Strip Tees, A Memoir of Millennial Los Angeles, is exactly what it sets out to be. Kate Flannery worked for American Apparel in its heyday. She went from touring the factory floor to scouting talent and hiring for stores around the country as a young twenty-something. This memoir is a snapshot in time, a time machine back to the early 2000s, and a behind-the-curtain look at the American Apparel culture.

The book delivers on its premise. As a millennial, it was a fascinating and quick read. It took me back to a time when American Apparel was on top of the trends, and it told me more of the story that I had never heard. But it lacks depth and exploration. It lacks a sense of self and growth from Flannery. It reads more like a tell-all than a memoir. I would have liked to know more about Flannery’s life after this, how it shaped her worldview, and what she’s done. The reader is taken on this journey and shown the inner workings of a flawed, now fallen, company, but there is no real takeaway. Flannery was young and seemingly blameless. There is little introspection and no accountability or ownership in her actions.

Strip Tees is an interesting but niche tale. It doesn’t feel universal.

Thank you Macmillan audio and netgalley for this audio copy.