Drop Dead Gorgeous or I wouldn’t be Seen Dead in that? The Contested Vintage Fashion Revival in Asia as an Expression of Reappropriated Style or Cultural Taboo

Acquiring and wearing vintage fashion based on used or retro-Style clothes, is currently regarded as an expression of conoisseurship and good taste in personal styling founded on the wearer’s desire for authenticity, identity and nostalgia. In Europe, the desirability of second hand clothes has a long history dating back to the 18th Century when the textiles and trims of old garments were valued for their beauty and ornamentation by those who were unable to afford them when new. Yet, this take on vintage clothes has widely varied cultural interpretations depending on the geographic location of the wearer as second hand clothes in these places and spaces often assume negative connotations associated with acquiring the bad luck of the previous owner, or the overall undesirability of wearing a dead person’s cast offs, for example. This paper examines the rising presence of vintage and second hand clothes and their take up by the consumer in Asia and the various reasons for their increasing popularity across various demographic groups from young hipsters and sub-cultural tribes, fashion design students seeking inspiration to older fashion savvy label hunters. Using ethnographic and observational methodologies, the paper will suggest that the acquisition and use of vintage and second hand fashion can be used as a measure of modernity within culture and society through its association with mainstream consumer culture and its distinction practices. This consumption trend enables some to express authentic identities inspired by the past, often at lower price points; whilst other consumers still firmly reject this option in favour of purchasing new clothes and fast, disposable fashion as a rejection of the past and as a distinct expression of being in fashion now.