Instagram And The Nasty Subculture Analysis

Consumerism is a word loaded with many connotations, some negative and others positive. For the purpose of this essay, the following use of the word will be referred to. Consumerism is an ideology and a way of life that has exploded within the last decades. It is the constant need and want to buy goods and services and upgrade frequently due to planned obsolescence even when they are not necessary or even particularly useful and it should not be confounded with consumption, which is the act of buying fundamental goods. Throughout this essay, the following question will be discussed and answered. Miles argues that ‘Consumer goods and services potentially play an important role in who we are and how we construct our social lives’ (Miles 1998:
There has been a surge, in recent years, in interest in vintage clothing and this has been reflected in price as well. The deliberate wearing of vintage clothing rejects social norms of what is fashionable and trendy and proves that individuals can create their own sense of identity and originality. Often more affordable than high street shops and definitely unique, ‘thrifting’ has become similar to antique shopping. There are a multitude of events targeted at vintage-loving people that brings them together like dance classes, themed nights out, pop up fairs and even speed dating. Vintage clothes seem to be viewed as more individual and unique than contemporary fashion, even though at one point in time, they were most probably the norm in fashion. But the treasure hunting to find a piece of clothing and the combination of different garments confers the wearer a sense of
Who wore it, where did she wear it, and who did she meet? Was it her favorite hat? Did she save up for it? I love the mystery of vintage clothes.” (Dita von Teese).
It is interesting to see how the habit of recycling clothes has suffered such a transformation in the last decades. It used to come with a certain feeling of shame as it used to be a social marker for poverty. (Veblen, 1899). But in recent years, particularly young people have tapped into this niche market and rummaged through to find good bargains. This practice can be observed all over the world; vintage shops and charity shops can be found in every city.
However, seeing as vintage fashion is being used as inspiration for current trends increasingly, one could argue that wearing vintage clothing is not as original as one might think. Amongst vintage lovers though, wearing a 70’s inspired Zara dress or a real 70’s dress is not the same