Less

THE SUNDAY TIME S BESTELLER ‘Utterly brilliant. We all need to read this book’ CLAUDIA WINKLEMAN 'Patrick’s book is fascinating and sobering and makes a compelling argument for going back to basics’ JOE LYCETT We used to care a lot about our clothes. We didn’t have many but those we had were important to us. We’d cherish them, repair them and pass them on. And making them provided fulfilling work for millions of skilled people locally. Today the average person has nearly five times as many clothes as they did just 50 years ago. Last year, 100 billion garments were produced worldwide, most made from oil, 30% of which were not even sold, and the equivalent of one bin lorry full of clothing is dumped in landfill or burned every single second. Our wardrobes are full to bursting with clothes we never wear so why do we keep buying more? In this passionate and revealing book about loving clothes but despairing of a broken global system Patrick Grant considers the crisis of consumption and quality in fashion, and how we might make ourselves happier by rediscovering the joy of living with fewer, better-quality things. Weaving in his personal journey through fashion, clothing and the other everyday objects in his life, this is a book that celebrates craftsmanship, making things with care, buying things with thought and valuing everything we own. It explains how rethinking our relationship with clothing could kickstart a thriving new local economy bringing prosperity and hope back to places in our country that have lost out to globalisation, offshore manufacturing and to the madness of price and quantity being the only things that matter. 'Presents a new way of thinking about the things we buy' KEITH BRYMER-JONES

THE SUNDAY TIME S BESTELLER ‘Utterly brilliant. We all need to read this book’ CLAUDIA WINKLEMAN 'Patrick’s book is fascinating and sobering and makes a compelling argument for going back to basics’ JOE LYCETT We used to care a lot about our clothes. We didn’t have many but those we had were important to us. We’d cherish them, repair them and pass them on. And making them provided fulfilling work for millions of skilled people locally. Today the average person has nearly five times as many clothes as they did just 50 years ago. Last year, 100 billion garments were produced worldwide, most made from oil, 30% of which were not even sold, and the equivalent of one bin lorry full of clothing is dumped in landfill or burned every single second. Our wardrobes are full to bursting with clothes we never wear so why do we keep buying more? In this passionate and revealing book about loving clothes but despairing of a broken global system Patrick Grant considers the crisis of consumption and quality in fashion, and how we might make ourselves happier by rediscovering the joy of living with fewer, better-quality things. Weaving in his personal journey through fashion, clothing and the other everyday objects in his life, this is a book that celebrates craftsmanship, making things with care, buying things with thought and valuing everything we own. It explains how rethinking our relationship with clothing could kickstart a thriving new local economy bringing prosperity and hope back to places in our country that have lost out to globalisation, offshore manufacturing and to the madness of price and quantity being the only things that matter. 'Presents a new way of thinking about the things we buy' KEITH BRYMER-JONES

*** Pre-order Andrew Sean Greer's brilliant new novel Villa Coco , coming in June *** WINNER OF THE PULITZER PRIZE FOR FICTION 2018 ' You will sob little tears of joy ' Nell Zink ' I recommend it with my whole heart ' Ann Patchett ' This book is basically perfect ' Dolly Alderton ' Charming, languid and incredibly funny, I absolutely adored Arthur' Jenny Colgan ' Marvellously, endearingly, unexpectedly funny ' Gary Shteyngart ' I adore this book ' Armistead Maupin ' Bedazzling, bewitching and be-wonderful ' New York Times Book Review ' A fast and rocketing read . . . a wonderful, wonderful book! ' Karen Joy Fowler ' Hilarious, and wise, and abundantly funny ' Adam Haslett WHO SAYS YOU CAN'T RUN AWAY FROM YOUR PROBLEMS? Arthur Less is a failed novelist about to turn fifty. A wedding invitation arrives in the post: it is from an ex-boyfriend of nine years who is engaged to someone else. Arthur can't say yes - it would be too awkward; he can't say no - it would look like defeat. So, he begins to accept the invitations on his desk to half-baked literary events around the world. From France to India, Germany to Japan, Arthur almost falls in love, almost falls to his death, and puts miles between him and the plight he refuses to face. Less is a novel about mishaps, misunderstandings and the depths of the human heart.

*** Pre-order Andrew Sean Greer's brilliant new novel Villa Coco , coming in June *** WINNER OF THE PULITZER PRIZE FOR FICTION 2018 ' You will sob little tears of joy ' Nell Zink ' I recommend it with my whole heart ' Ann Patchett ' This book is basically perfect ' Dolly Alderton ' Charming, languid and incredibly funny, I absolutely adored Arthur' Jenny Colgan ' Marvellously, endearingly, unexpectedly funny ' Gary Shteyngart ' I adore this book ' Armistead Maupin ' Bedazzling, bewitching and be-wonderful ' New York Times Book Review ' A fast and rocketing read . . . a wonderful, wonderful book! ' Karen Joy Fowler ' Hilarious, and wise, and abundantly funny ' Adam Haslett WHO SAYS YOU CAN'T RUN AWAY FROM YOUR PROBLEMS? Arthur Less is a failed novelist about to turn fifty. A wedding invitation arrives in the post: it is from an ex-boyfriend of nine years who is engaged to someone else. Arthur can't say yes - it would be too awkward; he can't say no - it would look like defeat. So, he begins to accept the invitations on his desk to half-baked literary events around the world. From France to India, Germany to Japan, Arthur almost falls in love, almost falls to his death, and puts miles between him and the plight he refuses to face. Less is a novel about mishaps, misunderstandings and the depths of the human heart.

From Patrick Grant, the ‘Prince of Fashion’ best known for his role as judge of the BBC’s The Great British Sewing Bee , this is a passionate and revealing book about loving clothes but hating the way they’re made, about everything wrong with the fashion industry today, and how to set it right. Clothes are important. They have an impact on our mood, what people think of us, how comfortably we can move through our day. And no one knows – or loves – good, proper clothes like Patrick Grant. Edinburgh-born, he built his business from total obscurity, running one small shop on Savile Row, to become a dresser of the stars, a friend of the King, a beloved TV star and a leader in the fashion industry. But increasingly, we don’t make clothes well. Here are some facts to consider: - Fashion is a 3 trillion dollar a year industry, double what it was ten years ago - It accounts for 10% of global carbon emissions, a larger environmental impact than both aviation and shipping combined - We have more than enough clothes on the planet today to dress the next six generations of the human race - UK consumers spend over £30 billion on clothing each year, but less than 2% of it is made here. In this book, Patrick explains his journey through fashion and why he’s putting his money into a sustainable future. We can love clothes more, and better. But the way to do it is through less.

From Patrick Grant, the ‘Prince of Fashion’ best known for his role as judge of the BBC’s The Great British Sewing Bee , this is a passionate and revealing book about loving clothes but hating the way they’re made, about everything wrong with the fashion industry today, and how to set it right. Clothes are important. They have an impact on our mood, what people think of us, how comfortably we can move through our day. And no one knows – or loves – good, proper clothes like Patrick Grant. Edinburgh-born, he built his business from total obscurity, running one small shop on Savile Row, to become a dresser of the stars, a friend of the King, a beloved TV star and a leader in the fashion industry. But increasingly, we don’t make clothes well. Here are some facts to consider: - Fashion is a 3 trillion dollar a year industry, double what it was ten years ago - It accounts for 10% of global carbon emissions, a larger environmental impact than both aviation and shipping combined - We have more than enough clothes on the planet today to dress the next six generations of the human race - UK consumers spend over £30 billion on clothing each year, but less than 2% of it is made here. In this book, Patrick explains his journey through fashion and why he’s putting his money into a sustainable future. We can love clothes more, and better. But the way to do it is through less.

THE SUNDAY TIME S BESTELLER ‘Utterly brilliant. We all need to read this book’ CLAUDIA WINKLEMAN 'Patrick’s book is fascinating and sobering and makes a compelling argument for going back to basics’ JOE LYCETT We used to care a lot about our clothes. We didn’t have many but those we had were important to us. We’d cherish them, repair them and pass them on. And making them provided fulfilling work for millions of skilled people locally. Today the average person has nearly five times as many clothes as they did just 50 years ago. Last year, 100 billion garments were produced worldwide, most made from oil, 30% of which were not even sold, and the equivalent of one bin lorry full of clothing is dumped in landfill or burned every single second. Our wardrobes are full to bursting with clothes we never wear so why do we keep buying more? In this passionate and revealing book about loving clothes but despairing of a broken global system Patrick Grant considers the crisis of consumption and quality in fashion, and how we might make ourselves happier by rediscovering the joy of living with fewer, better-quality things. Weaving in his personal journey through fashion, clothing and the other everyday objects in his life, this is a book that celebrates craftsmanship, making things with care, buying things with thought and valuing everything we own. It explains how rethinking our relationship with clothing could kickstart a thriving new local economy bringing prosperity and hope back to places in our country that have lost out to globalisation, offshore manufacturing and to the madness of price and quantity being the only things that matter. 'Presents a new way of thinking about the things we buy' KEITH BRYMER-JONES

THE SUNDAY TIME S BESTELLER ‘Utterly brilliant. We all need to read this book’ CLAUDIA WINKLEMAN 'Patrick’s book is fascinating and sobering and makes a compelling argument for going back to basics’ JOE LYCETT We used to care a lot about our clothes. We didn’t have many but those we had were important to us. We’d cherish them, repair them and pass them on. And making them provided fulfilling work for millions of skilled people locally. Today the average person has nearly five times as many clothes as they did just 50 years ago. Last year, 100 billion garments were produced worldwide, most made from oil, 30% of which were not even sold, and the equivalent of one bin lorry full of clothing is dumped in landfill or burned every single second. Our wardrobes are full to bursting with clothes we never wear so why do we keep buying more? In this passionate and revealing book about loving clothes but despairing of a broken global system Patrick Grant considers the crisis of consumption and quality in fashion, and how we might make ourselves happier by rediscovering the joy of living with fewer, better-quality things. Weaving in his personal journey through fashion, clothing and the other everyday objects in his life, this is a book that celebrates craftsmanship, making things with care, buying things with thought and valuing everything we own. It explains how rethinking our relationship with clothing could kickstart a thriving new local economy bringing prosperity and hope back to places in our country that have lost out to globalisation, offshore manufacturing and to the madness of price and quantity being the only things that matter. 'Presents a new way of thinking about the things we buy' KEITH BRYMER-JONES