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Posting about menswear: A netnographic inquiry on virtual community of

fashionbricoleurs

Bricolage(Fr.bricolage,tinkering)isanactofconstructionofasculptureora

structure of ideas achieved by using whatever comes to hand. In consumerculture theory (CCT), bricolage has referred to expression of personal

sovereigntyandclaims topersonalauthenticity throughnonconformist actsof

consumption (Holt, 2002) or amalgamation and adaptation of culturally

availableresourcestomakesomethingnew(Thompson&Haytko,1997).

Hence, afashion bricoleur can be described as an individual presenting such

meansforpersonalizingherfashionstylei.e.havingdeepunderstandingofthe

predominantfashionphenomenaandtheconsumerproductsattachedtoit,as

well as means to mix & match these products into aesthetically pleasing

ensembles.Astastemakersoftheirownniche,fashionbricoleursleadthepack

bytheirconsumptionchoices.

Besidesaslivingthingsinvariousshoppingarenas,onecanencounterfashion

bricoleurs in virtual form while they gather to share thoughts about their

consumptionhabitsinvariousdiscussionforumsofthegreatInternet.Supertalk

atsuperfuture.comisoneofthose.

Originally created for offeringurbancartography for global shopping experts,

the website has evolved into a densely populated web community of fashion

connoisseurs. Supertalk discussion forumhas growninto one of thewebsites

core features, inhabiting active groupof fashion enthusiasts from all over the

world. Notably, while fashion talk is traditionally seen as a feminine thing,

Supertalkisalmostexclusivelyacommunityofmen.Whatmakesitevenmore

interesting, it is geared towards higher end avant-garde fashions and mostimportantlyisthevirtualstrongholdoffashionbricoleurs.

CCTexploreshowconsumersactivelyreworkandtransformsymbolicmeaning

encodedinadvertisements,brands,retailsettingsormaterialgoodstomanifest

theirparticularpersonalandsocialcircumstancesandfurthertheiridentityand

lifestyle goals (Arnould & Thompson, 2005). In prior CCT research, fashion

(McCracken,1986;Thompson&Haytko, 1997;Arsel&Thompson, 2011)and

virtualcommunities(Kozinets,1997;Kozinets,2002)havebeenaddressedfrom

timetotimebutthestreamhasyettoseeastudycombiningthesetwo.Thus,I

would like to extend the sphere by conducting a study on the virtual fashion

bricoleurcommunityofSupertalk.

ThefashionbricoleursofSupertalksharein-depthinsightonthemselves,their

lifestyles and the reasons behind the choices they make as consumers. This

information iscommercially valuable, as itcan help companies developbetter

marketing strategies, identifyindustrytrends,orguidedesignersin improving

theirproducts.

When inquiring a virtual community in the light of CCT, the method of

netnography (Kozinets, 2002) would come into question. Derived from

ethnography(Arnould&Wallendorf,1994),itisconsideredasvirtualtakeonits

originalform.Comparedtotraditionalethnographicorcommoninterview-based

techniques, netnographic approach thrives thanks to its inexpensive and

unobtrusive nature. In this connection, it would reach sufficient amount offashionbricoleursinfarlesseramountsofmoneyandtimeinvestedincollection

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of data. This is simply because the desired research subjects are scarce and

spread widely around theworld. The virtual community would act here as a

gatheringforcetojoinsubjectsundersameumbrella.

In practice, applying netnography to Supertalk would consist of following

phases:firstly,distinguishingthedevoteeand insiderbricoleurusers(Kozinets,

1999)andtranscribingthechosenmessagespostedbythem.Further,analyzingthedatatoformathickdescription(Geertz,1973)ofthediverseconsumption

behaviorsandtheirrolesintheconstructionofbricoleurpersonalidentities.