Title

Curating the Self: Second-hand Fashion and New York City

Date of Award

Spring 2021

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Sociology

First Advisor

Alexander, Jeffery

Abstract

This dissertation examines why people buy second-hand clothing today in New York City. Given that second-hand clothing is often stigmatized as dirty, smelly, and associated with the “poor,’ how do people make sense of integrating used-clothing as part of their lives? According to the dominant ideology on fashion, power and class warfare drive people’s need for fashion where it serves as a status emblem. This postulation is challenged by used-clothing, making it a fascinating empirical problem.

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