Link: https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/doi\/10.1177\/13675494251343800<\/a><\/p>\n\nAbstract<\/p>\n\n
Amid the criticism of fast fashion brands regarding their valorising of a lifestyle that prioritises \u2018newness\u2019 over durability, blame is also apportioned to fashion consumers for their wasteful and irresponsible consumption. However, fashion consumers\u2019 unremarkable \u2018hoarding\u2019 practices pose questions concerning the very notion of wastefulness and the moralised criticisms of them. The contradictory clothing disposal and hoarding practices call for an analytical shift in the study of fashion culture and sustainable consumption beyond the moment of acquisition.<\/p>\n\n
Drawing on Elizabeth Shove and Mika Pantzar\u2019s conceptualisation of \u2018competence\u2019, we coin the term and theorise various forms of fashion competence \u2013 as an evolving evaluative device \u2013 to explain why certain clothing items are considered unwearable by the owner, yet still remain unworn in the wardrobe. Such competence reflects the material culture of the wearer\u2019s specific spatial and temporal setting: a mixture of normative expectations and personal resources that dictate whether and when an owned piece is valuable, useful, impaired, disposable, or reusable, thus moving objects across different moments of consumption.<\/p>\n\n
Distinct from a predominant focus on Western, straight and female consumers, our exemplary study of 21 Hong Kong gay male consumers\u2019 \u2018limbo\u2019 wardrobe items challenges existing scholarships which crudely pathologise hoarding behaviours as obsessive human\u2013object relationships, overemphasising individual autonomy in clothing choices, and also complements the Western-centric concept of a circular economy as a universalist organised system to minimise waste and the environmental impact of consumption across contexts. By uncovering and re-narrating the \u2018inactive\u2019 wardrobe stories, we look into other intertwined factors \u2013 technical, material, practical, cultural, social, symbolic, affective \u2013 that facilitate or hinder the revitalisation of inactive fashion items, and reveal the actual environmental challenges and opportunities through different stages of consumption.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Author: Tommy Tse and Fan Xiao Source: European Journal of Cultural Studies Link: https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/doi\/10.1177\/13675494251343800<\/a> Abstract Amid the criticism of fast fashion brands regarding their valorising of a lifestyle that prioritises \u2018newness\u2019 over durability, blame is also apportioned to fashion consumers for their wasteful and irresponsible consumption. However, fashion consumers\u2019 unremarkable \u2018hoarding\u2019 practices pose questions concerning […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":145170531,"featured_media":6534,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_coblocks_attr":"","_coblocks_dimensions":"","_coblocks_responsive_height":"","_coblocks_accordion_ie_support":"","_crdt_document":"","advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[776957933],"tags":[776958106,776958105,776958104,776958076],"class_list":["post-7138","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category--en","tag-consumer-culture","tag-fashion","tag-gender-studies","tag-newsroom"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/typesetter.hk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/article.png?fit=1280%2C720&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pai6UY-1R8","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":7537,"url":"https:\/\/typesetter.hk\/en\/2026\/01\/13\/article-tank-to-table-hong-kongs-wet-markets-and-the-geographies-of-lively-commodification-beyond-companionship\/","url_meta":{"origin":7138,"position":0},"title":"[Article] Tank to Table: Hong Kong\u2019s Wet Markets and the Geographies of Lively Commodification Beyond Companionship","author":"\u624b\u6c11\u51fa\u7248\u793e","date":"13\/01\/2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Author: Ben A. Gerlofs, Benjamin Lucca Iaquinto, Kylie Yuet Ning Poon & Cathy Tung Yee Tsang Source: Annals of the American Association of Geographers Link: https:\/\/www.tandfonline.com\/doi\/full\/10.1080\/24694452.2024.2304200 Abstract We argue for a radical reconfiguration of existing theorizations of the \u201clively commodity\u201d\u2014beings captured, cultivated, and traded for their very lives\u2014on more inclusive\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Hong Kong Studies Newsroom"","block_context":{"text":"Hong Kong Studies Newsroom","link":"https:\/\/typesetter.hk\/en\/category\/%e9%a6%99%e6%b8%af%e5%ad%b8%e8%a1%93%e6%83%85%e5%a0%b1%e5%ae%a4-en\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/typesetter.hk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/article.png?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/typesetter.hk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/article.png?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/typesetter.hk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/article.png?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/typesetter.hk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/article.png?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/typesetter.hk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/article.png?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":7358,"url":"https:\/\/typesetter.hk\/en\/2025\/11\/27\/toward-a-commoning-project-of-hundreds-of-thousands-an-interview-with-pun-ngai\/","url_meta":{"origin":7138,"position":1},"title":"Toward a Commoning Project of Hundreds of Thousands\u2014An Interview with Pun Ngai","author":"\u624b\u6c11\u51fa\u7248\u793e","date":"27\/11\/2025","format":false,"excerpt":"COMMONING: Community Co-creation and Shared Spaces (Expanded Edition) brings together nine case studies and three thematic discussions, collaboratively written by faculty and students from the Department of Cultural Studies at Lingnan University. The book examines the current state, challenges, and possibilities of Hong Kong\u2019s commons. Since its publication, the question\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Notebook"","block_context":{"text":"Notebook","link":"https:\/\/typesetter.hk\/en\/category\/notebook-en\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/typesetter.hk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/webpost-profile.png?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/typesetter.hk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/webpost-profile.png?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/typesetter.hk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/webpost-profile.png?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/typesetter.hk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/webpost-profile.png?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/typesetter.hk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/webpost-profile.png?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":7063,"url":"https:\/\/typesetter.hk\/en\/2025\/09\/09\/article-the-making-of-keung-to-bay-fandom-urban-space-and-affective-alliance-in-hong-kong\/","url_meta":{"origin":7138,"position":2},"title":"[Article] The Making of Keung To Bay: Fandom, Urban Space and Affective Alliance in Hong Kong","author":"\u624b\u6c11\u51fa\u7248\u793e","date":"09\/09\/2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Author: Lucetta Y. L. Kam, Carol P. H. Chow Source: Intersectionality and the City Link: https:\/\/www.taylorfrancis.com\/chapters\/oa-edit\/10.4324\/9781003529729-18\/making-keung-bay-lucetta-kam-carol-chow Abstract This chapter examines the implications of mass fan activities and mobilizations that have become popular in Hong Kong in recent years. Using the fan event of \u201cKeung To Bay\u201d in Causeway Bay as\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Hong Kong Studies Newsroom"","block_context":{"text":"Hong Kong Studies Newsroom","link":"https:\/\/typesetter.hk\/en\/category\/%e9%a6%99%e6%b8%af%e5%ad%b8%e8%a1%93%e6%83%85%e5%a0%b1%e5%ae%a4-en\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/typesetter.hk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/article.png?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/typesetter.hk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/article.png?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/typesetter.hk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/article.png?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/typesetter.hk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/article.png?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/typesetter.hk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/article.png?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":7900,"url":"https:\/\/typesetter.hk\/en\/2026\/04\/07\/article-the-old-hong-kong-style-preserving-the-past-in-specialty-coffee-shops\/","url_meta":{"origin":7138,"position":3},"title":"[Article] The Old Hong Kong Style: Preserving the Past in Specialty Coffee Shops","author":"\u624b\u6c11\u51fa\u7248\u793e","date":"07\/04\/2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Author: Mai M\u00fcnster; Ada Ying Man Chan; Sylvia Xihui Liu; Victorc Serrano Source: IASDR Link: https:\/\/www.diva-portal.org\/smash\/record.jsf?pid=diva2%3A2020917&dswid=-6558 Abstract The promotion of specialty coffee and the opening of coffee shops have surged in Hong Kong in recent years, establishing the city as a leading destination for specialty coffee. A previous study revealed\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Hong Kong Studies Newsroom"","block_context":{"text":"Hong Kong Studies Newsroom","link":"https:\/\/typesetter.hk\/en\/category\/%e9%a6%99%e6%b8%af%e5%ad%b8%e8%a1%93%e6%83%85%e5%a0%b1%e5%ae%a4-en\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/typesetter.hk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/article.png?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/typesetter.hk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/article.png?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/typesetter.hk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/article.png?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/typesetter.hk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/article.png?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/typesetter.hk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/article.png?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":7636,"url":"https:\/\/typesetter.hk\/en\/2026\/01\/28\/article-the-politics-of-salon-photography-the-ideological-function-of-east-asian-photography-in-the-cold-war-era\/","url_meta":{"origin":7138,"position":4},"title":"[Article] The Politics of Salon Photography: The Ideological Function of East Asian Photography in the Cold War Era","author":"\u624b\u6c11\u51fa\u7248\u793e","date":"28\/01\/2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Author: Jeehey Kim Source: Journal of War & Culture Studies Link: https:\/\/www.tandfonline.com\/doi\/full\/10.1080\/17526272.2025.2459494 Abstract The article examines international photography contests in East Asia from the 1950s to the 1970s and the influence of select photographers on ideological struggles during the Cold War. It focuses on salon photography, a style blending conventional\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Hong Kong Studies Newsroom"","block_context":{"text":"Hong Kong Studies Newsroom","link":"https:\/\/typesetter.hk\/en\/category\/%e9%a6%99%e6%b8%af%e5%ad%b8%e8%a1%93%e6%83%85%e5%a0%b1%e5%ae%a4-en\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/typesetter.hk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/article.png?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/typesetter.hk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/article.png?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/typesetter.hk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/article.png?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/typesetter.hk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/article.png?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/typesetter.hk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/article.png?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":7307,"url":"https:\/\/typesetter.hk\/en\/2025\/10\/28\/article-free-roaming-bovids-in-hong-kong-worlding-the-more-than-human-care\/","url_meta":{"origin":7138,"position":5},"title":"[Article] Free-roaming bovids in Hong Kong, worlding the more-than-human care","author":"\u624b\u6c11\u51fa\u7248\u793e","date":"28\/10\/2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Author: Zimu Zhang Source: European Journal of Cultural Studies Link: https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/doi\/full\/10.1177\/13675494251322107 Abstract Living on an ailing planet undergoing the Anthropocene epoch, more-than-human care is an essential obligation we must embrace to thrive alongside multispecies communities. However, when we discuss, practice and speculate about co-living with multispecies others and building more-than-human\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Hong Kong Studies Newsroom"","block_context":{"text":"Hong Kong Studies Newsroom","link":"https:\/\/typesetter.hk\/en\/category\/%e9%a6%99%e6%b8%af%e5%ad%b8%e8%a1%93%e6%83%85%e5%a0%b1%e5%ae%a4-en\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/typesetter.hk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/article.png?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/typesetter.hk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/article.png?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/typesetter.hk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/article.png?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/typesetter.hk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/article.png?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/typesetter.hk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/article.png?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/typesetter.hk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7138","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/typesetter.hk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/typesetter.hk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/typesetter.hk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/145170531"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/typesetter.hk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7138"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/typesetter.hk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7138\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7139,"href":"https:\/\/typesetter.hk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7138\/revisions\/7139"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/typesetter.hk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6534"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/typesetter.hk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7138"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/typesetter.hk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7138"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/typesetter.hk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7138"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}