Transfer of Ownership
Giving a garment to someone else is sometimes a straightforward and
spontaneous act. At other times a transfer of ownership is more
circuitous. Periods of overlapping ownership often intensify resource
use and stud a garment’s story with memories.
Gift shirt
"This T-shirt was my son's, his father runs a festival, an electronic music festival and they always have beautiful t-shirts, every year, and I never get one. A few years ago my son was wearing this, and I was just begging, trying to guilt him, trying everything I could, to get him to give it to me, and he wouldn't. And then as he was packing his bags, he pulled it out of the bag and gave it to me. And he left. And then I just felt so guilty that I'd done this! (laughs). That I coerced him… So his birthday is in October, so I wrapped it up and I gave it back to him. As a birthday present… That very Christmas or Christmas afterwards, he wrapped it up and gave it to me as a Christmas present (laughs)."
Vancouver - January 2013
Photograph by
Jeremy Calhoun
