Spent is about our instinctual drive to gather the things we believe would most effectively attract a mate, and how that drive has been put into overdrive by our culture of constant marketing. The short, blunt, final-judgement tone of the title instantly called to mind Volkswagen’s iconic “Lemon” ad from 1960, and although there were many ad campaigns I could have referenced, I was confident that the legendary Volkswagen campaign (and its typographical twin, Ikea) would appeal to Spent’s audience: left-leaning, self-aware, liberal-educated types who are deeply concerned with style, but go to great pains to conceal that fact. In short, the type of consumer who actually thinks about consuming enough to buy a book about it, but not so much as to stop consuming altogether.

Even a caveman can appreciate the wit and simple stylishness of this jacket.