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Which Clothes Suit Me?

The presentation of the juvenile self

University of Wuppertal, akoenig{at}uni-wuppertal.de

This article outlines the ways in which clothing is one important medium for the presentation of self, on the basis of interviews and group discussions with young people in a qualitative study. In the process of leaving their childhood behind, young people have to present themselves as individuals; the self has to be indicated in an individualized (and unequal) society. Their vestimentary practices are both bound by the social order and also contribute to its constitution. The article also develops a critical discussion of the generational order, which is simultaneously class differentiated. The differentiation between childhood and youth is the most prominent age distinction, but more differentiated age steps are also perceptible.

Key Words: generational order • individualization • self-presentation • vestimentary action • youth

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