Entanglements of a Dress Named Laverne: Threads of Meaning between Humans and Things (and Things)

Abstract

This is a narrative about a dress named Laverne and a woman named Elizabeth told through Ian Hodder’s proposition about entanglements. Elizabeth Withey wrote a blog called Frock Around the Clock about her lived experience of wearing the black dress “Laverne” every day for one year. Through Hodder’s three themes of entanglement — humans depend on things, things depend on things, and things depend on humans — the interdependencies between a woman and a dress are uncovered. Laverne is a thread within a web of other threads of entanglement driven by her relationship with a person. This is demonstrated through Hodder’s illustration of sequential staging and the vast network of things required for Laverne’s existence. Laverne and Elizabeth’s interdependent relationship is further developed through a close examination of their interactions, including how Laverne is reliant on Elizabeth to acquire and maintain agency. In turn, Elizabeth finds comfort during a tumultuous year by constructing and reconstructing her identity with Laverne as a kind of transitional object. Our discussion concludes by offering three general insights into the entangled and complex human-clothing relationship. The complexities of a human relationship and interactions with a dress are exposed in this case study through an in-depth dive into slow fashion that reveals significant insights into the entangled relationships and interactions people have with clothing.