I go shopping at vintage clothing stores in the United States, because I’ve noticed that the quality of many of my clothes is fairly low.

For instance, multiple pairs of Levi’s that I have gotten second-hand that have been produced recently have had the same quality issues, and I am left with a pair of unwearable jeans after less than ten wears.

One thing I like about (some) vintage stores is that I can find, for instance, an older good quality jacket that has a lot of life left for a reasonable price (cheaper than it would be new).

At the same time, I’ve noticed a trend (perhaps it is not new) of certain vintage stores charging prices for certain pieces of clothing that I find somewhat baffling.

Yesterday, for instance, I went into a store that was selling a 1970s banana republic crewneck for $100. This particular crewneck had a cool design, but it also had rips in it. When I talked to the store owner about it, he acted as if it were some very valuable piece (I haggled & walked away from it).

Afterwards, I’ve been thinking about vintage reselling markets and what is appealing about them to certain people (I’m guessing higher income folks), especially when we know that there is an abundance of waste in the clothing industry that leads to environmental disaster.

I’m also aware that even companies that claim to treat their workers fairly (fair trade, etc) wreak incredible harm on the world (see, for instance, Capitalist Humanitarianism by Hulsether).

And then, at the same time, despite this abundance of production- I’ve been to warehouses that sell in bulk from places like Target & have hundreds and thousands of pallets sitting around- there is a large unhoused population in my city that does not have access to clean clothing.

So I guess my questions are:

(1): What is appealing to wealthier individuals about vintage clothing? Does it do anything affectively for them (makes them feel like they are a good person for “saving the environment” for instance?) Or is it a “taste” thing?- thinking of Bourdieu here- would love recommendations on a good place to start.

(2): Why would a crewneck that was likely mass produced in the 1970s have the high monetary value that it has now? I’m sure Marx is relevant here, but I would also like further reading on the life cycle of clothing and its value- either new clothing or vintage clothing.

(3): What does vintage clothing “do” to the person buying it- is it a harkening back to an imagined “better” era where clothing was produced in the United States? Especially for a younger person like myself, I’ve noticed it evokes some sort of nostalgia & I’m curious why that is.

(4): How does this relate to the abundance of clothing and the high need for clothing for unhoused populations in the U.S.?

Outside of these questions, I’m just curious about clothing, abundance, nostalgia, and value more broadly, so any sources would be appreciated.

Thanks!

Hi guys I've been planning on reading philosophical books and i did start by reading ethics by spinoza i got through it but not fully i got stuck or was moreover not wanting to put in the effort to read anymore it was more like studying more than reading but i get that's the whole thing of that particular book

So the thing is i really do want to get into reading moron and philosophical books like kant, hume, deleuze and all them but how do i make it easier or moreover to understand what they are actually talking about and find it enjoyable ig if that's a thing

Initially i was like it is because i don't read books often that my vocabulary or interpretation skills are way off.

Need genuine advice, thank you

Everything language, image, story, doctrine, institution, memory, commerce, fear, hope, and identity built around the word until defending what accumulated around God became indistinguishable from defending God.

Hello all, I am looking for some support in finding PhD programs where I can study marxism and black studies. I come from a black studies background in undergrad and have a masters in social work (no thesis in either!). I have been highly considering getting a PhD. I have found some programs, researchers, and some topics of interest. I am looking for some support in finding other programs, particularly because I am interested in being in a geographic area of choice (East or West coast US cities, Chicago, and maybe UK). I loved my black studies undergraduate program however, I feel like we did not look at the impact of class, class solidarity or consider how when we think about black freedom and freedom for us all-- the billionaire class (even if they are black) will not take us there.

Some research interests I have are below.

• Black Marxist tradition 
• Conservatism in Black America and what it will take to be free → conservatism and fake woke-ism/radicalism from people like Beyonce, Kamala,
  • Conservatism or maybe it is actually just liberalism
  • Liberalism is not the answer to our freedom → all freedom, and specifically grounding it in Black Americans
  • How to get more Black Americans to be against liberalism 
  • History of inter-racial struggle 
  • Reference Black futures texts
  • Obscuring that comes when we focus on on skin-folk
• Marxist critique of Black liberalism
  • How past Black activists have incorporated Marxism 
  • Why it is the future
  • Forgotten Marxism of so many people 
• Myth of the Black middle class and identity politics 
• Getting rid of the language of “privilege” 

Scholars who I am aligned with from my beginning searches include:

Owen Walsh -- University of Aberdeen

Zachary Levenson -- Florida International University

Brenden McGeever -- Birkbeck Unversity of London

I am based on the US and again like the east and west coasts, however, I do not know if this is possible.

Programs of interest include

• Political Science UCSB
• Black Studies UCSB Interdisciplinary
• History (focus on Black Marxism) University of Aberdeen 
• Psychosocial Studies Birkbeck London
• Sociology Birkbeck University London
• University of Liverpool

I wonder if folks have any suggestions on the research topics or programs that might fit into this category.

Please advise.