has a long history, even after you throw it away. I personally never realized that they are then given to other children and families in need; I thought they were just thrown in the dumpster and later burned. Overall, the first half of this book has definitely changed my perception of how t-shirts are made and where they go after I stop wearing them or outgrow them.