Comments on: Consuming Second-Hand Clothing http://savageminds.org/2009/05/06/consuming-second-hand-clothing/ Notes and Queries in Anthropology — A Group Blog Sat, 26 May 2012 03:33:33 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: Secondhand Clothing in Developing Countries | Easy Chic http://savageminds.org/2009/05/06/consuming-second-hand-clothing/comment-page-1/#comment-628708 Secondhand Clothing in Developing Countries | Easy Chic Thu, 18 Feb 2010 20:11:48 +0000 http://savageminds.org/?p=1978#comment-628708 [...] Consuming Second-Hand Clothing [...] [...] Consuming Second-Hand Clothing [...]

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]]> By: Hadassah http://savageminds.org/2009/05/06/consuming-second-hand-clothing/comment-page-1/#comment-627639 Hadassah Wed, 13 Jan 2010 17:59:21 +0000 http://savageminds.org/?p=1978#comment-627639 second hand clothes are not so good, but there are some that can pass for new.In Nigeria, H&M or T M goes for 7-9k and u can get a second hand of those for N800 to N1000 which would be clean and neat. So would it not be best to go for a second hand, get dressed in them, mix with the elite class and be confident. second hand clothes are not so good, but there are some that can pass for new.In Nigeria, H&M or T M goes for 7-9k and u can get a second hand of those for N800 to N1000 which would be clean and neat. So would it not be best to go for a second hand, get dressed in them, mix with the elite class and be confident.

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]]> By: loomnie http://savageminds.org/2009/05/06/consuming-second-hand-clothing/comment-page-1/#comment-602706 loomnie Thu, 14 May 2009 04:22:23 +0000 http://savageminds.org/?p=1978#comment-602706 Thank you for these really fascinating examples. I have not done done/not currently doing much work on the consumption of second-hand clothing. My focus right now is on the trade and how it works. To understand this, I have taken a look at what I might call the 'generation' of second-hand clothes in the UK, but not exactly on the consumption. I hope to do that sometime soon, once I am done with my dissertation. I will definitely keep the issues you have raised in mind. Thank you for these really fascinating examples. I have not done done/not currently doing much work on the consumption of second-hand clothing. My focus right now is on the trade and how it works. To understand this, I have taken a look at what I might call the ‘generation’ of second-hand clothes in the UK, but not exactly on the consumption. I hope to do that sometime soon, once I am done with my dissertation. I will definitely keep the issues you have raised in mind.

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]]> By: Bram Draper http://savageminds.org/2009/05/06/consuming-second-hand-clothing/comment-page-1/#comment-602476 Bram Draper Wed, 13 May 2009 08:11:04 +0000 http://savageminds.org/?p=1978#comment-602476 Thanks for the fascinating piece. I'm interested in how your subject relates to the meaning of second-hand clothing in more developed Western countries. In the United States there is stigma surrounding second-hand clothes, and you might find that a lower-quality "new" product is considered to hold more value than a higher quality lightly-used item, just because of its provenance. A poorly made shirt from Ross or TJ Maxx costs much more than an excellent quality shirt from Goodwill or the Salvation Army, and many people will opt for the former. Also, there is an interesting sidenote to the question of how provenance relates to value. Some people use the fact of a clothing item being used to justify its purchase and use in contradiction to their own established ethics (or more accurately, as a loophole through them). For example: an anti-leather vegetarian might wear a leather belt purchased from a thrift store. Or a person who is boycotting a certain brand because of the company's labor practices might still purchase their products second-hand. The second-hand status of an item removes the consumer from original structures of production and distribution, at least through some ethical gymnastics. This is an active debate in animal rights circles. Also, some people actively seek out second-hand clothes as a validation (or application) of their ethical stance on consumption and production relations. This can be seen as a protest against or opting-out from the wastefulness of overproduction of clothing for (contestably) superficial purposes (i.e. fashion). In fact, the existence of donated clothing is symptomatic of overproduction, at least relative to the countries which consume and then export (or donate) these clothes second-hand. I would be interested to see if any of these issues factor into consumption patterns of second-hand clothing in Nigeria. I would guess that the ethical concerns might be a function of 1st-world privilege, and similar justifications would be hard to find in a marketplace where there is less latitude for consumption decisions that are not based on simple cost-benefit pragmatism (not arguing at all here that poor people don't make ethical decisions... I hope it doesn't sound like that). However, I don't know enough about Lagos and its level of class disparity or social makeup to make such assumptions, so hopefully I'm not overreaching. Either way, I think there is an interesting comparison to be made between the behavior of consumers of second-hand clothes in, say, Nigeria vs. the U.S. It seems the stigma is similar, but the navigation through the social meaning of "used" is likely quite different. Thanks for the fascinating piece. I’m interested in how your subject relates to the meaning of second-hand clothing in more developed Western countries. In the United States there is stigma surrounding second-hand clothes, and you might find that a lower-quality “new” product is considered to hold more value than a higher quality lightly-used item, just because of its provenance. A poorly made shirt from Ross or TJ Maxx costs much more than an excellent quality shirt from Goodwill or the Salvation Army, and many people will opt for the former.

Also, there is an interesting sidenote to the question of how provenance relates to value. Some people use the fact of a clothing item being used to justify its purchase and use in contradiction to their own established ethics (or more accurately, as a loophole through them). For example: an anti-leather vegetarian might wear a leather belt purchased from a thrift store. Or a person who is boycotting a certain brand because of the company’s labor practices might still purchase their products second-hand. The second-hand status of an item removes the consumer from original structures of production and distribution, at least through some ethical gymnastics. This is an active debate in animal rights circles.

Also, some people actively seek out second-hand clothes as a validation (or application) of their ethical stance on consumption and production relations. This can be seen as a protest against or opting-out from the wastefulness of overproduction of clothing for (contestably) superficial purposes (i.e. fashion). In fact, the existence of donated clothing is symptomatic of overproduction, at least relative to the countries which consume and then export (or donate) these clothes second-hand.

I would be interested to see if any of these issues factor into consumption patterns of second-hand clothing in Nigeria. I would guess that the ethical concerns might be a function of 1st-world privilege, and similar justifications would be hard to find in a marketplace where there is less latitude for consumption decisions that are not based on simple cost-benefit pragmatism (not arguing at all here that poor people don’t make ethical decisions… I hope it doesn’t sound like that). However, I don’t know enough about Lagos and its level of class disparity or social makeup to make such assumptions, so hopefully I’m not overreaching. Either way, I think there is an interesting comparison to be made between the behavior of consumers of second-hand clothes in, say, Nigeria vs. the U.S. It seems the stigma is similar, but the navigation through the social meaning of “used” is likely quite different.

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]]> By: Consuming Second-Hand Clothing | Savage Minds | Blogflock Blog http://savageminds.org/2009/05/06/consuming-second-hand-clothing/comment-page-1/#comment-600866 Consuming Second-Hand Clothing | Savage Minds | Blogflock Blog Thu, 07 May 2009 13:03:44 +0000 http://savageminds.org/?p=1978#comment-600866 [...] The not long ago demolished Tejuosho Market in Lagos, Nigeria, had a partial which was clinging roughly wholly to a traffic in used clothing. In a mid-nineties, we lived somewhere tighten to a market, as well as any time we left a residence to … Here is a original:  Consuming Second-Hand Clothing | Savage Minds [...] [...] The not long ago demolished Tejuosho Market in Lagos, Nigeria, had a partial which was clinging roughly wholly to a traffic in used clothing. In a mid-nineties, we lived somewhere tighten to a market, as well as any time we left a residence to … Here is a original:  Consuming Second-Hand Clothing | Savage Minds [...]

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]]> By: loomnie http://savageminds.org/2009/05/06/consuming-second-hand-clothing/comment-page-1/#comment-600818 loomnie Thu, 07 May 2009 08:19:26 +0000 http://savageminds.org/?p=1978#comment-600818 The answer to that question depends on who one asks. A general answer is that it is for the protection of the local textile industry. But one really interesting thing is that it is more common to hear people - mostly government officials - say that used clothing was banned for health reasons, mainly because second-hand clothes are supposed to be dirty clothes picked up on the streets of European and North American countries. I will discuss these and some of the other reasons people give - including the traders themselves - in a section of a chapter. That section will also include a discussion of how difficult it is to trace the history of the ban. The answer to that question depends on who one asks. A general answer is that it is for the protection of the local textile industry. But one really interesting thing is that it is more common to hear people – mostly government officials – say that used clothing was banned for health reasons, mainly because second-hand clothes are supposed to be dirty clothes picked up on the streets of European and North American countries.

I will discuss these and some of the other reasons people give – including the traders themselves – in a section of a chapter. That section will also include a discussion of how difficult it is to trace the history of the ban.

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]]> By: Irene Sabaté http://savageminds.org/2009/05/06/consuming-second-hand-clothing/comment-page-1/#comment-600811 Irene Sabaté Thu, 07 May 2009 07:40:07 +0000 http://savageminds.org/?p=1978#comment-600811 I am terribly curious: How does the Nigerian State justify the ban on second-hand clothing? I am terribly curious: How does the Nigerian State justify the ban on second-hand clothing?

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]]> By: Joshua [usemasper] http://savageminds.org/2009/05/06/consuming-second-hand-clothing/comment-page-1/#comment-600647 Joshua [usemasper] Wed, 06 May 2009 21:59:04 +0000 http://savageminds.org/?p=1978#comment-600647 Here in the states I don't think most people realize what happens to the clothes they donate. "ABC":http://abcnews.go.com/WNT/story?id=2743456 did a story about how our donated clothes get from here to there. I think most people would feel betrayed about the amount of profiteering made in the name of charity. Here in the states I don’t think most people realize what happens to the clothes they donate. “ABC”:http://abcnews.go.com/WNT/story?id=2743456 did a story about how our donated clothes get from here to there.

I think most people would feel betrayed about the amount of profiteering made in the name of charity.

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]]> By: loomnie http://savageminds.org/2009/05/06/consuming-second-hand-clothing/comment-page-1/#comment-600573 loomnie Wed, 06 May 2009 15:36:16 +0000 http://savageminds.org/?p=1978#comment-600573 Hi Vicky, A major part of the market got burnt in December 2007. The rest was torn down. The vendors have moved to other locations and the Lagos state government said they would not allow the market to return to the state it was before it got burnt, which means that they would try to keep vendors out of the New Tejuosho Market. The re-construction is ongoing. Hi Vicky,

A major part of the market got burnt in December 2007. The rest was torn down. The vendors have moved to other locations and the Lagos state government said they would not allow the market to return to the state it was before it got burnt, which means that they would try to keep vendors out of the New Tejuosho Market. The re-construction is ongoing.

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]]> By: Vicki http://savageminds.org/2009/05/06/consuming-second-hand-clothing/comment-page-1/#comment-600571 Vicki Wed, 06 May 2009 15:09:51 +0000 http://savageminds.org/?p=1978#comment-600571 Interesting post. I often heard the second-hand clothing part of Tejuosho (and other markets selling second-hand clothes for that matter) referred to as "California." Which seemed to me to be used in both a humorous or ironic manner as well as for acknowledging the foreign origin and potential prestige value attached to the closed the clothes. This was between 2001-2004. I was shocked to discover that Tejuosho was gone when I visited Lagos last summer! What happened to the vendors? Is there any movement to rebuild the market? Or have the vendors all disbursed to other Lagos markets? Interesting post. I often heard the second-hand clothing part of Tejuosho (and other markets selling second-hand clothes for that matter) referred to as “California.” Which seemed to me to be used in both a humorous or ironic manner as well as for acknowledging the foreign origin and potential prestige value attached to the closed the clothes. This was between 2001-2004.

I was shocked to discover that Tejuosho was gone when I visited Lagos last summer! What happened to the vendors? Is there any movement to rebuild the market? Or have the vendors all disbursed to other Lagos markets?

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