Reflexive Use of Clothing for Constructing and Communicating Self-Identity: Research study on young Polish adults with a high level of cultural capital
Reflexive Use of Clothing for Constructing and Communicating Self-Identity: Research study on young Polish adults with a high level of cultural capital

Summary/Abstract: The objective of this article is to perform an in-depth exploration of the issue of the reflexive usage of clothing and sartorial strategies approached from two perspectives: clothing as a source of meaningful communication about the identity of self and others; and clothing as a tool for the reflexive construction of self-identity. The primary assumption is that the self-identity narrative manifests itself through one’s clothing. Via these narratives we can observe codes of communication specific to culture in a hybrid state, where traditional, modern and postmodern elements are mixed without causing an impression of incoherency for contemporary individuals. I analyse this by looking at three key concepts: the aestheticisation of everyday life and consumption (Featherstone 1991), reflexive modernity (Beck, Giddens and Lash 1994) and symbolic creativity (Willis 2002). The second half of the article is based on some of the findings obtained during my qualitative research conducted in 2011-2014 on a sample of young Polish adults with a high level of cultural capital.

• Details
• Contents