| dc.description.abstract | This thesis deals with the construction of symbolic value and aesthetic authority in a menswear context. Based on fieldwork conducted in Oslo; in two tailoring shops which are seen as two of the best menswear shops in Oslo. Fieldwork has also been done digitally on online blogs, forums, and social media. I propose that menswear subculture and market is of anthropological interest as an entry to construction of subcultures, material culture and the reproduction of capitalist elite culture. Presenting the intertwining of physical and digital culture, how people from different countries and contexts create a symbolic value of clothing and the distinction of inside and outside. Relevant theoretical insights are based on material culture, digital culture, social media, symbolic value, economic theory, and reproduction of culture. The menswear subculture is studied as a product of capitalist markets and commodities, with luxury and exclusivity a distinction of the commodities involved in the market, discussing the role of commodities in creating a sense of shared symbolic value. Fieldwork in a tailoring shop means involving staff, customers, tailors, warehouse employees and couriers all ensuring the day-to-day function of a shop which relies on local knowledge and transnational connections. Creation of symbolic value and aesthetic authority, all being affected by; menswear industry employees, community members, bloggers, social media influencers, forums all involved in creating a clear idea of what is valuable and respected. I also argue that through commodities, specific political and cultural ideals are reproduced through generations, with kinship being an important process of this reproduction. Kinship as an integral part of capitalist production and value creation is also discussed. Through the mediums of blogs, forums, and social media there has been a democratization of the menswear subculture, but I argue that the democratization has mainly happened in the field of participation, not the formative aspect. This democratization process has shown the importance of exclusivity and restrictiveness is in the culture of “elites”. I suggest that material culture is closely linked to the symbolism in elite culture and the reproduction of it as well, with commodities both a way of ensuring elite status through wealth, but also a way of symbolizing and representing elite culture. Lastly, I argue that the distinction between fashion and style is an important distinction to understanding this specific subculture and its members, with the representations of those terms involving a larger representation of cultural and political ideals. | eng |