Fashioning Socialism: Clothing, Politics and Consumer Culture in East Germany

Description

This is the first history of communist fashion in East Germany. Using clothing as a lens to read society, the author unveils wider tensions between the regime and the population and within the regime itself. In telling the surprising--and often bizarre--story of communist haute couture, fashion shows, seasonal clearance sales, the textile and garment industries, and everyday consumer practices, this book explores the paradoxical causes, forms, and consequences of East Germany's attempt to create a communist consumer culture during the Cold War. In attempting to compete with capitalism on the West's terms, East Germany unwittingly bred disgruntled consumers--consumers who ultimately tore down the Wall. List of Illustrations Contents Acknowledgments x Introduction 1 1 Ideologies and Politics of Consumption 13 2 The Logic and Contingencies of Planning, Producing, and Distributing 27 3 From “New Out of Old” to “Socialist Fashion”: Patching Together an Alternative Consumer Culture 49 4 Economies of Value and Politics of Price 78 5 The Embarrassment of Surpluses 94 6 The Disillusionment of Dreams of Distinction: Hochmodisch Apparel, Fashion Boutiques, and Exquisit Stores 119 7 Shopping, Sewing, Networking, Complaining: Consumer Practices and the Relationship between State and Society 144 Epilogue 166 Notes 170 List ofAbbreviations 229 Select Bibliography 232 Index 249