The use of branded clothing in identity development and social relations between adolescents

Abstract

Branded clothes and accessories are objects whose meaning extends beyond their use value. Branded items are widely used and consumed by adolescents worldwide, affecting their perception of themselves and of others. Then, how does the use of branded clothes and accessories relate to the identity development and the social relations between adolescents? To answer, we present the result of a netnographic case study focusing on a Brazilian young man, using a mixed-method approach involving observation, social media analysis and semi-structured interviews. First, we develop an innovative theoretical framework in which cultural psychology of semiotic dynamics and psychoanalysis enter in dialogue to understand identity development. Then, we analyse how branded clothes and accessories function as an identifying sign, for both the construction of the participant’s own identity and in relation to others. Finally, we discuss identity beyond the tautology of the self-identical subject, supporting the development of the concept of identity as an identifying mosaic, where identifications are organized fluidly and dynamically throughout an individual’s life.