Woven narratives: New materialist perspectives on fast fashion, wearers and sustainability

Abstract

Fashion can be seen as a tool to bridge the gap between our own inner experiences and external presentation, or at the very least, it acknowledges the potential for such a connection. Through various fashion items, we engage in meanful dialogues with our appreance. These garments shape our bodies and present us in specific ways to society and ourselves. We may not always know how we look at any given moment, but by directing our gaze towards our bodies, we can see our pants, shoes and shirts that we have chosen that day to represent us. When we look at ourselves, what we see is not our flesh and blood, but the fabric and stiching of our clothing. Thus, fashion fundamentally serves as a tool that enables one to observe and understand their own body and bodies around them. Even when one removes their fabric skin, escaping fashion is impossible. Social life almost always requires the body to be appropriately dressed; not being dressed is seen as disturbing and even a crime, as it deviates from accepted social norms. Society demands the body to be clothed. Therefore, clothing serves not just as decoration but as a tool to represent and display identity; it reflects one's age, gender, social status, religions and ethnic identity, marital status and affiliation with different subcultures. The primary goal of this thesis is to explore the complex relationship between consumers and their clothing through the lens of new materialism. New materialism is a theoretical approach that emphasizes the impact of objects and materials on people and how these relationships shape each other reciorıcally. In this context, clothing is not seen as a passive artifact, but as elements that actively influence and reshape consumer behavior, identity formation, and social dynamics. The material properties of garments directly affect consumer experiences and perceptions, highlighting the multidimensional and dynamic nature of this relationship. This thesis aims to delve deeply into how clothing and wearers interact and how these interactions gain meaning in social and cultural contexts within the framework of new materialism. The thesis presents two case studies to investigate the communication between clothing wearers. The first case study is a survey, which 74 individuals aged between 18-35 participated. It aims to understand how people approach fast fashion, what they consume, how they consume, how do they dispose of them. The second case study involves four participants, two males and two females, and eight garments. The interviews were conducted at the participants' homes or workplaces. In these semi-structured interviews, each participant was asked to bring a garment they had not worn for a long time or were considering discarding. During the interviews, participants were invited to physically alter the garment by cutting it. This act was designed to confront them directly with the materiality of the garment and the personal stories embedded within it, prompting a reevaluation of the garment's life and its potential for transformation or repurposing. In conclusion, this thesis provides valuable insights into the cultural practices surrounding clothing consumption in Turkey. The emphasis on repair, reuse, and sharing aligns with the principles of new materialism by recognizing the ongoing agency of objects. It also highlights a sustainable approach to fashion that can significantly reduce environmental impact. This behavior exemplifies how cultural practices and community dynamics play a crucial role in promoting sustainability, offering a model that could be beneficially adopted in other contexts.