Apotheosis of a black dress : creating value of second-hand clothes on the way from second to vintage
Abstract
Shopping in "thrift stores" has long been perceived by the public as a matter for non-conformists, eccentric artists or people with a limited budget. However, the consumerist philosophy of 'fast fashion' and the impact of the fashion industry on the environment and the labour market have become a reason for many people to look for more eco-friendly and ethical ways to stock their wardrobes.
While some have given up buying things at all, the fashion gurus have turned their attention to second-hand clothing: second-hand stores have become vintage boutiques and second-hand pieces have come to be called 'pre-loved'. During its life cycle, a pre-loved piece can (re)enter circulation, become a gift, be caught in the limbo of a sorting facility or wait to be discovered in grandma's closet.
The aim of the talk is to show which practices enable these transitions and how vintage shop owners construct the value of second-hand goods. Furthermore, I would like to open up the backstage of the Czech vintage scene.
After presenting my ethnographic research, I will focus on conclusions that can be analytically useful for research in economic anthropology in the era of economic hybridization. I build my argument on the assumption that vintage clothing is a hybrid category that combines elements of capitalist exchange and non-capitalist social relations, thus transcending the established anthropological dichotomy of gift and commodity.