School of Cognitive, Developmental and Social Psychology
University of the West of England, Bristol
K.Gleeson@uwe.ac.uk
Kate is an active member of the Centre for Appearance Research and her research interests include exploring the ways in which young people negotiate identity through clothing, dress and adornment. Her current focus is on the ways in which clothing is used to negotiate visibility and 'getting noticed', and on the ways in which ambiguities in the meaning of dress can be actively used by individuals engaged in identity work.
(Ad)Dressing Ambiguity
Interest in dress and fashion has been underpinned by the assumption that clothing is a form of non-verbal communication. Traditionally, psychologists have treated clothing as a key factor influencing impression formation and self-presentation (see Damhorst, 1990), while sociologists have treated clothing as a supporting structure for maintaining class and other social distinctions (Bourdieu, 1986). Both assume the meaning of clothing, and/or the identity of the wearer, can be unproblematically 'read off' from the garments. Researchers have argued that for communication to take place the symbolic meaning of clothing must be unambiguous (Campbell, 1997), and much empirical research has attempted to pinpoint the meaning of particular garments. We argue that clothing is an ideal form for communicating identity precisely because it is ambiguous. Drawing on data from interviews with women aged 11-18 about their everyday clothing practices, we explore how ambiguity allows them to present different identities to different audiences using the same garments, and to hint at possible identities without having to embody them entirely. These accounts are interpreted in relation to the politics of recognition and the understanding that clothing displays are not politically neutral activities.
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