What not to wear? Oppositional ideology, fashion, and governmentality in wardrobe self-help

Abstract

In this paper, we draw attention to the emancipatory premises of oppositional ideologies and the ideological nature of consumption in the context of fashion. Drawing on the Foucauldian concept of power, we illustrate how a specific genre of self-help literature, which we have termed wardrobe self-help (WSH), produces an alternative mode of discourse about fashion and clothing as a cultural mediator. Our findings challenge the prevailing fashion ideology that capitalizes on emancipation, and unravel the means through which WSH oppositional ideology governs consumers. Consequently, we argue that while oppositional ideologies can blur the boundaries between coercion and consent, and act as vehicles of repression and liberation, they ultimately come to govern, if not limit, consumer choice and expression.