Paper short abstract:

The mercatini dell usato, second-hand clothes markets in South Italy, are contexts which reveal actors' creative response to the economic crisis. Locals manage the anxiety of maintaining appearance as they reflexively engage in a critique of the global situation through moments of self-irony.

Paper long abstract:

The mercatini dell usato (second-hand clothes markets) appeared in Reggio Calabria in 2010 as a direct result of the current economic crisis. Increasingly people are drawn to these markets where they can find cheap, second-hand but all the same designer clothes. As the economic crisis in Italy deepens, actors face the nagging pressure to maintain appearance. This paper addresses the fundamental quotidian anxiety to appear well-dressed, with an extensive and costly wardrobe whilst at the same time spend as little as possible.

I argue that the mercatini dell usato are ambiguous contexts which reveal the actors' creativity to respond to the economic crisis. As locals manage to cope with the anxiety of maintaining appearance they engage in a critique of the global situation through reflexive moments of self-irony. Actors in Reggio Calabria buy second-hand clothes more frequently than ever. By doing so, they contest the adequacy of established categories such as concealment, display and charity.