Abstract
This paper explores the potential for perceptions of the worn clothing resale space to evolve into a proactive and positive space of engagement through changing the associated lexicon in messaging across retail and wider culture. Employing theories of language and symbolic power, I dissect current modes of consumer value in ‘new vs old’ dichotomies in second-hand clothing consumption. I offer that dissolving hierarchies associated with the new is essential in achieving change in value perception for worn clothing. Utilising ideas of pleasure activism and emotional storytelling in worn clothing communications to engage and educate the consumer is proposed. Using a qualitative approach, research was conducted using secondary sources and primary data constituting a survey of 102 participants and 5 semi-structured expert interviews collected for this inquiry. The research aims to add momentum to the discussion around communications and marketing for meaningful engagement in the pre-loved sector in fashion retail.
Keywords
sustainability; language; consumption; value
DOI
https://doi.org/10.21606/drs.2024.1151
Citation
Catherine Healy, L. (2024) ‘Worn once’: A call to re-imagine the problematic lexicon of pre-loved clothing in fashion retail, in Gray, C., Ciliotta Chehade, E., Hekkert, P., Forlano, L., Ciuccarelli, P., Lloyd, P. (eds.), DRS2024: Boston, 23–28 June, Boston, USA. https://doi.org/10.21606/drs.2024.1151
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License
Conference Track
Research Paper
Included in
‘Worn once’: A call to re-imagine the problematic lexicon of pre-loved clothing in fashion retail
This paper explores the potential for perceptions of the worn clothing resale space to evolve into a proactive and positive space of engagement through changing the associated lexicon in messaging across retail and wider culture. Employing theories of language and symbolic power, I dissect current modes of consumer value in ‘new vs old’ dichotomies in second-hand clothing consumption. I offer that dissolving hierarchies associated with the new is essential in achieving change in value perception for worn clothing. Utilising ideas of pleasure activism and emotional storytelling in worn clothing communications to engage and educate the consumer is proposed. Using a qualitative approach, research was conducted using secondary sources and primary data constituting a survey of 102 participants and 5 semi-structured expert interviews collected for this inquiry. The research aims to add momentum to the discussion around communications and marketing for meaningful engagement in the pre-loved sector in fashion retail.