Elite Authenticity and Ethical Consumerism

Abstract

Following Silverstein’s (2016) work on the “scaling of taste,” in this paper we examine the semiotic and ideological processes by which discourses of sustainability come to be valorized in the production of status and distinction. In this regard, and relying on a theoretical backdrop of social class, indexicality, and branding, this paper demonstrates how a second-hand children’s clothing retailer in Switzerland effectively establishes a brand identity that is both ethical and elite . We draw on a dataset comprising stockroom participant observation, video-recorded business meetings, semi-structured interviews, and website screenshots. Across these data, and following Mapes (2018, 2021), we identify a discourse of “elite authenticity”—a distinction-producing strategy that simultaneously downplays privilege through rhetorics of historicity, simplicity, lowbrow appreciation, locality/sustainability, and pioneer spirit. Ultimately, we demonstrate how the microlevel semiotic details of second-hand shopping serve to build up the more macro ideologies of ecological responsibility, neoliberal individualism, and luxury/status—all of which contribute to the simultaneous avowal and disavowal of social distinction.