Spend More to Look Poor: Conspicuous Production
You know them, you probably don’t love them. The upper/leisure/aspirational class, the rich, the 10, 9.9, 1 percent, whatever you want to call them. They’re the out-of-touch aristocracy of the modern world and the cause of everyone’s problems. Whatever you think of them, it is often believed that everything they do is to maintain their status at the expense of others. However, not everything is for the worst with this group. Where once the leisure class was consuming well above their needs, the modern-day wealthy (materially or culturally) are moving away from conspicuous consumption into a new go-to method of status signaling: conspicuous production. The good news is this is far more attainable for everyone and can provide better social mobility to individuals if you are in the know. Taking a look at conspicuous production in the realm of clothing can help ease the burden of individuals attempting to signal status via conspicuous consumption by saving money and funneling money back to the groups who need it most.
Conspicuous Production
Conspicuous production is a focus on the production of a good rather than the outward social status attributed to owning a good. This includes handmade, locally sourced, ethical, or environmentally friendly goods. The focus is on what the item says about your values rather than how much money you have, although it also signals wealth as this type of consumption is often more expensive. In the world of clothing, this is often seen through handmade clothing items, but an important method of conspicuous clothing production that is starting to gain traction and needs more attention and support is domestically produced clothing.
Domestic Manufacturing
Domestic clothing manufacturing was once a thriving business in the United States, employing countless people across many states. Since businesses began offshoring their production, many individuals have been out of work or, in the case of many immigrants, lost job opportunities that could help establish their citizenship. There are a few remaining companies out there trying to revive domestic manufacturing, such as American Roots and American Giant. Supporting efforts like these is an example of conspicuous production, supporting smaller local companies to signal that you value lasting, quality products. You can see this in the way many upper-class people dress, which has recently come to light in the form of “quiet luxury”. While it is pointed out that this style is often used to deflect attention from great wealth, it ignores the fact that the look is a byproduct of these conspicuous production methods. Domestic clothing manufacturing is limited in what it can do, as many of the skilled laborers and technology needed to produce more elaborate clothing items were lost in the offshoring process. To fully align with the values of domestic manufacturing, you have to sacrifice certain looks and designs until the industry can grow again. These companies need financial support to grow, and with the budding awareness of the social mobility quiet luxury and conspicuous production can provide, more individuals will hopefully switch from the rampant consumerist maximalism currently plaguing the planet and invest in higher quality, lasting pieces. This will not only save individuals money, as they are investing in fewer, longer-lasting clothing items but will also provide more jobs for those who lost them due to clothing manufacturing being outsourced to other countries.
Environmental Impact
Another important effect of conspicuous production is the positive impact on the environment. By investing in pieces that are versatile and high quality, these items will last longer physically, as they won’t fall apart, and stylistically, as timeless basic pieces don’t go out of style. Clothing waste fills up many landfills despite being an easily avoidable problem. This is on top of the existing environmental harms that come from shipping globally-produced clothing across the world to the United States, a problem that is significantly reduced by purchasing domestically-produced apparel. This is another way that conspicuous production signals your values to others—showing that you are environmentally conscious and are doing your part to try and help by putting your money behind those who are trying to make a difference.
Conclusion
Clothing consumption is a big part of people’s lives, as it is not only a necessity to protect one from the elements but also a method of self-expression. The way we choose the pieces we own and wear signals to others what we value and what we choose to support with our money. Conspicuous production, rather than conspicuous consumption, is a method of signaling values and status in a way that benefits others and the planet. Next time you want to add a piece to your wardrobe, consider supporting a company that produces domestically to support those around you who are putting their craftsmanship skills to work to produce beautiful, lasting goods.
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