Browsing by Author "Wagner-Andrianne, Lili"

The aim of this study is to examine the consumerism of young people through the content of their dream wardrobe. The study takes an interest also on young consumers self-image building through closing. The material of the study consists of 76 essays gathered from a high school in Espoo, south of Finland. The study is a qualitative study and the narrative research approach is used to analyse the most repetitive themes among the stories. Finnish young people have grown in an atmosphere of diverse consumption opportunities and their consumerism contains multiple voices. Based on the analysis, it can be stated that the young people's clothing consumption dreams are mainly based on themes of identity, hedonism and sustainability. Young consumers do not experience contradiction between enjoyable, sensible and sustainable consumption. Clothes are seen as tools of self-expression, self-image and status. While young people recognize the ecological and ethical values associated with clothing consumption, their clothing patterns are driven by the lifestyle of the hedonistic consumption created by the media. Dressing etiquette and normality are still present in the lives of young people, and deviation from those is done with caution. Young people want to have more clothes and wish these to represent recognizable luxury. Among young consumers especially girls are open to supporting ecological and ethical values in their clothing purchase, but the behaviour supporting these values seems to be problematic in its implementation. Young people have an interest towards sustainable clothing, but the clothes favoured by such values must be fashionable and easily accessible.