Master’sThesis

BabyClothesasSymbolicMeaningTransferintoMotherhood

AQualitativeStudyofFirstTimeMothers

fromGenerationYinCopenhagen

MSc.EBABrandingandCommunicationsManagementCopenhagenBusinessSchool,2016

Supervisor:AndersHøiris17thMay2016Pages:113

Characters:235.902

RebeccaFanny-RitaHertig &

KateřinaBendová

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ABSTRACTWithin today’s society people consume goods not only for their utilitarian value but also for their

symbolic meanings. Therefore, all goods carry symbolic meanings. The aim of the thesis is to

understandhowbabyclothesfunctionasasymbolicmeaningtransferandhowtheyassist firsttime

mothers in their identity construction intomotherhood. This study focuses on the recent first time

mothersfromGenerationY,sincetheyarethegenerationofnewmotherstoday.

The research was made from a social constructionism perspective and was conducted through a

qualitative study, which included 10 semi-structured interviews with first time mothers from

GenerationYinCopenhagen.

Theanalysisshowsthatthebabyclothescarrydifferentsymbolicmeanings,whichthemothersusein

ordertogainaself-perceptionasa“good”motherandtogetrecognitionfromothers,bydressingthe

childintheclothesthatcarrythe“right”values.Furthermore,thebabyclothescanassistthemothers

torepresentwhotheyareasamotherinregardtolifestyle,socialstatusandvalues.Additionally,the

analysisshowsthatthebabyclothesareutilisedasasignofbelonging,whichthemothersuseinorder

to show an affiliation with other mothers. Thus the analysis demonstrates that the symbolic

consumptionofbabyclothesisusedbythemothersinordertoconstructtheirself-identityandsocial-

identityandassistthemintheiridentityconstructionintomotherhood.

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TABLEOFCONTENTSINTRODUCTION 4RESEARCHQUESTION 5DEFINITIONANDDELIMITATIONOFKEYCONCEPTS 5

DELIMITATION 9RELEVANCEOFTHETHESIS 10OVERVIEWOFTHETHESIS 111.PHILOSOPHYOFSCIENCEANDMETHODOLOGY 121.1.PHILOSOPHYOFSCIENCE 121.1.1. SOCIALCONSTRUCTIONISM 121.1.2. RESEARCHAPPROACH 13

1.2. METHODOLOGY 141.2.1. PRIMARYDATA 151.2.2. SECONDARYDATASOURCES 221.2.3. THEQUALITYOFTHERESEARCH 23

1.2.4. STRUCTUREOFTHEANALYSIS 252. THEORYREVIEW 262.1. CONSUMPTIONPERSPECTIVES 262.1.1. CONSUMPTIONSTUDIES–ACULTURALPERSPECTIVE 27

2.2. THEORYOFGENERATIONS 282.2.1. GENERATIONY 29

2.3.MOVEMENTOFCULTURALANDSYMBOLICMEANINGOFCONSUMERGOODS 302.2.2. CULTURALLYCONSTITUTEDWORLD 322.2.3. LOCATIONSOFCULTURALMEANING:CONSUMERGOODS 332.2.4. RITUALS 342.2.5. REFERENCEGROUPS 36

2.3. POSSESSIONSASPARTOFTHESELF 392.3.1. POSSESSIONSASATOOLFORTHEDEVELOPMENTOFTHESELF 402.3.2. COREENDEXTENDEDSELF 402.3.3. HAVING,DOINGANDBEING 412.3.4. POSSESSIONSASREPRESENTATIONOFTHESELF 422.3.5. CRITIQUEOFBELK’SMETAPHOROFCOREANDEXTENDEDSELF 43

3. CULTURALCONSTITUTEDWORLDOFTHEMOTHERS 463.1. THEMOTHERS’CULTURE 473.2. VALUESOFMILLENNIALS 483.3. MILLENNIALSANDTECHNOLOGY 513.4. MILLENNIALSANDSOCIALRESPONSIBILITY 523.5. GENDERANDCLOTHING 543.6. SUPERSTITION 553.7. CULTURALVALUESINCONNECTIONWITHTHESYMBOLICMEANING 563.8. SUB-CONCLUSION 56

4. INSTRUMENTSOFMEANINGTRANSFER 574.1. ADVERTISINGANDFASHIONSYSTEM 584.1.1. SOCIALMEDIA 59

4.2. REFERENCEGROUPS 624.2.1. FAMILYANDFRIENDS 624.2.2. MOTHERGROUPS 63

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4.3. SUB-CONCLUSION 655. BABYCLOTHESCARRYCULTURALANDSYMBOLICMEANINGS 665.1. ORGANICBABYCLOTHES 675.2. GENDERSTEREOTYPESINTHEBABYCLOTHES 685.3. FINANCIALRESPONSIBILITYANDEGALITARIANTHINKING 695.4. SUB-CONCLUSION 715.5. PURCHASINGBEHAVIOUROFTHEMOTHERS 725.5.1. SOCIALMEDIA 725.5.2. PHYSICALSHOPS 735.5.3. E-SHOPS 745.5.4. COMBINATIONONTHEPHYSICALSHOPSANDTHEE-SHOPS 745.5.5. BRANDEDVSNONBRANDEDCLOTHING 765.5.6. SHAREDANDRENTEDCLOTHING 77

5.6. SUB-CONCLUSSION 776. RITUALSASPARTOFTHEMEANINGTRANSFER 786.1. EXCHANGERITUALS 796.1.1. BABYCLOTHESASAPRESENT 80

6.2. GROOMINGRITUAL 826.3. POSSESSIONRITUAL 836.4. DIVESTMENTRITUAL 836.5. SUB-CONCLUSION 84

7. BABYCLOTHESASPARTOFTHEIDENTITYCONSTRUCTIONINTOMOTHERHOOD 867.1. BABYCLOTHESASREPRESENTATIONOFTHEMOTHERS 877.2. BABYCLOTHESCONSTRUCTINGTHEMOTHERS’SELF-IDENTITY 887.2.1. “NOTME”-BABYCLOTHES 907.2.2. BABYCLOTHESCENTRALTOTHESELF 917.2.3. SUPERSTITION 93

7.3. BABYCLOTHESCONSTRUCTINGTHEMOTHERS’SOCIALSELF 947.3.1. SEEKINGCONFIRMATIONFROMOTHERSTHROUGHTHEBABYCLOTHES 957.3.2. FEAROFBEINGPERCEIVEDASA“BAD”MOTHER 957.3.3. CONSTRUCTINGTHEIDEAL-SELFASAMOTHER:DIFFERENTCLOTHESINPUBLIC ANDPRIVATE 967.3.4. BABY-CLOTHESASAWAYTOFITINTOTHETRIBEOFMOTHERS 97

7.4. SUB-CONCLUSSION 988. CONCLUSION 1019. MANAGERIALIMPLICATIONSANDFUTHEROUTLOOK 1049.1. MANAGERIALIMPLICATIONS 1049.2. SUGGESTIONSFORBUSINESSES 1059.3. FURTHERRESEARCH 106

BIBLIOGRAPHY 108

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INTRODUCTIONIn the lastdecade thedevelopmentof thebabyandchildren’sclothesmarket inDenmarkhasmore

than doubled (Dansk Mode og Tekstil, 2012). It is estimated that in 2013 themoney spent on

children’sclothesinDenmarkwas$970.1millionandthemarketisforecastedtogrowupto7.2%to

increasethevalueto$1,039.5millionin2018(MarketlineReport,2014). InCopenhagenthemarket

evenhas itsownfashion fairCIFFKIDS,withmorethan300brandsrepresentedat the fair in2016

(CIFFKIDS,2016)andthepossibilitieswheretoshopandwhatstylestowearareeverexpanding.The

growthandexpansionwithinthismarket,consequentlymakesitaninterestingtopictoinvestigate.

The babies themselves do not have an interest in the clothes they are wearing, so why is it then

important for the mothers? There can be many answers to this, but this thesis will focus on

thesymbolic meaning of the baby clothes, by taking a consumer research perspective. This is

supported by the understanding that products hold more value than merely a utilitarian function

(Levy,1959;ØstergaardandJantzen,2000;Solomon,2015).

“Peoplebuythingsnotonlyforwhattheycando,butalsoforwhattheymean.”

(Levy,1959,p.118).

This quote is supported by Salomon, Bamsossy, Askegaard and Hogg (2014) who elaborate, that

“consumptionbecomesmoreamatterofculturalmeaningand lessamatterofutility”(Solomonetal.,

2014,p55.).

Based on this, it can be stated that the baby clothes do not only have utilitarian function, but also

represent different symbolic meanings and can for instance be used by the mothers to express to

othershowtheyareasamother.Thesesymbolicmeaningsareimpactedbythecultureinwhichthe

motherslive(ØstergaardandJantzen,2000,p.22).Hence,itisalsocriticaltoexaminewhatthevalues

are, within the given culture of the mothers. These values “are very general principles for judging

betweengoodandbadgoalsandthey formacoreprincipleofeveryculture” (Solomonet al., 2014, p.

532).

Furthermore, theconsumption of products has been understood to ease transitions (Shouten 1991,

UthThomsenandSørensen2006,Andersen,SørensenandKjær,2008)intothedifferentlifephasesof

a person, and thiswill be further investigated in connectionwith the product category of the baby

clothesandtheidentityconstructionintomotherhood.

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Otherauthorshavewrittenarticlesaboutthesetopicsbefore,suchasAndersen,SørensenandKjær,

2006, Uth Thomsen and Sørensen, 2006 and there has also beenwritten a thesis within the topic,

calledBabyclothing–animageoftheidealmother,byGitteWongeNielsen,2010.However,thefocus

of this thesis will be on the mothers from Generation Y, since they are the new generation of

consumingmothers,whohaveothertypesofvalues,expectationsaswellasaccesstoproducts.Thisis

whatmainlydifferentiatesthisthesisfrompreviousstudies.

RESEARCHQUESTIONInordertounderstandhowthebabyclothesholdsymbolicmeaningsforthemothersandhowthey

impactthemothers intheir identityconstructioninthenewroleasamother, thethesiswillseekto

answerthefollowingresearchquestion:

Inordertogetabetterunderstandingof theresearchquestion, it isworthwhilebrieflyto introduce

someofthekeyconceptsthatwillbeusedthroughoutthisthesis.Furthermore,itwillbearguedwhy

someofthekeyconceptswerechosenintheresearchquestionaspartofthelimitation.

DEFINITIONANDDELIMITATIONOFKEYCONCEPTS

FIRSTTIMEMOTHERS

Inthisthesis,ithasbeenchosentofocusontherecentfirsttimemothers.Thereasontofocusonthis

segment,isduetothefactthattheyhaverecentlyenteredthenewinexperiencedphaseintheirlives,

motherhood,whichimpliesthattheywillneedtotakeonanewliferole(UthThomsenandSørensen,

2006;TheVOICEgroup,2010).Thisphaseisasignificantlifetransitionandthereforethemothersare

vulnerable to the symbolicmeaning of representing how they are asmothers (ibid). Therefore, the

consumption can assist the recent first time mothers in the transition from womanhood to

motherhood (TheVOICE group, 2010;Andersen et al. 2009; Schouten, 1991). This is not a case for

motherswhoalreadyhaveamorechildren,sincetheyaremoreestablishedintheirroleidentityasa

motherandthustheyarelessvulnerable.Consumersintransitioncanthereforebesaidto“providea

resource of great value for research on the relationship between symbolic consumption and identity

construction”(TheVOICEgroup,2010,p.373).

Howdobabyclothesfunctionasasymbolicmeaningtransferforrecentfirsttimemothersfrom

GenerationYinCopenhagenintheiridentityconstructionintomotherhood?

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BABY

For the research purposes, the mothers have maximum 2 years old baby. The age of the baby is

asignificant factor, since themothers are theprimarydecisionmakers regardingdressing thebaby.

Furthermore, humans of the age of two are still considered toddlers whereas three years old are

considered as a child (AmericanAcademy of Pediatrics, 2016) and therefore by definition theywill

wearchildren’sclothesnotbabyclothes.

GENERATIONY

Thereasonbehind focusingat theGenerationY is that this is thebiggestgenerationglobally(Retail

Institute Scandinavia, 2013) and that it is slowly replacing the Generation X in roles of consuming

mothers.

Within the literature, there is however, not a clear agreement, when the Generation Y is born.

Theauthorsagreewith thePewResearchCenter’sdefinition that theGenerationY isbornbetween

1980and1996(PewResearchCenter,2014).OftenthisgenerationisalsoreferredtoasMillennials.

Thesetermswillbeusedinterchangeablythroughoutthethesis.

COPENHAGEN

Withinthethesis,thegeographicalscopeisdefinedasthemunicipalityofCopenhagen.Thechoiceof

focusingonthiscityisduetoseveralreasons:

1) AccordingtoStatisticsDenmark(DanskStatistik,2016),itcanbeseenthatthehighestamount

of babies of maximum 2 years old, who have a mother from Generation Y, are born in

Copenhagen(Appendix1).

2) Itisalsothemunicipalitywiththehighestnumberofbirths,comparedtoothermunicipalities

inDenmark.(DanskStatistik,2016Appendix1;Kuhdal,2014).

3) Furthermore,lookingatallthemunicipalitiesinDenmark,Copenhagenistheone,wheremost

womenfromGenerationYlive(DanskStatistik,2015,Appendix1)

4) Inaddition,Copenhagenisthemunicipality,comparedtotheothermunicipalitiesinDenmark,

withthehighestshareofwomenfromGenerationYcomparedtothetotalamountofwomen

livingwithinthemunicipality.

In addition, Copenhagen is experiencing the tendencies of birth-surplus, becausemorewomenwho

are in the childbearing age are living there (Halskov, 2015). This is connectedwith thetendency of

youngpeoplestayinginCopenhagenaftertheyhavegraduatedandhadchildren,insteadofleavingfor

the suburbs (Jensen, 2015). This is, according to Thor Andersen, research director at the National

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BuildingResearchInstitute,duetothefactthatthefinancialcrisishasmadepeoplestayclosetothe

city,whereitis“financiallysecure”(Albrektsen,2014).

For these abovementioned reasons, the geographical scope of Copenhagen has beenmade for this

thesis,sincetheyindicatethatCopenhagenisan interestingcityto focusonwheninvestigatinghow

babyclothesserveasasymbolicmeaningtransferforthemothersofGenerationY.

CULTURE

There are many different definitions of the term culture, and it can therefore be hard to describe

(Rothman,2014).Nevertheless, theauthorsof this thesis agreewith thedefinitionofZimmermann,

whodescribescultureas“thecharacteristicsandknowledgeofaparticulargroupofpeople,definedby

everythingfromlanguage,religion,cuisine,socialhabits,musicandarts”(Zimmermann,2015).This is

supported by the reason that the culture is “accumulation of shared meanings, rituals, norms and

traditionsamongmembersofasociety”(Solomonetal.,2014,p.529).

SYMBOLICANDCULTURALMEANING

Other terms that carrymuch importance are the cultural and symbolicmeanings. These terms are

significantforthisprojectsincethemainframeworkofthisthesisdependsuponit.

Thesymbolicmeaning isdefinedasrepresentationofgreatermeaning,becauseofwhatitrepresents

(symbolic,n.d.).Itcanthereforebesaidthatitisusedtoexplainsomethingthatstandsforsomething

elsethanitsoriginalsignificance(symbol,n.d.).

Inthetermsymbolicmeaningtheauthorsofthisthesisalsoincludetheculturalmeaning,because“the

meanings of the symbols are learned and deliberately perpetuated in asociety [culture]” (Causin and

Ngwenya, 2015, p.1466). Therefore, it is the culture,which impacts howwe asmembers of society

perceiveandshapethesymbols.

CULTURALMEANING

SYMBOLICMEANING

Figure1:Relationbetweenculturalandsymbolicmeaning,Owncreation,2016

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BABYCLOTHING

Theproductcategory,whichisinfocusinthisthesis,isonthebabyclothing.Therearemanydifferent

products,whichthefirsttimemotherscanpurchase,howevertherationaletofocusonbabyclothing

is due to the fact that themothers in their symbolic consumption of baby clothes allow expressing

themselves as a mother to the surrounding world. This is to some extent harder in other product

categories,suchase.g.diapers,babyfoodortoys.

There are different attributes when looking at clothing such as; design, price and quality. It is,

however,importanttonoticethatthisthesisdoesnottakeitsfocusonthefashionandtrendaspectsof

baby clothing. Instead, baby clothingwill here be distinguished between branded and non-branded

clothing:

BRANDEDCLOTHING

Thedefinitionofbranded(clothing)is“carryingthebrandortrademarkofamanufacturer”(Branded

n.d.)andinordertobemorespecific,ithasbeendecidedtofurthermoredividethebrandedclothing

into three categories: high-end branded clothing,mid-rangebranded clothing and low-end branded

clothing.

1) The high-end clothing is by definition “themost expensive” (High-end, n.d.) clothing and

thereforemarketed as luxury branded clothing.Within the high-end clothing belong brands

such as e.g. Dior, Gucci, and Louis Vuitton. In order not to confuse thereaders, the luxury

brandedclotheswillinthisthesisbereferredtoashigh-endclothing.

2) Themid-rangebrandedclothingischaracterisedbyhavinglowerpricerangethanthehigh-end

clothing but possessing a higher quality than low-end clothing. Some examples of themid-

rangebrandsareJoha,Miniature,PompdeLux,WheatandSmåfolk.

3) Thelow-endbrandedclothing is“relativelycheaporinexpensiveofitskind”(Low-end,n.d.).An

exampleoflow-endbrandedclothingisH&M.

Further,inthisthesis,forsimplifyingpurposes,themid-rangeclothingandlow-endbrandedclothing

arereferredtoasthebrandedclothing.

NON-BRANDEDCLOTHING

The other category of clothing is non-branded, which are clothing lines sold in thesupermarkets.

Theauthorsarewellawareof the fact that incertainoccasionsandpromotions it ispossibleto find

branded clothing in supermarkets, however, this is not taken into considerationwithin this thesis.

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Theclothing linessold inthesupermarketarereferredasnon-brandedduetothefactthatthe lines

arespecificallycreatedforthesupermarketsandarenotsoldelsewhere.

DELIMITATIONInthispart,thedelimitationsofthismasterthesisaredescribed.Thesedelimitationsnarrowthescope

andimprovetheunderstandingoftheresearch.

In this thesis the geographical scope is narrowed to Copenhagen. The reasons for this choicewere

presentedpreviouslyinthesectionofDefinitionandDelimitationofKeyConcepts. It isacknowledged

thatthelocationwherethemotherslivecanhaveanimpactontheresearch.Thelocationisconnected

with factors as income, class and community. Thepreferences of the mothers can differ based on

thelocation and in conclusion, it can partially impact themothers’ values (Østergaard and Jantzen,

2000,p.22).Inaddition,theauthorsdointhisthesisnotconsidertheculturaldifferencesinregardof

nationalities;therefore,attentionhasnotbeengiventobackgroundofthemothers.

By focusing at the mothers, this research will not take into consideration the fathers’ role in

theconsumptionofthebabyclothesaswellastheirimpactonthemothers’identityconstructioninto

motherhood. The reason for this is that the mothers serve as main determinants for dressing the

childrenaccordingtotheallinterviewees.

Anotherimportantelementtofocusinthisdelimitationisthefactthethesisonlyfocusesonthebaby

clothesandthesymbolicmeaningsattachedtotheme.g.beingagoodmother.However, theauthors

wishtoemphasisethattherearemanywaysotherthanmaterialistictobeagoodandcaringmother.

Theother factors such as time spendwith the childor love to the child arenot investigated in this

thesis,buttheyareequallyifnotmoreimportantfactorsforbeingagoodandcaringmother.

Anotherdelimitationofthisthesisisthatqualitativedataaresolelycollectedandanyquantitativedata

have not been collected as primary research. However, themain source of quantitative data about

Generation Y in Denmark is from Research Institute Scandinavia 2013. Therefore, the quantitative

datagainedfromthereportareapplicableforCopenhagen,sinceitisembeddedintheDanishnation.

Lastlyitisrelevanttomentionthatthisthesisinnotfocusingonanyspecificsupplierofbabyclothes

orbrandsandthisimpliesthatthefindingswithintheresearchareofmoregeneralnature.

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RELEVANCEOFTHETHESISThis thesis contributes with deeper insights as to how the mothers utilise the baby clothes and

theculturalandsymbolicmeanings theyattach to them.Thishashighrelevance for thesuppliersof

baby clothes since they canuse these insights to successfully develop and improve theirmarketing

andcommunicationstrategy,whichcancontributetoimprovementoftheresultsfortheirbusinesses.

By focusing on Generation Y, it is provided an understanding of the new generation of consuming

mothers,whichhasthemostrelevanceforthelocalbusinessesinCopenhagentoday.

In addition, since the market for baby- and the children wear is predicted to grow in thefuture

(Marketline,2014),themothersofGenerationYarealucrativesegmentforsupplierstofocuson.

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OVERVIEWOFTHETHESIS

Introduction

PARTI

PhilosophyofScienceandMethodology

TheoryReview

PARTII-Analysis

CulturalConstitutedWorldoftheMothers

InstrumentsofMeaningTransfer

BabyClothesCarryCulturalandSymbolicMeanings

RitualsasPartoftheMeaningTransfer

BabyClothesaspartoftheIdentityConstructionintoMotherhood

PartIII

Conclusion

ManagerialImplicationsandFurtherOutlook

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PARTI

1.PHILOSOPHYOFSCIENCEANDMETHODOLOGY

1.1.PHILOSOPHYOFSCIENCE

Inthischapter,itwillbeclarifiedwhichparadigmandconsequentlywhichmethodologicalchoicethe

researchersofthisthesishaveappliedinordertoanswertheresearchquestion.

The paradigm can be defined as “a way of examining social phenomena from which particular

understandingsof thesephenomenacanbegainedandexplanationsattempted” (Saunders, Lewis and

Thornhill, 2009, p. 118). This is therefore important to establish, since it provides the basis for the

researchers’scientificstandpointandtheirapproachtothefieldofinvestigationandthushowaccess

toknowledgeisgained.

1.1.1. SOCIALCONSTRUCTIONISM

Theparadigmusedinthisthesisisthesocialconstructionism.Thereasonforchoosingthisparadigmis

thattheresearchersagreewiththenotionthatnoobjectiverealityexists independently,butthatall

socialrealityisconstructedorcreatedbytheinteractionandinterpretationofsocialactors(Esterberg,

2002,p.15).Hence,therealityisdependedonourperspective(Wenneberg,2000,p.17).

Socialconstructionismis,however, inaconstantstateof fluxandischangingandexpandingrapidly

(Burr, 2015; Rasborg, 2009). As a consequence, there exist many different versions of social

constructionism and they are all slightly different (Rasborg, 2009, p.350). In this thesis, it has

consequently been chosen to adopt Vivien Burr’s (2015) view on social constructionism, since the

researchers share the understandings of her four basic assumptions of the social constructionist

philosophicalposition,namelythat:

1) We as researchers need to “take a critical stance towards taken-for-granted knowledge” (Burr,

2015,p.2);meaningthattheresearcherscannotbefullyobjectiveandunbiasedbutthattheway

ofanalysingwillbebasedontheirinterpretationoftheworld(Burr,2015,p.2-3).

Itishererelevanttomentionthattheresearchersofthisthesisdonothavechildrenandtherefore

arenotbias in termsofhavingopinions about anybaby clothesproducts, but canbebiased in

regardtounderstandmotherhood.

2) Thattheunderstandingoftheworld,categoriesandconceptsare“historicalandculturalspecific”

(Burr,2015,p.3).This is incrediblyrelevantinregardstothefactthatthefocalmothersinthis

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thesisarelivinginCopenhagenandfromGenerationY.Ifthechosengroupofmothershadbeen

different,otheranswerswouldhaveemerged.

3) That“knowledgeissustainedbysocialprocesses”(Burr,2015,p.4);meaningthatpeopleconstruct

knowledgebetween them.Thiscanbeseenwhenanalysinghowthemothersare influencedby

eachother inregards to theirviewonbabyclothesandadditionally that themothersconstruct

their understanding of who they are as mothers partially through the social interaction with

others.

4) Knowledgeandsocialactiongotogether (Burr, 2015,p. 5).This is important since themothers’

behaviourandconsumptionofbabyclothesareinfluencedbytheknowledgetheypossessabout

takingcareofthebaby.

Based on this social constructionist perspective it can be said that the study’s epistemological

orientation is interpretivism and the ontological orientation is constructivism (Eriksson and

Kovalainen,2008,p.15).Thus,itisalsoacknowledgedthatthereexistsavarietyofdifferentanswers

totheresearchquestion,dependingofwhoisaskedandinwhichcontext.

1.1.2. RESEARCHAPPROACHIn order to answer the research question an abductive approach has been applied. This way of

generatingandcollectingknowledgecanbeseenasamixof thedeductiveand inductivereasoning,

whicharethetwobasicmodelsofsocialscienceresearch(ErikssonandKovalainen,2008,p.21). In

ordertobetterclarifytheconceptofabductiveapproachtheinductiveanddeductiveapproacheswill

thusbrieflybeexplained:

Whenapplyinganinductiveapproach,thetheoriesareoutcomesofempiricalresearch(Erikssonand

Kovalainen,2008,p.22),meaningthattheresearchersdrawfromtheobservedcasesandthencreate

moregeneralstatementsorclaimsaboutthemostcases(ibid).

Deductivereasoning on theotherhand takespointofdeparture inexisting theoryand from this the

researchersdeducehypotheses,whichthenwillbesubjectedtoempiricalscrutiny(BrymanandBell,

2015, p. 23). Based on the empirical study the hypotheseswill then either be rejected or accepted

(ibid).

Nevertheless,inthisthesisithasbeenchosentoapplyanabductiveapproachinordertoovercomethe

limitationsassociatedwith thedeductiveand inductivepositions.Theweaknessassociatedwith the

deductivereasoningisthatitisdependedonastrictlogicoftheory-testingandacceptingorfalsifying

hypotheses(BrymanandBell,2015,p.27).AccordingtoBrymanandBell(2015),itcanthereforebea

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problem,howtoselectthetheorytobetested(ibid).Thecriticismofthedeductivereasoningisonthe

otherhand,that“noamountofempiricaldatawillnecessarilyenabletheory-building”(ibid).

Bymovingiterativelybetweenthesetworesearchapproachesintheresearchprocess,theauthorsof

this thesis have thus gone back-and forth between the social world as anempirical source for

theoreticalideasandthealreadyestablishedtheorywithinthefieldofinvestigation.

1.2. METHODOLOGY

Inthischapter,themethodologicalchoiceswithintheresearchprocesswillbepresented.

This thesis is created on the premise of qualitative research, since it involves the scrutiny of social

phenomena (Gubrium and Holstein 1997, cited in Esterberg 2002, p. 2), which is in line with the

researchproblemofthethesis.Byapplyingaqualitativeresearch,theauthorsareabletounderstand

the phenomena of symbolicmeaning transfer in acontext (Brinkmann and Kvale, 2015, p. 103). In

addition,byapplyingaqualitativeresearchtheauthorsgaindeeperconsumerinsight(Moisander,and

Valtonen,2012). Thisisusefulforthemarketersofbabyclothesasthisallowsthemtogetadeeper

understanding of their consumers and thereforewill help them in order to createmore consumer-

orientedstrategies.

The sources of data of this thesis are coming from primary and secondary research. The primary

researchisdonethroughthecollectionofthequalitativedata,whicharegatheredthroughthesemi-

structuredinterviews.Thesecondarydatausedarecollectedfrompublishedsourcesbothelectronical

andprinted form.Themain sourcesof secondary researchare fromacademic journals, reports and

books.Thisisfurtherexploredinthenextsection.

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Figure2:Datacollectionoverview

1.2.1. PRIMARYDATA

In order to collect primary data for the thesis, semi-structured interviews, also called in-depth

interviews(Esterberg, 2002, p.87), have been conducted. Themain advantage is that it is collected

specifically for answering the problem statement. The source of the data has been recent first time

mothersfromGenerationYlivinginCopenhagen.Theinterviewswereconducteduntiltheresearchers

achievedinformationsaturation.Thesaturationhappenedafterconductingthe10thinterview.

1.2.1.1. SEMI-STRUCTUREDINTERVIEW

Thesemi-structuredinterviewisamethod,whichcombinesanexplorativeapproach,thatstimulates

new knowledge andwhere the researchers on the same time already have some chosen themes in

advance,whichtheywishtheintervieweeswillreflectabout(JustesenandMik-Meyer,2010,p.55).

Datasources

PrimaryResearch

Quantitative Qualitativedata

SemiStructuredInterviews

Secondarydataresearch

Published

Electronic

OnlineJournals

OnlineReports

E-books

Webpages

Printed

Report:RIS2013

Books

Articles

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The semi-structured interviews in contrast to the structured interviewshave less rigid structure in

terms of questions (Bryman and Bell, 2015, p. 480), which make theinterviews more flexible and

providemorein-depthanswers.

Theinterviewsarecollectedtocomprehend“whatlifeislikefromtheperspectiveotherthanourown”

(Esterberg, 2002, p.87). Due to this, it is necessary to move beyond the researchers of this thesis

experiences and ideas to understand the interviewees point of view (ibid). Thus, the in-depth

interviews are especially useful for exploring a topic in detail (ibid). This is especially important in

order tounderstand themothers and their viewpoint.This is themain reasonwhy semi-structured

interviewswereusedastheprimarydatacollectionmethodforthisthesis.

1.2.1.2. RECRUITMENTOFINTERVIEWEES

This thesis builds on the premise of understanding how baby clothes serve as symbolic meaning

transferandhowitassists the first timemothers fromGenerationY inCopenhagen in their identity

constructionintomotherhood.Therefore,ithasbeenvitaltounderstandthistopicfromthemothers’

pointofview,sincetheyaretheoneswhocanprovidein-depthinformationaboutthistopic.

Inregardstotherecruitmentofthemothersfortheinterviews,differentcriteriahavebeenutilisedas

selectioncriteriainordertoensuretheparticipantswouldberepresentativeforthefocalmothersof

thisthesis.Inordertoparticipate,theywouldthereforeneedtomeetallofthefollowingcriteria:

1) ThemothersshouldbepartoftheGenerationYandthereforetheyshouldbebornbetweenthe

years1980-1996.

2) ThemothersshouldliveintheareaofCopenhagen, since this is thegeographical focusareaof

thisthesis.

3) Theparticipantsshouldbefirsttimemothers.Thereasonforthisitthatfirsttimemothersare

entering into motherhood and thus they experience a life-phase transition, where

consumptioncanaidinthetransitionfromoneroletoanother(Shouten,1991;UthThomsen

andSørensen,2006).

4) Theirbabyshouldmaximumbetwoyearsold,sincethechildstillusebabyclothesandtherefore

themothersareintheprocessofpurchasingandconsumingbabyclothesandthusifthechild

was older, the mother would need to think back in retro-perspective, which could provide

biasedanswers.

17

Inordertorecruitparticipantsfortheinterviews,theinterviewershadcreatedpostsonFacebook(on

theirownprofileanddifferentgroups)askingifanyoneknewapersonthatmatchedthecriteriaand

whowouldliketoparticipateinthestudyoriftheycouldshareitwiththeirpeers.Furthermore,two

participantswerecontacteddirectlysincetheresearchersknewthattheymatchedwiththeselection

criteria. The fact that the interviewers knew some of the participants before the interviews could,

however, affect the answers. Nevertheless, the researchers were aware of this and thus aimed at

minimizingtheinfluencebybeingreflexiveoftheirownpresence.

Another approachutilised to recruit intervieweeswas through the snowball sampling technique, in

whichtheresearchersaskedsomeoftheparticipatingmotherstohelpthemestablishcontacttoother

mothersamongtheiracquaintances,whomightbewillingtoparticipate(BrymanandBell,2015,pp.

434-435).Oneoftherisksofthismethodisthattheparticipantsmaybetoosimilartooneanotherin

order togiveadiverseperspective (Esterberg,2002,p.93).Nevertheless, this isnot the case in this

study,sincethesnowballsamplingwereinitiatedbydifferentmotherswhodidnotknoweachother,

whichhelpedensureamorediverseperspective.

This way of recruiting participants to the interviews resulted in 10 interviews with the following

profiles:Nameof

themotherYearofbirth

Employment

Relationshipstatus

Placeofresidence

Householdincome

(DKK/month)

Child Monthlyspendingonbabyclothes(DKK)

Kristine 1983 Multimediadesigner

Inarelationship

Valby,apartment 75.000 Emily,

6months 300

Josefine 1990 BusinessStudent Inarelationship

Østerbro,apartment 100.000 Oscar,

20months 500

Cathrine 1991 BusinessStudent Engaged Østerbro,apartment 18.000 Freja,

6months 100

Julie 1987 Nurse Inarelationship

Nørrebro,apartment 40.000 Marie,

6months 200

Judith 1983 PedagogueStudent Married Østerbro,apartment 35.000 Emma,

2years 400

Sara 1986 Medicalstudent Married Nørrebro,apartment 22.000 Anna,

12months 500

Benedikte 1981 Consultant Married Nørrebro,apartment 70.000 Elias,

7months 400

Michelle 1985

Businessstudent,Previously:

investmentbanker,butisreturningtoworkinSeptember

Divorced

Nørrebro,apartment(beforethe

divorce;houseinCharlottenlund)

18.000asstudent

butwhenshereturnstowork80.000

Noah,2years 1500

Isabella 1984 Analyst Married CopenhagenSHouse 80.000 Lucas,

13months 500

Ida 1990BusinessStudentandpart-timeworkwithPR

Inarelationship

Nørrebro,apartment 30.000 Frederik,

6months 500

18

1.2.1.3. INTERVIEWGUIDE

In order to prepare for the in-depth interviews, the researchers had created an interview guide

(Appendix3),whichshouldensure thatcertain topicswouldbecovered(BrymanandBell,2015,p.

486). The researchers therefore created different questions, which followed these themes

(Appendix4)(KvaleandBrinkmann,2015,125):

1) GenerationY

2) Symbolicmeaningofbabyclothes

3) Influenceandinspirationofbabyclothes

4) Transitionintomotherhood

5) Buyingbehaviour

The themeswereselectedas theywere found tocover theareasof theresearchquestion.Since the

researcherschoseanabductiveresearchapproach,someofthequestionswerebasedonpre-existing

knowledgefromthetheory(CulturalMeaningTransfer,McCracken,1986;TheoryofGenerationsand

ExtendedSelf,Belk1988)(deductive)whileotherofthepreparedquestionswereselectedofcuriosity

withinthetopicoftheresearch(inductive).

It is important tomentionthat the interviewguidesolely functionedasaguideto the interviewbut

that other questions were asked as well, as the interviewers picked up on things said by the

interviewees–hencegainingadeeperconsumerinsight.

Furthermore,theinterviewersbegantoseedifferentpatternsinregardstosomeofthetopics,which

the interviewed mothers emphasised on and thus began asking more about these things in the

following interviews. These themes included e.g. gender specific colours, clotheswithout chemicals,

beingorganic,recognitionfromothersandtheimpactofmothersgroup.

Hence,itcanbesaidthatthequestionsaskedweredevelopedalongtheresearchprocess.

In order to get an overview over the interviewees the researchers in addition created a face sheet

(Appendix5)thatincludeddemographicinformationabouttheinterviewees(Esterberg,2002,p.101)

Togetherwiththequalitativeanswerstothequestionsasked,thisprovidedamoreholisticpictureof

theinterviewedmothers.

1.2.1.4. SETTINGTHEINTERVIEWSSTAGE

Whenconductingresearchwithinthesocialconstructionismperspectiveitisbelievedthatthephysical

environmentimpactstheparticipants,sincehumanbeingsareseenassocialactorswhoadjusttheir

actions to thesocial reality,and thusalso to thesituationof theinterview(JustesenandMik-Meyer,

2010,p.66).Thiswasalsosomethingtheresearchersofthisthesishadinmindwhileconductingthe

19

interviewsandthereforewishedtoensurethattheintervieweesfeltcomfortable-bothphysicallyand

psychologicallyinordertoopenupandtalkfreely.

In order to secure that themothers felt comfortable, themotherswere therefore askedwhere and

when theywanted to conduct the interviewand if theywanted toparticipatewithorwithout their

baby.Thusnineoutofthe10interviewswereconductedatthemothers’home,whilethelastonewas

conductedatthemother’swork.Furthermore,thebabieswerepresentinsixoftheinterviews.

Whenconductingtheinterviewsatthemothers’ownhome,theyfeltsafe,relaxedandincontrolofthe

situationandtheywerefurthermoreabletotakecareoftheirbabywhilebeinginterviewed.Thus,the

interviewwasnotseenassomething“gettingintheway”ofthemothers’everydaylife,henceitwas

notonlycomfortableforthembutalsoconvenient.

Prior to the interviews the mothers were asked if they would feel comfortable conducting the

interviewinEnglish.Theywereexplainedthatitwouldbecompletelyacceptableiftheypreferredto

talk Danish or if they switched over to Danish when talking in English. Consequently, two of the

interviews were conducted in Danish (Julie and Kristine), since the interviewees would not feel

comfortabletalkinginEnglish.AlloftheremaininginterviewswereconductedinEnglish,however,all

oftheparticipantsdidatsomepointswitchovertoDanish,whentheyforgotawordoriftheywanted

toexpressthemselvesbetter.ThereasonforconductingthemajorityoftheinterviewsinEnglishwas

duetopracticalreasons,sinceDanishwasonlythemothertongueforoneoftheresearchers.

ThefactthatthemotherswereabletotalkDanishwhentheyfelttheneedforit,allowedthemothers

toexpressthemselveseasily,thuslimitingthelanguage-barrier,whichotherwisecouldhaveoccurred,

sinceEnglishwasnotthemother-tongueofanyoftheparticipants.

Sincetalkingaboutbabyclothescouldbeconsideredasasensitivetopic,theresearchersmadeitclear

tothemothersinthebeginningoftheinterviewthattheinterviewswereanonymous.Thisallowedthe

motherstospeaktheirmindandsharetheirviewpointswithoutfearofbeingjudged.

By allowing the mothers to choose the location, time and language as well as being interviewed

anonymously, enabled the mothers to feel more comfortable and thus be able to share deeper

consumer-insights.

1.2.1.5. CONDUCTINGTHEINTERVIEWS

Allofthe10in-depthinterviewswereconductedwithinatimespanoffourweeks,thusbeingacross-

sectionalstudy(Saundersetal.2009,p.155).Byspreadingtheinterviewsouttheinterviewerscould

learnduringtheprocessanddevelopnewquestionsthatrespondedtowhattheyhadlearntalongthe

20

way.Therefore,thequestionsthatwereaskedinthedifferentinterviewsweredevelopedthroughout

time. This is in linewith the abductive approach, since the researchersweremoving between the

theoryandtheempiricalstudythroughouttheresearchprocess.

Theinterviewslastedbetween45minutesto1.5hoursandwereallaudio-recorded.Thiswasdonein

orderfortheresearcherstobeabletofocusonwhatwasbeingsaidduringtheinterviewsinsteadof

focusing on taking notes and furthermore to remember what was talked about in the interviews

afterwards.Anotherbenefitwasalsothattheinterviewees’answerswerecapturedintheirownterms

(Bryman and Bell, 2015, p. 488). However, thefact that the interviews were being recorded could

affect theanswersof theparticipants, since theycould feelnervousorbemoreself-consciouswhen

talking (Esterberg, 2002, p. 106). Furthermore, both of the thesis’ authors were present at

themajority of the interviews, thus one was focusing on asking questions while the other was

concentratingonnote taking. In thisway the interviewerswerealso supportingandsupplementing

eachother inaskingquestions,herebygainingdeeperconsumer insights(BrymanandBell,2015,p.

487). Another advantage of being two interviewerswas also that it contributed to amore informal

atmosphere,creating“adiscussionbetweenthreepeopleratherthananexchangebetweentwopersons”

(ibid).

In the beginning of each interview themothers were introduced to the general topic of thethesis,

however, theywerenotpresentedwith theactualproblemstatement, inordernot tobe influenced

into thinking that the interviewerswere seeking specific answers, opinions or attitudes (Esterberg,

2002,p.101).

Inordertomakethemothersfeelcomfortableandrelaxeditwasalsomentionedinthebeginningthat

theinterviewwouldbemorelikeaninformalconversationratherthanastrictandformalinterview,

andthatthemothersshouldfeelfreetoaskquestionsandtointerrupt.

By telling this, it not only ensured that the mothers would talk more openly but also for the

researcherstoconductsemi-structuredinterviews.

In order to follow the in-depth interview structure, the interviewers utilised the interview guide

(Appendix3),whichwascreatedinordertoensurethatcertaintopicswerebeingcovered;however,

otherquestionswerealsoaskedastheycamealongduringtheinterviews.Inthiswaytheresearchers

couldgainmoredetailedinformationaboutdifferenttopicsandalsobeabletoexplorethetopicofthe

problem statement more openly. In order to ensure to get deep consumer insights, the type of

questionsaskedwereopenquestionsthusallowingthemotherstoexpresstheiropinionsandideasin

theirownwords(Esterberg,2002,p.87).Furthermore,theinterviewersusedprobingquestionstoadd

21

depth to the interview data, such as; elaborations to encourage the participants to keep talking in

ordertogathermoredetailofthetopic;clarifications toseekexplanations;andcompletionprobes to

ask the interviewees to finish an explanation or story “thatseemedtohadbeenbrokenoffbefore its

naturalend”(KingandHorrocks,2010,p.53).Additionally,theinterviewerswereawareofnotasking

leading questions and giving judgemental responses, in order to avoid influencing the answers of

therespondents. Intheendofall interviews,themotherswerealsoaskedif theyhadanything,they

wouldliketoaddinregardtothetopic,whichhadnotbeenaskedabout.Hence,allowingthemothers

tobringfurtherviewpointsintotheinterviews,whichtheinterviewershadnotthoughtaboutasking.

Byconductingtheinterviewsinthisway,theresearchersgainedin-depthdataaboutthetopicofthe

researchquestion,whichthencouldbeusedintheanalysis.

1.2.1.6. TRANSCRIBING

Asmention above, all the interviewshave been recorded and afterwards transcribed (Appendix 6).

This action was done in order to analyse the information from the interviews. The quotes from

theinterviewshavebeencategorized.Thisprocessisalsoknownascoding(e.g.BrinkmannandKvale,

2015,p.226).Thecoding“involvesattachingoneormorekeywordstoatextsegmentinordertopermit

the later identificationofa statement”(Brinkmann andKvale, 2015, p. 227).However, in this thesis

thecodingwasperformednotbythekeywordsassuch,butbythehighlightingprocesswherequotes

have been highlighted in different colours. Each colour represented thekeyword. This was due to

bettervisibility,practicality in theamountof thedataandalsobecause itwas less timeconsuming.

Thecategorieshavebeenselectedalongthe transcribingprocess.Theadvantagesofcodingare that

theresearchersarepushedtobefamiliarwithallthedetailsandithelpstobreakthetranscriptions

intoparts(BrinkmannandKvale,2015,p.228).Theexampleofonecodingofthe interviewscanbe

foundinAppendix7togetherwiththelistofcoloursrepresentingthekeywords.

It is lastly important to mention, that two of the interviews have been translated from Danish to

English, thus the researchers have needed to take translation-related decisions (Birbili, 2000).

Thewordings within the transcripts are consequently not the exact words of the interviewees,

however,thetranslationwasdoneasaccurateaspossibleinordertokeeptheobjectivitybyhavinga

thirdpartyrevisingit.

1.2.1.7. FOCUSGROUP

Oneof theotherconsideredmethods touse for theprimarydatacollectionhadbeena focusgroup.

However, this method of data collection has not been conducted in the end. This is due to the

severallimitations of this method. One of the main limitations has been that the mothers could

22

(un)deliberatelyspeakuntruthfullyanddishonestly,sincethereisapossibilitythatthemotherswould

show-offinfrontoftheotherparticipantsinfocusgroup.Anotherlimitationcouldbethatoneofthe

mothers in focus groupwold be dominant speaker, which could affect thewillingness of the other

participants to speak freely. It could nevertheless be interesting to understand how the mothers

influenceeachother’sbehaviour,however,thisthesis’primaryfocusisonthebabyclothesandhow

they carry symbolic meanings and assist in transition to motherhood. Therefore investigating the

mothers’behaviourwithinagroup,wouldbeanothertypeofstudy,andconsequentlyitwasnotfound

relevantforthisthesis.Intheend,itwasthereforedecidedonlytomakesemi-structuredinterviewsin

order to getdeep consumer insights and tohave “true”data,where themothers could speak freely

withoutthefearofbeingjudged.

1.2.2. SECONDARYDATASOURCESInordertosupporttheprimarydatagainedfromtheprimaryresearch,secondarydatahasbeenused

aswell.Sincethedatahasbeencollectedbyanotherpartyitwouldnotbesuitabletoleadthisproject,

buttosupporttheprimaryresearchit ismorethanappropriate.Meanwhile,theadvantagesofusing

thesecondarydataareexpressive;itiseconomicalaswellastimesaving(Ghauri,2005,citeinPerez-

SindinLopez,2013). Theother reason forusing secondarydata is that it helps to see the research

problem in context (Saunders et al, 2009), which helps to comprehend the research from various

perspectives.

ThemainsourceofthesecondarydataisthereportGenerationY:OplevelseafogkravtilDenDanske

Detailhandel createdbyRetail InstituteScandinavia in2013.The secondarydatahasbeen collected

afterconductingtheprimaryresearchanditisthereforeonlyusedtoreinforcethefindingsfromthe

primaryresearch.

1.2.2.1. GENERATIONY:OPLEVELSEAFOGKRAVTILDENDANSKEDETAILHANDEL1

ThisreportispublicallyaccessibleintheCopenhagenBusinessSchoolLibraryorcanbepurchasedat

the Retail Institute Scandinavia. It was published in 2013 and the data had been collected as

quantitative research. The report is considered relevant, since itwas conducted in Denmark and it

particularlyfocusesattheDanesfromGenerationY.EvenifitdoesnotfocusonCopenhagenassuch,it

isapplicableforthisthesis,sincethemothersareDanesandtheyareinfluencebythenationalculture.

Thesedataaresuitableespeciallyforthefirstpartoftheanalysisinwhichthecultureandpurchasing

habitsofMillennialsareanalysed.Additionally, thestudy inthereport isconsideredreliablesince it

1 Translation:GenerationY:ExperienceandRequirementsoftheDanishRetail

23

reachedmorethan1000DanishrespondentsfromGenerationYandconsequentlyityieldsthesame

resultsonrepeatedtrials(ErikssonandKovalainen,2008,p.292).Themainsourceofthedatawasan

onlinesurvey,whichassuredthat therespondentsarerepresentativeconcerningregion,urbanarea

andgenderoftheDanishpopulation.

Thesecondarydatausedinthethesisarecompileddata(Kervin,1999,citedinSaundersetal.,p.258),

which had been collected (ibid) in form of reports, graphs and statements. The advantage of this

reportisthatitmorewidespreadthanthein-depthinterviewsconductedfirsthand.

In general, the secondarydata’s disadvantage is their inappropriateness(Perez-SindinLopez, 2013).

The inappropriateness of secondary data appears, because the data collected beforehand for the

reporthavebeencollectedtoreachotherobjectivesthaninthisthesis.However,sincethisreportis

onlyusedtosupporttheprimarydatatheinappropriatenessisreduced.Moreover,anotherlimitation

of this report is that thewritersof this thesishavenocontrolover thequalityof thedatacompiled

(Saundersetal,2009,p.272)inthereportaswellassomedefinitionsmaybeunsuitable(ibid).

1.2.3. THEQUALITYOFTHERESEARCH

The classic evaluation criteria of quality of the data collection is mainly based on two concepts:

reliabilityandvalidity(Saundersetal,2009).Theyaremainlyusedinquantitativeresearch,buthave

beenadoptedinsomequalitativeresearches(ErikssonandKovalainen,2008,p.291).

The termreliability “referstotheextenttowhichthedatacollectiontechniquesoranalysisprocedures

will yield consistent findings” (Saunders et al, 2009, p.273). Moreover, validity “is concerned with

whether the findings are really about what they appear to be about” (Saunders at al., 2009, p.157).

However, some authors are concern about the relevance of reliability and validity for qualitative

research (Bryman and Bell, 2015, Eriksson and Kovalainen, 2008, Justesen and Mik-Meyer, 2010).

BrymanandBell(2015)explains:”theissueofmeasurementvalidityalmostbydefinitionseemstocarry

connotations of measurement. Since measurement is not a major preoccupation among qualitative

researchers, the issue of validity would seem to have little bearing on such study” (Bryman and Bell,

2015,p.400).TheauthorsofthisthesisacknowledgethecriticismfromBrymanandBell(2015)and

will therefore not take validity into account, because of the fact that this thesis is a qualitative

research,whichfocusesoncontextualuniquenessandaspectsofthesocialworld.

Instead, in order to assure the quality of the thesis the process of triangulation has been utilised.

Triangulation refers to the use of different data collection techniqueswithin one study in order to

clarifythefindingsoftheresearch(ErikssonandKovalainen,2008,p.292).GubaandLincoln(2005,

24

citedinEriksson&Kovalainen,2008,p.293)cameupwithdifferentformsoftriangulation.Inorderto

secure thequality of the thesis, different forms of triangulation has been applied: Triangulation of

data,triangulationoftheoriesandtriangulationofresearchers:

1) Triangulationofdata:

Whilewritingthethesisdifferentevidencefrommultipleempiricalsources(mothers)havebeenused

inorder tocross-check the informationattained(Thurmond,2001;ErikssonandKovalainen,2008).

The in-depth semi-structured interviews allowed to cross-check theinformation with each source.

This is connectedwith repetition of the information gained from theinterviews. The findingswere

confirmed by reaching a point of information saturation, as the mothers began to explain similar

thingsandthus theresearchers' resultsweredevelopedaccordingly. This fitswith thedefinitionof

conformabilitybyGubaandLincoln(1985).Accordingtothemconformability“isaboutlinkingfindings

and interpretations to the data in ways that can be easily understood” (Guba and Lincoln cited in

ErikssonandKovalainen,2008,p.294).

2) Triangulationoftheories:

Inthisresearchnumeroustheorieshavebeenappliedtoexplain,understandandanalysetheresearch

problem(ErikssonandKovalainen,2008,p.293).Thishasbeendoneinordertosupportorcontradict

thefindings.

3) Triangulationofresearches/InvestigatorTriangulation(Thurmond,2001):

Due to the fact that the research has been done in pair, both researchers “have investigated

theempiricalmaterialandcross-checkedtheinterpretationsandconclusions”(ErikssonandKovalainen,

2008,p.293).Theauthorshavethusamongotherthingsfunctionedasauditorsforeachotherinorder

toensurethatallthephasesoftheresearchprocesswereconsistentandcoherent(JustesenandMik-

Meyer, 2010, p. 42). Nevertheless, two of the interviewswere conducted in Danish, therefore they

were not audited by both researchers, due to the fact that only one of the researchers understood

Danish,howevertheywereauditedbyathirdparty.Therefore,itcanbesaidthattheprojecthashigh

dependability, since theresearchers “haveadoptedanauditingapproach” (GubaandLincolncited in

Bryman and Bell, 2015, p. 403). In addition, dependability is “parallel to reliability in quantitative

research”accordingtoGubaandLincoln(1985,1994,citedinBrymanandBell,2015,p.403).

Lastly,itisacknowledgedthatcompleteobjectivityoftheresearchersisimpossible(BrymanandBell,

2015,p.403),buttheresearchershaveaccordingtothebestknowledgenot“overtlyallowedpersonal

25

valuesortheoretical inclinationsmanifestlytoswaytheconductoftheresearch” (ibid).Therefore, the

confirmabilityoftheprojectishigh(ibid).

1.2.4. STRUCTUREOFTHEANALYSIS

Figure3:FrameworkofCulturalMeaningTransfer,McCracken,1986;withownadditions

Theframework ofMovement of Cultural Meaning of Consumer Goods (McCracken, 1986) has been

chosen touse as structure for the analysis, since the researchers found that it fitswith theprimary

datagained fromthe interviewsandthesecondarydataabout theGenerationY.Theframeworkhas

thusbeenusedtoanalysetheprimarydatatogetherwiththesecondarydata.

ThetheorybehindthismodelisfurtherexplainedinthefollowingChapter2,Theoryreview.

26

2. THEORYREVIEWInthischapterthemaintheoriesusedwithinthethesiswillbepresented.However,beforetheywill

be introduced, it is firstly important to elaborate on how the researchers of thethesis view

consumption and furthermore to provide a deeper understanding of thegenerations theories, since

thisthesisfocusesonmothersfromGenerationY.

2.1. CONSUMPTIONPERSPECTIVES

Inordertounderstandhowtheresearchersofthisthesisunderstandconsumption,ithasbeenchosen

tointroduceØstergaardandJantzen’sstudy(2000),inwhichtheypresentthedifferentwaysofseeing

consumption throughout history. This is significant in regard to how the first time mothers’

consumptionofbabyclothes isvieweduponwithin thisstudy.This thereforeprovides thebasis for

theunderstandingoftheconsumersintoday’sworld.

Per Østergaard and Christian Jantzen (2000) have in their study “ShiftingPerspectives in Consumer

Research: From Buyer Behaviour to Consumption Studies” introduced a historical development for

consumerbehaviourresearch,inwhichtheypresentfourperspectives:

1) Buyer Behaviour, 2) Consumer Behaviour, 3) Consumer Research and 4) Consumption Studies.

Itisrelevanttomentionhere,thatthisthesis’focuswillbeonthelastperspective.

Theanalysisofthefourperspectivesisbasedonafivecriteria-framework:

1. The first criterion is called The Consumer Metaphorically. It likens the consumer

metaphoricallytocertainnountouseallegoricalrepresentationinordertoexplain,“howthese

perspectivesconceivedtheconsumer”(ØstergaardandJantzen,2000,p.12).

2. In Ontology of Consumption it is explained “how and why the consumers are engaged in

consumption”(ibid).

3. TheCharacterofSubjectMattersymbolicallyconnectspartofthebodywithresearchtradition.

4. Primary Method describes certain research perspective, where one will be generally the

principalonebutgenerallyothermethodswillbeusedtoo(ibid).

5. The last criterion, Scientific Foundation explains that “the different research traditions have

differentconceptionsoftheconsumerandwhatconsumptionisabout”(ØstergaardandJantzen,

2000,p.13).

The fourperspectivesaredevelopedsuccessively.The fourthperspective,ConsumptionStudiesdoes,

however,deviatesfromtheothers,asitextendsbeyondlookingatthesingleconsumingindividual,as

ittakescultureintoconsideration(ØstergaardandJantzen,2000).

27

Thedifferencesandevolutionofthefourperspectivesareillustratedinthetablebelow:

PERSPECTIVES:BUYER

BEHAVIOURCONSUMERBEHAVIOUR

CONSUMERRESEARCH

CONSUMPTIONSTUDIES

Theconsumermetaphorically

Animal Computer Tourist TribeMember

Ontologyofconsumption

MechanicalInstinctdriven

ElectronicRational

EmotionalNarcissistic

MetaphysicalSymbolic

Characterofthesubjectmatter

TheStomach’sneeds

TheBrain’swantsTheHeart’sDesire

TheEye’srecognition

Primarymethod Experiments QuestionnaireIn-depthinterviews

Fieldworkinanelaboratedsense2

ScientificFoundationBehaviouristPsychology

CognitivePsychology

ExistentialPsychology

CulturalandSocialTheories

Table1:Overviewofthefourperspectivesanditsconceptualanalysis,Source:ØstergaardandJantzen,2000

2.1.1. CONSUMPTIONSTUDIES–ACULTURALPERSPECTIVE

In the thesis the focus is only on the fourth perspective, the Consumption Studies, since this is

Østergaardand Jantzen’smost recentperspectiveof consumerresearchand it is therefore themost

relevant, rationalized, and applicable approach. It takes into consideration the cultural aspect,

collectivityandclassbywhichthepersonisinfluenced.Furthermore,itbringsadeeperunderstanding

ofthemotivations,whichleadstowardsconsumptionpractices.

IntheConsumptionstudiesperspective,peopleconsumegoodsforwhattheymeantothemaswellas

what do they communicate to others in the society (Østergaard and Jantzen, 2000, p.18). The

consumerishenceunderstoodasbeingthetribemember.Astribemembers,theconsumersliveina

worldwhere consumption creates a “metaphysical” universe (Østergaard and Jantzen, 2000 p. 19),

sincetheyarelookingforthe‘rightsymbols’,whichwouldbeknownandrecognizedofthemembersof

the same tribe (ibid). Until the perspective ofConsumption Studies, the reasons for choosing goods

werebasedonpsychologicalmotives,butwithin thisperspective, the reasons forpicking thegoods

are“guidedbytheeye”,whichmeansthattheconsumersareawareofthemeanings,whichthegoods

hold(symbolicsurface)(ØstergaardandJantzen,2000,p.19).Thisperspectivethereforeacknowledges

theimportance of product symbolism and that consumption goes beyond just fulfilling utilitarian

needs(ØstergaardandJantzen,2000,p.20).

In conclusion, the view of consumption has altered throughout history. Nowadays consumption is

understood, as it “is a social act, cultural event implying traditions, rituals and symbolism (culture), 2Whenmakingtheresearchfieldwork,itshouldbeunderstood“inanelaboratedsense,whichinvolvesinterviewtechniques”(ØstergaardandJantzen,2000,p.20).

28

socialization,statushierarchiesandideology(society)aswellasconformityanddeviance(normativity)”

(Østergaard and Jantzen, 2000, p.21). Therefore, Østergaard and Jantzen concluded that “the

interaction through the consumption and exchanges of meanings are constitutive for society and for

individual identities … and consuming should not be conceived as the consumer’s behaviour, but as

conduct: acts where members of agroup or society perform together, i.e. as exchange of shared or

differential meanings between groups” (Østergaard and Jantzen, 2000, p. 22). This is relevant to

understand, since theconsumers’ consumption is formed by the culture and the interactions in the

societybywhichtheconsumersseeksocialrecognitionandculturalsignificance(ibid).

Since the focus of this thesis is on the mothers from Generation Y, Theory of Generations will be

introducedinordertoestablishanunderstandingofhowthegenerationsdifferfromeachother.

2.2. THEORYOFGENERATIONS

Through centuries people talk about how their children’s generation differs from theirs. Thefirst

research, about generations and the differences between people born in the different decades,was

firstlypublished in theessayProblemofGeneration byKarlMannheim (EyermanandTurner,1998,

p.92).ManheimcalledhisconceptTheoryofGenerations(Mannheim,1952).Inthissociologicaltheory,

the individuals in young age are influenced by thegeographical and cultural location and a

participationinthesocialandintellectualcurrentsoftheirtimeandplace(Pilcher,1994,p.483).There

is distinct emphasis on theevents theindividuals experience and live throughout it. Therefore, the

generationsareperceivedasgroupsofindividualsbornduringthesametimeperiodwhoexperiencea

similarculturalcontextand,inturn,createtheirculture(Gentile,CampbellandTwerge,2013citedin

Campbell,Campbell,SiedorandTwenge,2015,p.324).SinceMannheim’soriginaltheory,theresearch

has evolved and spread (Nakai, 2015, p.334). The Theory of Generations is important to mention,

becauseitgavebasestofurtherresearchaboutthecertaingenerationsandtheapplications.

In the literature therearedifferentnames for thegenerations.This isdue tomanypublicationsand

manyauthorswhocalledthegenerationsdifferentlyanditdependsonthepublic,howtheterm/name

ofthegenerationisaccepted(Sunburn,2015)andwhichonetheywanttouseit.Intheconclusion,the

peoplebornbetweensameyearsarecalleddifferentlydependingon theauthorandpublication.To

showthecomplexity,someofthetermsforthespecificgenerationwillbemention.Codrington(2008)

published a summary of what thegenerally used terms for generations in United Kingdom are

(Codrington,2008).Itisnoticeablethattheyearsareapproximateandtheyoverlap.

29

Generations:

• GI(born1900–1930)

• SilentorVeteran(born1929–1945)

• BoomersorBabyBoomers(born1946–early1960)

• XersorGenerationX(born1968–1989)

• GenerationYorMillennials(born1980s–2008)

Another example is the table by Gibson, Greenwood and Murphy (2009),which shows howmany

different names have been “invented” just for the Baby Boomers, Generation X and Generation Y

(Gibsonetal,2009)bydifferentauthors.

Table2:OverviewofGenerations'Names,Source:Gibsonetal,2009,p.3

2.2.1. GENERATIONY

In this thesis the focus is specifically on theGenerationY also knownasMillennials, and these two

terms, Generation Y and Millennials, are synonymous and will therefore be used interchangeably

throughout the thesis. ThetermMillennials is credited by the authors Strauss andHowe (Horovitz,

2012).AsmentionedpreviouslyintheKeyConceptsthereasonsbehindfocusingatMillennialsarethat

they are slowly replacing theGeneration X in roles of consuming mothers. This is important,

becausethe Millennials have different opinions, values and demands than the Boomers and

Generation X (Gibson et al, 2009). Additionally, theMillennials are less brand loyal than the other

generationsandtheyutilisethebrandsasanextensionofthemselves(Novak2006,citedinLazarevic,

2012,p.47),whichisreflectedintheirconsumerbehaviour.

Forillustration,thesummarytherankedvaluesofthegenerationscanbeseeninthetable:

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Table3:RankingofvaluesbyGeneration;Source:Gibsonetal.2009,p.4.

In conclusion the individuals are influenced by the geographical and cultural location, their social

participation and of the specific time and place in which they are born. Therefore, different

generationshavedifferentvalues,demandsandpreferences.TheGenerationYisbecomingthelargest

generationgloballyanditisslowlyreplacingtheBabyBoomersandGenerationXinroleasconsuming

mothers.

Inthefollowingchapterthemaintheoriesusedinthisreportwillbepresented.

2.3.MOVEMENTOFCULTURALANDSYMBOLICMEANINGOFCONSUMER

GOODS

The theoryofMovementofCulturalMeaningofConsumerGoods is chosen,as this is themain theory

explaininghowconsumergoodscanbeusedinordertotransferculturalmeaningstotheindividual

consumer. This theory provides a conceptual framework, which will be used in the analysis to

understandthesymbolicandculturalmeaningtransfer fromgoodstotheusers. Theresearchersof

this thesis have chosen to also include the symbolicmeanings, as they are impacted by the culture

(Causin and Ngwenya, 2015). The meanings “move first from the culturally constituted world to

consumergoodsandthenfromthesegoodstotheindividualconsumer”(McCracken,1986,71).

ThetheorywasfirstpublishedinMcCracken’sarticle:Cultureandconsumption:AtheoreticalAccount

oftheStructureandMovementsoftheCulturalMeaningofConsumerGoods(1986).

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McCracken’s theory restupon thenotion thatmanyproducts carry symbolic features and therefore

consumergoodshave significancebeyond theutilitarian character and commercial value (e.g. Levy,

1959; Salomon 1983;McCracken, 1986; Østergaard and Jantzen, 2000; Solomon et al., 2014). They

thereforehavetheabilitytocarryandcommunicateculturalandsymbolicalmeanings(ibid).Thusthe

comprehensionthatgoodscancarrymeaningisnotnew.

Theunderstandingofproductsascarryingmeaningsimpliesthattheindividualconsumer,as inthis

case a mother, not only uses a specific product, e.g. baby clothes, for its physical and utilitarian

function,butalsotoexpresswithitthesymbolicmeanings.Thus,itisbelievedthatproductsallowthe

consumerstoexpressthemselveswhileusingthem(e.g.McCracken1986,Belk,1988,Ahuvia,2005).

The theory in the article about Cultural Meaning Transfer of Consumer Goods suggests that

themeaningsareconstantlyintransitandcanbetransferredfromtheculturallyconstitutedworldto

theconsumer goods and then over to the individual consumers (McCracken, 1986, p. 71). In short,

themovementfromtheculturallyconstitutedworld is facilitatedthroughtheinstrumentsof fashion

system, being therole models, and advertising while the following four consumption rituals; 1)

Exchange,2)Divestment,3)Groomingand4)Possession,serveasinstrumentsofmeaningtransferfrom

theconsumergoodstotheindividualconsumer.(McCracken,1986).

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Key:

Figure4:FrameworkofCulturalMeaningTransfer,McCracken,1986withownaddition2006

2.2.2. CULTURALLYCONSTITUTEDWORLD

McCracken states that “the culture constitutes the world by supplying it withmeaning” (McCracken,

1986,p.72).Thecultureshapeshowtheworldisseenandhowtheinteractionsbetweenpeopleare

experienced.Theculturecan thereforebeseenas the lensofhowtheindividualsees theworldand

additionally,itcanalsobeseenasablueprintofhumanactivityanditdetermineshowworldwillbe

fashionedbyhumaneffort (McCracken,1986,p.72).According toSolomonatal. (2014) theculture

maybethoughtof“asthecollectivememoryofthesociety”(Solomonetal.,2014,p.529).Itshouldbe

looked at as anaccumulation of traditions, ideas, shared meanings, ethics and values amongst the

membersofsociety,andadditionallyitiswhatdefinestheeconomicandpoliticalsystems(Solomonet

al.,2014,p.529-530).

According to McCracken (1986) culture, can consequently be characterized in terms of cultural

categoriesandculturalprinciples.

Culturalcategoriesareinthiscontextusedtodescribethebasicdistinctionthatacultureusesandto

divideupthephenomenalworld,suchase.g.class,gender,statusandoccupation.(McCracken,1986,

p.72)andtheculturallyconstitutedworldishenceofhighcentrality,asthisispartinimpactingthe

individual member’s meanings, believes and worldview. The reason for this is that each culture

33

createsitsownvisionoftheworld,norms,rules,andunderstandings,whichthereforewillimpactthe

membersofthegivenculture(ibid).

In regards to the cultural principle,meaning resides in the ideas or values that determine how the

cultural phenomena are organized, evaluated and construed. Probably the best explanation of the

culturalprinciplescomesfromtheMcCrackenquote:

“Ifculturalcategoriesaretheresultofaculture'ssegmentationoftheworldintodiscreteparcels,

cultural principles are the organizing ideas by which the segmentation is performed. Cultural

principles are the charter assumptions that allow all cultural phenomena to be distinguished,

ranked,andinterrelated”(McCracken,1986,p.73).

Inotherwords,thismeansthattheculturalcategoriesareusedasawaytodividetheworld,whereas

theculturalprinciplescommunicatehowthecategoriesaresplit.

Anexampleofthiscouldbethedistinctionbetweengenders(culturalcategories),wheretheclothing

communicatesthedistinctionbetweenwomanandmen(culturalprinciples)aseitherbeingfeminine

ormasculine.Theclothingisthussignallingthedifferencesbetweenthegenders(McCracken,1986,p.

74).

Hence, based on this the cultural categories and cultural principles occur simultaneously andwhen

“goods show a distinction between two cultural categories, they do so by encoding something of the

principleaccordingtowhichthetwocategorieshavebeendistinguished”(McCracken,1986,p.74).

According to McCracken (1986) the cultural and symbolic meanings are then transferred to the

consumer goods through the instruments as advertising and fashion system (product designers,

fashionjournalistsandsocialobserves)(McCracken,1986,pp.74-77).

2.2.3. LOCATIONSOFCULTURALMEANING:CONSUMERGOODS

In summary, the culture has now transferred to the goods through the instruments of meaning

transfer.Therefore, theconsumergoodsserveasamedia for theexpressionof theculturalmeaning

that constitutes the world (McCracken, 1986, p. 78). McCracken argues that the consumers may

consciouslyseeandmanipulatetheculturalmeanings(ibid),e.g.whenthemothersareusingspecific

babyclothing.

Fromtheconsumergoods,themeaningsarethentransferredintothelifeoftheindividualconsumer

throughthefourrituals.

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2.2.4. RITUALSThe ritual is “a kind of social action devoted to themanipulation of culturalmeaning for purposes of

collective and individual communication and categorization. Ritual is anopportunity to affirm, evoke,

assign,orrevisetheconventionalsymbolsandmeaningsoftheculturalorder”(McCracken,1986,p.78).

Thismeansthatthroughthesocialactions,whichtheindividualconsumerperforms,he/shemanages

theculturalandsymbolicmeanings.

1) ExchangeRitual:IntheWesternculture,exchangeritualiswhenaparty,chooses,purchases

andpresentsconsumergoodstoanotherperson(Caplow,1982,citedinMcCracken,1986,p.

78),e.g.presentsatbabyshowers.Thismovementofgoodsispotentiallyalsoamovementof

meaningful properties (McCracken, 1986, p. 78), where the gift-giver chooses a present

because“itpossessesthemeaningfulproperties,thatshe/hewishestobetransferredtothegift

receiver”(ibid).

2) PossessionRitual:Inthisritual,theownerofthepossession,makesclaimaboutthegood,e.g.

by showing of in front of the others, for instance when sharing photo of the product,

housewarming etc. This should not be seen as territorial, but rather as anattempt to draw,

from the object, the cultural qualities that the product possesses. (McCracken, 1986, p. 79).

Furthermore, it is also the act of personalization, where theindividual attempt to transfer

meaningfromhis/herownworldtothenewlyobtainedgood(ibid).

35

3) Divestment Ritual: This ritual deals with erasing themeanings associatedwith aprevious

ownerfromtheproduct.Thiscanbothbeinregardtoreceivingausedproduct,wherethenew

owner is eliminating themeanings from the old owners, orwhen a person is selling/giving

awayownedproducts(McCracken,1986,p.80).

4) GroomingRitual:Inthisritual,themeaningsmovefromtheconsumergoodstoconsumere.g.

puttingspecialclothesonbeforegoingout.Thegroomingritualsthereforehelptodraw

culturalmeaningsoutofthegoodsandinvestitintheconsumer(ibid).Sometimes,itis,

however,nottheconsumerthatisbeinggroomedbuttheproduct(ibid).

These rituals are important for this thesis, since they can be used to analyse how the symbolic

meaningsofbabyclothesarebeingtransferredtothemothers.

InconclusionthisisthebasictheoryandmodelofMcCracken.Next,theadjustmentstothetheorywill

beintroducedandthereforeprovidethecriticismofthemodelassuch.

ThemaincritiquethattheauthorsofthisthesisfoundofMcCracken’stheoryisthatitisnottakinginto

consideration that theculture isalsobeing transferred to theconsumergoodsbyothermembersof

thesameculturalconstitutedworld,furtheronreferredtoasreferencegroups.Thereasonforthisis

that each culture creates its own vision of the world, norms rules, and understandings, which

thereforewillimpactthemembersofthegivenculture(McCracken,1986;Solomonetal.,2014).This

will consequentlyalso influencehowthe individual isaffectedby theothermembersof theculture.

Thus reference groups also function as a key determinant of instrument formeaning transfer. This

critiqueisinspiredbylecturerThyraUthThomseninthecoursePerspectivesonConsumerBehaviour

atCopenhagenBusinessSchool,2015.

After collecting the data, it has furthermore been understood that Belk’s theory of Extended Self

providesanadditionalsupplementtotheMcCrackenframework,sincetheindividualconsumeruses

his/herpossessionstoextendhim/herself.

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2.2.5. REFERENCEGROUPSAccordingtoArnould,PriceandZinkhan(2005)allpeopleareinfluencedbythegroupstowhichthey

belong as well as by those, which they do not (Arnould et al., 2005, p. 608). These groups can be

referred to as Reference Groups. A reference group can be defined as a “group whose presumed

perspectives,attitudes,orbehavioursareusedbyan individualas thebases forhisorherperspectives,

attitudesorbehaviours” (Arnouldetal.2005,p.609).Theyhavealarge impact,when the individual

consumermakeshisorherchoiceofproducts. This isdue to the fact that the individual consumer

seeksthesocialbondasaresponsetothemorethaneverindividualisticsociety(CovaandCova,2002,

p.602)andsearchto“sharesimilarexperiencesandemotions,andbondwiththelooselyinterconnected

communities” (ibid), e.g. tribes within the society. This is therefore important for themarketers to

understandhowtheimpactsfromthereferencegroupsworks.

In order to support the view that reference groups serve as an influencing instrument when

transferring the culture and symbolic meanings to the consumer good, the theory of Thought

Communitieswillbeincluded.

2.2.5.1. THOUGHTCOMMUNITIES

In order to understand how people can be influenced by others (reference groups) in theirway of

thinking,theresearchersofthisthesiswillutilisethetheoryofsocio-cognitivescienceviewofhuman

thinkingpresentedbyZerubavel(1997).Thisisespeciallyrelevantsince,thethesisistakingthepoint

of departure in theConsumption Studies (Østergaard and Jantzen, 2000),where the consumers are

viewedasmembersofthetribeandthereforetheyareconsequentlyimpactedbytheothermembers.

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In order tounderstand the cognitivesociology, it is important first toput it into the context of how

thinking has been viewed upon. Thus, theCognitive Individualism andCognitiveUniversalism,which

aretwootherperspectivesonthinkingasunderstoodthroughouttime,willfirstlybeexplained:

The first view, Cognitive Individualism, presented by Locke and Berkly understands thinking as

something individual, where a person’s thoughts and ideas are rooted within this person and not

impactedbyanyothers.Cognitionisinthisviewthereforeseenasindividualandpersonal(Zerubavel,

1997,p.2).However,mostscientiststodayrejectthishighlypersonalizedviewofthemind(ibid)

CognitiveUniversalismdoesontheotherhandrevolvearoundthesearchfortheuniversalfoundations

ofhumancognition(Zerubavel,1999,p.3),meaningthatthereexistsacognitivecommonality,orsaid

inotherwords, that thereexistsauniversalwayof thinkingashumanbeings.The limitationwithin

this view is therefore that it neglects the major cognitive differences that exist, not only amongst

individualsbutalsoamongdifferentcultures,socialgroupsandhistoricalperiods(Zerubavel,1997,p.

4).

Insteadofunderstandingcognitionaseitherindividuals,likethecognitiveindividualism,orashuman

beingslikethecognitiveuniversalism,Zerubavelpresentsthesocio-cognitivewayofthinking,whichis

amixbetweenthepriortwoviews.

Byundertakingthesocio-cognitivesciencepoint-of-view,Zerubavelunderstands“thinkingassimilar

to aswell as different from theway other people think” (Zerubavel, 1997, p. 5). Cognitive Sociology

therefore implies thatpeopledonot think justas individualsorashumanbeings,butalsoas social

beings, since they are part of particular social environments, e.g. mothers, Generation Y,

Copenhageners.Thiswillaffecttheway,people interactwiththeworldandthereforealsohowthey

think(Zerubavel1997,p.6).

CognitiveIndividualism CognitiveSociology CognitiveUniversalism

ThinkingasindividualsThinkingasmembersofthough

communitiesThinkingashumanbeings

SubjectivityPersonalexperience

Inter-subjectivityConventionalcognitive

traditions

ObjectivityNaturalorlogicalinevitability

PersonalcognitiveidiosyncrasiesCultural,historicaland

subculturalcognitivedifferencesUniversalcognitivecommonalities

Table4:Briefoverviewofthethreecognitiveviews,Source:Zerubavel,1999

38

This issupportingthecritiqueofMcCracken,sinceheisnottakenintoconsiderations, thathumans

aresocialbeingsandthereforebeingeffectedbyotherpeople.AsKarlMannheim(citedinZerubavel

1997,p.8)explains:

“itisnottheisolatedindividualwhodothethinkingbutmenincertaingroupswhohavedeveloped

aparticularstyleofthought…strictlyspeakingitisincorrecttosaythatthesingleindividualthinks.

Rather it ismore correct to insist that he participates in thinking furtherwhat othermen have

thoughtbeforehim”.

When sharing thoughts people therefore create social mindscapes, which they share in common

(Zerubavel 1997, page 8). However, by being parts of different groups people belong to different

thought communities, such as churches, generations and nations,which reflects theway they think,

what theybelieve is appropriate,what theirnormsare,howmeaningsareassignedetc. (Zerubavel,

1997, p. 9). In other words, people learn to see the world through themental lenses of particular

thought communities (Zerubavel, 1997, p. 15). Thus, Cognitive Sociology views culture as a major

locus of cognition (Zerubavel 1997, p.11). Nevertheless, there are still differences in the way each

personthinks,which isdue to the fact that theybelong tonotonlyone thoughtcommunitiesbut to

several.This is also supportedbyCovaandCova (2002),whohold similar viewon this topic, since

theyclaimthatit islikelythattheindividualbelongstomorethanonegroup/tribeinthesametime

(CovaandCova,2002,p.599).

Theresearchersofthisthesisagree,withthisviewofthinking,andinthethesis, itwillbeexamined

howfirsttimemothersareinfluencedbytheirthoughtcommunities.

This therefore complements the view that reference groups can be seen as part of instrument for

meaningtransfer.ThisunderstandingthereforeaddontoMcCracken’sframework.

Anothertheorythatwillbeusedinordertounderstandhowthebabyclothescanbeseenaspartof

the mothers’ identity is the theory about how possessions can be seen as part of the self. This

therefore goes beyond the theory ofMcCracken, as it will look into how thepossessions are being

used.

39

2.3. POSSESSIONSASPARTOFTHESELF

This part supplements the idea that consumers’ possessions can contribute to their identity.

TheresearchersbelievethatthisisanimportantadditiontoMcCracken’sarticle,whichfocusmainly

ontheritualsandculturalenvironmentwheretheconsumerlivesandwhoinfluenceshim/her,rather

thanthepossessionsassuch.

Within the consumer behaviour literature, much has been written about how consumers can use

possessionstoextendthemselvesandtohelpshowthesurroundingworldwhotheyareasaperson,

and thus help forming part of the owner’s identity (e.g. Solomon, 1983; Belk 1988; Ahuvia, 2005;

Solomonetal.,2014).Thepremise thatpossessionsareregardedaspartof theself is thereforenot

newanditgoesbackallthewayto1890,whereWilliamJames,whoisseenasthefounderformodern

conceptionofself(Belk1988,p.139),wrote:

”Aman’sselfisthesumtotalofallthathecancallhis,notonlyhisbodyandhispsychicpowers,but

his clothesandhishouse,wifeandchildren…all these thingsgivehim the sameemotions. If they

waxandprosper,he feels triumphant; if theydwindleanddieaway,he feels castdown” (James,

1890pp.291-292).

Thisquotesuggeststhatthepossessionofthingsispartoftheconsumer’sself,andthathe/shecanuse

thepossessionshe/sheownstoshowwhohe/sheisasaperson.Thepossessions,therefore,become

partoftheselfandhelpdefinepeople’ssenseofwhotheyare(Ahuvia,2005,p.171).

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2.3.1. POSSESSIONSASATOOLFORTHEDEVELOPMENTOFTHESELF

According to Rochberg-Hakton (1984, cited in Belk 1988, p. 141) possessions should not only be

regardedaspartof the self, but shouldalsobe seenas instruments to thedevelopmentof self. It is

consequently acknowledged that special possessions can ease life transitions (Belk, 1988;

Solomon,1983; Schouten, 1991; Eliott andWattanasuwan 1998; Uth Thomsen and Sørensen, 2006;

Andersen et al. 2008; The VOICE group, 2010) and that they can assist a person in his/her

developmentofconstructinghis/heridentityaswellasthesocialidentitywhichisshowntothesocial

world(ElliottandWattanasuwan,1998,p.132).Oneofthemainreasonsforthis isthatthecultural

andsymbolicmeanings,whichtheownerattachtothepossessionsarevitalinregardstohowhe/she

interpretsthesocialworldandconsequentlyhim/herself(Solomon,1983;ElliottandWattansasuwan;

1998), since “consumers use the symbolic meanings to construct, maintain and express each of their

multipleidentities”(ElliottandWattanasasuwan,1998,p.133).Furthermore,alifetransitionandthe

acquiring of a new life role can be a vulnerable situation for many individuals, since they are

inexperienced in the new role (the VOICE Group, 2010, p. 384). Consumption can thus assist the

consumer in his/her new life role as the consumption of products “can support the identity

construction, because of their signal value or because of their potential to provide the consumerwith

acertainexperienceofself”(UthThomsenandSørensen,2006).

This is important to understand in regards to this thesis, as it seeks to comprehend how first time

recentmothersfromGenerationYinCopenhagenviewthebabyclothesaspartoftheirextendedself

andasawaytohelpthemintheirconstructionofmotherhoodidentity.

2.3.2. COREENDEXTENDEDSELFThetermExtendedSelfwasfirstintroducedbyBelk,whoin1988wrotethearticle“Possessionandthe

Extended Self”. Here he argues that our possessions “aremajor contributor to and reflection of our

identities”, and they therefore functionas important componentsofour senseof self (Belk,1988,p.

139).Itisaccordingtohisview,notasingleitemorbrandthatrepresentallofone’sself,butinstead

itisacompletegroupofconsumptionobjects,whichrepresentthediverseandpossibleinconsistent

aspectsofthetotalself(Belk1988,p.140).

According toBelk, consumersareseenaspossessingacoreself,which isexpanded to include items

that then become part of the extended self (Ahuvia, 2005, p. 172). However, there are some

possessions,whicharemorerelatedtothecoreselfthanothers,suchas;thebody,internalprocesses,

ideas and experiences whereas others are seen as part of the extended self – these include “those

persons,placesandthings,towhichonefeelsattached”(Belk,1988,p.141).Therefore,possessioninhis

41

view does not only include external objects and personal possessions, but can also include people

(Belk1988,p.140),e.g.thechildrencanrepresentanextensionofself(Belk,1988,p.148).

Intheillustrationbelow,itcanbeseenhowthecoreselfisextendedbydifferentpossessionsandthat

therearesomepossessions,whicharemoreclosetothecoreselfthanothers.

Figure5:Illustrationofcoreandextendedself,owncontribution,2016

Anotherwayinwhichtheselfcanbeextendedisthroughvicariousconsumption(Veblen,1898,citedin

Andersenetal.,2008).Herethegoodsnotonlyrepresenttheownerorwearerofaproduct,butalso

ascribestatusandrepresent thedependentsof theowner(Belk,1988,p.157). This is important in

regardstobabyclothes,sinceitisnotthemotherwhowearsthebabyclothes,howeveritwillthrough

avicariousconsumptionrepresentherasamother.

2.3.3. HAVING,DOINGANDBEINGAccording toBelk, thepossessionscanbeseenasbothextending theself literarilyandsymbolically

(Belk,1988,p.145).Anexampleofhowpossessionscouldbeusedliterarilyise.g.whenatoolisused

todothings,ofwhichtheownerotherwisewouldbeincapableofdoing(Belk,2016,p.50)whereasan

exampleofsymbolicselfcouldbejewellery,whichcanrepresentstatus.

Thisalsodistinguishesbetweenwhattheownercandowiththepossession,asinthecaseofliterarily

meaningofextendedself,andhavingandbeingasinthesymbolicalmeaningofextendedself.

Inthisthesisthefocusisonthesymbolicvalueoftheextendedself,sincethefocusisonbabyclothes,

whichcannotbeusedasatoolfortheownertoextendhimself/herselfliterarily.

Coreself

Children,pets,friends...

House,clothes...

Books,cofeebrands,toiletpaper...

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According to Satre (1943, cited inBelk1988, p. 146)having andbeing aredistinct but inseparable,

sincetheyarebeingmergedwhenanobjectbecomesapossession,becausewhatwereonceselfand

notselfisbeingfused(Belk,1988,p.146).Thiscanthereforebeseenastheunderlyingreasonforwhy

possessionsbecomepartoftheextendedself,since“peopleseek,express,confirmandascertainasense

ofbeingthroughwhattheyhave”(Belk1988,p.146).

2.3.4. POSSESSIONSASREPRESENTATIONOFTHESELFThepossessionsofthingsisnotonlyusedfortheowner,tounderstandwhohe/sheis,butitisalsoto

show to the surrounding world, who he/she is as a person (Elliott andWattanasuwan, 1998; Uth

ThomsenandSørensen,2006).Even though themothersdonotwear thebaby clothes, it is argued

thatthistheorystillappliesbecauseofthevicariousnatureofbabyclothes.

AccordingtoBelk(1988,p.147)thisimpliesthattherelationshipwithobjectsnotonlyisseenastwo-

way (person-ting), but always three-way (person-thing-person), as other people assess the

possessionsandthisisthereforealsosomethingthatinfluencesthechoiceofproducts.Otherpeople

arethereforeseenasanimportantmirror,throughwhichpeopleseethemselves(Belk,1988,p.146).

2.3.4.1. SOCIALMEDIA–ANEWWAYTOEXPRESSTHESELF

The person-thing-person perspective is especially relevant in today’s society, where the digital

developmenthaveallowedpeople to extend themselvesnotonlyofflinebut alsoonline through for

instancesocialmedia,suchasFacebookorInstagram(Belk,2016,p.50).

Belk(2016)arguesthatthereisatendencythatpeoplechooseonlinevisualrepresentationsthatare

closertotheidealselfthantheactualself(Belk,2016,p.51).Peopleforinstancechoosewhichphotos

to post online and how to envision their career on their Linkedin profile. In thisway they seek to

enhancethesocialcapital(ShethandSalomon2014)bydisplayingapersontoothersthatismorean

idealversionoftheself.Thistendencyisalsoincreasedthroughthemanyinexpensiveapplicationsof

postproduction tools,which allowpeople tomodify and improvepictures through theuse of visual

filters,herebyallowingthemtochangethelookandfeelofthephotos(ShethandSolomon,2014,p.

124). In this way the digital development have changed the extended self’s physical possessions

expressed in the offline world to also include the online universe and digital possessions. It can

thereforebesaidthatithaschangedfrom“youarewhatyouwear”to“youarewhatyoupost”(Sheth

andSalomon,2014,p.126).

43

Anotherinterestingaspecttonoticeisthatthedigitaldevelopmentalsohasanimpactonthecontrol

oftheextendedself.Previouslyapersonwasinchargeofhis/herpossessions,however,inthedigital

era of Web 2.0 the self-expression and the presentation of the extended self is not fully in one’s

control.Thereasonforthisisthatotherpeoplehavethepossibilitytocomment,tag,likeorsharethe

inputthatthepersonpostsandherebytheycanhelpshapetheselfimageandselfconceptsinways,

whichwerenotpossiblebefore(Belk,2016,p.51)

In conclusion it canbe said that the relationships topossessions thereforematters, as they express

andmediatetherelationshiptootherpeople(Ahuvia,2005,p.180).

ThishencesupportstheConsumptionsStudy’sviewonconsumerbehaviour,namelythatconsumers

areaffectedbythecultureandreferencegroupsasalsopreviouslydiscussed.

2.3.5. CRITIQUEOFBELK’SMETAPHOROFCOREANDEXTENDEDSELF

EventhoughBelk’smetaphorofcoreandextendedselfhasbeenhighlyrecognised, ithas,however,

also received criticism. Ahuvia (2005) does for instance criticise Belk’s metaphor of the core and

extended self, because he argues that it can be seen as confusing. The reason for this is that the

metaphorcanbeunderstoodas theconsumerhavingone trueorauthentic innercoreself,which is

giventohim/herfromanexternalsource–e.g.GodorGenetics(Ahuvia2005,p.180).Ahuviaargues

thatthis ismetaphor ismisleading,sincecurrentresearchhavedemonstratedthatconsumerstoday

have difficulties in developing and maintaining a coherent sense of self due to the many choices

available (Ahuvia2005,p.172). Instead theconsumersare seenashaving fragmentedandmultiple

selves,whichcanbeinconflictwitheachother(Ahuvia2005,pp.172-174).Therefore,heclaimsthat

itwouldbetterandclearertoavoidthemisleadingtermcore-selfandinsteadusingvaryingdegreesof

selfnessforaconsumer(Ahuvia,2005,p.182).

In this thesis, the authors agreewithAhuvia’s critique of themetaphor of core and extended self –

sincetheysupporttheviewthatapersoncanholdmultipleselves,suchase.g.amother,afriend,agirl

friend/wife etc.Nevertheless, the claim, thatpossessions canbe seenaspart of the self andpart of

ones identities andway to present himself/herself to the surroundingworld, is acknowledged and

supported.However, in order to create a simplification in the thesis, the termExtendedSelfwill be

used,whenpossessionsareseenaspartoftheself.

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Introduction

PARTI

PhilosophyofScienceandMethodology

TheoryReview

PARTII-Analysis

CulturalConstitutedWorldoftheMothers

InstrumentsofMeaningTransfer

BabyClothesCarryCulturalandSymbolicMeanings

RitualsasPartoftheMeaningTransfer

BabyClothesaspartoftheIdentityConstructionintoMotherhood

PartIII

Conclusion

ManagerialImplicationsandFurtherOutlook

45

PARTII:ANALYSISInthispartitwillbeanalysedhowtheculturalandsymbolicmeanings,whichareresidedwithinthe

culturalconstitutedworldofthefirsttimerecentmothersfromGenerationYinCopenhagen,willbe

transferred to the baby clothes through the three instrument of meaning transfer; Fashion System,

Advertisement and Reference Group. This is due to understand how the baby clothes function as a

symbolicmeaningtransfersincethevalueswithinthecultureimpacthowthesymbolsareperceived.

Afterwards the analysis will continue looking at how the meanings are transferred to the mother

throughdifferentrituals.Lastlyitwillbeexaminedhowthemothersbytheuseofthebabyclothesis

extendingtheirselfandbeingsupportedintheiridentityconstructionintomotherhood.

The structureof the chapterswithin the analysiswill bebasedonMcCracken’sCulturalMeaningof

TransferModel. However, it will be adjusted according to this thesis, in theway that the Cultural

Constituted World will be understood as the culture in which the first time recent mothers from

Generation Y in Copenhagen live, Consumer goods will be understood as baby clothes and the

IndividualConsumerasthemother.

46

3. CULTURALCONSTITUTEDWORLDOFTHEMOTHERSThis chapter examines the culture by which the first time mothers in Copenhagen are affected.

Regardingthis,itisanalysedwhichculturalvaluesthemothersfromGenerationYhaveandaddition

howtheculturalmovementistransferred.

Theoutlineofthischapterisbasedonthedatagatheredthroughconductinginterviewswithfirsttime

mothers inCopenhagen. Inorder tosupport thesequalitative findings, there isusedsecondarydata

fromthelatestpublicconsumerresearchstudiesandreportse.g.RetailInstituteScandinavia(2013),

(hereinafterabbreviatedRIS,2013).ThesedatahavebeenaddedtotheMcCrackenframework,since

thetheoryandpreviouslygathereddatacomplimenteachotherandalsohelptoshapethestructure

andunderstandingofthethesis.

Thestructureofthechapterwillbethefollowing:

Inthissection,theculturalconstitutedworldoftheGenerationYinCopenhagenwillbeanalysedsince

itisinthisworldthemothers,whoareunderscrutiny,live.Hencebyanalysingtheculture,thefactors

that influence the first timemothers and are part of creating theirworld-view,will be found. The

culture furthermore impacts the society inwhich themothers live, and therefore itwill also impact

their values. This implies that the values found within a given culture are impacting, how the

consumers perceive themeaning of the symbols, since it is learned and deliberately perpetuated

withinthesociety(CausinandNgwenya,2015,p.1466).

CulturalConstitutedWorldoftheMothersØ TheMothers’CultureØ ValuesofMillennials

o FinancialResponsibilityo Timeo RentingandSharing

Ø MillennialsandTechnologyØ MillennialsandSocialResponsibilityØ GenderandClothingØ SuperstitionØ CulturalValuesinConnectionwiththeSymbolicMeaning

47

3.1. THEMOTHERS’CULTURE

Abrief introductionoftheDanishculturewillherebepresented, inordertounderstandthegeneral

culture in which themothers grow up and raise their children. Since Copenhagen is the capital of

Denmark,itwillalsobeembeddedbythenation’soverallculture(House,2016).

The culture is specifically influencedby the socialbeliefswithnegative thought towards theegoism

andwith it connected individualism.Danes value community feeling in theirsociety and in equality

betweenpeople,aswellassolidarityandqualityoflifewithwork-lifebalance(Hofstede,Hofstedeand

Minkov,2010;HofstedeCentre,2010).Inaddition,theyvaluethesocialwelfarestateanditseffectofa

minimal gap between the social classes (ibid). Thus, thesociety in general is very flat, and this is

importantsince itaffects themind-setof thepeopleandultimately themothers in theGenerationY.

Thehigh focusonequality and thepowerdistance is symbolisedby theegalitarianmentality (ibid),

whichaffectsthemotherstoo.

The Danes are “expected to take care of themselves and their immediate families only” (ibid), which

differs from different cultures, e.g. Chinese people putmore emphasis on theinterest of the group

ratherthanthemselves.Thisisimportantsincethemothersareimpactedbythe“me”approachrather

then“we”approachandtheirbehaviourandchoiceswillthusnotaffecttheextendedfamilybutonly

themothers themselves. Furthermore, this implies thateven though themothersmight seek advice

fromandareinfluencedbyothers,theend-decisionsaretheirsandtheyaretheonewhoshoulddeal

withtheconsequences.

48

Anotherspecificationofthecultureisthat“standingoutfromthecrowdisnotadmirable”(ibid).Thisis

connected with the “Jante law”, created by Sandemose, which outline 10 rules by which everyone

should adhere. The most common rule is that “no one is better than others” (Appendix 8). As it is

possibletoseelaterinthestudy,themothersareinfluencedbythisattituderegardingnotwantingto

standout.

Afterhavinggainedanunderstandingofthecultureingeneralitisfurthermoreimportanttolookinto

thevaluesandworld-viewofGenerationY,sincethefocalmotherscomefromthisgeneration.

3.2. VALUESOFMILLENNIALS

FINANCIALRESPONSIBILITY

Therehavebeenmanynoteworthyevents,whichhaveaffectedtheGenerationYandthereforeithas

impactedtheminregardstotheirviewoftheworld.Theseincludethesignificantevents in20thand

21stcenturylike;thefalloftheBerlinWall,theinventionoftheInternet,theterroristattacksof9/11

andtheeconomicrecessionin2008.Thelastmentionedeventhasaffectedtheeconomicalthinkingof

theMillennialsandintheprimaryresearchtherewerealsofoundsignsofthemothersbeingfinancial

responsible, conscious about their spending habits and being considerate consumers. Most of

theinterviewedmothers (across different income groups) have expressed that they generally think

about:

thequality;howmuchbabyclothescost;andhowlittlethebabiesactuallyusethebabyclothes,since

theygrowsofastandthattheclothesonlyfitthemforsomeweeks.Therefore,itwasfoundthatthe

mothersnormallypurchasebabyclothesonsale,buyusedclothesorhaveinheritedclothes.Thiswas

foundirrespectiveofincome.

Michelleasrepresentativeofhigherincome:

[Instead of buying clothes as a present] I justasked for stocks […] so I justasked [friends and

family] forstocksactually,putitonhis [son’s]bankaccount,causehemuchratherwantitwhen

hegetsbigger” […] “Ratherthanspendingxamountofmoneyonamonth.Iratherwanttodoa

savingandIthinkin10or15years’timehewillcareabouthisclothes…Ithinkitsnicerforhimto

havesomesortofsavingssohehasmoneytogooutandspenditonniceclothes,ratherthannow

whereheactuallydoesn’tcare,sowhatIdidinthefirstyear.ItislikeeverytimeIboughtasecond

hand[babyclothes]IputthevalueandestimatedfromwhatIwouldcostifIboughtnewandput

themoneyintohis[son’s]account…sothedifferenceIdidassavings”–InterviewMichelle.

49

Idaasrepresentativeoflowerincome:

“Yeah, I don’twant to spend thatmuchon clothes, because I knowhe [her son] is onlygoing to

wearitlike5-6times,andthenhegrowsoutofit.SoIthoughtaboutifIwantedtobuyclothesthat

isreallyniceandmaybemoreexpensive,thenIwillwaituntilheisactuallyreadytowalk.Because

nowhe is like layingdown. It is stupid,becausehe isgrowingoutof it inno time.So Idefinitely

thinkaboutthatwhenhegetsabletowalkaround,IthinkIwillthinkevenmoreaboutwhatheis

wearing.”–InterviewIda.

These findings show that themothers are concerned about the financially accountability and think

wheretoallocatetheirmoney.

The findings are supported by the study of the RIS, where it states that Millennials are behaving

responsibly with regards of the personal economy (RIS, 2013, p. 5.) Other signs of their financial

responsibility are their independency and taking life in ownhands (RIS, 2013, p. 13). Furthermore,

thisissupportedbyfactthattheypurchasewithconsiderationandcommonsense(RIS,2013,p.14).

Additionally,asitisillustratedinGraph1,itisindicatedthatalittleover48%oftherespondentstake

controlovertheirlifeandarebehavingresponsibly(RIS,2013,p.5).BeingraisedbytheBoomersand

GenerationXwhobothvaluedhealthasoneof themost importantvalues in their life(Gibsonetal.,

2009,p.4),itisnotsurprisingthattheGenerationYfocusesabigpartoftheirlifeonthehealthandthe

exercise(RIS,2013,p.5).InthesurveysampleofRIS,itwasvotedby33%asthethirdmostimportant

attributeinthelivesnowandinthefuture. Astheleastscoredattributeswereontheotherhandto

becomewealthy8,1%andfamous4,1%(Ibid).

InsummaryGenerationYvaluestakingcontrolovertheirlives.Theculturalvaluesinthesocietyare

values of being responsible andmore deliberately being financially responsible and accountable. In

connectionwith themothers fromGenerationY, thismeans that they consider their spendingwith

regardstobabyclothes,sincetheycomparethecostsoftheproductswiththelimitedamountoftime

thatthebabycanwearit.

50

TIME

Whenwomenbecomemothers theyneed toprioritise their timedifferently.Therefore, theirtime is

alsoanimportantvalueforthem.Intheinterviewsitwasfoundthatthemothersvaluetheir leisure

time.Forsomeitmeansthat theycanhangoutwiththeir friendsandpeers, forother it is thetime,

whichtheycanspendwiththeirfamily.

“IknowthatwhenIgettohaveafull-timejobIwon’tbeabletodothat[pickherupat3pmfrom

day care and spend timewith her], and thatmakesme a bit upset, so that has changedme” -

InterviewSara.

“Istartedanewcompanytogetherwithmyfriend,buttherearenomoneyinit,andthenIhadmy

jobnexttoitandalsothestudying.Sorightnow,I’mthinking“wow,thisiswaytoomuch”,because

whendoIhavethetimeformyfamily?Ididn’tthinkaboutthatsomuchbefore.SonowIhaveto

cut down on some the things in order to get more time. So maybe that is something that has

changed.”–InterviewIda.

Thesequotesnotonlyindicatethatthemotherswishtospendmoretimewiththeirfamilybutalsothe

issuesthatfirsttimemothershavewhenneedingtoplantheirtimebetterandalsobemorestructured

(e.g. Interview Sara, Judit, Ida, Isabella, Julie, Josefine). Therefore, the free time is found to be

avaluableassetintheirlives.ThiscomplimentstheresearchdonebytheRIS(2013,p.12),wherethey

4,7%8,1%11,1%

16,1%27,1%27,1%27,9%

33,7%41,7%

48,7%

Tobefamous

Tobecomewealthy

Tohavealotoffreetime

Tododifferenceforotherandcommunity

Tohaveagoodmarriage

Todocarrier

Tobeagoodparent

Tobehealthyandingoodform

Tohaveagoodfriend

Totakecontrolovermyliveandtakeresponsibility

Whatisthemostimportantinyourlifenowandinfuture?

Graph1:Source:RetailInstituteScandinavia,2013

51

foundoutthat theMillennials feelpressured inregardtotime,andthereforethinkconvenienceand

flexibilityareimportantfactors.

RENTINGANDSHARING

Basedontheprimaryresearchitispossibletoseethatthereisagrowingtrendofrentingandsharing

products(InterviewIsabella,Julie),whichisalsosupportedbysecondarydataresearch(Frommetal,

2011;GoldmanSachs,n.d.;Nielsen,2014).Due to thefact that theMillennialshaveexperienced the

economic recession they come in favour of renting things (Mincer, 2015), which allows them easy

access to the things they need and or desire, rather than be burdened with ownership. They only

acquirewhat they trulyvalued(Rebell,2015).Thishasresulted inagrowing interest in thesharing

economyandsharinggoods.

[Consumers]“aregettinginvolvedintheconsumptioncyclebycontributingtothefundingoreven

thecreation of products they want and by reselling or renting out their unneeded possessions.

They're creating new formats for the exchange of goods. And every step of the way, they are

practicing‘lessismore,’andsavouringtheir‘less”(AndrewBenett,HavasWordlwide,2014).

Forlongtimethesharinghousesandsharingcarshavebeenthemainitemsinthesharingeconomy,

however, theMillennialsaremovingbeyond that (Mincer,2015).Thenewbusinesses,whichareon

therise,aresharingsmalleritemssuchasclothingandelectronicdevices(ibid).Thisissupportingthe

primary data, since the mothers were using the services of sharing baby clothes (Interview Julie,

Isabella).

3.3. MILLENNIALSANDTECHNOLOGY

The technological raise and the development of the Internet and smartphones have affected

GenerationYtoagreatextent.Theyarealsothefirstgeneration,whichmoreorlesshavegrownup

withthesetechnologicaldevices. In the findings, itwasdiscoveredthatnearlyallof the interviewed

mothersconfirmedthattheyeitherhaveusedorareusingsocialmediaforinspirationforfindingbaby

clothes.

“WhenIgoonlineIneverbuyanythingonline.Idoitforinspiration”-InterviewIda.

52

Themostmentioned(andthereforeitisassumeditisalsothemostused)appsbetweenthemothers

havebeenFacebook,InstagramandReshopper.SocialmediasuchasFacebookhaveprovidedanew

touchpoint(Hogan et al., 2005),where the brands can reach and interactwith theconsumers (RIS,

2013,pp.23-26).

These findingaresupportedby theRIS’s studywhere it is stated that96%ofwomenuseFacebook

(ibid). The 96% shows not only enormous popularity of Facebook, but also supports thefact that

GenerationYwishestobeinformedaboutwhatishappeningintheirsurroundings.Furthermore,this

showshighdigitalandonline literacyof thegeneration - they feelcomfortableandconfidentonline.

This is supported by the fact that most of therespondents of RIS’ survey, agree that the new

technologiesandthedigitalpossibilitiesmaketheirlifeeasierthandifficult(7.3onscaleto10)(RIS,

2013,p.17).

3.4. MILLENNIALSANDSOCIALRESPONSIBILITY

Sustainableworld and ecology have been some of themain topics discussed in today’s society and

thesedebateshaveimpactedthemothers,sincebeingecologicalandenvironmentalresponsiblewas

foundtobeimportanttotheinterviewees.

“And I haven’t really thought about that it meant so much to me – for instance with

theenvironment and recycling. I think it is important” [….] “But I think we are more

environmentallyconscioustodayandalsothatitneedstobeorganic.”-InterviewJulie

Graph2:SourceRetailInstituteScandinavia2013,p.17

53

The mothers do not only think about the influence this have on their own life but also about the

influenceontheworld,e.g. theecologicalcyclesandhowit influencesthehumans.Theenvironment

and the social responsibility are crucial topics, and one of the interviewedmothers, had a detailed

viewonhowthesetopicswereconnectedwiththesymbolicmeaningofbeingagoodperson:

“I just think general in society there is a trend going on, that you should buy organic,

otherwise...Youknowtocreateabetterworldandtobeabetterperson.But it’snot like that it’s

badifyoudon’tbuyit.It’smorelikethatyouareabetterpersonifyoudo(laughing)”.–Interview

Isabella.

Another topic, which was found to be a concerning issue, for the interviewed mothers, was the

chemicals.Allofthemwerewashingtheirnewlyboughtandtheusedclothesinordertogetridofthe

chemicals.Inthefollowingquote,oneofthemothersprovidesanexplanationofwhyshethinksit is

importanttoavoidchemicals:

“Itry,andalsotothinkabouttheenvironment,likealsowiththedetergentandItrytothinkabout

itthewholewayaround,nottousethingswithtoomuchchemicals“[…]“Ithinkthefirstpriorityis

to protect her [daughter] and us from all different kinds of chemicals. I have studied Health

Communication and wrote a paper about straw shortening chemicals in bread. And they make

studiesthatindicatethatitcanharmthespermqualityforboys…SoIthinkaboutthesethingsand

whenyoudigalittledeeperandunderstandthatitcanharmthingslikee.g.thespermqualityand

also immunedisturbingchemicals. I think itmeansa lot. Ihavealso thoughtabout it formyself,

andalsoinregardstothatIknewthatIwantedchildren.ThatIdidn’twanttofillmyselfwithall

crap,whenIknewthatIalsowantedchildren.”–InterviewKristine.

The study fromRIS (2013, pp. 13-14) supports thatGenerationY in overall is concerned about the

social responsibility. It shows that 34% of therespondents assumed that they, as consumers, can

create a more sustainable world andmore than 36% of the respondents have ahigh focus on the

negative aspect onconsumption (RIS, 2013, p. 14). This might be due to the higher awareness in

thesocietyandalsoduetoseveraltragiceventsthathaveoccurred-e.g.thecollapseofabigfactoryin

2013,which causedahighnumberofdeathof garmentworkers inaplaceofproducing clothes for

H&M(Manik,2013).

Furthermore,theconsumersfeel–especiallywomen–thatit istoa“veryhighimportance”or“high

extent importance” (70%ofwomen;61%ofmen) that thebrandsand theshops focuson thesocial

responsibilityandbeingenvironmentfriendly(RIS,2013,p.38).

54

Inconclusionitcanbesaidthattheopinionsaboutclothingandecologyareevidentandhencethese

factors are something, which the Generation Y and thus the mothers focus on in regard to the

consumption.

3.5. GENDERANDCLOTHING

Throughthehistory,therolesofwomenandmenhavebeenseparated.Inthepastdecades,menand

womenhavebecome increasinglymoreequal.Nowadays, it ispossible to say thatwomenandmen

havebecomepracticallyequalinthesocietybylaw.However,thisequalitydoesnotmeanthatwomen

become more masculine and the men more feminine. Gender as cultural category stays but the

culturalprinciple,theclothing,haschangedoverthepast,sincetheculturalcategoryisusedtodivide

theworldwhereas thecultural categoriesdividehow thecategoriesare split (McCracken,1986,pp.

72-74).

In the past, the clothing has represented the status and role of the men and thewomen. Just by

thelookatsomeone’sclothing,onewouldbeabletopointthemoutincertainclassorevennationality.

Today,becauseoftheglobalisation,itisnotasvisibleandthecustomerscanpurchasethesamebrand

in several countries. An important point is that even theDanish royal family, as one of the last

remainingexampleofpeoplewithstatus,wear“normal”accessibleclothing.Thisisduetothebigger

accessibility of clothing,which is connectedwith the lowerprice anddesignerswhooffer exclusive

products aswell as products formasses e.g. Karl Lagerfeld, head designer of the house of Channel,

designedclothingforH&Min2004.

The fact is that, men and women do still express their gender, among other things, through their

choiceof clothingormakeup. For the adults this ismostly expressedby the styleof clothing rather

than thecolours. For kids there is, however, a general belief that the clothing should be in certain

colours.Since1950’straditionally,thecolourpinkisusedforgirlsandblueforboys,andthecolours

thuscometorepresentasymbolforthegenders(MøllerRasmussen,2015).This“symbolofgender”

often makes the mothers feel a pressure from the society to dress their child in the colour that

representhisorhergender.Although,asoneoftheinterviewedmothersstatedsheisnotsureifitis

onlyherwhothinkssheneedstofollowthis,orifitisthesociety(InterviewIda).Itwasfoundthatthis

pressure created anuncomfortable feeling inside themothers. Themothers are naturally proud of

theirchildrenandthereforetheyfeeluncomfortableandnotconfidentwhensomeoneisaskingabout

thegenderoftheirchild(InterviewCathrine,Kristine,Ida;Julie,Sara).

ThefollowingquoteexemplifiesthetensionthemothersofGenerationYhave:

55

“Idon’tthinkIwouldbuypink[fortheson].Butwedohavethisduvetcover,which[boyfriend’s]

mommadeforus.Anditislikewithalldifferentkindofcolours[…]andtherewaslikealot,alot,a

lotofpinkinit,butalsogreenandblue-butalotofpink.AndIwaslike‘hecan’tsleepinthat’.Itis

waytoogirlish!AndthenIthink.Maybe,actuallythatisalsosomethingIthink;thatif Iputthat

out,andwewalkonthestreet,andthenpeoplewillkeepaskinglike“ohisitagirlorisitaboy”,

becausepeopleaskthat.BecauseIknowthatifIdresshiminallblue,thenpeoplewillknowthathe

isaboy.Soitiseasier.Soactually,thatisalsosomethingIthinkabout.”–InterviewIda.

Nonetheless,intoday’ssocietythereistheconfrontationagainstthesexdifferencesandsomeparents

aretakinganoppositestandtoparenting.Thus,theytrytoraisetheirchildrenmoregenderneutralin

ordertoavoidthestereotyping(Hjortsø,2015).

“Sowe [themother and her husband]were quite aware thatwewanted likemore, like, unisex

coloursand…andtrytoaskforpeopletojustnotgivehimblue,becausehewouldgetjustlikeso

muchblueclothesandwewerejustlike,abitofred”–InterviewBenedikte.

Tosumup,itcouldbesaidthatthereexistdifferentopinionsaboutexpressingthegenderofthebaby

throughthecolouroftheclothing.Somemothersfeelthatthishascreatedahiddenpressurefromthe

societyandasaresult,theyseektooppressit,whileothermotherswishtofollowthisnormandthus

dresstheirchildincoloursthatactasasymbolofrepresentingthegenders.

3.6. SUPERSTITION

Superstitionsareintertwinedineveryculturedespitethefacttheydonothaverationalreasons.They

affect people’s everyday life (Agarwal, 2014) as people conduct specific actions in order to avoid

misfortune.

There are lot of examples of superstitions in the society and some of them deal with entering

motherhood.Oneof themostcommonsuperstion inregardtomotherhoodinDenmarkisregarding

the prams (Davies et al., 2006, p. 4). In this superstition, it is believed that the parents are not

supposedtobuyapramandbringithomebeforegivingbirthbecauseitbringsbadluckandtherefore

somethingcangowrongwiththepregnancyortheactualbirth.Byleavingthepramintheshop,the

mothersareensuringthemselvesthatnothingbadcanhappentothem.Thisactisindicatingthatnon-

consumingthepram,isalsoseenasawayinwhichthepregnantwomenseektoensure,thattheyare

actingasresponsiblemotherstobe.

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3.7. CULTURALVALUESINCONNECTIONWITHTHESYMBOLICMEANING

Intheabove,thedifferentculturalvalues,whichhavebeenidentifiedbythemothersfromGeneration

Y,havebeenanalysed.Theseinclude

1) Financialresponsibility;

2) Social-andenvironmentalresponsibility;

3) Dressingthebabiesingender-specificclothesorgoingagainstit;

4) Beingsuperstitious;

5) Managetime;

6) Notbeingburdenedwithownershipbutinsteadrentingandorsharingtheclothes.

Since these values can be comprehended as the “right” ones, they do not only carry thecultural

meaningbutalsothesymbolicmeaningofbeingagoodandcaringmother,whoworryaboutthewell-

beingofthechildandthefutureworld.

3.8. SUB-CONCLUSION

In this chapter ithasbeenanalysed that thereare certainvalues,which reside in the cultureof the

mothersinfocus,whichcanbecategorisedasbeingthe”right”andnormalones.Theseinclude:being

financial responsible, valuing the free time, being socially responsible and environmental friendly,

beingonlineonsocialmediaandholdingpreferencesforthecolourofthebabyclothes,followingthe

traditionsofsuperstitionandnotbeing troubledwithownershipbut insteadrentingandorsharing

goods.

These values and preferences can therefore be understood as the culturalmeanings resided in the

cultural constitutedworldof the first timemothers fromGenerationY inCopenhagen.Additionally,

since theseculturalvaluesareconsideredas the “rightones” in themothers’ culture, theyalsohold

symbolicmeaningofbeing“good”andcaringmother.

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4. INSTRUMENTSOFMEANINGTRANSFERIn this part of the analysis it will be investigated how the meanings and values of theculturally

constitutedworldoftheGenerationYinCopenhagenaretransferredintothebabyclothesthroughthe

instrumentsofmeaningtransfer:advertising,fashionsystemandreferencegroups.

Thestructureofthechapteristhefollowing:

TheInstrumentsofMeaningTransfer

Ø AdvertisingandFashionSystemo SocialMedia

Ø ReferenceGroups o FamilyandFriends o MotherGroups

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4.1. ADVERTISINGANDFASHIONSYSTEM

In this section itwill first bedemonstratedhowadvertisements and the fashion system function as

instrumentsofmeaningtransferandthen,basedonthefindingsfromthethesis’study,arguefor,how

thesetwoinstrumentshavemergedintheworldofGenerationYthroughtheuseofsocialmedia.

Advertisementshavethepossibilitytotransfermeaningbybringingtogethertheculturalconstituted

world into theconsumergoodswithinagivenadvertisement (McCracken,1986,p.74).Thismeans,

bringing together the cultural values found in theprevious chapter and connecting themwithbaby

clotheswithintheadvertisement.Marketerscandothisinavarietyofways.Theaimofthisthesisis,

however, not to analyse examples of advertisements since it is out of the scope of this paper.

Nevertheless, this is something that could

be investigated as part of a further

research.

An example of this can be seen by the

advertisement made by the Danish baby

clothesbrandMüslibyGreenCotton.Inthis

advertisement a baby who looks happy,

comfortable and satisfied is pictured

togetherwith the text “ChooseandReuse–

the sustainable choice – organic kidswear”.

Hereby,theadconnectsthevaluesofbeing

sustainable and organic togetherwith the baby clothes and as a consequence having a healthy and

happychild,andasanextensionofthisbeingathoughtfulandcaringmother.

Itisimportanttopointoutthatthemothersplayakeyroleintheprocessofmeaningtransfer,since

the transfer isnotaccomplisheduntil themothersacceptandconnect thebabyclotheswithcertain

properties from the culturally constituted world (McCracken, 2006, p. 105) – this can happen

consciouslyaswellasunconsciously.Firstthenhastheprocesstakenplaceandthebabyclotheswill

now represent a cultural and symbolicmeaning,which it did not do before.Other examples of this

could be connecting the baby clothes without chemistry or 100% cotton with being a thoughtful

mother and having a beautiful and happy baby or connecting the baby pink/blue clothes with

respectivelyagirlandboy.

Picture1:AdvertisementfromMüslibyGreenCotton,collection2016

59

Formarketersitmight,however,beadifficulttasktodemonstratethevaluesofthecultureinthead

andconnectthemwiththebabyclothes,sincemostoftentheadvertisementsforbabyclothesareonly

picturingthebabydressedintheclothes.Asaconsequence,itwillbethevaluesattachedtothebrand

namethatwillneedtorepresentthisconnection.

However,whatshouldbenoticedis,thateventhoughthemarketersseektocreateaspecificmeaning

for theirbrands in the advertisement, itmaybe interpreteddifferently frommother tomother and

thereforeasaresultthesymbolicmeaningmightalsobedifferent(ElliotandWattanasuwan,1998,p.

136). The reason for this is that themothers comewith different personal backgrounds aswell as

perceptionsandtheattentiongiventotheadvertisementmightfurthermorebedifferent(ibid).

Inthisstudy,therewasnotfoundevidencethatthemotherswereconsciouslyimpactedbytraditional

advertisement (such as ads in magazines, posters or commercials in thetelevision). This could,

however,beduetothefactthata lotoftheprocessingofadvertisementhappensonasubconscious

level (Ramsøy, 2014, p.22) and therefore themothers are not aware of the impact that the

advertisementshaveonthem.AnotherreasoncouldbeassignedtothedecreaseintheMillennials’use

offlow-televisionandmagazinereading(DRMedieforskning,2015).

4.1.1. SOCIALMEDIA

In theprimary research, itwas instead found that themothers to a high extentwere influencedby

advertisements on the socialmedia, such as blogs, Instagramor Facebook etc. (Interview Sara, Ida,

Cathrine,Julie,Josefine,Benedikte).Thishappenedonboth1)anovertlevel,suchaswhentheylooked

at different brand’s profiles and pictures or received advertisement in their newsfeed, and 2) on a

morecovert level, aswhen theadvertisementswerehiddenbehindcelebrities’ recommendationsor

pictures on the social media. These celebrity recommendations can be seen as part of the Fashion

System.

Inthiswayitcanalsobesaidthatthedivisionbetweentheadvertisementandthefashionsystemhave

tosomeextentmergedintoday’ssociety,sincetheFashionSystemischaracterisedbyopinionleaders

suchascelebritiesorfashionjournalists,whofunctionasagentsofthemeaningtransfer(McCracken,

1986, p. 77). These opinion leaders “help shapeand refine existing culturalmeaningand functionas

sourcesofmeaningforindividualoflesserstanding” (McCracken,1986,p.76).Thiscanbothbe if the

opinion leader iswritinghis/her thoughtsabout thebabyclothesandorwhenhe/she is showinga

pictureofhis/herbabywearingaspecificoutfitoneitherhis/herblog,InstagramorFacebook.

60

Thisactiondoesnotonlypicturetheclothesbutitalsoconnectsthelifestyleandvaluesofthisperson

with the clothes. Consequently, the opinion leader himself/herself come to symbolise the cultural

valuesandcombinesitwiththebabyclothes.Therefore,itcanbesaidthattheculturalpropertiesare

showntoresideinhim/herandmovefromhim/herandovertoconsumergood(McCracken,2006,p.

97).

Inthiswaysocialmediaallowtomergetheadvertisingwiththefashionsystem,astheopinionleaders

advertise for the products in a subtle and sometimes hidden way. This has however been heavily

criticised,sincetheconsumersareinfluenced,withoutknowingit.

“Mostofushavelearnedtohaveacriticalfilterturnedon,whenweseeadvertisement.Butwhen

friends,bloggersorcelebritiesmarketproductswelowerourbarricades,becausewetrustthem”–

Kalsi, expert from the Danish consumers’ advisory council, Forbrugerrådet Tænk (Samir

SørensenandHjortshøj,2016).

In order to protect the consumers against the hidden advertisement, there now exists a law in

Denmark,statingthatitneedstobeclearlywrittenifapostonthesocialmediaissponsored(ibid).

Inthefollowingexample,itcanbeseenhowoneoftheinterviewedmothersisinfluencedthroughthe

fashionsystem,byobservinganopinionleader’schildrendisplayedincertainoutfit:

“There’saphotographercalledMariaFranck,shehastwobeautifullittlegirlsandshebuysthem

matchingclothes,expensiveclothes,andIlookatthemandIthinkthatit’sjust,itlooksverynice

and…AndI,Ijustlookatthemandthink‘Aw,that’ssonice’,andthenI’llgo‘Mum,canyoumake

these?(laughing)”–InterviewCathrine.

Inthisexample, itcanbeseenhowthemother idealisestheopinionleader,MariaFranck,bycalling

herchildren“beautifullittlegirls”andhighlightingthattheclothesareexpensiveandlooknice. The

mother furthermore combinesMaria Franck andher childrenwith the displayedbaby clothes. This

influencesthemother’spreferencesforbabyclothesandshedesiresthesametypeofclothesforher

child. Hereby, it can be argued, that themother uses the opinion leader as inspiration for how she

wantsherchildtobedressed.

In another example it is shown how the opinion leaders’meanings impact themother to purchase

specialbrands:

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“Andyouscrolldownpictures[inInstagram]ofotherbabiesandthenyouseeitalot.Andpeople

[differentopinionleaders]werelike“OhI’msohappyforthat”(laughing)and“ourkidsloveit”.

Andthenitgetsintoyourheadandthenyouarelike“MaybeI’lllikeitaswell”andthenyougo

outandbuythesebrands.”–InterviewIda.

Thisquote illustrateshowthemothertrusts theopinion leaders’meaningsandhowshethus is

influencedtopurchasethesebrands.Itcouldbesaid,thatthemotherismorepronetopurchase

the brands as these recommendations are given in a more covert way than a normal

advertisement.Itcouldbeinterestingtoinvestigatetowhichextentthemothersareimpactedby

hiddenadvertisement,however,thisisoutofthescopeofthisthesis.

Insummaryitcanbesaidthatbothadvertisementsandthefashionsystemworkasinstruments

ofmeaning transfer fromthecultural constitutedworld to theconsumergood. Ithasherebeen

demonstratedhowthemeaningsandvalues thatGenerationYholds isbeing transferred to the

babyclothesthroughadvertisementthroughtheirconnectiontoopinionleaders.Furthermore,it

has been showed that the advertisement and fashion system as described in McCracken’s

framework (1986), have merged through the use of social media in today’s society. This is

illustrated in the following framework, which has been edited accordingly and which will be

utilisedsubsequentlywithinthisthesis:

Thereisalsoanotherinstrumentofmeaningtransfer,whichtheauthorsofthethesishaveadded

toMcCracken’soriginal framework (1986), inordernot toneglect the fact thatotherreference

groupsalsoholdagreatimpactintheprocessofmeaningtransfer.

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4.2. REFERENCEGROUPS

Afterhavingconductedtheinterviewscertainpatternshavebeenfoundconcerningwhofunctionsas

influencersfortheinterviewees.Theinstrumenthasbeenidentifiedasreferencegroups(Arnouldet

al., 2005, p. 608), throughwhich the cultural and symbolicmeanings have been transferred to the

product. The reason for this is that these groups to some extent have shaped the individual’s

perspectives,attitudesandbeliefs.Thisisduetothefactthatthemothersbelongtodifferentthough

communities.Thoughtcommunities,suchasgenerationsornationreflectthewaypeoplethink;what

theybelieveandhowthemeaningisassigned(Zerubavel,1997,p.9).

Furthermore, the reference groups can be seen as a critical source of brandmeanings (Escalas and

Bettman,2005,p.379),sincethemotherscanusethesereferencegroupsasasourceof information

for “arrivingatandevaluatingone´sbeliefsabout theworld,particularlyotherswhosharebeliefsand

aresimilaronrelevantdimensions”(ibid).

Therecognisedreferencegroupswithintheinterviewshavebeenthemothergroupsandfriendsand

family. This identification is important since the reference groups are seen as instrument of

meaningtransfer from the society to the goods, and in addition they can be seen as thought

communities.The individualmother canbepartofmore thanone referencegroup (CovaandCova,

2002). Thus, by being part of the different reference groups e.g. family, colleagues, and friends,

themothersbelongtodifferentthoughtcommunities.

Anexampleofthiscanbeseeninthefollowingquote:

“Iwasencouraged[by someone] tobuyusedclothesbecause ithadbeenwashedsomanytimes

thechemicalshavebeenwashedout.That’ssomethingIactuallyprioritise”-InterviewBenedikte.

Here it can be seen how “someone’s” idea has been accepted in the mother’s mind, it has been

memorised, laterrealisedandnowsheprioritises it. Inthiswaythe“someone”haveinfluencedher

andmadeherseetheworldthrough“thesomeone’s”lenses(Zerubaval,1997).

4.2.1. FAMILYANDFRIENDS

Sincebecomingamotherisatransformativelifeexperience,thefuturemothersdonaturallyturnto

theirfamilyandfriendstoseekadviceandtogaininformation.Additionally,itcouldbesaidthatthe

newmothersreceive informationwithoutasking for it fromthe familymembersor friends.For this

reasonstheyhavebeenrecognisedasoneofthetworeferencegroups.

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Theknowledgeaboutwhattobuyfromthefamilyandthefriendswhorecentlyhadchildrenhasbeen

foundtobecommonamongstmanyoftheinterviewees.Themothersseektoknowwhattheyneedto

purchasefirst.Thefriendsandfamilyhaveagoodoverviewofthemarket,thetrendsandtheyknow

whichclothesthatcannotmissinthelayette(thebaby’sfirstwardrobe).Thus,thisreferencegroupis

essentialtothefirsttimemotherswhoareinexperiencedwiththeprocessofbuyingbabyclothes.

The opinions of the family and thefriends (who recently have children) are a significant source of

informationregarding theculturalandsymbolicvaluesattachedto thebabyclothes,e.g. in termsof

not buying clothes with many chemicals (Interview Benedikte), buying organic (Interview Ida,

Isabella, Kristine), or that girls can also wear blue (Interview Julie, Kristine). Thus thefamily and

friendsassistinthetransferofmeaningfromtheculturallyconstitutedworldtothebabyclothes.

“Yeah,I’vebeenthinkingaboutthat[howshe isasamother]alotaswell,becausewehaveall

this like ecological mind thinking, like being sustainable and everything. Which, I have been

baited into thinking from CBS and everywhere else and friends. You know “think about

sustainability,and it is really important. Imean,whenhehas towearclothes for instance, Igo

andbuyecological”–InterviewIda.

This illustrateswell,howthemother’s friendsanduniversity transfer theculturalandsymbolic

meaningofbeingsustainableandthatthisisthe“rightway”tothinktoe.g.thebabyclothesand

thatthiseffectthemother’swayofthinking.

4.2.2. MOTHERGROUPS

Theotheridentifiedreferencegrouphasbeenmothergroups,becausetheyareanetworkconstructed

of the individuals who share: common subculture, bonds and vision of life (Cova and Cova, 2002)

beliefsandattitudes(Arnouldetal.,2005).Furthermore,knowledgesharing ispartof thereference

group.Thisisalsoseeninregardstotheopinionsbasedonbabyclothes:

“So there is a lot of knowledge sharing in mommy groups in that sense.With clothes at all I

think”-InterviewSara

InDenmark,thereislongtraditionofthemothergroups.Themothersareplacedintothegroupsby

themidwife.Theyareassigned into thegroupsbasedonwhere they liveandwhen theygavebirth.

Hence it can be concluded that the groups are heterogeneous (Cova and Cova, 2002), since

theconnectionbetweenthemembersarebasedonlyontheirentranceintomotherhood.

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Moreover,inthebeginningofmotherhood,themothersmeetonceortwiceaweektotalkabouttheir

experiences and problems they might face (Melish, 2015). Some also gather in cafés, hang out in

theswimmingbathsorgotothechurchforbabysingingactivities(InterviewIda).

In the mother groups, the mothers are engaging in knowledge sharing and as a consequence they

influenceeachother’sopinionsandbeliefs.Nevertheless,thewomenstillhavetheirownpreferences

and interests incertaincontexts. In the followingexample itcanbeseenhowthemothers influence

eachother’swayofthinking:

I have this group of mothers, where we meet. From the beginning we talked a lot about how

important it is that the home doesn’t need to be all clean for us [as a response to the perfect

mother].Andyoudon’thavetolikedressuporanythinglikethat.Wejustneedtobeverychilled

abouteverything,andthatsuitsmeverywell.”-InterviewIda.

According to themother’s experience there is a generaldesire in society tobeperfect, however, by

sharingthesameperspectiveandbeliefwiththemothergroupabout“beingchilledmother”,thereisan

evidenceintransferofthemeaningaboutnottobestressedandpressured.Thiscanalsobeseenasa

sign of a thought community (Zerubavel, 1997), since the mothers agree to share a similar way of

thinking.Asaconsequence,themothersbecomepartofthesocialenvironment(Zerubavel,1997).

Intheresearchitwasfoundthatchemicalsareoneofthemaintopicswhenthemothersdiscussbaby

clothesinthemothergroups(InterviewBenedikte,Sara,Ida).Thiscanbeseenasanexampleofthe

meaningtransferfromtheculture,werethebeingenvironmentalfriendlyandsociallyresponsibleare

consideredimportantvaluesfortheGenerationY.Basedonthis, it isdemonstratedhowthemother

groupserveasaninstrumentformeaningtransfer.

Insummarythe family, friendsandmothergroupshavebeen identifiedasareferencegroups,since

they are influencing themotherswithin their thinking. Since themothers belong tomore than one

referencegroup,theybelongtodifferentthoughtcommunities.Theculturalandsymbolicvaluesare

transferredthroughthereferencegroupstothegoods.

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4.3. SUB-CONCLUSION

Inthischaptertheinstrumentsofculturalmeaningtransferfromtheculturalconstitutedworldtothe

babyclotheshavebeenanalysed.TheinstrumentshavebeenidentifiedasAdvertising,FashionSystem

andReferenceGroups.Nowadays,theAdvertisingandtheFashionsystemhavebeenmergedtogether

through the use of the social media in the society. Here, themeanings andvalues have been

transferred by the opinion leader. Within theReference Groups themeaning and value from the

culture have been transferred, mainly by the family, close friends and other mothers within the

mother group. Additionally, it was found that themothers belong to different though communities,

whichisimportanttoknowsincethethoughcommunitiesaffecthowthemothersthink.

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5. BABYCLOTHESCARRYCULTURALANDSYMBOLICMEANINGS

In this chapter itwill be analysed how the baby clothes represent and carry cultural and symbolic

meanings identified in the cultural constitutedworld. As it has been demonstrated in the previous

chapter,themeaningshavemovedthroughthedifferent instrumentssuchasadvertisement, fashion

systemand reference group in to the goods. The identified valuesmentionedpreviously are in this

chaptergoingtobeexaminedinconnectionwiththebabyclothes.

Additionally, inthesecondpartof thechapterthepurchasingpreferencehavebeenillustratedsince

today thesociety ismarkedasaconsumptionsocietyandpeoplebuy things for theirmeaningsand

not only for the utilitarian purposes (etc. Levy 1959;Østergaard and Jantzen, 2000; Solomon et al.,

2014)andwhere isconvenient for them.Moreover, thedeepermeaningof theproductmayhelp to

standoutfromothersimilargoods(Solomonetal.,2014,p.55).

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Thestructureofthischapteristhefollowing:

5.1. ORGANICBABYCLOTHES

Inthefindings, itwasidentifiedthattherearedifferentculturalandsymbolicmeanings,whichhave

beentransferredtothegoods.Firstly,intheprimaryresearchitwasfoundthatmostofthemothers

are determinedly looking to purchase organic baby clothes for their child. This is because they are

concernedabout thesocial responsibilityand thehealth issuesconnectingwith thematerialused in

baby clothes. For the majority of the mothers themost important attributes concerning the baby

clothing,was that itwasorganicandwith lesschemicals.For themothers theorganicclothesequal

lesschemicals.

One of the mothers has a particular view to this topic. She categorically seeks after organic baby

clothesandsherefusestodressherchildinclothing“fullofchemicals”:

“I looka lotafter theorganic stuffwithout chemicals, thathavea veryhighpriority…veryhigh

priority,Iwouldn’tliketodressherinclothesthatwasfullofchemicals.”–InterviewKristine.

Somegoodsaremarkedwiththeeco-labels,whicharesignallingthattheclothesareorganic,hereby

offering the mothers transparency in regards to their consumption. It is therefore abenefit to the

majority of themothers, although it is not seen as a requirement by everyone. One of themost

importantattributesforthemistheamount,orrathernotamount,ofthechemicalsintheclothing,in

order to protect their babies against the side-effects they associate with the chemicals. This is

supportedbyfollowingstatement:

BabyClothesCarryCulturalandSymbolicMeaningØ OrganicBabyClothesØ GenderStereotypesintheBabyClothesØ FinancialResponsibilityandEgalitarianThinking

PurchasingBehaviouroftheMothers

Ø SocialMediaØ PhysicalShopsØ E-shopsØ CombinationofE-shopsandPhysicalShopsØ BrandedvsNon-BrandedØ SharedandRentedClothing

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“Alsobeforewhenthey[thebabies]arefromzerotoonetheyareveryabsorbingmuchmore.Itis

veryimportantthatyoucareaboutwhatkindoffabricyouputontoyourbabyandIalwayswash

thenew clothes before she [the daughter] iswearing it. It is very important tome.” - Interview

Judith.

Itcanherebeseenhowtheculturalvalueofbeingsociallyresponsiblebynotusingchemicalsandthe

symbolicvalueof‘beingamotherwhocareaboutthehealthandwell-beingofherchild’,istransferred

totheclothes.

5.2. GENDERSTEREOTYPESINTHEBABYCLOTHES

Additionally,theothertracedculturalmeaningwithinthebabyclothes,hasbeenidentifiedasgender

stereotypes. In general, the selection of baby clothes offered in the shops in Copenhagen, are

representing the feminine and masculine values identified within the culture (Interview Julie,

Benedikte, Isabella). Forexample, thefemininevaluescanbeseenintheclothesbythecolourpink,

patternswith hearts and dresses; or themasculine valueswith the clothes in the colour blue, polo

shirts or printswith cars etc. Through the colours and thedesign, the product of the baby clothes

herebycomestorepresentthegenderstereotypesofclothingwithintheculture.

Withintheresearch,mostoftheinterviewedmothershavepreferredgenderspecificgoods,inorder

to express toothers thegenderof their child (e.g. InterviewKristine,Cathrine, Judith,Michelle, Ida,

Sara, Josefine). In this case theculturalmeaning has been transferred to thebaby clothes, since the

motherswanttoexpressthegenderstereotypestothesocietythroughtheclothing.Thus,thesebaby

clothesrepresentthemothers‘wholikethetraditionalcolourspectrumasarepinkandblue,inregard

ofexpressingtheculturalmeaningsoffemininityormasculinityofthechild’.

Ontheotherhand,someofthemotherswishtodresstheirchildreninmoregenderneutralcoloursin

ordernottoexpressthegenderofthebabyandthereforenotlabellingthesexofthechild.However,

according to the interviews (Benedikte, Julie) ithasbeen found that theselectionofbaby clothes in

othercoloursthanpinkandblueissmaller:

“Pinkisnice,buttherearealotofotherprettycolours;orange,green,yellowandblue.AndIdon’t

thinkthatgirlsneedtowearpink…Buttheselectionisverymuchlikethat.Itiseitherblueorpink,

right?Itisverydivided.”-InterviewJulie

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Inthisexample,themotherfeelsforcedtodressherdaughteronlyincertaincolours,sinceshedoes

not haveoptions todressher child indifferentways. In this particular case themother seeks to go

against the culture of dressing the child in gender specific colours, but thesupply does not meet

herdemand.Therefore,accordingtoher,shedoesnothavetheoptiontodressherchildaccordingto

her taste. Additionally, it can be said that the cultural value of “unisex”, is to some extent not

transferredtothebabyclothes.

Inthiswayitcanbesaidthattheculturalmeaningsoffemininityormasculinityaretransferredtothe

babyclothes,howevertheculturalvalueofdressingandraisingthechildrenmoregenderneutral,has

notbeentransferredtothesupplyoftheclothes.

5.3. FINANCIALRESPONSIBILITYANDEGALITARIANTHINKING

Another traced cultural and symbolicmeaning has been found regarding financial responsibility of

GenerationYandregardingtheJanteLaw.

Asmentioned in theCultureChapter, theGenerationY is financially responsible andpurchaseswith

consideration.This is seen,when theMillennialsmothersreflectabout thecost-benefit inregards to

the quality of the products versus the price (Interview Cathrine, Ida, Sara, Isabella, Julie, Josefine).

Thereareseveral factors,which they take into theconsiderationwhenpurchasingbabyclothes, e.g.

the household income and the rapid speed inwhich the child is growing. Therefore, these factors

representa‘motherwhoisfinancialawareandthinkaboutconsideringthequalityofthebabyclothes

withthepricevsquality’.

In the research itwas found that there exists a general tendency of opposition towardspurchasing

high-endbrandsforthebabies,duetothefacttheinterviewedwomenthinkthatthehigh-endclothing

is“tooexpensive”and“showoff”.

Thisdislikecanbeaseenasaresultofthesocialmindscape(Zerubavel,1997),whicharethethoughts

thatsharedincommonwithinthegeneralculture,surroundingtheinterviewedmothers,namelythat

high-end products for children expresses a superficial mother (Interview Kristine) who wishes to

“showoff”.

[talkingaboutRalphLaurenshirts]“Ithinkitisbitshowoff.(laughing)Idonotlikethebrand[…]

Itisthistypethepoloshirt.Thiskindofbusinessdudewhoisnotthatmuchbusinessdudebuthe

wantstobe[…]IdonotthinkmychildshouldwearRalphLaurenshirtattheageofone[…]Ido

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not like to be associatewith the kind of value [which Ralph Lauren represents] I think it is bit

snobbish.Youknowjust…Iactuallythinkifyouwanttoputyourchildinsomethingveryexpensive

orhighqualitybrandedclothesIthinkitismuchmorestylishifyoucannotseethebrand[…]My

parentsboughtaverynicevestinHawaiiandithasthisverysmallCalvinKleinlogo.Thatisok.It

isvery small. Idonot think it is showoff. […] I just think it isodd that thechildrenarewearing

theseshowoffbrands–InterviewJosefine.

Thisquoteillustrateshowthemotherassociatelargevisiblebrandswith“showoff”and“snobbism”.

This represent a mother who takes a stand against buying a high-end baby clothing and also

symbolisingamotherwhodoesnotwanttobeassociatedwiththeshowingoff.

Inanotherexamplethehigh-endclothesareseenasrepresentingsuperficialbehaviour:

“Iwouldnevergiveit[high-endbrands]tomychild.ItisbecauseIthinkitisuglyandthenbecause

of theprice (laughing). It is insane, I can imagine. These brands, I think…I don’t know. Andalso

becauseI imaginethattheonesusingLouisVuittonortheseexpensivebrands,theyhave…Idon’t

know.ButIdon’tuseitmyself.[…]Ithinkthey[motherswhoaredressingthebabiesinhigh-end

labels]areabitsuperficial,becauseyouaregivingthemalabelandapieceofclothes. Itdoesn’t

really say anything about how they are as human beings […] But I think it becomes superficial,

becausewhyisitimportantthattheyshouldwearapieceofclothesthatcost800DKKinsteadof

200DKK,or…Well...Aslongasshe[herdaughter]iscomfortableandwarmandnotgetcold.And

thenIalsothinksomethingmorepractical”.-InterviewJulie

Thisviewsupportstheabove-mentionedopiniontowardshigh-endbabyclothesandcontributestoit

bysuggestingthathigh-endlogoscarrythesymbolicmeaningofasuperficialmother.Accordingtothe

mother the high end-brands thus come to label the child and other people will therefore “see the

brand”ratherthanthepersonalityofthechild.

Thefindingsfromtheresearchprovideanevidenceofculturalmeaningtransfer,sincethedesignand

brandchoiceof thebabyclothes,accordingtothe interviewedmothers,shouldnotshowthatone is

betterthantheother.Hence,itcanbeseenhowtheegalitarianthinkingandimpactoftheJanteLawis

transferred to thebaby clothes. This has also impacted thesymbols attachedwith thebaby clothes,

sinceit isfoundthathigh-endclothescarrythesymbolicmeaningofbeingasuperficialmother,who

likestobragandisbeingfinancialthoughtlessbyspendingtoomuchmoneyontheclothes(Interview

Kristine,Michelle,Julie,Josefine).

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This perspective on baby clothes can, however, be seen as a contrast to the perception of a“good

parent”providedbyUthThomsenandSørensen(2006).Thereasonforthisisthattheysuggestthat

there exists a pressure of consumer culture, inwhich “extensiveorhigh-endconsumptionmakes the

betterparent”(UthThomsenandSørensen,2006,p.919).Thischangeofsymbolicmeaningcouldbe

based on: the development there has been in society since 2006; the events of the financial crisis,

whichhasoccurredmeanwhile;andorthatthedemographicsegmentsofthefocalmothershavebeen

different.Thisiscouldbesubjectforfurtherresearch.

5.4. SUB-CONCLUSION

In this chapter it has been analysed how the baby clothes carry cultural and symbolic meanings.

Thevalues transferred from theculture throughout the instruments to the baby clothes have been

identifiedas:

1) Social responsibility, which reflects the interest in purchasing the organic baby clothing and

clothingwithlesschemicals.Thisrepresentsa ‘motherwhocaresaboutthewell-beingofthe

child as she protects the child againstchemicals’ and a ‘motherwho is concerned about the

futureworldinwhichthechildwilllivein’.

2) Gender stereotypes, which are seen in thechoice of thecolours and design of baby clothing.

This represents themotherwho ‘is either in favourof the traditional colour spectrum (pink

andblue)inregardofexpressingthegenderofthechild’or‘whoisinfavourofunisexclothing

inregardsofnotlabellingthechild’.

3) Financialresponsibility,whichreflects inthefocalmothers’assessmentof thequalityandthe

priceofthebabyclothing.Thisrepresentsa ‘motherwhoisfinancialawareandthinksabout

assessing the quality of the baby clothes with the price vs. quality and not purchasing

expensiveclothes’.

4) Egalitarian thinking, which reflects in the dislike of the high-end clothing brands and logos.

This represents a ‘mother who takes a stand against buying a high-end baby clothing’ and

herebysymbolisinga‘motherwhoisnot“snobbish”’.

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InorderprovideadeeperanalysisoftheconsumerresearchofthefirsttimemothersinGenerationY,

itwasdecidedtoincludeabriefanalysisregardingthemothers’purchasinghabitsforbabyclothing.

Thisprovidesamorecomprehensiblepictureofthemothers’usageofbabyclothes,whichcanbein

useforthebusinesses.

Thereasonforincludingthispartisfurthermorethatthemothersneedtopurchasethebabyclothes

(ifnotconsidered inheritedbabyclothesorpresents)beforetheycanbeconsideredaspartof their

extendedself(chapter7).

5.5. PURCHASINGBEHAVIOUROFTHEMOTHERS

ThisparttouchesuponthetopicofpurchasingbytheGenerationY,theirpreferencesandhabits.Since

thereisconnectionbetweenthepurchasingandthebabyclothesitisanalysedinthesamechapter.

5.5.1. SOCIALMEDIA

TheGenerationYappreciatessocialmediaandspendstheirtimethere(RIS,2013), thus it issafeto

saythattheyalwayshave“life”inthepocketbyalwayscarryingtheirsmartphonearound(RIS,2013,

p.5).Hence, theMillennialsarealsocharacterisedas theFacebookgenerationand they lean toward

thenewtechnologicalpossibilities(ibid).

TheactivepresenceonFacebookiscrucialforbusinesses,duetothefactthat96%ofMillennialshave

a Facebookprofile (RIS, 2013, p.23) and62%use itmore than once a day (ibid) and therefore are

consideredasactiveusers.

Theinterviewedmothersusesocialmedia,inregardtothepurchasingofbabyclothing,however,this

ismainlyusedforinspirationandsomeofthemothersfollowcertainbabyclothesbrandsorbloggers

on different social media (Interview Sara, Ida, Julie, Josefine). In connection with the findings in

theRISreport(2013)60%oftherespondentsfollowtheirpreferredbrandsonFacebookinorderto

getupdatesandnewsfromthebrand(RIS,2013,pp.23-26).

It can therefore be concluded that social media is a popular touch point between businesses and

Millennials.However,thebusinessesareurgedtohavedialogwiththeMillennialsonthesocialmedia,

because theconversation signals active presence. The active online presence of the companies

demonstrates that theycareabout theircustomersbyansweringcomplaintsandgiving feedbackon

questionsandcommentaries.Herebythesocialmediaenhancethecustomerexperienceandservice.

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5.5.2. PHYSICALSHOPS

Although the interviewed mothers as well the other Millennials are known as thetechnological

generationandhavehighusageoftechnology,itisinterestingtonotethatwhenitcomestoshopping,

themajorityofthemothersprefershopthetraditionalway.Thiscould,however,seemcontradicting

tothefactthatmostofthemothersexplainedthattheyhadlimitedtimeavailable(especiallyforthe

oneswhoarenolongeronmaternityleave).Nevertheless,thiscouldbeduetothefactthattheyvalue

higherthebenefitsofpurchasinginphysicalshops.

Thebenefitsforpurchasinginphysicalshopscanbefoundinthefollowing(RIS,2013,32):

“IwouldliketotrytheitembeforeIbuyit”

“BecauseIcanseeandfeeltheitemandtalkwiththepersonnel”

“Becauseitismore“hyggeligt3”

By purchasing the baby clothes in the physical shops the mothers can get assistance from the

personnel and get guidance in the complexmarket of baby clothes, which they can otherwise find

confusing (VOICE Group, 2010). Buying the baby clothes in physical shops furthermore allow the

mothers to touchand feel theproductsandthiscouldalsobeoneof thereasons for themothers to

purchasetheclothesinphysicalshops.Thisisespeciallyrelevant,sincethe“softness”ofthematerial

is an important attribute for the mothers when choosing theproduct (e.g. interview Josefine,

Benedikte,Kristine,Sara,Isabella):

“I thinka lotabout if it is soft, I think it is very important that it is easy forhim towear them

[pants] when he is running and crawling and then it should not be tight, no button, it is

impossibletotightitwithbuttons.”-InterviewJosefine.

Thefactthatmostoftheinterviewedmotherspurchasethebabyclothesinphysicalshopscanbeseen

as a general tendency of theMillennials. According to results from RIS (2013), theMillennials still

prefer to shop in physical shops 37%and nearly 50% likes to combine shopping in physical shops

withonlineshopping(RIS,2013,p.31).

3Intranslation-cosy

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5.5.3. E-SHOPS

Eventhoughmoremothersprefershoppingbabyclothesinthephysicalshops,thereisstillevidence

thatonlineshoppingprovidessomebenefitsforthemothers,forexample:

1) Thatitiseasy

2) Moreconvenient

3) Comparisonofprices

4) Theselectionisbigger

5) Itisdeliveredtothedoor

6) Itismoreflexible

(RIS,2013,p.32).

Byprovidingtheserviceofpurchasingtheproductsonline,thebrandsprovideanalternativeforthe

mothers and it allows them to use their timemore efficiently (Interview Sara, Isabella, Judith) and

choseformbiggerselection(Cathrine).Thisisvital,sincetimeisanimportantfactorformotherswith

babies.Theamountoftimewhentheycandoshoppingislimitedandtheydonothaveoptiontospend

alotoftimeinstores.Therefore,theyenjoytheconvenienceofthee-shopservice.

“ActuallyIdon’thavetimegooutandlookforclothes,andIdon’tenjoyit….It’sjusteasiertojust

buyitonlineandthenjustgetit.”-InterviewSara.

This quote supports the benefitsmention above, since themother confirms that it is easier and

moresuitableforhertoshoponline.

In summary some of the interviewed mothers prefer to shop only in e-shops (Interview Sara,

Judith)duetothefactitismoreconvenientforthemandtheyprefertospendtheirtimetobemore

efficientlywiththeirfamily.Inaddition,theyenjoytheservicee.g.thatthegoodsaredeliveredto

theirdoor,comparablepricesandorthattheselectionislarger.Asitwasmentioninpreviouspart,

someofmothersliketocombinebothonlineshoppingandgoingtothephysicalshops.

5.5.4. COMBINATIONONTHEPHYSICALSHOPSANDTHEE-SHOPS

In the primary research there were found evidence that some mothers prefer the combination of

thephysical shops and e-shops. Somemothers find inspiration forwhat to purchasewhenwindow

shopping(InterviewCathrine,Judith),whileothersliketobrowseatonlinesites(InterviewCathrine,

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Ida).Additionally, asmentionedpreviously somemothersprefer touse the fashion system, such as

bloggersormagazinesforinspiration.

Oneof themothersdescribesher shoppingbehaviour inwhich she combinesphysical shopsande-

shops:

“And then I also sometimesdo it [buy baby clothes in online shops] … if I for instance finda

sweaterthatIreallylikeinashopandIcanjustfeelthatthequalityisalsoreallynice,butthenI

thinkitistooexpensiveoriftheydon’thaveitinhis[theson’s]size…sothenIsometimesgohome

onlinetoseeifIcanfinditcheaperorifIcanfindtheclothesinthesizeheneeds.”

–InterviewIsabella.

Inthisquoteitcanbeseenhowthemothervisitthephysicalshopsinordertofindtheproductsthat

she likes and then go online to browse if she can purchase it cheaper online or find the right size

clothes.Inthiswayshecombinesthebenefitsassociatedwiththephysicalstores,suchasbeingable

totouchtheproductwiththebenefitsofthee-shops;findingtheproductcheaperandtherightsize.

Thecombinationofphysicalshopswiththee-shopsdoes,however,alsogoestheotherwayaround:

“Igotothestore.WhenIgoonlineIneverbuyanythingonline. Ido it for inspiration. Iactually

spendalotoftimegoingtoallthesewebsites.”-InterviewIda.

Byusingtheonlineshopsinordertofindinspiration,themotherisabletobrowseforawidevariety

ofbabyclothes,whichshecouldnotdoinaphysicalshop.However,whengoingtothephysicalshop,

sheisabletoseetheproductsinreallifeandassessthequalityofit.Thussheiscombiningtheonline

andofflinebenefits.

This goes in line with RIS’ (2013, p.32) findings regarding the combination of online and offline

shoppinghabitsamongstGenerationY:

“Pricesonline,observationinshops”

“Becauseitissomethingaboutgoinandtouchandtryandseetheproducts“live”,

butaboutatthesametimeitiseasierandfastertobuyitonline”

TheinterviewstogetherwiththeresultsfromtheRIS(2013),presentedinGraph3,supporttheidea

thatallbusinessesshouldbepresentonlineandofflineinorderforthecustomertobeabletochoose

whattheyprefer.

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InconclusionthemajorityofMillennialsliketocombineshoppinginbothphysicalshopsande-shops

fordifferentreasonsaswellastheyenjoyusingtechnologyandsocialmedia.

5.5.5. BRANDEDVSNONBRANDEDCLOTHINGWithin the analysis the majority of the interviewed mothers have claimed that they do not have

specific preferences between low-end branded clothing (e.g. H&M) and non-branded clothing from

thesupermarkets.According to them, this isdue to the fact that thesupermarketsbrandsalsooffer

organic clothing lines as well as woollen clothes (e.g. Interview Sara, Judith, Cathrine, Josefine).

Themothers hold positive perception towards the non-branded clothing and they have had good

experiencewith them.Themothersagree that thequality after severalwashings isnotperfect (e.g.

InterviewCathrine,Ida,Isabella),butsincethebabycanonlyweartheclothingforashortperiodof

timeitissatisfyingforthepricetheypurchaseditfor.Thusthecostandbenefitequalises.Onlyoneof

theinterviewedmothersstrictlystatedthatshewouldneverbuyclothingfromsupermarket,sinceit

isnotanythingshewouldbuyforherself(InterviewMichelle).

Ontheotherhand,eventhoughthemothersholdpositivefeelingstowardsthenon-brandedclothing,

they do not feel any attachmentswith them. The reason for this could be that themothersmainly

purchasethesupermarketclothesduetothelowerprice.

37%

13%

50%

IPrefertoShopin…?

Physicalshops

E-shops

Combinationsofphysicalshopsande-shops

Graph3:PreferredshoppingchannelsSource:RetailInstituteScandinavia,2013,p.31

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Thisimpliesthatthemothersfeelmoreemotionally,attachedtothebrandedclothing.Thereasonfor

thisisthatthebrand-meaningsandvaluesaremoreprevalentinthebrandedclothesandfurthermore

themothersperceivetheclothesasbetterquality(InterviewJudith,Josefine,Cathrine,Kristine,Sara).

Anotherwayof seeing that thevaluesofbeing financial and socially responsible canbe seen in the

trendoftheserviceofsharedclothing.

5.5.6. SHAREDANDRENTEDCLOTHINGIntheresearchtherewasfoundevidencethatthereisaninterestinsharingandrentingproducts.This

canbeseenasthemothersareaffectedby:theculturaltrendofAgeofAccess(Rifkin,2001),inwhich

consumersbuyaccesstoproductsinsteadofthem;aswellastheawarenessofbeingfinanciallyand

sociallyresponsible.

Theserviceoftherentingclotheshasenteredthemarket(e.g.companyVigga)andthemothershave

theoptionofrentingtheclothingformonthlyfeeanddeliveritbackwhentheproductshavefulfilled

thepurpose(InterviewIsabella).

By this option themothers have a possibility to overcome the problemof purchasing new clothing

frequentlyandtheyalsohaveaneasyaccesstotheclothingtheyneedforthebaby.However,themain

companyintheprimaryresearch(Vigga)doesonlyofferpre-definedpackages;therefore,themothers

cannotchoosetheirstylefortheirbaby,whichtheyfoundasadisadvantageandareasonforwhynot

tousetheserviceoffering(e.g.InterviewIda,Isabella,Benedikte).

Anotherservicethatallowsaccesstobabyclothesistherotationgroups,whichcanbefoundthrough

Facebook(InterviewJulie).ThisrotationisbasedasvolunteerserviceinCopenhagen.Thisserviceof

sharedclothing isanotherexampleof culturalmeaning transfer. Thus, it is shown that thecultural

meanings of being financially and socially responsible and of “not being troubled with ownership”

havebeentransferredtowardstheserviceofrentingbabyclothes.

5.6. SUB-CONCLUSSION

Insummary,themajorityoftheMillennialsmothersprefertocombinetheonlineandofflinechannels

for shopping. They are confident on using social media and other online tools and are using them

mainlyforinspirationforthepurchasesofthebabyclothing.

Furthermore, the specific culturalmeaning of being organic and financially and socially responsible

canbeseeninthepurchasinghabitsandofferingsofsharedandrentedbabyclothes.

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6. RITUALSASPARTOFTHEMEANINGTRANSFERUntilnowithasbeenanalysedhowthemovementofculturalandsymbolicmeaninghastransferred

fromtheculturalconstitutedworld,namelytheworldofthefirsttimemothersfromGenerationY,to

reside in the baby clothes through the three instruments ofmeaning transfer; 1)Advertisement, 2)

FashionSystemand3)Referencegroups.However, inordertounderstandthefurtherprocessofhow

the meanings are being transferred from the baby clothes and into the life of the mothers, the

followingfourritualswillbepresented;

1)ExchangeRitual,2)GroomingRituals,3)Possessionritualsand4)DivestmentRituals.According to

McCrackentheseritualsfunctionasanothersetofinstrumentsofmeaningtransfer(McCracken,1986,

p.78)inorder“tocompletethesecondstageofthetrajectoryofmovement”(McCracken,1986,p.79)of

the cultural and symbolic meanings. Through theresearch it was nevertheless found that some of

theseritualsaremoreprevalentforthemothersthanothers.

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Thestructureofthischapteristhefollowing:

6.1. EXCHANGERITUALS

Inthefollowingitwillbeanalysedhowexchangeritualsinthiscaseserveasinstrumentofmeaning

transferandhowtheyallowthemeanings tomove fromthebabyclothesand into themother’s life.

Through the research itwas found that this ritual is one of themost prevailing in the case of baby

clothes.

An exchange ritual can be described as “when one party chooses, purchases and presents consumer

goods to another” (Caplow 1982, cited in McCracken, 1986, p. 78). This is not only amovement of

goodsbutalsoapotentialmovementofmeaningfulproperties.Thisisduethefactthatthegift-giver

often chooses the present because it possesses the meaningful properties he/she wishes to see

transferredtothegift-receiver(McCracken,1986,p.78).Thusthisgiftexchangeallows“individualsto

insinuate certain symbolic properties into the lives of a gift recipient and to initiate possiblemeaning

transfer” (ibid).Therefore, it canbe said that thegift-givers functionsasagentsofmeaning transfer

(ibid).

Inthisresearchtherewerefoundseveralexamplesofexchangerituals,sinceallmothersatsomepoint

hadreceivedbabyclothesaspresentseitherfromfamily,friendsorcolleagues.

During the research it was, however, found that the process of meaning transfer works slightly

differentinthecaseofgivingbabyclothesasapresent,sincethegift-receiver(mother)andgift-user

(baby)isnotthesameperson,thereforethemotherfunctionasmiddleman,asshecandecidehowto

dressthechild.

RitualsasPartoftheMeaningTransfer:Ø ExchangeRitual

o BabyClothesasaPresentØ GroomingRitualØ PossessionRitualØ DivestmentRitual

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6.1.1. BABYCLOTHESASAPRESENTWhenthemotherreceivesbabyclothesasapresentonbehalfofherbaby,themeaningfulproperties

whichthegift-giverwishestoseetransferredisconsequentlynotintendedatthemotherbutforthe

baby,forinstance;thatthebabywillbeperceivedasbeingacutelittleprincesswhenreceivingapink

dress. Nevertheless, the baby can be seen as the mother’s possession and thus also part of her

extendedself(Belk,1988).Therefore,themeaningwill indirectlybetransferredbacktothemother,

because the way she dresses her child represents her as a mother to thesurrounding world (Uth

ThomsenandSørensen,2006;Andersenetal.,2008).Thiswillhoweverbeanalysedinchapter7.

6.1.1.1. REJECTINGTHETRANSFEROFMEANING

Sincethebabyclothesindirectlyrepresentthemeaningsandvaluesofthemother,thisalsoinfluence

onthefactthattheshecanchoosetorejecttheintendedmeaningtransferbynotdressingthebabyin

thebabyclothesgivenasapresent.Forexample,thiscouldbeifthemotherdoesnotliketheproduct

bothinregardtowhatitstandsfor(e.g.havingbiglogoon,comingfromthesupermarketornotbeing

organic) or the style of the design. Therefore, she cannot identify with this meaning transfer that

dressingthechildinthisclotheswouldimply.

“I think that if I’d put her [daughter] in it [talking about a pink sweater with a big bee in

Burberry pattern, she received], peoplewould think: “OhmyGod, theregoesoneof themums

and it’s so important for her to show that she’s bought an expensive blouse for her kid”. So,

actually,it’s,Imean,it’sanicepinksweaterbutIguessit’sbecause…youknow,whatitwouldsay

aboutmeorwhatIwouldthinkaboutsomeonewhodidthat”-InterviewCathrine.

Gi$-giver:Friends,family,colleaguesetc.

Babyclothes Mother(gatekeeper) Baby

Figure6:Exchangetransferofbabyclothesanditssymbolicandculturalmeaningtransfer,OwnCreation,2016

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In this example it can be seen that the mother does not want to dress her daughter in the pink

Burberrysweater.Sheacknowledgesthat it looksnice,butthefactthat ithasabigBurberrybeeon

thestomachpreventsherfromdressingherchildinit,sinceforheritsymbolisesamotherthatlikesto

showoff.Therefore,shedoesnotwanttobeassociatedthistypeofmother,sinceshecannotidentify

withthemeaningsattachedwiththesweater.

Thisalso implies that themeaning transfer in theexchangeritualswillnotoccur,unless themother

agreeswithit.Therefore,itcanbesaidthatshefunctionsasa“gatekeeper”inthisprocessofmeaning

transfer,sinceshecanchosetoeitheracceptorrejectitandthemeaningtransferisthusnegotiated.

Nevertheless,sometimesthemothersfeelobligedtousetheclothestheygotasapresent,eventhough

theydonotlikeit,sincetheywanttobepoliteandshowgratitudetothegift-givers.Asinthecaseof

thefollowingexample:

“Likeaweekagomymomboughtsomepantsforhim[son],andIdidn’tthoughttheywerethat

nice.AndthenIwasgoingvisitingher(laughing)andIknowthatshewouldloveforhimtohave

themon,so Iput themon,andshewasreallyhappy(laughing),andthenwhenwegothome, I

tookthemof(laughing).Soyeah”–InterviewIda.

6.1.1.2. BABYSHOWER–RITEDEPASSAGE

Another exchange ritual that has become increasingly popular in Copenhagen is the baby-shower

(BuchHoyer, 2015),where the family and friends organise a party for the expectantmothers. This

ritual,whereamongstotherthingsbabyclothesarebeingexchangedaspresents,alsosymbolisearite

ofpassage (Rook, 1985 cited inDavies et al., 2006, p. 3) intomotherhood, and thus symbolises the

transitionfromwomentobeingamother.

Insummary itcanbesaid that theexchangeritual issignificant in the transferofmeaning fromthe

babyclothesandintothemothers’lives.Thereasonisthatthemeaningnotonlyistransferredtothe

baby,wearing thegivenclothes,butalsoreflectsbackon themotherandrepresenthowshe isasa

mother.Thus,themeaningsmustbenegotiatedandeitheracceptedorrejectedbythemother,ifshe

cannot identify herself with the values attached to the baby clothes. The ritual of baby-shower

furthermoreservesasariteofpassageintomotherhood.

Anotherinstrument,whichtransferthemeaningsresidedinthebabyclothesintothelivesofthe

mothersistheGroomingRitual.

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6.2. GROOMINGRITUAL

The grooming ritual functions as another instrument of meaning transfer, since the cultural and

symbolicmeaningsaretakenoutofthegoodsandareinvestedintotheconsumer(McCracken,1986,

p.80).Thereasonforthisisthatthebabyclothingitselfdoesnotcontainthemeaningswithoutbeing

usedbytheconsumer,andasaresulttheconsumermustdrawthemeaningsoutofthepossessionon

arepeatedbasis(McCracken,1986,p.79).

However, the important thing to notice is, that that the grooming ritual does not occur until

themothers consciously think about the meanings associated with the baby clothing, and dress

theirchildinordertosignalthesemeanings(ibid).

Inthiscasethisimpliesthattheculturalandsymbolicmeanings,whichresideinthebabyclothes,will

be transferred to the baby when he/she is wearing them and the meanings will indirectly be

transferred to the mother. Therefore, when the child is wearing the baby clothes the meanings

attachedtoherasamotherarealsobeingrepresented,e.g.lifestyleorsocialstatus.Nevertheless,this

willbeinvestigatedandexplaineddeeperinChapter7.

Anillustrationofthegroomingritualsthatallowthemeaningsfromthebabyclothestobetransferred

canbeseeninthefollowingexample:

“Imean,first,whenthey’relittle,there’stheissueofkindofwantingpeopletorecognisethatit’sa

girl…becauseyou…youoftencan’ttellthefirstmomentbecauseit’sjustasoftface…[Interviewer:

So do you think that it should be like girl’s colours?]Yeah,at least something torepresent the

gender”-InterviewCathrine.

Inthisexamplethemotherdressesherdaughter inspecificclothesthatrepresentthegender,when

theyaregoingoutsidethehome.Thereasonforthis,sheexplainsisthatitallowspeopletorecognise

that thebaby isagirl.Bywearing thegenderspecificbabyclothes, thefemininemeaningresided in

babyclothesisconsequentlytransferredtothebaby.

Insummary,inthegroomingritual,themothersconsciouslyseektotakethemeaningsoutofthebaby

clothesandinvestthemintothebaby,bydressinghim/herinspecificclothesonarepeatedbasis.

Anotherway,inwhichtheculturalandsymbolicmeaningsofthebabyclothesaretransferredintothe

mothers’lives,isthroughthepossessionritual.

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6.3. POSSESSIONRITUAL

Inthefindingthereiscertainevidencethatthemothersaretakingpossessionoversomeofthebaby

clothes. Thus, some of themothers havemade the claim about the baby clothes. This is also what

McCracken(1986)referstoasPossessionRituals.

Themostprevailingevidencefoundinregardtothemotherstakingpossessionoverthebabyclothes,

was thatmothers shared photos of theirchildren, when theywere wearing newly purchased baby

clothing(e.g.InterviewIda,Judith).Thisisanactionofthepossessingritual,sinceitcanbeseenasan

attempttodrawtheculturalqualitiesfromtheobject(McCracken,1986,p.79).Thepossessionrituals

marks that thebaby clothesareno longer just anymass-producedbaby clothes,but itbecomes the

mother’sbabyclothes,“Itishersandsheownsit”(Solomonetal.,2014,p.542).

Theactofsharing thephotosalsorepresents thepersonalisationbywhich themother transfers the

meaningfromherownworldtothebabyclothes:

“WhenI’mtakingpictures,Idoactuallythinkalotofwhatheiswearing.Icouldmaybeifhelooks

reallycute insomething,and IknowIwant takeapictureofhim, then I ‘mgonnaput itonhim

(laughing).Andthenhemaybedidn’twearitliketwohoursago.SoIjustputup[onFacebookand

Instagram] thisblueoutfit.And I justwantedto try thishatonhim, so Iwas like “it looksreally

cute,itwilllookcutewiththeblue”andthenIputitonandtookapictureofit.SoIdoyeah…dress

him(laughing)”-InterviewIda.

Themotherrealisesthatshedresseshersonjustinordertotakethepicture.Thisbehaviourcanbe

also classified as showing-off in positive meaning, as she is a proud mother and want to show

theresultofthe“personalisation”ofhersonandinhisnewclothing.

Insummary,bytakingpossessionoverthebabyclothessuchaswhenthemotherssharesphotoofthe

childreninspecificclothes,itactsasbringingthemeaningsoftheproductintothemothers’lives.

Thelastritual,whichworkasaninstrumentofmeaningtransferfromtheproductandintothelifeof

themothersistheDivestmentRitual.

6.4. DIVESTMENTRITUAL

Asmentionedpreviously intheTheoryReviewChapterwithinthedivestmentritual, themothersare

removing themeanings associated with the previous owner from the goods as well as eliminating

themeaning when they themselves sell a product (McCracken, 1986, p. 80). In order to remove

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theelements of the identity of previous owner and or user, themothers are cleaning andwashing

thebabyclothesbefore theyput iton their children.Allof themothershaveagreed that theywash

theclothing before they dress the child in these clothes. By washing theclothing the mothers are

subconsciouslyremovingthemeaningfromthepreviousbaby.

At first glance, washing the used baby clothing can be seen as a “cleaning process” rather than

removingthemeaningsattachedwiththepreviouswearer.However, it isreasonabletoassumethat

thesellerwashtheclothingbeforehe/shesells it.Therefore,whenthemotherswashtheclothesfor

the second time, they are actually washing already clean clothes and they therefore perform

theDivestmentRitual (Solomon et al., 2014, p. 543). In conclusion this is important point since this

processisnolongertheprocessofwashingofthedirtratherthanerasingthemeaningassociatedwith

apreviousowner.

“SotherearesomepantsthatIjustputonhimyesterday.IjustputdownabagthatIforgotthatI

had,becauseIhadsomuch.AndIwas like“Ohtherearethesepants.Ohtheyarehissizeright

now”.AndIthoughtthattheylookedsonice,butIcouldsmellmycousin’ssmellanditreminded

mesomuchofher,soitactuallyfeltlikethatIputherson’spantsonmyson.”-InterviewIda.

Themotherdescribedthatshecouldsmellherrelativefromthebabyclothes.Shedidnotwantherson

towear something that remindedher of her cousin and therefore shewanted to remove the smell,

whichwasassociatedwithsomeoneelse.

By engaging in a divestment ritual and thus cleaning the used baby clothes from themeaningful

properties of the previous owner, consequentlymakes themother be able to claim the clothes for

herselfandthustoconsiderthemaspartofherextendedself.

6.5. SUB-CONCLUSION

In conclusion, in this chapter it was analysed how themeanings from the baby clothing are being

transferred to the mothers’ lives through the four rituals, that serve as instruments of meaning

transfer.

In the The Exchange Ritual it was analysed how the baby clothes as presents have the ability to

transfer the meaning, which the gift-givers wish to be transferred to the baby. In this ritual

themothers function as “gatekeepers”, since they have the possibility to either reject or accept

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themeaning transfer. The rejection happens when the mothers did not identify themselves with

themeaningsattachedwith thebabyclothes,and therefore theydidnotwant tobeassociatedwith

these symbolical properties. Consequently, this implies that thesymbolicalmeanings resided in the

baby clothes need to benegotiatedwith themothers before ameaning transfer into their lives can

occur.

IntheGroomingRitualitwasanalysedhowthemothersconsciouslyseektotakethemeaningsoutof

thebabyclothes inorder to invest theminto thebaby.This isdonebydressing thechild inspecific

clothesonarepeatedbasis.Inthiswaythemothersarenotonlytakingthemeaningoutoftheclothes

and transfer it to the child, but can also indirectly transfer it into their lives. The baby clothes are

herebyrepresentinghowtheywishtobeperceivedasamother.

Themothersuse thePossessionRitualwhentheywant toshowpossessionover thebabyclothes. In

the timeofsocialmedia, thiswasmostlyperformedwhenthemothersweresharingpicturesof the

babieswithspecificoutfiton.Inthiswaythemeaningoftheclothesistransferredintothemothers’

lives.

Inthelastritual,theDivestmentRituals,themotherscleanedandwashedthebabyclothesinorderto

empty the clothes frommeaning of previous owners. In thisway themothers are able to claim the

clothesforthemselvesandthustoconsiderthemaspartoftheirextendedself.

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7. BABYCLOTHESASPARTOFTHEIDENTITYCONSTRUCTIONINTOMOTHERHOOD

Untilnowintheanalysisithasbeendemonstratedandanalysedhowbabyclothescarryculturaland

symbolic meanings and how these meanings have been transferred from theculturally constituted

worldintothebabyclothesandintothemothers’livesthroughvariousmeaningtransferinstruments.

In this chapter, it is subsequentlybe analysedhow thebaby clothes assist the first timemothers in

theiridentityconstructionintothemotherhood.

Thestructureofthischapterwillbethefollowing:

BabyClothesasPartoftheIdentityConstructionintoMotherhoodØ BabyClothesasRepresentationoftheMothersØ BabyClothesConstructingtheMothers’Self-Identity

o “NotMe”-BabyClotheso BabyClothesCentraltotheSelfo Superstition

Ø BabyClothesConstructingtheMothers’SocialSelfo SeekingConfirmationfromOthersThroughtheBabyClotheso FearofBeingPerceivedasa“Bad”Mothero ConstructingtheIdeal-SelfasaMother:DifferentClothesinPublicand

Privateo BabyClothesasaWaytoFitintotheTribesofMothers

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Whenthefirsttimemotherstakethebabyclothes intotheir livesandhavenegotiatedandaccepted

themeanings attached to it through the four rituals, the baby clothes become part of themothers’

extended self (Belk, 1988), since it will help representing their new identity and role as a mother

(Andersenetal.,2008;UthThomsenandSørensen,2006;Solomon,1983;ElliottandWattanasuwan,

1988).Thisimpliesthatthebabyclothesdonotonlycarryculturalmeaningsbutalsoholdsymbolic

meanings,sinceithelpstheherrepresent,whosheisasamother-bothtoherselfaspartofherself-

identity but also to others as part of her social-identity. The consumption of baby clothes is thus

consumedbothfortheprivatemeaningandforthesocialmeaning(ElliottandWattanasuwan,1998,

p.324). Hence, itcanbederivedthatthebabyclothescanbeutilisedasaresourceforcreatingand

maintainingnewidentitiesandpositions(Andersenetal.,2008,p.94).

Inthefollowingitwillbeinvestigatedhowthebabyclothescometorepresentthemothers’extended

selfthroughvicariousconsumption(Veblen,1898,citedinAndersenetal.,2008)andafterwardsitwill

beanalysedhowthesymbolicmeaningserveasaninstrumentintheconstructionofthemothers’self-

identityaswellashersocial-identityasamother:

7.1. BABYCLOTHESASREPRESENTATIONOFTHEMOTHERS

Eventhoughthebabyclothesarenotconsumeddirectlybythemothers, theydostillrepresenther,

sincethechildcanbeseenaspartofherextendedself(Belk,1988,p.156).

Another explanation can also be found through the vicarious consumption, in which goods such as

clothingorbejewellingnotonlycometorepresent thewearerbutalsoascribestatusandrepresent

thedependentsof thewearer(Belk,1988,p.157).Thus, thebabyclothing isbynaturevicarious,as

thebabiescannotanddonotpurchaseclothesthemselves.Thisconsequentlyimpliesthatthemother

through a vicarious consumption of baby clothes on behalf of her child, represents how she is as a

mother.Hencethesignalsandvaluesattachedtothebabyclothescometorepresenther(Andersenet

al., 2008, p. 94). Because of this it can be said that the consumption of baby clothes also come to

enhancethemothers’extendedself(Belk,1988,p.157).

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Figure7:Transferofgoodsandindirectsymbolicandculturalmeaningtransfer,owncreation,2016

Having understood how baby clothes become part of the mothers’ extended self, it will now be

analysedhowthesymbolicmeaningsofthebabyclothesserveasaninstrumentintherecentfirsttime

mothers’ identity construction into the motherhood. Therefore, it will be analysed how the baby

clothescontributetobuildthemothers’self-identityasamotheraswellascontributeinthecreation

of their social-self, as how they use the baby clothes to represent them as amothers to the social

world.

7.2. BABYCLOTHESCONSTRUCTINGTHEMOTHERS’SELF-IDENTITY

When the first timemothers enter intomotherhood they also enter a new phase in their lifecycle,

hencetheyneedtoacquireanewidentityandliferoleasamother(UthThomsenandSørensen,2006,

p.907).Thistransitionintomotherhoodcan,however,befilledwithuncertaintiesandvulnerabilities,

both in regards to liminalvulnerability,when themothersenter thenewphase in their livesandas

consumer-vulnerability,sincethemothersneedstonavigateinanewconsumptionspace(TheVOICE

Group,2010,p.385).Thiscaninfluenceandchallengethemothers’currentself-perception,sincethey

willneedtocreateanewliferole.Intheresearchitwasfoundthatthenewidentityasamotheronly

servesasonepartofthemothers’self,astheyalsounderstandthemselvesasbeingagirlfriend,wife,

friend,businesswomanetc.(e.g.interviewsIda,Benedikte,Sara).Thiscanthereforecreateaconflict

betweentheselves.Inthebeginningofthetransitionintomotherhood,thenewidentityasamother

canevenbehardtoidentifywith,forsomeofthemothers.

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“I think that Ihada reallyhard timegettinguse to the “stamp”mother (laughing).Peoplewere

saying“OhIda-mom”(laughing).AndIwaslike“Don’tcallmethat!”.I’mnotjustamom,I’mstill

me[…]Ijustdidn’twantedittobejustmom.Yeahyouknow?CauseyeahwhenI’mwithhim[her

son]ofcourseI’mamom,butwhenI’moutwithmyfriendsI’mnot,I’mstillIda(laughing).SoIjust

hadtogetusedtoit.It’smuchbetternow,butinthebeginning-Imeanthefirst4months,itwas

really,reallyhardformetobenamedthat.”–InterviewIda.

Throughthisexampleitiscleartoseethatthemothersnotonlyhaveonerealself,butmultipleand

this therefore supportsAhuvia’snotion (2005), that theredoesnot exist one core self, butmultiple

selves that can conflict with each other. Thus, it can be said that in today’s society theself “is not

conceptualisedasagivenproductofasocialsystem,norasafixedentity” (Elliott andWattanasuwan,

1998,p.132),butasbeingdynamic,andthereforetheindividualmothercanadoptandactivelycreate

thisnewself,partiallythroughconsumption(ibid).

Theconsumptionofbabyclothescanhelpthemothersintheiridentityconstructionasamother(Uth

ThomsenandSørensen,2006;Daviesetal.2006Andersenetal.,2008),sincethepossessionsserveas

“majorcontributortoandreflectionofouridentities”(Belk,1988,p.139).Therefore,thebabyclothes

function as important components of owner’s sense of self (ibid). The consumption does not only

become a simple choice about goods for the mothers, but a choice of lifestyle and the particular

identity image that the mothers wish to have (Martens et al. 2005, 168, cited in Theodorou and

Spyrou,2013,p.82).

Throughtheuseofthebabyclothesthenewmothersthusgainanunderstandingofwhotheyareasa

mother, and the baby clothes therefore holds an individual symbolism for them by serving as a

mediatorofself-definition(Solomon,1983,p.329)Anillustrationofthiscanbeseeninthefollowing

example:

“That[beingenvironmentalfriendlybyreusingclothesandlivingorganic]allofasuddenmeans

alot,becauseshe[thedaughter]shouldliveonandshouldhaveanicelife.SoIthinkthatweneed

totakecareoftheenvironmentandtakecareofthebodyandherbody”–InterviewJulie

In this example it can be seen how themother by using organic and second-hand baby clothes, is

formingherself-definitionasamother‘whoisconsciousofherchild’sfuturebynotover-consuming’

aswell as being a caringmother, ‘who seek to do the best for her child by dressing her in organic

clothes’. Hereby, it can be seen that the baby clothing contributes in her identity construction as a

mother.

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AsithasbeenanalysedintheCultureChapter,havinganenvironmentalfriendlyandorganicmind-set

are forthemillennialmothers inCopenhagenalsoasymbolof the“right”values. Itcanthereforebe

saidthatbyusingproductsthatsupportsthesevalues,themothersperformtheirnewrolewelland

willasaresultbeperceivedasathoughtfulmother.This“correct”useofthebabyclothescanthusbe

seenasadeterminantofsuccessincompletingtheroletransitionintomotherhood(Solomon,1983,p.

326). Saidinanotherway“theconsumerreliesuponthesocialinformationinherentintheproductsto

shapeself-imageandtomaximisethequalityofroleperformance”(Solomon,1983,p.320).

7.2.1. “NOTME”-BABYCLOTHES

Intheresearch itwas foundthat just likethebabyclothescancontributepositivelytohelpthenew

mothersinconstructingthemothersheseekstobe,itcanalsohavetheoppositecapacity,aswhenthe

mothersdonotacceptoragreewiththemeaningsattachedtothebabyclothes.Thebabyclotheswill

inthissituationhavethemothersfeelingthat“thisisnotme”(Kleine,KleineIIIandAllen,1995;Uth

ThomsenandSørensen,2006).Bychoosingnottodressthechildinaspecificway,itdoestherefore

alsorepresentthemasmothersandthevaluesthattheyidentifythemselveswith.

“Idon’tthinkthatIwouldliketogiveherthesekindofclothes[luxurybrands].Forinstance,Louis

VuittonorRalphLauren.IrememberthatwewereinMalaysia,theyearbeforeIgotpregnant.And

wewent intothisHUGEshoppingmall inKualaLumpur,andheretheygotawhole level justwe

babyclothes,andtheyalsohadthesebrands.Andthey just looked likesmalladults. Andall this

clothes,thatcostlikeabillionDKK,andtheyhangonthesesmallmannequins.Andyouthink,they

look like small businessmen. They signal something that I’m really not. For me it seems like to

pressurethechild.Itisnotcomfortablewithasuitortieforsmallchildrenorsmallhairbandsand

purses.ItisjustfarawayfromhowIam.AndImightthinkthatitismoreforthelookthatthinking

thatthechildrencanplayinit.”-InterviewKristine.

Inthisexamplethemotherconnectsthehigh-endbrandssuchasRalphLaurenandLouisVuittonwith

valuesofexertingpressureonthechildandonlythinkingaboutthelooksoftheclothesinsteadofthe

child’s comfort. The mother does not identify herself with these values and meanings, which she

attachestothesebrands,andtheythereforecometorepresent“thisisnotme”forher,andsomething

thatshedoesnotwanttobeassociatedwithasamother.

Itcanthereforebederivedthatbabyclothesasaproductcategorybelongstothemothers’extended

self.However,whenlookingonbabyclothesonabrand-levelthereexistacleardifferenceastohow

themothers perceive the brands as part of their extended self, since the brands are attachedwith

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different values, which themothers do or do not identify herself with. However, it is important to

notice that brand-meanings can symbolise different things for different persons and in different

contexts (Mühlbacher and Hemetsberger, 2008, p. 10). Hence, while some mothers might connect

stronglywithonebrandand classify it aspartofher extended self, othermothers cannot associate

themselveswiththebrandatallanddonotconsiderittobeparttheirextendedself.

In summary it was analysed that there are some baby clothes brands, which the mothers do not

consider as part of their extended self, however, on the other hand there exist some types of baby

clothesthatthemothersconsiderasclosertotheselfandherebyconsiderthemasimportantpartof

theiridentityasmother.

7.2.2. BABYCLOTHESCENTRALTOTHESELFIntheresearchitwasfoundthatsomebabyclothesweremorecentraltothemothers’selfthanothers.

Or said in thewordsofAhuvia (2005), somebaby clothesweremore lovedobjects thanothers and

thereforeseenmoreaspartoftheself,sincethemothersattachmoremeaningtothem.

Ingeneral,itcanbestatedthatthemotherswereconnectedespeciallytothreetypesofbabyclothing:

1)Presents,2)Handcraftedclothes,eithermadebythemotherherselforreceiveditasagiftand3)the

firstpieceofclothesthatthebabywore.

7.2.2.1. BABYCLOTHESASPRESENT–SYMBOLOFLOVEFROMSIGNIFICANTOTHERS

Inregardtothebabyclothesaspresents,manyofthemothersmentionedthattheywouldneversellor

give away some of the clothes,which they received as a present, since it for them represented the

person, who gave the present (e.g. Interview Sara, Benedikte, Julie, Ida), often a familymember of

friends.Thesepiecesofbabyclothesareby themothersassociatedwithsignificant lovedones, and

thisthereforeindicatesthatthebabyclothesaspresents,representthesymbolicmeaningoflovefrom

thesignificantothers (Belk,1988,p.49).Furthermore,bysymbolising thelove fromthegift-giver it

canbesaid that thepresentcanberegardedasapositiveextensionof theself (Csikszenmihayiand

Rochberg-Halton1981,WallendorftandAnould1988,citedinBelk1988,p,150).

However, even though gifts serve as an affiliation and thus symbolise the relationship between the

giverandthereceiver,itisnotalwaysenoughforthegifttobeperceivedasclosetothemothers’self.

Thereasonforthisisthatthepresentsandthesymbolicmeaningsattachedwiththemalsoneedtofit

the receivers’ personal identity (Kleine, Kleine III and Allen, 1995, p. 340). This have also been

demonstratedintheExchangeRitualchapter,inwhichitwasanalysedthatthemothersneedtoaccept

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themeaningsassociatedwiththebabyclothes inorder forthemeaningtransfertooccur-andthus

alsotoperceivethegiftsascentraltotheself.

7.2.2.2. HANDCRAFTEDBABYCLOTHES

Another typeofbabyclothes,whichthemothers feltstronglyconnectedwith,were thehandcrafted

baby clothes. The reason for this is based on the fact that it takes a lot of work, time, effort and

thoughts to make handcrafted clothes (Interterview Cathrine, Sara, Ida, Benedikte, Kristine) and

thereforetheyarevaluedhigherthanthemass-producedclothes.Itcanthereforebesaidthat”moreof

others’selveswereinvestedinit”(Stewart,1984,citedinBelk1988,p.149).

“She [the daughter] has some home-knitted sweaters…they are very nice and I know that my

mother-in-law,shetookalotoftimemakingthemandIthinktheyarevery,verypretty.I’dnever

givethemaway”–InterviewCathrine.

Handcraftedclothesherebycometocarrythesymbolicmeaningsof time,effortand lovethat isput

intothem,andfurthermore,iftheyaregivenaspresents,theyalsocarrythemeaningofthesignificant

others. If the handcrafted clothes aremade by themothers themselves, it was found that they felt

proud of their work and therefore they felt more connected to this particular piece of clothes

(InterviewKristine,Judith,Ida).

Another factor, which also influences that the handcrafted clothes aremore valued by themothers

(andthereforeconsideredasclosertotheirself),isbecausetheyaremadeespeciallyforthebaby,and

inthiswaytheclothesbecomepersonalised.

7.2.2.3. FIRSTPIECEOFCLOTHESWORNBYTHEBABY

Formany of themothers it was found that they felt strongly attached to the first piece of clothes,

whichtheirbabyworewhenleavingthehospitalaftergivingbirth(e.g.InterviewBenedikte,Josefine,

Kristine).Thisparticularpieceofclotheshasabigsignificanceforthem,asthiswasthefirstclothes

thatthechildwore.Therefore,alotofthoughtsandconsiderationweregiveninordertofindexactthe

rightoutfit.Thisalsosymbolises that thispieceofclothes for themothersserveasanobject,which

assisttheminthetransitionintomotherhood.Therefore,itcanbesaidthatthebabyclothesnotonly

areregardedaspartofthemothers’self,butalsoserveasinstrumenttothedevelopmentoftheirself

(Belk,1988,p.141).

”Itwasactuallyveryimportantforme[talkingaboutthefirstpieceofclothesthatthesonhadon,

when leaving thehospital].MyboyfriendandIboughtittogether,whatwewantedhimtowear

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[…]When youare preparing yourself to be amother, it is a big deal to buy something that you

knowyouaregoingtoputyourownchildin”.–InterviewJosefine.

Inthisexample itcanbeseenhowthemotheremphasisesthat the firstpieceofclothesservedasa

fundamentalelement,whenpreparingherselftobecomeamotherandthatitwasveryimportantfor

hertofindtherightoutfit,asthissymbolisedhertransitionintothemotheridentity.Thisissupported

by Schouten (1991) who suggests, that “the symbolic consumption behaviours are important to

successfultransitionsinthattheyaidtheexploration,establishment,andon-goingsupportofnewroles

andidentities”(Schouten1991,p.422).

In summary it canbe said that themothers feltmoreattached to these three typesofbabyclothes,

sincetheyholddifferentformsofsymbolicmeaningsforthemandfurthermoreallrepresentedaform

ofnostalgia.

7.2.2.4. BABYCLOTHESCLOSERTOTHESELFONABRANDLEVEL

Lastlyitisworthmentioningthatsomeofthemothersfeltconnectedtodifferentbrands.Thereason

forthiswerebasedondifferentfactors,suchas;1)thedesignoftheclothes,2)thattheclotheswere

moreexpensive, and therefore themothersneeded toworkmore topay for them,3)aswell as the

valuesandmeaningstheyattachedtothebrand.Therefore, itcanbesaidthatby lookingatabrand

level, it isdifferenthowcentralthebrandsaretothemothers’self,asthisisbasedontheindividual

feelings,whichthemothersholdtowardsthebrand(seealsothesection“Notme”-BabyClothes)

7.2.3. SUPERSTITIONAsithasbeenseenintheanalysisuntilnow,theconsumptionofbabyclothescanhelptherecentfirst

timemothersintheiridentityconstructionintomotherhood.However,justlikeconsumptioncanhelp

themothers in order to perform the new role as a mother well, non-consuming can also help the

mothers in their identity construction intomotherhood (Davies et al., 2006,p.4). In the research it

wasfoundthatmanyofthenewmothersdidnotwanttohavetoomuchbabyclothesathomebefore

givingbirthincasesomethingwentwrongwiththepregnancy.Thisisatraditionalactofsuperstition,

whichhasadeep-rootedhistoryinDenmark(Daviesetal.2006,p.4).

This was expressed by the mothers did not want to remove the tags from the clothes that were

purchasedbeforethechildwasbornorbygivingthemtothegrandmotheruntilthechildwasborn.

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“Iwasquitesuperstitious.Ididn’twanttotakethetagsoff[…]Youkeepthemon,soofficiallyitis

yours,butitisnotreallyyours,itisstill...SoIknowmycousinsforexamplekeptthestuffatthe

parents’homeorleftitintheshop.Butyeahitisjust,ifsomethinggoeswrong,youdon’twantto

jinx it (laughing) […] and it iswith your baby so you just do it, just to be sure (laughing).” –

InterviewBenedikte.

“Thereisthiskindofasuperstition.Like“Youcan’tbuystroller,youcan’tbuystuffforyourbaby

before, because thatwill bringbad luck”. [Interviewer: So did you leave it at the shop?] “No,

actuallymymomgotsomeofit.AndthenIwaslike“nothatisstupid”,butsometimesitgetsinmy

head.”–InterviewIda.

In these examples it can be seen how the mothers are distancing themselves from the newly

purchasedclothes,eveniftheythinkitis“stupid”.Forthemtheclothessymbolisethetransitioninto

motherhoodandtheydonotwanttoassociatethemselveswiththisnewidentityandrisksomething

goes wrong until it is sure that they become a mother. Therefore, it can be said that this “non-

consumingisawayofputtingoffafutureidentity”(Daviesetal.2006,p.4).

Uptonow,ithasbeeninvestigatedandanalysedhowthesymbolicmeaningsofthebabyclotheshave

contributedintheconstructionofthefirsttimemothers’self-identityandexperienceofselfinthenew

roleasamother.Inthefollowingtheperspectivewillhoweverbebroadeninordertoexaminehow

thebabyclothesassistthemotherinconstructinghersocial-selfandthushowsheusesit,inorderto

expressherselfasamothertothepublicdomain.

7.3. BABYCLOTHESCONSTRUCTINGTHEMOTHERS’SOCIALSELF

Thefunctionsofthesymbolicmeaningofthebabyclothesnotonlyserveaspartofconstructingthe

mother’sself-identity,butitadditionallyhelpsherexpressingtothesurroundingworldwhosheisas

amotheraswellasherlifestyleandstatusinthesociety(Andersenetal.,2007,p.8).Hereby,thebaby

clothesarealsoconstructinghersocialself(Belk,1988,p.153)andthusholdsocial-symbolism(Elliott

andWattanasuwan,1998,p.132).

ThiscanbelinkedbacktotheGroomingRitual,wherethemotherstakethemeaningoutoftheproduct

andintotheuser.Forthemotherthemeaningsarethereforemoreofasymbolicnature,representing

herasamother(Figure7).Thisisthereforesomethingthatthemothersthinkabout,whendressing

theirchild.

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7.3.1. SEEKINGCONFIRMATIONFROMOTHERSTHROUGHTHEBABYCLOTHES

AccordingtoSolomon(1983)“theindividual’sself-conceptislargelyaresultofother’sappraisals,both

imaginedandactual”(Solomon,1983,p.322).Thereferencegroups’opinionsthereforehaveastrong

influenceonthemothersandonhowtheyunderstandthemselvesasamother.Thedevelopmentof

the mothers’ self-identity is thus inseparable from the parallel development of her social identity

(Solomon,1983,p.133).ThisissupportingBelk’stheoryofperson-thing-person(Belk,1988,p.147)in

which he argues that the relationship with objects is not only seen as two-way (person-ting), but

always three-way(person-thing-person), sinceotherpeoplealsoassess thepossessions.This isalso

something that influenceshow themothersdress their children.Therefore, it canbesaid thatother

people are seen as animportantmirror, throughwhich themothers see themselves. Thiswas also

foundintheresearch,asseeninthefollowingexample:

“It’snice toget the recognitionof thechoicesyoumake, that thereareotherswhoalso thinks it

lookspretty.SoIthinkthatalotofitisthatyouwantthisrecognition…thatwhatyoudoaregood

and right. You would not really want that other people think “well, her child is really poorly

dressed”(laughing)”–InterviewKristine.

In this example it can be seen how the mother seeks recognition from others and want to get

confirmedthatthechoicessheismakingandhowsheisdressingherdaughteraretherightones.This

canthereforebeinterpretedasthatsheseeksconfirmationthatsheisdoingagoodjobasamother

throughothers.Itcanconsequentlybesaidthatherself-imageofherasamotherisbeingdetermined

largelybyaprojectionofhowothersseeherandthatthebabyclothesserveasadeterminantofthis

evaluation.

7.3.2. FEAROFBEINGPERCEIVEDASA“BAD”MOTHER

Thefactthatthemothers’seekrecognitionforbeinga“good”motherfromotherscan,however,bring

inanelementofanxietyintothemothers’lives,sincetheyfearbeingperceivedasamotherwhodoes

nottakegoodcareofherchild,whendressingthechild“thewrongway”.ThisissupportedbyDavies

et al. (2010) who suggest that the informal meeting with other mothers “not always is a source of

reassurance,giventheideals,individualinsecuritiesandtaboosinvolved”(Daviesetal.,2010,p.392).

“Well,Iworrythatiftheywillthinkthatshe’sdressedpoorlyor…yeah,poorly,Idon’tcareaboutif

they think it’s fashionable, just if they think it looks,youknow,wornout, Iworry that they think

thatI liveinanapartmentthatIdon’tvacuumandIdon’tshowerandIprobablydon’tcleanmy

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kitchen and…Yeah, so that’s that kind of things. [Interviewer: Unhygienic?] Yeah, that’swhat I

think.Because…IseeachildandthenIthink“Really?Youcouldn’thave,youknow,changedthat

sweaterwiththeoldfoodonitbeforeyouwentout?”Or“youprobablyliveinahousewhereyour

dog has hair everywhere andwhen you see something, you just put it on the floor and leave it”

or…yeah”–InterviewCathrine.

In this example it can be seen how the mother is reflecting upon how the daughter’s clothes are

representingherasamotherandthefearshehasthatpeoplewillthinkthatsheisunhygienicifthe

daughters’ clothesarewornout.Thereason for this fear is,however, imagined, since it canbeseen

thatitisbasedonherownjudgementsofothersandthusthewayshewouldimaginethemtothinkof

her.Itcanthereforebesaidthattheanxietyderivesfromthe“generalisedother”,wherethemother

imaginestheresponsesofothers(Solomon,1983,p.321).

7.3.3. CONSTRUCTINGTHEIDEAL-SELFASAMOTHER:DIFFERENTCLOTHESINPUBLICANDPRIVATE

Thishighawarenessthatthemothershaveof1)howtheyare(thinktheyare)perceivedbyothers,as

well as2) thewish they have to be recognised as being a “good”mother, and3) the fear for being

perceivedasamother,whodoesnotknowhowtotakegoodcareofthechild,couldalsobethereason

whythemothersdress theirchildrendifferentlywhentheyaregoingout in thepubliccomparedto

whentheyarestayingathome. Intheresearchitwasfoundthatallmothersdressedtheirchildren

differentlywhentheywereleavingthehouse.

“I also like to dress her up nicely,whenwe go out.Well, normallywhenwe are at home, she is

usuallywearingpantyhoseandabody”[Interviewer:Doyoudressherdifferentlywhenyouare

athomeandwhenyougoout?]“Yes,especiallyifweneedtodosomething–e.g.abirthdayparty

or for instance when we go to baby rhythmic…then I think about how I dress her. It means

something,thatIthinkthatshelooksniceandpretty(laughing)anddon’thave...likeforinstanceit

isalittlefunnybecausenow,sheisathomeandsleeping,andifyouwillseeher,shehasfoodall

overbecauseIneedtogiveherfoodlate…soyeah…”–InterviewKristine.

Bydressingherchilddifferentlyinpublicthaninprivate, itcanbesaidthatthenewmotherseekto

representamoreidealversionofherselfasamotheraswellasgainingrecognitionfromtheothers.

This is supported by Davies et al. (2006) who suggest that “the newmothers aremore inclined to

attempttoportraythemselvesasgoodandunderplayorhidewhentheydonotliveuptotheperceived,

idealstateofbeingtheperfectmother”(Daviesetal.,2006,citedinAndersen,2008,p.94).

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7.3.3.1. IDEAL-SELFONTHESOCIALMEDIA

In theresearch itwas furthermore found that it isnotonly in theofflineuniversewhere therecent

firsttimemothersfromGenerationYseektoportrayamoreidealisticversionofthemselves,butalso

online, throughsocialmedia suchas InstagramandFacebook (Interview Ida,Kristine, Judith). This

finding is supportedbyBelk (2016),whoargues that there is a tendency thatpeople chooseonline

visualrepresentationsthatareclosertotheidealselfthantheactualself(Belk,2016,p.51).

“She [her daughter] looks likemesswhen she comes fromkindergarten. It isnot therewhen I’m

takingapicture.Todaymotherstendtoplantoomuch.AndIamdoingthesame,sowhenshe is

wearingPompdeLux [themother’s favouritebrand] Iwanttokeepthemomentonthepicture.

Alsobecauseitisverycuteandreallyadorable,somylatest,Ishowyouthelatest.Imadeandputit

onFacebookbecauseitwassocute.Ihadsomanycommentsfrompeoplethatwerewriting,“Ooh

shewassocute”[showingaphotoonthesmartphone]”–InterviewJudith.

This quote indicates that themother is highly aware of how she is portraying herself on thesocial

mediathroughthedaughter’sclothes.Bydressingthechildinspecificbrandedclothesanduploading

thephotoonFacebook, themother seeks toportrayamore idealistic self.Hereby, thebaby clothes

serveasacommunicativetoolandhelptoconstructandextendamoreidealselfofherasamother

thantheactualselfandthussheseekstoenhancehersocialcapital(ShethandSalomon2014,p.124).

Itcanthereforebesaidthattherecognitionfromothersandthemothers’self-representationiseven

more relevant in today’s society, since thedigital developmenthave allowed themothers to extend

themselves not only offline but also online (Belk, 2016, p. 50) andwhere there exist a pressure of

visualising“theperfectmother”.Thisthereforealsoimpliesthatthemothersareevenmoreawareof

thesymbolicmeaningsofbabyclothesandhowtheyarerepresentingherasamother.Thusthrough

“thecorrect”useofbabyclothesmothersseektoconstructamoreidealisedversionoftheirsocial-self.

Byenvisioninganidealpictureofthemselvesasamotherandseekingconfirmationfromotherscan

alsobeseenasasignthatthemotherspursuetofitinandbepartof“tribe”ofmothersinCopenhagen.

Thistherefore leadsustoanotheraspectofthebabyclothes,namelythat italsosymbolisescultural

belonging.

7.3.4. BABY-CLOTHESASAWAYTOFITINTOTHETRIBEOFMOTHERS

Intheresearchitwasfoundthatbabyclothesalsoserveasaculturalsign,whichthemothersusein

ordertoberecognisedbythereferencegroupsandtobecomeamemberofthetribeofmothers,for

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instanceinthemothergroupormothersinthekindergarten.Themothersthusseekaffiliationanduse

thebabyclothestoreflectconnectionwithothers(Kleineetal.,1995,p.328).Sincetheroleofbeinga

motherisnewitisevenmoreimportantforthemtofitin,inordertoberecognisedasbeingatribe

member of “the good and caringmothers”. Feeling affiliation and part of this tribe then impact the

mothers’ self-imageand thus their identityconstruction intomotherhood.Theconsumptionofbaby

clothesshouldthereforealsobeconsideredasocialact(ØstergaardandJantzen,2000,p.21).

Anillustrationofthisisgiveninthefollowingexample:

“I was worrying in beginning [when the daughter started kindergarten] what they [theother

children]arewearing–isitalotoftheexpensiveclothesorisitH&Mandsuper-marketclothes?

And I found that I think it is amixture and then I was thinking it does notmatterwhat is she

wearingbecausenooneislikepaysattentionandyeah[…]Iwanthertofitintotheotherchildren

anddonotwanthertofeelthatsheisnotgoodenoughorsomethinglikethat,butIquicklyfindout

thatitisnotanyissue.Atthebeginningwhenshestartedwehavebeenmuchinthekindergarten

and shewaswearingPompdeLux [themother’s favourite brand] and Iquickly findout that it

wasn’tnecessary”.–InterviewJudith

Asitcanbeseenthemotherseektofitinwiththetribeofmothersinthekindergartenbydressingthe

daughter in the “right brands” and it is firstwhen she recognises that the other childrenwere not

wearing fashionable or expensive brands that she starts dressing her daughter in less expensive

clothes. Even though the mother says that it is the daughter she wants to fit in, it is, however,

interpreted,asthemotherwhoseekstofitin,sincetwo-yearoldchildrenarenotawareofthebrands

that they arewearing. Thus it can be said that themothers seek to use the appropriate brands as

culturalsymbolsinordertogettribe-affiliationandthebabyclothesbrandherebyserveasatoolfor

socialintegration(EscalasandBettman,2005,p.379).

7.4. SUB-CONCLUSSION

In this chapter itwas analysed how the baby clothes assist the first timemothers in their identity

constructionintomotherhood.Itwasshowedthatthroughavicariousconsumptionthebabyclothes

arebecomingpartofthemothers’extendedselfandthatthesymbolicmeaningsrepresentwhothey

areasamotherbothinregardstotheirownself-understanding(self-identity)andtothesurrounding

world(social-identity).

Throughtheuseofbabyclothes,itwasfoundthatthemothersformtheirself-perceptionasamother

and by dressing their child in the clothes that carry the “right” values, the mothers gain an

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understanding of themselves as a caring mother - thus contributing positively in their identity

construction as amother. On the contrary through the “this is notme”-products themotherswere

distancing themselves from brands that they associated with different values, which they did not

wantedtorepresent.

Furthermore,theconsumptionofbabyclotheswasusedbythemotherstoexpresshowtheywereas

mothers to others, both in regards to their lifestyle, values and status in the society, hereby

constructingthemotherssocial-self.Thus,itwasshownhowthebabyclothescarrysocialsymbolism.

It was also analysed how the mothers self-understanding were affected by the recognition from

others,andhowimportantitwasforthemtobereinforcedthattheywereperformingagoodjobasa

mother.Consequently,itwasshowed,howthisaffectedthewaythemothersdressedtheirbabies,as

they sought to represent a more ideal picture of themselves as amother, by dressing the children

differentlyinprivateandpublic(alsoonline).

Thisisconnectedwithhowthemothersusedthebabyclothesinordertobecomememberofthetribe

of the mothers, and therefore they were seeking to use the “right” kind of brands in order to get

recognisedbytheothertribemembers.

Inconclusionitcanbesaidthatithasbeendemonstratedmanyways,inwhichthemothersusedthe

consumptionofbabyclothesintheidentityconstructionintomotherhood.

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Introduction

PARTI

PhilosophyofScienceandMethodology

TheoryReview

PARTII-Analysis

CulturalConstitutedWorldoftheMothers

InstrumentsofMeaningTransfer

BabyClothesCarryCulturalandSymbolicMeanings

RitualsasPartoftheMeaningTransfer

BabyClothesaspartoftheIdentityConstructionintoMotherhood

PartIII

Conclusion

ManagerialImplicationsandFurtherOutlook

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PARTIII8. CONCLUSION

In this thesis it has been analysed how baby clothes carry symbolic and therefore also cultural

meanings and how the recent first time mothers from Generation Y in Copenhagen use the baby

clothesaspartoftheiridentityconstructionintomotherhood.

Inordertounderstandhowbabyclothesfunctionassymbolicmeaningtransfer,theculturalvaluesin

whichthemotherslive,werefirstlyanalysed.Thereasonforanalysingtheculturalvalueswasdueto

thefactthatthecultureimpactshowsymbolsareperceivedandunderstood.

InthecaseofthefirsttimemothersfromGenerationYinCopenhagenthesevalueswereidentifiedas;

being financial responsible, valuing the free time, being socially responsible and environmental

friendly, being online through socialmedia and toholdpreferences for different colour of thebaby

clothes,followingthetraditionsofsuperstitionsandnottobeburdenedwithownershipbutinsteadto

rentandorsharebabyclothes.Thesevalueswereforthemothersunderstoodasthe“right”onesand

thereforewereperceivedasthesymbolicmeaningofbeinga“good”andcaringmother.Inorderfor

thebabyclothestofunctionasasymbolicmeaningtransferthevaluesneededtobemovedfromthe

culturalconstitutedworldintothebabyclothesthroughtheinstrumentsofmeaningtransfer. These

instrumentsare:1)ReferenceGroups,whichhasbeenidentifiedasfamily,friendsandmothergroup;

2)FashionSystemwhichhasmergedwiththeAdvertisementthroughtheuseofsocialmedia.Thiswas

duetothehiddencommercialsandbloggers/celebritieswhoadvertiseforthebabyclothes.

Theanalysisdemonstratedthatwhenthemeaningshavebeentransferred,thebabyclothescometo

carryculturalandsymbolicmeanings.Thustheyfunctionassymbolicmeaningtransferforthemothers

whodresstheirchildreninordertorepresenttoothers,whotheyareasamother.

In the analysis it was found that thebaby clothes symbolise thevalues of: 1) Social Responsibility

reflectedbytheinterestinbuyingorganicclothingandclothingwithoutchemicals.Thisrepresentsa

motherwhocaresaboutthewell-beingofherchildinregardforhim/hernottoabsorbchemicals;and

amotherwhoisconcernedaboutthefutureworldinwhichthechildwilllivein.2)GenderStereotypes

which represent amother who is either in favour of the traditional colour spectrum in regard of

symbolising thegenderof thechildor amotherwho is against labelling the child and consequently

favouringunisexcolours.3)FinancialResponsibilitythatrepresentsamotherwhoisinchargeofher

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financesbyassessingthequalityofthebabyclotheswiththepriceandbynotpurchasingexpensive

products. 4)Egalitarian thinking that represents amother, whodislike baby clotheswith big logos,

andwho considers purchasing high-end clothing as superficial and connects it with showing off in

frontofothers,hereby,symbolisingamotherwhoisnot“snobbish”.

Inthiswaytheanalysishasshownthatthebabyclothesnotonlyservefortheirutilitarianpurposes

butalsoforthesymbolicmeanings,whichtheycontain.

However, in order for the baby clothes to serve as a symbolic meaning transfer to the lives of

themothersandthusassistintheiridentityconstructionintomotherhood,itwasdemonstratedthat

themothersfirstneedtotakethebabyclothesintotheirlives.Thiswasdonethroughfourrituals:In

theExchangeRitual,thebabyclothesasgiftshavetheabilitytotransferthesymbolicmeaningstothe

baby.However,sincethebabyclothesindirectlyrepresentthemothers,itwasfoundthatthemothers

needtoaccept thesymbolicmeaningtransfer inorder for it tooccur. In theGroomingRitual itwas

analysed how the mothers consciously dress their children in order to take meanings out of the

clothesand to invest them into thebabies, for consequently representing themselvesasmothers. In

thePossessionRitual itwasdemonstratedhow themotherswant to showpossessionover thebaby

clothes.Thiswasmostlyperformedbysharingphotosof thenewlypurchasedclothes.Lastly, in the

DivestmentRitualthemotherswashtheinheritedorsecondhandclothesinordertoerasethemfrom

meanings of theprevious owners. Thus it has been shown that the mothers claim theclothes for

themselvesandconsiderthemaspartoftheirextendedself.

After themothers have taken the baby clothes into their lives, the baby clothes serve as symbolic

meaningtransferandtheyassistthemothersintheiridentityconstructionintomotherhood–bothin

regardstothemothers’self-identityandsocial-identity.

Inregardtothemothers’self-identity,itwasdemonstratedthatthebabyclothessupportthemothers

intheirnewliferolebyconstructingtheirself-definitionofa“good“motherbydressingthechildin

clothes thatsymbolise the “right”values.On thecontrary, it canbeseen that through theseare“not

me-products” themothers are distancing themselves from brands that they associatewith different

values,whichtheydonotwanttorepresent.Theconsumptionofbabyclothesdoesthereforenotonly

becomeachoiceaboutthegoodsbutalsoaboutthemothers’ownunderstandingofwhotheyareasa

mothersinregardtolifestyleandtheiridentityimage.

The function of the symbolic meaning of the baby clothes also allow the mothers to express to

thesurroundingworldwho they are asmothers aswell as their lifestyle and status in the society.

Hereby,thebabyclothesalsoconstructthemothers’social-self.Sincetheirself-understandingisalso

103

basedonopinionsofothers,themothersdesiretoberecognisedforhowtheydresstheirchildwhile

fearing tobeperceivedas “bad”mother. Thus, thebabyclothesareused tocreate the idealmother

identitybydressingupthechildrenwhenenteringthepublicspherebothinonlineandofflineworld.

Basedonthis,itcanbeconcludedthatthebabyclothesfunctionasasymbolicmeaningtransferforthe

recent first time mothers from Generation Y in Copenhagen in their identity construction into

motherhood.

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9. MANAGERIALIMPLICATIONSANDFUTHEROUTLOOK

9.1. MANAGERIALIMPLICATIONS

ThisthesishasprovidedconsumerinsightsfromrecentfirsttimemothersinCopenhagen,inregardto

how baby clothes carry and transfer symbolic and cultural meanings. Furthermore, it has been

investigatedhowthemothersusethesymbolicconsumptionofbabyclothesinordertosupportthem

in theirnew life roleasamother.The suppliersofbabyclothes canuse these consumer insights in

order tobetterunderstand their customersandhence improve theirmarketingandcommunication

strategiesinordertobettertargettheconsumingmothers.

As examined previously, the first time mothers can experience anxiety while going through

theirtransition intomotherhood and the consumption helps themothers to ease this change in to

theirnewliferoleasamother.Therefore, there isamarketpotential to focusonthis life transition.

Themarketers should seek to understand the consumption through the lenses of themothers and

adjusttheirstrategiesaccordingly.Indetailthemarketerscouldlookatwhatsymbolicmeaningsthat

are associatedwith thebaby clothes aswell as the how the clothes help to construct and extend a

more ideal-self (asamother). In thismatter, themarketerscan focusonconnectingtheirbrandand

products with the values favoured by the mothers from Generation Y and consequently support

themothers in their representation as a “good” and caringmother. By this, themothers can better

connectwith the products, aswell as the brand itself. On thecontrary, themarketers should at the

same time avoid representing the “wrong” kindof values, such as big visible logos, since the brand

therebywillholdanegativebrand-image.

Adifferentapproachthatthemarketerscanadoptistoincreaseoreveninducetheanxietyofthefirst

timemothers.Byencouragingthis,themotherswouldpurchaseandorusethebrands,whichsupport

them in their construction of thenew identity. This approach is, however, not for thewell-being of

themothers (Uth Thomsen and Sørensen, 2006, p. 922). Furthermore, the mothers also seek

recognition from others and look for confirmation that they are doing a good job as amother.

Therefore, instead of emphasising on the anxiety, themarketers can focus on emphasising that the

mothers are performingwell and are“good”mothers. By applying these tactics, themotherswould

havepositiveperceptionaboutthebrandandfeelbetteraboutthemselvesaswell.

105

9.2. SUGGESTIONSFORBUSINESSES

Inthissectionpracticalsuggestions,regardinghowbusinessescanusetheconsumerinsightsgained

fromtheanalysis,arebrieflypresented.Thisknowledgecanbeappliedwithinbusinesses’tacticsand

laterfurtherdevelopedintoimprovedcommunicationstrategiesandbettertargetingofcustomers.

Since this thesis is focusing only on Copenhagen, this knowledge is mainly applicable for thelocal

suppliers of baby clothes, but could alsobeuseful for onlinebusinesses that focuson selling to the

Copenhagenmarket.

In the analysis it was found that one of the values of the mothers from Generation Y is financial

responsibility. Themothers are notwilling to pay high prices for the baby clothes, since the babies

growrapidlyandthereforeonlyweartheclothesforashortperiodoftime.Furthermore,themothers

compare the cost with quality of the clothes and they expect these two factors to match. This is

thereforesomethingthatneedstobereflectedinthemarketers’pricingstrategy.

This is connected with the products features and attributes. It is suggested that the baby clothes

suppliers offer a variety of colours of clothing including thetraditional colours as pink and blue to

demonstrate thegenderof thebaby.Someother importantattributes themothers look forare:eco-

labels on clothing, in order to make it easier for the mothers to identify the organic clothes and

clothingwithminimumofchemicals.Thisissupportedbythefactthateveniftheproductisorganic

themotherswash the clothingbefore theydress their child. Therefore, thebusinesses couldhave a

look into their suppliers in order to know how to limit chemicals in clothingwhile delivering it to

thecustomers.

Regardingshopping,thebusinessesareexpectedtohavebothe-shopaswellasphysicalshops.Being

able to touch the fabric of the clothing is important for themothers when choosing baby clothes.

However,themothersseekconvenience,becausetheyfeelthattimeisascarceresourceforthemand

thereforetheyliketousethee-shopswithhomedeliveryaswell.

Furthermore, itwas found that themothers feelmoreemotionallyattached to thebrandedclothing

ratherthannon-brandedonesfromsupermarkets.Theemotionalattachmentisimportantinorderto

connectwith thebrand.When themothers share similar values as the brands they tend to like the

brand more, therefore businesses are suggested to work on making their values visible for the

consumers.Thebusinessesofbrandedclothingcanattachwiththecustomersthroughtheirshopsin

which they have control over thesurroundings and personnel. The personnel should be educated

about theproducts’ features and the values the brand hold, and therefore create a bond between

106

thebrand and the customers aswell as to be able to assist themothers to navigate in the complex

marketofbabyclothes.

Additionally,inordertofeelmoreattachedtothebrand,thebusinessescouldofferthepossibilityfor

the mothers to become co-creators and co-designers of the clothing. By enabling themothers to

participateatthedesigningphase,theyfeelaspartoftheprocessandthereforethemotherswilltake

possessionover theproductand feelmoreattachedwith themandconsider themascloser to their

self.

There is also a trendwith renting and sharingbaby clothes, however, thebusinesses that currently

offertheseservicesarenotdiverseenoughinregardtotheirsupplyofcoloursandstylesforsomeof

themothers. Due to this, it could be advised for some existing businesses to expand their business

model towards the renting and sharing of clothing. This is connected with the trend of buying an

accesstogoods,ratherthananactualownership,andthussupportingoneofGenerationY’svalues.

ItisfurthermorefoundtobenecessaryforthebusinessestobepresentatFacebook,sincemorethan

96% of women from Generation Y have an account. Facebook and other social media such as

Instagrambecomenewtouchpointsbetweenthebusinessesandthecustomers.Theonlinepresence

of theconsumer hereby gives the businesses possibility to communicate with customers and get

feedbackinstantly.Thepresenceonsocialmediaprovidesapowerfultoolforthemotherstolinkand

sharetheirknowledgeandexperience(CovaandCova,2002,p.616)atdifferentsocialmedia,chatsor

forums.

Additionally, today social media have become a place where the mothers are portraying more

idealistic versionof themselves, since theonline representation are closer to the ideal self than the

actual self. The businesses can use this to their advantage, since theadvertising and fashion system

havemergedtogetherbysupportingandsponsoringthebloggerswhoarecontributingtotheimageof

the ideal self. Therefore it could be suggested that businesses focus more on this kind of

advertisements,comparedtomoretraditionalmethods.

9.3. FURTHERRESEARCH

Inthissectionsuggestionsforfurtherresearcharepresented:

Firstly, it would be interesting to look at the cultural differences within the culturally constituted

worlds of different generations as well as the multiple cultures regarding nationalities living in

107

Denmark,whicharenotconsiderwithinthisthesis.Thisisduetothefactthatdifferentnationalities

andalsogenerationshavedifferentculturalandsymbolicvalues.Bylookingatthesedifferentvalues,

it can be concluded how theapproach of thebusinesses should change regarding the mothers’

differentnationalitiesandgenerations.For thesamereasons, itcouldbe interestingto investigate if

thereareanydifferencesbetweenthecities,suchasthehigh-incomeareasversuslow-incomeareas

orifthereisadifferencebetweenthecitiescomparedtothevillagesinDenmark.Additionally,itcould

be interesting to investigate Denmark as a whole; this could especially be relevant for the

e-shops,whichselltotheentirecountry.

Furthermore,itwouldbevaluabletoanalysehowtheadvertiserscurrentlyconnecttheculturalvalues

withbabyclotheswithintheiradvertisementsandinvestigatehowthiscouldbeimproved.Moreover,

by finding outwhat values the advertisers currently connectwith thebaby clothes it is possible to

compareitwiththecurrentvaluesoftheGenerationY.Inthiscomparisonitcanbeconcludedifthe

culturalandsymbolicvaluesofGenerationYareadvertisedandfurtherreflectedinthebabyclothes.

Inconnectionwithadvertising, it canbe investigated ifandhowthemothers fromGenerationYare

more prone to purchase brands whenrecommendations are given in a more covert way than

traditionaladvertising.Bylookingatthe“hiddenadvertisement”behindtherecommendationsofthe

celebritiesaswellasbloggerswhorepresentthe idealselfatsocialmedia, itwouldbeinterestingto

seeifthereisatendencyforthemotherstopurchasemoreofthebabyclothes.

Additionally,withintheanalysis, itwasfoundthatthemothersareresistanttowardsthepressureof

buying the high-end baby clothing, since they are not affected by the belief that thehigh-end

consumption make better parent. It could be further researched if this is specific case for

theGenerationYorifthisisjustthemotherswholiveinCopenhagen.

108

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APPENDIX1:STATISTICSOFBIRTHSNumberofbirths2014-2015basedonmunicipalitiesinDenmark,MothersfromGenerationY(age20-35years)

Municipality Nrofchildrenbornin2014-2015MothersfromGenerationY

(age20-35)

%oftotalnrofbaby

København 14.892 15,68%Aarhus 7.149 7,53%Odense 3.863 4,07%Aalborg 3.809 4,01%Frederiksberg 2.391 2,52%Esbjerg 2.050 2,16%Vejle 1.870 1,97%Kolding 1.602 1,69%Viborg 1.593 1,68%Horsens 1.561 1,64%Randers 1.561 1,64%Herning 1.544 1,63%Silkeborg 1.439 1,52%Næstved 1.228 1,29%Slagelse 1.213 1,28%Gladsaxe 1.124 1,18%Roskilde 1.111 1,17%Holstebro 1.048 1,10%Hvidovre 1.019 1,07%Sønderborg 998 1,05%Holbæk 990 1,04%Hjørring 988 1,04%Høje-Taastrup 951 1,00%Skanderborg 947 1,00%Ringkøbing-Skjern 916 0,96%Køge 898 0,95%Gentofte 874 0,92%Haderslev 834 0,88%Aabenraa 825 0,87%Frederikshavn 810 0,85%Varde 795 0,84%Fredericia 789 0,83%Favrskov 780 0,82%Helsingør 779 0,82%Guldborgsund 777 0,82%Svendborg 749 0,79%

Hedensted 726 0,76%Ikast-Brande 724 0,76%Rødovre 719 0,76%Ballerup 717 0,75%Vejen 709 0,75%Hillerød 697 0,73%Thisted 682 0,72%Skive 678 0,71%Greve 676 0,71%Tårnby 674 0,71%Lyngby-Taarbæk 673 0,71%Brøndby 670 0,71%Faaborg-Midtfyn 643 0,68%Kalundborg 629 0,66%Mariagerfjord 617 0,65%Rudersdal 596 0,63%Brønderslev 594 0,63%Egedal 593 0,62%Vesthimmerlands 584 0,61%Tønder 581 0,61%Jammerbugt 564 0,59%Frederikssund 541 0,57%Norddjurs 535 0,56%Assens 532 0,56%Vordingborg 519 0,55%Herlev 513 0,54%Middelfart 510 0,54%Fredensborg 505 0,53%Ringsted 503 0,53%Furesø 499 0,53%Lolland 491 0,52%Syddjurs 489 0,51%Ishøj 485 0,51%Rebild 484 0,51%Albertslund 477 0,50%Glostrup 453 0,48%Gribskov 435 0,46%Nyborg 435 0,46%Faxe 426 0,45%Bornholm 404 0,43%Billund 385 0,41%Nordfyns 370 0,39%Sorø 361 0,38%Odsherred 356 0,37%Halsnæs 343 0,36%Kerteminde 324 0,34%

Lejre 303 0,32%Solrød 294 0,31%Vallensbæk 278 0,29%Morsø 277 0,29%Odder 276 0,29%Stevns 269 0,28%Allerød 262 0,28%Struer 259 0,27%Lemvig 242 0,25%Hørsholm 230 0,24%Dragør 160 0,17%Langeland 123 0,13%Ærø 57 0,06%Samsø 23 0,02%Fanø 19 0,02%Læsø 13 0,01%Christiansø - 0,00%Source:DanmarksStatistisk,2016

APPENDIX1:STATISTICSOFBIRTHSNumberofbirthsin2015basedonmunicipalitiesinDenmark

Municipality Nr.ofbirths2015

København 9568Aarhus 4389Odense 2283Aalborg 2267Frederiksberg 1540Esbjerg 1198Vejle 1102Kolding 995Viborg 947Horsens 924Randers 917Herning 884Silkeborg 873Slagelse 750Næstved 723Roskilde 722Gladsaxe 669Gentofte 662Holbæk 626Holstebro 620Hjørring 612Hvidovre 607Skanderborg 588Høje-Taastrup 568Køge 565Sønderborg 550Ringkøbing-Skjern 516Haderslev 511Helsingør 478Lyngby-Taarbæk 477Aabenraa 468Guldborgsund 464Fredericia 464Ballerup 460Varde 455Tårnby 454Rudersdal 454

Favrskov 450Svendborg 445Frederikshavn 444Greve 439Rødovre 438Hillerød 431Hedensted 420Thisted 405Vejen 399Brøndby 394Ikast-Brande 393Faaborg-Midtfyn 391Skive 387Kalundborg 384Egedal 377Mariagerfjord 377Furesø 363Assens 336Fredensborg 333Brønderslev 332Jammerbugt 332Tønder 331Vordingborg 325Frederikssund 319Norddjurs 316Herlev 314Ringsted 309Syddjurs 309Vesthimmerlands 301Ishøj 297Middelfart 297Lolland 293Rebild 290Albertslund 283Nyborg 273Faxe 266Gribskov 261Glostrup 257Bornholm 249Billund 242Nordfyns 223Odsherred 219Halsnæs 212

Solrød 209Sorø 207Kerteminde 196Lejre 193Hørsholm 178Allerød 176Stevns 172Morsø 166Struer 164Odder 163Vallensbæk 160Lemvig 148Dragør 116Langeland 74Ærø 36Fanø 17Samsø 15Læsø 9Christiansø 0

Source:DanskStatistik,2016

APPENDIX1:STATISTICSONBIRTHSForecastofnumberofchildbirthsbasedonmunicipalitiesinDenmark(2016-2016) 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026København 9831 10080 10344 10692 11084 11521 11929 12232 12424 12534 12589

Frederiksberg 1604 1629 1660 1703 1754 1812 1867 1908 1933 1946 1953Dragør 114 117 119 121 124 127 130 132 133 134 135Tårnby 432 443 454 466 479 495 509 519 525 528 529Albertslund 286 288 292 298 306 314 322 326 329 329 328Ballerup 473 479 486 496 508 521 534 543 547 549 549Brøndby 407 417 427 439 453 467 480 489 494 495 495Gentofte 672 680 691 704 719 737 755 768 776 781 784Gladsaxe 785 803 822 845 870 897 923 940 950 954 956Glostrup 275 281 287 295 303 312 320 325 328 328 328Herlev 325 335 345 358 370 384 396 405 411 413 415Hvidovre 630 646 663 683 704 727 747 761 768 772 773Høje-Taastrup 599 611 625 643 663 684 703 716 723 725 726Ishøj 294 299 305 312 320 329 337 342 344 345 345Lyngby-Taarbæk

514 525 537 549 563 579 594 605 612 616 618

Rødovre 446 456 466 480 494 510 524 534 539 541 542Vallensbæk 186 189 193 198 204 210 215 219 221 222 222Allerød 182 186 191 195 200 206 212 216 218 219 219Egedal 377 387 399 408 419 432 443 451 455 457 457Fredensborg 333 337 342 348 356 365 373 379 382 383 382Frederikssund 339 348 357 365 374 384 394 401 404 405 404Furesø 356 365 375 386 397 410 421 430 435 438 439Gribskov 278 284 290 295 301 308 315 319 321 321 321Halsnæs 226 231 237 241 246 252 258 261 263 263 262Helsingør 473 485 498 510 525 541 556 567 572 575 575Hillerød 455 467 480 494 509 525 541 551 557 560 560Hørsholm 169 174 179 183 187 193 198 201 204 205 205Rudersdal 440 449 458 468 478 491 503 512 517 520 522Bornholm 257 263 268 269 272 276 279 280 279 276 273Greve 442 456 471 487 503 521 537 547 553 555 556Køge 552 570 589 607 627 648 668 682 689 693 694Lejre 206 212 218 222 227 232 238 241 243 243 243Roskilde 741 763 786 808 833 860 885 903 912 917 918Solrød 183 188 193 198 203 210 215 219 221 222 222Faxe 265 273 280 287 293 301 308 312 313 313 312Guldborgsund 465 476 485 493 502 513 522 527 529 527 524Holbæk 623 635 648 660 674 690 705 713 716 715 712Kalundborg 404 414 424 432 441 451 460 466 468 467 465Lolland 299 301 303 303 304 306 309 309 307 304 300Næstved 759 780 800 819 841 865 887 901 907 908 906

Odsherred 208 213 219 222 226 231 236 238 239 238 237Ringsted 319 325 333 341 350 360 370 375 378 379 378Slagelse 734 752 770 788 808 830 850 863 867 866 863Sorø 228 232 237 240 245 250 256 259 260 260 259Stevns 170 176 181 185 189 194 198 201 202 202 201Vordingborg 322 331 341 347 355 364 372 377 379 379 377Assens 334 344 355 361 370 379 388 393 395 395 394Faaborg-Midtfyn

419 432 445 454 465 477 489 496 498 498 496

Kerteminde 194 200 206 211 217 223 229 232 234 234 234Langeland 77 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 85 84 84Middelfart 302 311 320 328 337 348 358 365 369 370 369Nordfyns 233 238 244 247 252 259 265 269 271 271 271Nyborg 274 281 289 296 304 313 322 328 331 332 331Odense 2380 2453 2530 2622 2723 2834 2935 3008 3050 3070 3076Svendborg 474 483 494 504 516 530 542 550 554 554 552Ærø 34 34 35 35 35 36 36 37 37 37 37Billund 239 244 248 252 258 264 270 273 274 274 272Esbjerg 1236 1267 1297 1324 1356 1391 1422 1440 1445 1441 1432Fanø 16 16 17 17 17 17 17 17 17 17 17Fredericia 506 516 526 536 548 563 576 584 588 588 586Haderslev 505 515 526 536 547 561 573 580 582 581 579Kolding 968 990 1012 1036 1065 1097 1127 1147 1156 1159 1157Sønderborg 621 630 639 646 657 671 683 689 691 689 684Tønder 348 356 363 367 372 378 383 385 385 382 378Varde 473 486 499 508 519 532 543 550 551 549 546Vejen 419 427 435 442 451 462 471 476 478 476 474Vejle 1178 1209 1242 1273 1310 1350 1387 1412 1424 1428 1426Aabenraa 514 522 531 539 548 560 571 577 578 577 573Favrskov 462 473 485 495 507 522 535 544 548 550 549Hedensted 428 437 447 454 464 476 487 493 496 496 495Horsens 977 998 1021 1048 1078 1113 1146 1169 1182 1188 1190Norddjurs 332 343 354 362 372 382 390 396 397 397 394Odder 171 176 181 185 190 195 201 204 206 207 207Randers 965 994 1023 1052 1085 1121 1154 1177 1189 1193 1193Samsø 19 20 20 20 21 21 21 21 22 22 21Silkeborg 886 903 921 939 962 989 1014 1031 1039 1041 1039Skanderborg 588 600 613 625 640 659 676 689 695 698 698Syddjurs 315 322 330 336 343 353 361 367 370 370 370Aarhus 4378 4498 4622 4774 4947 5138 5315 5443 5520 5559 5574Herning 923 945 966 987 1011 1039 1064 1080 1086 1086 1082Holstebro 614 628 641 653 668 684 700 709 712 711 708Ikast-Brande 416 423 431 437 446 456 464 469 471 470 467Lemvig 146 149 153 155 158 161 164 165 165 164 163Ringkøbing-Skjern

519 529 540 547 556 568 578 584 585 583 579

Skive 413 421 430 436 444 453 461 464 464 462 459Struer 164 166 169 171 174 178 181 182 182 182 180Viborg 989 1014 1040 1062 1089 1121 1149 1167 1175 1176 1174Brønderslev 345 354 364 373 382 393 403 409 412 412 411Frederikshavn 477 490 503 511 522 533 543 548 549 546 541Hjørring 589 604 620 632 646 663 677 685 687 684 679Jammerbugt 354 364 374 382 391 401 410 415 417 416 414Læsø 9 10 11 11 11 12 12 12 12 12 12Mariagerfjord 381 391 402 411 421 433 443 449 451 451 449Morsø 165 167 170 171 173 176 178 179 178 176 175Rebild 302 313 323 330 338 347 355 360 362 362 361Thisted 412 424 435 444 454 465 475 480 481 479 476Vesthimmerlands 350 359 369 376 383 392 400 405 406 405 402Aalborg 2318 2404 2491 2578 2675 2779 2873 2939 2974 2989 2990Source:DanmarksStatistik,2016

APPENDIX2:STATISTICSONWOMENFROMGENERATIONYNumberofwomenfromGenerationYbasedonmunicipalitiesinDenmark

Municipality NumbersofwomenfromGenerationY(20-35years)

%oftotalamountofwomenintheageof20-35inDenmark

København 113.440 20,29%Aarhus 53.024 9,48%Aalborg 26.795 4,79%Odense 26.253 4,70%Frederiksberg 16.620 2,97%Esbjerg 10.758 1,92%Vejle 9.445 1,69%Randers 8.821 1,58%Kolding 8.555 1,53%Horsens 8.288 1,48%Herning 7.977 1,43%Viborg 7.803 1,40%Roskilde 7.365 1,32%Silkeborg 7.075 1,27%Næstved 6.885 1,23%Slagelse 6.884 1,23%Gladsaxe 6.589 1,18%Gentofte 6.037 1,08%Sønderborg 5.435 0,97%Hvidovre 5.388 0,96%Holbæk 5.246 0,94%Holstebro 5.174 0,93%Hjørring 4.943 0,88%Høje-Taastrup 4.859 0,87%Lyngby-Taarbæk 4.677 0,84%Køge 4.627 0,83%Haderslev 4.391 0,79%Svendborg 4.263 0,76%Guldborgsund 4.205 0,75%Helsingør 4.201 0,75%Aabenraa 4.190 0,75%Fredericia 4.132 0,74%Ballerup 3.935 0,70%Frederikshavn 3.932 0,70%Ringkøbing-Skjern 3.909 0,70%Hillerød 3.826 0,68%Skanderborg 3.777 0,68%Rødovre 3.774 0,67%Varde 3.635 0,65%

Tårnby 3.472 0,62%Greve 3.412 0,61%Skive 3.363 0,60%Brøndby 3.358 0,60%Rudersdal 3.352 0,60%Kalundborg 3.313 0,59%Faaborg-Midtfyn 3.302 0,59%Favrskov 3.156 0,56%Ikast-Brande 3.131 0,56%Vejen 3.111 0,56%Thisted 3.093 0,55%Hedensted 3.085 0,55%Mariagerfjord 2.925 0,52%Vordingborg 2.876 0,51%Frederikssund 2.786 0,50%Ringsted 2.772 0,50%Norddjurs 2.726 0,49%Albertslund 2.714 0,49%Vesthimmerlands 2.604 0,47%Assens 2.584 0,46%Fredensborg 2.561 0,46%Herlev 2.548 0,46%Tønder 2.534 0,45%Egedal 2.532 0,45%Jammerbugt 2.515 0,45%Lolland 2.503 0,45%Brønderslev 2.494 0,45%Furesø 2.480 0,44%Syddjurs 2.469 0,44%Ishøj 2.436 0,44%Middelfart 2.366 0,42%Faxe 2.308 0,41%Glostrup 2.266 0,41%Bornholm 2.217 0,40%Gribskov 2.208 0,39%Nyborg 2.195 0,39%Rebild 1.987 0,36%Halsnæs 1.962 0,35%Sorø 1.907 0,34%Billund 1.901 0,34%Odsherred 1.814 0,32%Nordfyns 1.773 0,32%Kerteminde 1.508 0,27%Odder 1.446 0,26%Lejre 1.444 0,26%Solrød 1.395 0,25%

Stevns 1.391 0,25%Struer 1.358 0,24%Vallensbæk 1.357 0,24%Morsø 1.330 0,24%Hørsholm 1.329 0,24%Allerød 1.276 0,23%Lemvig 1.185 0,21%Dragør 684 0,12%Langeland 644 0,12%Ærø 247 0,04%Samsø 137 0,02%Fanø 122 0,02%Læsø 66 0,01%Christiansø 2 0,0004%

Source:DanmarksStatistik,2016

APPENDIX2:STATISTICSONWOMENFROMGENERATIONYShareofwomenfromGenerationYcomparedtothetotalamountofwomenlivingwithinthemunicipality

Municipality ShareofwomanfromGenerationY(age20-35)withineachmunicipality

in%København 37,91Aarhus 31,56

Frederiksberg 30,16Odense 26,01Aalborg 25,68Ishøj 21,83

Hvidovre 20,07Glostrup 20,00

Albertslund 19,45Høje-Taastrup 19,45Rødovre 19,38Gladsaxe 19,16Horsens 19,04Brøndby 18,67Esbjerg 18,64Kolding 18,58Herning 18,30Randers 18,05Holstebro 17,93Vallensbæk 17,59Slagelse 17,53Herlev 17,38Vejle 16,89

Roskilde 16,83Næstved 16,55

Lyngby-Taarbæk 16,54Fredericia 16,42Viborg 16,40Ringsted 16,36Tårnby 16,01Ballerup 15,98Haderslev 15,67Ikast-Brande 15,59Silkeborg 15,55Køge 15,33

Gentofte 15,24Hillerød 15,12Hjørring 15,11Holbæk 14,84Vejen 14,80Varde 14,69

Norddjurs 14,67Skive 14,60

Svendborg 14,58Billund 14,57

Sønderborg 14,50Aabenraa 14,21

Vesthimmerlands 14,19Thisted 14,18

Mariagerfjord 14,12Brønderslev 14,06Rebild 13,91

Ringkøbing-Skjern 13,90Guldborgsund 13,76Kalundborg 13,67Nyborg 13,63Greve 13,60

Hedensted 13,60Tønder 13,45Favrskov 13,40

Jammerbugt 13,28Helsingør 13,20Faxe 13,20

Frederikshavn 13,12Morsø 13,06Odder 12,98

Faaborg-Midtfyn 12,95Sorø 12,92Struer 12,73Solrød 12,70

Skanderborg 12,70Halsnæs 12,63Stevns 12,63Assens 12,61

Kerteminde 12,51Middelfart 12,48Vordingborg 12,43Fredensborg 12,41Frederikssund 12,35Nordfyns 12,28Furesø 12,07

Lemvig 11,87Syddjurs 11,85Lolland 11,84Egedal 11,77

Rudersdal 11,72Odsherred 11,10Bornholm 11,05Gribskov 10,70Lejre 10,58

Langeland 10,35Allerød 10,11Hørsholm 10,02Dragør 9,48Ærø 7,93Samsø 7,36Læsø 7,34Fanø 7,28

Christiansø 4,65Source:DanmarksStatistik,2016

APPENDIX3:INTERVIEWGUIDE

1. Canyoutellusshortlyhowdiditchangeyoutobeamother?Andtellussomethingaboutwhoyouareasamother?

NowwewilltalkaboutBabyclothes

2. Inthebeginning,howdidyouknowwhattobuy?Anddidyoufindthisconfusing?• ifyes,why?Whatdoyoudo?• ifno,whynot?• e.g.knowingtherightsize,findingthestyleyoulike,therightmaterial

3. Isthereanydifferenceinthewayyouthoughtyouweregoingtodressyourchildandtheway

youareactuallydoing?• Especiallyinregardstobrands?

4. Whatisimportantforyou,whenyoubuybabyclothes?

• Attributes• Design,• quality,• brand• placeoforigin,organic,comfortetc.

5. Whatkindofbabyclotheshaveyouboughtthepastmonth?

6. Canyoutellmehowtheprocessnormallyis,whenyoubuythebabyclothes?

• Isityou?• Isitsomethingyouplan?• Isitimpulsive?

7. Beforeyougoshoppingbabyclothes,wheredoyoulookforinspiration?

• Advertising• Fashionsystem• Reference

8. Whodoyouconsiderasababyclothesexpert?

• isthereablogorfamousperson,thatyougetinspiredof?

9. Withwhomdoyoutalkaboutbabyclothes(family,friendsorcollegaues)• Whatdoyouaskthemabout?• Doyouseekadvise?• Where?FacetoFace,socialmedia,chatcommunities

10. Doyouhaveanyfavouritebabyclothesbrands?

• Why?• Whatmakesitspecial?(Whichassociations)• Isthereabrandthatis“you”?• Doyouthinkthatyouhaveacertainconnectionwithit?

11. Isthereaspecificpieceofclothes,thatyoufeelreallyconnectedwith?

• Whichandwhy?

12. Whenyoubuynewclothestoyourbaby,wouldyouthensometimesshareaphotooftheclothes?

13. Arebrandedclothesmoreimportantforyouthannon-branded?

• Doesitdependontheoccasion?• Doyoubuymorebrandedclothes?• Doyouthinkithasbetterquality?

14. Arethereanybrands,whichyouwouldliketobuy,buthaven’t?

• Why?(e.g.goodquality,prestige)examples:Geography,can’tafford,dontwanttobelookedatinaspecialway

15. Haveyouexperiencedthattherearesomebrandswhicharemoretrendy?

• Aretheresomebrandswhichhavehigherstatus?• Whichones?andhowdidyouexperienceit?

16. Arethereanybrandsyouwouldneverbuy?

• Whynot?• Arethereanybrandsyoucannotidentifyyourselfwith?

17. Doyouthinkthattheclothes,thatyouchoseforyourchildreflectyourchild’spersonalityand

yourownpersonality?• inwhichway?

18. Doyouusedifferentclothes(brands)fordifferentoccasions?

• Forinstancearethereadifferencebetweenhowyourbabyisdressed,whenyouareathome,thanwhenyourareout?

• Aretherespecificgroupofpeoplewhereyoudressyourchilddifferently?

19. Whendressingyourchild,doyouthenthinkaboutwhatotherpeoplewillthinkaboutyourchildandyouasamother?• Doyouthinkthatinfluencehowtheyseeyou?• Inwhichway?

20. Haveyoubeeninasituation,whereyouhavethoughaboutwhatotherchildrenwerewearing?

• Whatdoyouthinkaboutthemother,ifthechilde.g.iswearingusedclothes,clothesfromsupermarket,orhighendclothes?

21. Haveyoubeeninasituation,whereyoureceivedbabyclothesasapresent,butyouwould

neverhavepurchasedyourself?• Whatdidyoudowithit?• Doyouuseitsometimesanyway?

22. Haveyouinheritedanyclothes?

• Ifyes,fromwho?• Whatdoyouthinkaboutit?• Whatdoyoudowithit?

• Doyouthinkthatyouareputtinganotherperson’sstyleonyourbaby?• Doyouusethemjustasmuchastheclothesyoubuyyourself?

23. Haveyoueverboughtsecondhandclothes?

• Ifyes,where?Whatkindofclothes?• Ifno,whynot?

24. Haveyouevergivenawayorsoldanyofyourchild’sclothes?Didyoudoanythingspecificwiththeclothesbefore?

25. Whydoessheshopasshedo…askmoreintoit?

àMoreindetail.E.g.whyonline/ofline?

26. Canyourecallanyadvertisementofbabyclothes?

• Whatdoyouthinkaboutadvertisementforbabyclothes,dotheyimpactyou?

27. Whatdoyouthinkaboutthestatementthatourgenerationisfinancialresponsible?• Canyougiveexamples?

ExtraWheredoyoubuythebaby’sclothes?AndHaveyouthoughtaboutrentingclothes?

APPENDIX4:INTERVIEWSGUIDEBASEDONTHEMES

TRANSITIONINTOMOTHERHOOD1. Canyoutellusshortlyhowdiditchangeyoutobeamother?Andtellussomethingaboutwho

youareasamother?

2. Inthebeginning,howdidyouknowwhattobuy?Anddidyoufindthisconfusing?• ifyes,why?Whatdoyoudo?• ifno,whynot?• e.g.knowingtherightsize,findingthestyleyoulike,therightmaterial

3. Isthereanydifferenceinthewayyouthoughtyouweregoingtodressyourchildandthewayyouareactuallydoing?• Especiallyinregardstobrands?

BUYINGBEHAVIOUR

4. Whatisimportantforyou,whenyoubuybabyclothes?• Attributes• Design,• quality,• brand• placeoforigin,organic,comfortetc.

5. Whatkindofbabyclotheshaveyouboughtthepastmonth?

6. Canyoutellmehowtheprocessnormallyis,whenyoubuythebabyclothes?• Isityou?• Isitsomethingyouplan?• Isitimpulsive?

7. Arebrandedclothesmoreimportantforyouthannon-branded?• Doesitdependontheoccasion?• Doyoubuymorebrandedclothes?• Doyouthinkithasbetterquality?

8. Whydoessheshopasshedo…askmoreintoit?àMoreindetail.E.g.whyonline/offline?

9. Haveyoueverboughtsecondhandclothes?• Ifyes,where?Whatkindofclothes?• Ifno,whynot?

10. Haveyouinheritedanyclothes?• Ifyes,fromwho?• Whatdoyouthinkaboutit?• Whatdoyoudowithit?• Doyouthinkthatyouareputtinganotherperson’sstyleonyourbaby?• Doyouusethemjustasmuchastheclothesyoubuyyourself?

INFLUENCEANDINSPIRATOINOFBABYCLOTHES

11. Beforeyougoshoppingbabyclothes,wheredoyoulookforinspiration?• Advertising• Fashionsystem• Reference

12. Whodoyouconsiderasababyclothesexpert?

• isthereablogorfamousperson,thatyougetinspiredof?

13. Withwhomdoyoutalkaboutbabyclothes(family,friendsorcollegaues)• Whatdoyouaskthemabout?• Doyouseekadvice?• Where?FacetoFace,socialmedia,chatcommunities

14. Canyourecallanyadvertisementofbabyclothes?

• Whatdoyouthinkaboutadvertisementforbabyclothes,dotheyimpactyou?

SYMBOLICMEANINGSYMBOLICMEANINGOFBABYCLOTHES

15. Arethereanybrandsyouwouldneverbuy?• Whynot?• Arethereanybrandsyoucannotidentifyyourselfwith?

16. Haveyoubeeninasituation,whereyoureceivedbabyclothesasapresent,butyouwould

neverhavepurchasedyourself?• Whatdidyoudowithit?• Doyouuseitsometimesanyway?

17. Haveyouexperiencedthattherearesomebrandswhicharemoretrendy?

• Aretheresomebrandswhichhavehigherstatus?• Whichones?andhowdidyouexperienceit?

18. Arethereanybrands,whichyouwouldliketobuy,buthaven’t?

• Why?(e.g.goodquality,prestige)examples:Geography,can’tafford,don’twanttobelookedatinaspecialway

19. Haveyouevergivenawayorsoldanyofyourchild’sclothes?Didyoudoanythingspecificwiththeclothesbefore?

20. Haveyoubeeninasituation,whereyouhavethoughtaboutwhatotherchildrenwere

wearing?• Whatdoyouthinkaboutthemother,ifthechilde.g.iswearingusedclothes,clothesfrom

supermarket,orhighendclothes?

21. Doyouusedifferentclothes(brands)fordifferentoccasions?• Forinstance,arethereadifferencebetweenhowyourbabyisdressed,whenyouareat

home,thenwhenyouareout?• Aretherespecificgroupofpeoplewhereyoudressyourchilddifferently?

22. Whendressingyourchild,doyouthenthinkaboutwhatotherpeoplewillthinkaboutyourchildandyouasamother?• Doyouthinkthatinfluencehowtheyseeyou?• Inwhichway?

23. Whenyoubuynewclothestoyourbaby,wouldyouthensometimesshareaphotoofthe

clothes?

24. Doyouthinkthattheclothes,thatyouchoseforyourchildreflectyourchild’spersonalityandyourownpersonality?• inwhichway?

GENERATIONY

25. Whatdoyouthinkaboutthestatementthatourgenerationisfinancialresponsible?• Canyougiveexamples?

APPENDIX5:FACESHEET

FACESHEET1. Inwhichyearhaveyoubeenborn?2. Whatisyoureducationalbackground3. Whatisyourworkingstatus?4. Whatisyourrelationshipstatus?(5. Wheredoyoulive?(areaandhousetype)6. Whatisyourhouseholdincomeamonthbeforetax?7. Howoldisyourchildandwhatisher/hisname?8. Howmuchdoyounormallyspendonbabyclothesa

month?

APPENDIX6:INTERVIEWSINTERVIEWWITHKRISTINEInterviewwithKristineChild:Emily,6month.Wassleepingintheyardinherpramduringtheinterview.Location:Inthemother’sapartmentinValby.Interviewer:RebeccaK:KristineR:RebeccaTheinterviewwasconductedinDanish,buthasbeentranslatedintoEnglish.R:Asmentioned,Ifirstwanttoexplainalittle,whatwearewritingabout.WearestudyingBrandingandCommunicationsmanagementatCBS–andwhatwearewritingaboutishowfirsttimemothershere in the area of Copenhagen…how you see, use and think regarding baby clothes…yeah yourfeelingsabout it, your thoughtsabout it, yourexperiencewith it…yeahsortofverybroad.So that itjustlikeingeneralwhatitisabout,K:Ok…R:..Andasmentionedwehavepreparedsomequestions.K:Mmm…R:Butwealso justtake itas itcomesalong,and justso it feels likeaconversation,andfeeel freetointerruptmeandthingslikethat(laughing)…K:Yeah…Yeah…R:Icanmaybestartbyaskingyouhowyoufell,ifyoucanjustshortlydescribe,howyoufeel.Ifithaschangedforyou…howbecomingamotherhaschangedyou.Ifithas?K:Justlikeingeneral?R:Yeah,likeyouasaperson…K:Yeah…I think that thebiggest…I feel a lot likemyself..Ehmm, I actuallydon’t feel that there is somuch,thathaschanged.Iactuallyfeelthatthebiggestthing,whichwefeltprettyfastistheworrythattherewillhappensomethingtopeople.Well…R:Mmm…

K:Andithasbeenalldifferentthings.Indreams,andthingslikethat…thatIwashurtormyboyfriendorourfamilybutalsodistantfriends.IfIforinstancehearthatsomefriendsaregoingtofly,thenIcangetthethoughtlike”Ohno,Ihopetheywillnotcrashdown”

R:Hmmm…yeah…SotheydonotassuchhavetohaveaspecialconnectiontoEmily?

K:No,notassuch,ismorelike”argh”..thatthereisthisunsafefeelingthattherewillhappensomethingtopeople…andofcourseinonewayitalsohaveaconnectiontoEmily,andthatyouwantthatsheissafe and secure and stuff like that…so…yeah… but that I have felt. That I needed to get use to thefeelingthattheworryinghasbecomedifferent,thatitisnotjustyourself.

R:Hmm…arethereotherworriesthatyouhaveexperienced?

K:No,Iactuallynotthinkso…Ehmm…itisallverynew

R:Yeah…Isee.Thatisunderstandable

K:Andyouneedtoconsideralotofnewthings,thatyouhaveneverconsideredbefore…Andalsothethingwithbeingonamaternityleave…thatiskindofcrazy

R:Yeah…mmm…whatdidyoudobefore?

K:Iworkassomethingcalledvisualeditor,

R:Yeah?

K:WhereItookpicturestomobilephonemanuals(Laughing).

R:Ahhh…

K:Maybethatisalittleweirdjob(laughing),butyeah…I’mveryhappygoingtowork,andIhavetheworldsbestcolleagues,theyaresosweet…

R:Oh,that’sreallynice

K:Yeahit’sareallygoodworkplace,sothatisalittleweirdnottobethere…andthenyoujustbecomealittleweirdofnotsleepingthatmuch…well…Ihavebeensurprisethattheconceptof”breastfeedingbrain”actuallyexist…

R:(Laughing)itisnotjustamyth?

K: (Laughing)...no…cause I’vebeen like”Yeah,right” (laughing)but that isacompletelyrealconcept(laughing)…Ijustthinkthatyouareinlackofsleepthewholetimeandthen…

R:Yeahthatofcourseaffectsyou

K:Yeah…and thenyou forget thingsandbecomemegadistracted…andyeahyouneed to rememberlotsofthings…Itcanbefrustratingsometimes,whenyoucannotrememberthewordsandthingslikethat…Becauseyouknow,thatyouknowit,butit’sjusthiddenfaraway…SoI’mlookingforwardgettingoutattheotherside.

R:Mmm…

K: (Laughing) You feel a little stupid, or so I feel…that it is very practical stuff all the time…soyeah…That’sthewayitis

R:Whatabout in regards tohowyouseeyourselfasamother?Haveyoumadeany thoughtsaboutthat?

K:…Not really…I think that Iwasverynervousabout taking theplunge thatnowweshouldhaveachild…andIthinkthatmyapproachhasreallybeentotakeonedayatthetime…

R:Yeah…

K:Andtherefore,havewetriednot to…yeah…like..to thinkabout thatofbecomingamother…Ihavejustplungedintoitandtakingonedayatthetime…butitishugeandmegacool…It’sreallygood…

R:Whatabout…likewhenyouwerepregnantyoudidn’tmakethoughtsabout…likehowyouwantedtobe,kindof?

K:Yes,thatIhave…ehmm…Imostdefinitelyhave…AlittlesadpartofthisisthatIlostmyownmotherjust2monthbeforeIgavebirth

R:Imsorrytohear…

K: Yeah…so that was very close, so I very quick came to talk with a psychologist…because it wasoverwhelmingandunexpected…and then I actuallyuseda lot timeofworkingwithmyrelationshipwithmymotherandwhatIcouldbringonfromher…andhowIwouldtakethegoodthings,whichIgotfromher,andpassontoEmily…

R:Yeah…

K:Andthenyoucansaythat, this issomething,which isveryreflexive.WhatIwanttopasson,andsomethingshehastaughtme.

R:Canyougivemeanexampleofthis?

K:Yeah…likethejoyofsmallthingsyouknow,likethechildishenthusiasm,thatyouwanttomaintainit…andyeahyouareallowedtoplayalittle…andtoseethebeautifulthingsandthepositiveaspectsofhumans…tohaveapositiveattitude towards the life.That I reallywant topasson toher.And thenconfidenceandtotrustothers.

R:Thatarealsobeautifulvalues.

K:Yes,Ithinkso.Ithinkthattherearesomethings,whichIvaluedalot,thatIgotfrommymom,thatIwouldliketopasson.SothatIdefinitelythoughtabout–forsure.

R:Whataboutifwetalkaboutbabyclothes.Howdidyouknow,ordidyoubuysomethingsforher,beforeshegotborn?

K:Yes,weboughtonepieceofclothes forher–arompersuit. Talkingaboutbabyclothes,Allanbyboyfriendhas3oldersisters,andtheyalsohavechildren.Sowegotmountainsofclothes,likewegotsomuch.TheotherdayIwascountingpantyhoseandtheyarethesizefrom0to1year,andwegot75pairofpantyhose.

R:Wow,that’salot.

K:Ithinkthatforthefirsthalfyear,wegot115bodies(Rompersuits).Itwascrazy!

R:Didyouchooseallofthem?

K:They[thesister-in-laws]sortedalotofit.Theythrewoutandsoldalltheclothesthatweretattyorthat had spots on. So all the clothes we got was all in perfect shape. And I also got some fromcolleagues and stuff like that (laughing). And you don’t really know, what you should use in thebeginning.

R:No,no…

K:Andthenwewerelike…whataboutsizes…wehadnoidea!ButthenIwaslike,becausewegotsomuch,thenIwasalsolike…Ialsowanttobuysomemyself. SoIpurchasedasuitmyself,whichshe[Emilythedaughter)shouldhaveon,whenweleftthehospital.AndthenIactuallyalsoboughtapairofclothesforher,formyboyfriendasapresent.Itwasinthebeginningbeforeweknewthesexofthechild.Becausehesails,soIfoundthislittlepairofclothes,thathadboatson.SoIthoughtthatitwasfunnytogiveittohimasapresent.

R:Didyouthenmakesomespecificthoughtsaboutthefirstpieceofclothes,theoneshehadon,whenleavingthehospital?

K:Ithoughtthatitwasextremelypretty,andalsothatitwassomethingthatIchoseanditwasnew,itwashers…andalsothatitisamemoryinoneway.Sothatsuit,it’ssomethingthatIwouldlovetosave.Ithinkthatitisfunny,thatitissomethingthatshehas.

R:Soyoufeelattachedtoit?

K:Yes,alittle.Well,therearesomefewitemsthatIfeelhavealittlemoremeaning.Butespeciallythisone,thatshehadon,whenweleftthehospital.Wehaveuseditalot,anditisveryspecialforus.

R:Howdoesitlooklike?

K:Pinkinwoolandthenwithbigstars.Itisreallyprettyand“dejligt”.

R:Doyouremember,whichbranditwas?

K:Yes,Hust&Claire.Itisoneofourfavouritebrands.Theyhavesomewoolbodystockingsandsomepyjamasthatareextremelydelicious.

R:Whatisit?Isitthequality,orwhatisit?

K: Yeah, and alsobecause theyhave such aprettydesign. It’s aDanishbrand…butbothAllan and Iwereveryexcitedaboutit.Soweactuallyboughtthesamemodelinanotherdesignandabiggersize.

Soshegrewoutofthepinkandthenshegotthenewone…onewithsheep, inasizebigger. Wearereallyhappyforit

R:Whatabout,nowyousaythatyouarereallyhappyforthethingsthatyouboughtyourself.Idon’tknow,butwouldyousay thatwhenyouareusing the inheritageclothes, thatyouare thenputtingtheirstyleonAndre?

K:NothatIactuallydonotthink.Causethereissomuchandthereisalotofbasicclothesandalotofreallyprettythings.Theyreallyboughtextremelydeliciousthings,andalsoalittlemorebrandedbutalsoH&M.Theyalsomakealotofnicethings.Sowehavefeltussoprivileged.ButIalsothink,thatforme,ithasalsobeenthefeeling,that“Ialsowouldlikechosemyself,thatIthinkisprettyand,whicharehersandhasnotbeenusedby3children”Notthatithasbeenbadandit issuperdelicious,whatwehave.Andweuseitoften,butonceinawhile,Ibuysomethingforher,becauseIthinkitispretty.Andthenitcanbethatweforinstancehave4thingsofsomething,thataresimilar(laughing)…butthenitismore,something,thatIchoseforher.

R:Isitmainlyyouthatchoseitordoyoudoittogether?

K:Yes,itis.Andnormally…Ithinkthatbabyclothesareextremelyexpensive.Iwouldsay…nowwegotsomuch,butfortheoneswhodonothaveaccessorcannotinheritageanything.Ithinkitiscrazyhowmuchmoney,youcanspendonbabyclothes,itisreallycrazy.Ifyouforinstancewantsomeoftheseknownbrands…wellpheew.

R:Now,whenyouarelookingatclothes,whatisitthen,youarelookingat?

K:Nowthesituationmaybeisalittledifferent,causewedon’tmissanything.Soitisimpulseshopping,in reality, right? It is like…well…now I just go inandhavea look, and thenyou find something.ButmostoftenIbuythingsonsale,becausetherearejustasmanynicethings,whichareonsales.Butitisverylikefemininestuff,likedressesandsomethinglikethat.Ihardlydon’tbuyanybodies,causewehave so many of them, and they are pretty basic. So it is more like dresses or a “flyverdragt“ orsomethinglikethat.

R:Isittheninphysicalshopsyoubuythem?

K:Yes,Idon’tbuyanythingonline.

R: If we take the past month, do you then remember, where you bought the clothes from, whichbrands?

K: Ehmm…Ibought,what is the name?There is a shop onGammelKongevej, the brandwasOkkerGokker,butIcan’trememberwhatthenameoftheshopwas.ButIdon’twanttomakecommercialforthem,causetheyarealwaysinsuchabadmood.

R:yeah(laughing),nobutitisalsomorethebrandthatwasimportant.

K:Yeah(laughing),sothefirstthingIboughtwasfromthisbrandOkkerGokker,butthenIalsoboughtsomethingfromthebrandcalledWheet.Ialsogotalotofstufffromtheminchildbirthgift.Ithinkitisextremelypretty.

R:Whatisitthatyoulikeaboutthem?

K:Theyhaveextremelydelicatefabricitisalwaysdelicious?

R:Likesoft?

K:Yeah,andthentheyhavesomeveryprettyprint.Andyouknow,whenyouhaveagirl(laughing).Thenitisverynicetofindsomeprettyfemininestuff.ButyeahIalsobuythingthatarenotpink.Soyeah…But I think forme..I looka lotafter theorganicstuffwithoutchemicals, thathaveaveryhighpriority?

R:Isthatthehighestpriorityforyou?

K:Yes,thathasaveryhighpriority,Iwouldn’tliketodressherinclothesthatwasfullofchemicals.

R:Isitsomethingyoutalkedaboutwithothersorwheredoyouhavethisfrom?

K:Ithinkitissomething,thatisjustlike…Ialsobuyorganicfood

R:Soingeneralyouliveorganic

K:Yes, I try,andalso to thinkabout theenvironment, likealsowiththedetergentandI try to thinkaboutitthewholewayaround,nottousethingswithtoomuchchemicals?

R: Is thatmainly to take careofher, because she is so littleor is it alsobecauseyou in general areenvironmentalconscious?

K: I think it is amix of everything. I think the first priority is to protect her andus fromall strawshorteningchemicalsinbread.Andtheymakestudiesthatindicatethatitcanharmthespermqualityforboys…SoIthinkthatthesethingsandwhenyoudigalittledeeperandunderstandthatitcanharmthingslikee.g.thespermqualityandalsoimmunedisturbingchemicals.Ithinkitmeansalot.Ihavealsothoughtaboutitformyself,andalsoinregardstothatIknewthatIwantedchildren..ThatIdidn’twanttofillmyselfwithallcrap,whenIknewthatIalsowantedchildren.AndIdon’twantthatsheforinstancebecomeateenageattheageof7.Andherebabyclothesisdefinitelypartofthis.Thattheseplaceswhereyoucanavoidit,thenIthinkthatyoushoulddothat.Iwouldsay,thatI’mnothysterical..

R:Soifyouforinstancereceivesomethingasapresent?

K:No,nonotatall.Itishard,youcannotavoidit,butwhenyoucanchooseyourself,thenIthinkit’sgood.

R:Thatsoundsreasonable(laughing).Soasyousaid.Hust&ClairandWheet,whichare thebrandsyousaidthatyouliked.Aretheythenalsoorganic?

K:Yes…Abigpartofthemare,Idon’tknowifallare…butIthinkso.

R:Isitthen,thatyoulikethemthemostbecauseofthedesignor?

K:No, itsmore thequality, that the fabric feelssonice. It isverydelicate fabric.Andthen they lookverysweet(laughing).

R:Wouldyousay,thatwhatyoubuyforEmilyreflectyourownstyle?

K:Hmm.. that ishard (laughing)…maybea little, Ihaven’t thoughtabout it actually.Well it isprettyfeminine,which I also think that I am. So yeah…I have actually had long discussionswith a friend,causeshe isverymuch into thesex/genderdebate, thewholediscussionwithcoloursandstuff likethat.SoeverytimesheseesEmilyinsomethingblue,sheisjustlike“YEAH”(laughing).ButIalsothinkthattherealotofthings,thatarepink!

R:Soitisnotsomethingyouthinkabout,likepinkwithgirlsandblueforboys?

K:No, in the beginning, as I actually also talkedwithmy friend about, I couldn’t dream about onlydressingherinblueorgrey–becauseIwasalittlelike…shewasmydaughter,andsheisagirl…andIwouldbereallysad, ifpeoplecouldn’tseethatshewasagirlandaskwhichgendershewas.Well, Iactuallythinkthatitisgoodthatyoucanindicateit.

R:Soisitalsotoshowittoothers?

K:Yes,definitely.ButIthinkthatnow,wedon’tthinksomuchaboutit.Nowshegetsalldifferentkindsofcoloursandalsojustblue.Nowitisjustmixed

R:Nowyoutold,thatyouweretalkingwithafriend.Doyouingeneral…orwhodoyoutalkwithaboutbabyclothes?

K:Well,notthatmany.LikeIhadthediscussionwithhersometimes,andalsobecausethat is likeavaluethinginregardstogenders.Whatyousignal,wherewedisagreealot.Butitisactuallyfunnytodiscuss.Butotherwise,notreally–thenitismoreAllan’ssisters.Butthatisalsobecausewereceivedalotofclothes fromthem–andtheyarealsohaveknowa lotaboutbabyclothes. Andthenyoualsoreceivesomecommentsaboutitsometimes…Likeohthislookssosweet.

R:Whatdoyouthenfeel,whenyoureceivethesecomments?

K:Thisisnice,andIalsoliketodressherupnicely,whenwegoout.Well,normallywhenweareathome,sheisusuallywearingpantyhoseandabody.

R:Soyoudressherdifferentlywhenyouareathomeandwhenyougoout?

K:Yes,especiallyifweneedtodosomething–e.g.abirthdaypartyorforinstancewhenwegotobabyrhythmic…thenIthinkabouthowIdressher.Itmeanssomething,thatIthinkthatshelooksniceandpretty(laughing)anddon’thave...likeforinstanceitisalittlefunnybecausenow,sheisathomeandsleeping, and if you will see her, she has food all over because I need to give her food late…soyeah…ButIwillsay,yeah…thatwewenttoaclasswithbabysigns,wherewewere12personsintheclassandthen(laughing)…Thentherewas11boysandEmily.Andthenwemadeaname-presentationround and I had dress her in a rose-pink knitted dress from a friend that knit a lot of very prettyclothes. So she was especially delightful that day (laughing) And then there was this presentationround, and I said and this is Emily, and then it just came from all of the other mothers like“AAAAWWW”(laughing).AndIcouldjustfeelthat…Ithinkthatalotofwomenhasthisspecialthingwithagirl…andyoucanlikedecorateherabit.Andtheyallhadboys,andthenshewastheonlygirlandshehadadressonandinpink,andthenitwasjustlike“aaaw”(laughing).

R:DoyouthenmaybeunconsciouslyorconsciouslythinkaboutwhatothersthinkaboutyouorEmilyinregardstohowsheisdressed?

K:Itis…yeahitis..itisclear,thatitisnotbecauseitreflectsmeasagoodorabadmother,butIthinkthatonecouldthinkthatotherpeoplecouldinterpretthis.IwillactuallysaythatIamsurprisedthatIfeelthisway,becausenormallyitisnotsomethingthatIcareaboutsomuchformyself.LikeofcourseIwanttolookprettyandespeciallyifIneedtogosomewhere.AndI’mlikearealprincessgirlmyselfandIhavealwaysbeenit.AndIloveeverythingthatsparkleseverythingthatbulges(stutter)andlikereally…butitismostlyifIhaveaspecificoccasion.IneverydaylifeItoneitdownalot.AndIalsothinkitisfunnywithEmily,ifIcangiveherabeautifuldresson.AndIdefinitelythinkthatitisnicewhenpeoplepraiseyourchild.Well,nowshestartsgettingsomepersonality,butinthebeginningthereisnotsomuchelse(laughing).

R:Butwhatdoyouthink?Yousaidbeforethatofcourseit isnottheclothesthatdefineifyouareagoodorbadmother,butthatyoustillthinkabout,whatsheiswearing.Butwhatisitconcretethatyouarethinking?

K:Well,Ilikethatsheisprettyandthatshelookspretty(laughing)…Ijustthink,thatthenothersalsothinkthatshelookscute.AndIthinksheisextremelylovelyandIalsowantthatothersthinksheissweetandcute.Andagain,Ithinkthatespeciallyinthebeginning,thentheclothesispartofreflectingsomething,becausetheyarekindofanonymousinthebeginning.Thepersonalityisnotreallycominguntillate.Andthenitisjustanicewaytogetsomethingtotalkabout,becauseyou’llgetthereaction.Itisveryclearthatiftheyhavesomethingon,thatisdelicious,thenpeoplereact.Youcanalsoseeitinthemothersgroup,like“Woowthat’ssomenicepants” .ItcanalsobethatI’malittlebias,sinceIminthemiddleofit,andIlookmyself.Butitissomethingthatisbeingrecognizediftheyhavesomethingspecificon.

Ihaveknittedadressforher,andthatisalsoextremelynice,whenpeoplewerenoticingit, just like“ahhthatlooksnice”andstufflikethat,especiallybecauseyoudidsomethingspecial.

R:Sothatyougotrecognition?

K: Yes in someway. I think it is a big part of it. But itwas also formyself. I think she looked cute(laughing)

R:Doyoualsothinkaboutwhatotherchildrenarewearing?

K:Itwouldbealie, ifIsaidno.Becauseofcause,wellyeah…It’sfunnybecausethereareacoupleofpeoplefrommymothersgroup.?(Laughing)andinourmothergroup,youcanfeelthattherearesomemeansthatotherplaces.Andtherearesomeboyswhoarewearingpolosfromtheexpensivebrands.Thatyou’llnotice?

R:Whatdoyouthenthink?

K:PersonallyIthinkitisawasteofmoney(laughing).Ireallycan’tunderstandit.Youknowitbecausethereisalogoonit.Thereisthisbiglogoonit,sothatyoucanrecogniseit,butotherwiseitlookslikeallotherclothes.AndthenImthinking,thatIdon’tunderstand,whytheybother.AndthenIfeelthatit’sshowoff.

R:Ahhok

K:Personally,Idon’tmindifit’sacheaporexpensivebrand,aslongasIthink,thatitlooksnice,right?

R:Sodoyoufeelthattheyaregivingthechildrenthesebrandsoninordertoshowoff?

K:Yeah,like“wehavealittlemoremoney”

R:Aretherethensomevalues,thatyouthinkareattachedtothesetypebrandswithbiglogos?Ordoyou think then thinkabouthow theyareasmothers?Well, knowyouknow them,because theyarepartofyourmothersgroup,butmoreingeneral?

K:Yeah,Ithinkthatyoudothat.Ithinkyouwillalwayshavesomeprejudiceabouthowthethingsareandhowtheyareconnected.AndIclearlyalsohavethatinregardstohowthingsare.ButIreallythinkthat it fits (laughing).Theyareextremelynicepeople,but there isnotdoubt that theclothesreflecttheir lifestyle, and how they are and what they do. That they just have more money or that theprioritizethemdifferently.

R:Whatkindoflifestyleisitthen,thatyouthinkitrepresents?Nowyoudon’tneedtosayespeciallyregardingthem[Thepersonsfromthemothersgroup].I’mjustthinkingmoreingeneralwithparentswhodresstheirchildrenwithbiglogos?Whatisitforalifestyleyouthinktheyrepresent,orwhatkindofvaluesdoyouthinktheygivetothechildren?Ifyouthinkthattherearesomethingspecific?

K:Yeah,thereare…Well,Idon’tknowhowtosayit,butthereareprobablysomeattitude.Well,Ithinkandalsobecauseyouhaveworkeda lot foryourmoney.For these typeofpeople, that I’m thinkingabout.Thereareofcoursealsopeoplewhoinheritagea lotofmoney,buttheyarenottheonesI’mthinkingabout.Butthere is thisattitudethatyoucanuseyourmoney, thatyouhaveearned,alsotoshow it. Also that they think about quality. I’m most definitely also think that. That I then don’tunderstandwhytheywouldbuyittososmallchildren,causetheyaregrowingsofast(laughing).Theywearitlike3times,butitisanattitudetohowyouliveyourlifeandthatyouwantgoodthings.Anditisalsoawaytoshowthatyouhaveagoodtaste.

R:Whatifthebrandswherethesame,butyoucouldnotseethelogo?

K:ThenIdon’tthinkyouwouldthinkaboutit?

R:Thenitwouldnotbeseenuponasbeingshowoff?

K:No,Idon’tthinkso,no.Itisclearthattherearesomebrandsliketheoneswiththelogos.Thenyoualsothinksomethingaboutit.ButIalsothinkitwouldgotheotherway.Likeifyouforinstanceseeachildwhoalwayshavewrinkledordirtyclotheson.

R:Whatdoyouthenthink?

K:Well,thenIthinkthatIwouldthinkthatitwasreflectinghowtheparentswereinreality.Itisalsoapictureofwheretheycomefrom.Dotheythenlivemessy,?Dotheynotwashtheclothesthatoften?Things like that. But it does not necessarily need to be like that. But I just think that it is what itexpresses.

R:IsitsomethingthatyoualsothinkaboutwhendressingEmily?

K: Yes, that I do. Yes. But of course, if for instance like now she is sleeping and needs to get foodafterwards, andwedon’t have anyplans. Then Im just thinking that it doesn’tmatter that shehasdirty clothes on. But if we were going out, I would change it, cause it does not look super nice(laughing).ButIdon’tthinkthatImtotallyvainwiththingslikethat,butofcourseitmeanssomething.

R:Aretheresomeplaces,beforeyoubuythingsforher,whereyouseekinspiration?Likeforinstanceadvertising?

K: No. It is just impulse, when I look at a shop. I found a shop called Tinderbox in FrederiksbergCentret,it’saveryveryveryniceshop.Therearealotofdifferentbrands.It’sjustcrazynice.AndthenIfeel likeIgetinspiredbecausetheclothesarehangingandyoucangoaroundandlookatit.Soit’skindofadangerousshoptoenter,causethereisalwayssomethingnice(laughing)

R:Whatifyouseesomeonewhoiswearingsomethingreallynice?

K:ThenIthinkitneedstobeveryspecial.Alsobecausewehavesomuchclothesandwearenotreallymissinganything.So it ismorelike, if Ibumpintosomethingnice. I likethesalesstandsoutsidetheshops. Also because it is difficult to enter the shopwith the pram.But you can do that in the shopTinderbox,becauseitissobig.ButotherewiseIlookatthestandsonthestreet.

R:Doyoupreferbrandedclothescomparedtonon-brandedclothes?

K:No,notatall. I lookmuchmoreat the looksandquality.But I cansee, thatnowwegotsomuchclothes,andsomeofthemarebrandedandsomeofthemarenot.It’sreallyamix.Butthereisabigdifferenceinthesizes.Wejokeaboutthatmysister-in-law’sbabylookedlikeasuitcasewhenshewasababy.Sotheclotheswasnotsolongbutwide,however,Emilyisverylongandskinny.Sotheclothesdonotfithersowell.Sothereisdefinitelysomebrands,whichfitherbetter.E.g.Holly.Itfitsherverywell,andthenPetitBateau,causetheyhaveclothes,thatislongandslim.

R:Whataboutbuyingclothesinthesupermarket?

K:I’veboughtapairofwoollentrousersinFøtex.ButIdon’treallywantto.

R:No?Whydoyouthinkitislikethat?

K:Idon’treallyknow.Ihaveactuallylookedsometimes,buttherehasnotbeenanythingthatI’veliked– just thewoollentrousers.But for instance ifwedidn’t inheritagesomuch, thenIwouldprobablybuythere.Causeyoucangetalotofthings,whichareprettyniceandreallycheap.AndIthinkqualitywise,itisjustasgoodasalotofotherclothes.Ijustthinkthattheclothes,thatIbuyforheraremorespecificthanwhattheyhaveinthesupermarket.Causethat’smorebasic,especiallyforthesmallones

R:Isitthen,becauseyoualreadyhavesomuch,sothatwhatyoubuyshouldbedifferent.

K:Yes,butIwouldsay,thatIwoulddoif,ifwedidn’thavesomuchclothes.CauseIthinkIgetalittlecheap,when I think about how shortly it is used. Iwant something that is good and it needs to becomfortableforhertowear.Sothatmeansmore,butIthinkitisverycrazytogivelike400DKKtoforinstanceabodystocking,whichshewouldwearlike3times.Theygrowreallyfast(laughing).

R:Doyouthinkthatitisdifferenttobuyclothesfromthesupermarketforadultsandforbabies?

K:Ithinkitisforme.Idon’tknowwhy,butIhaveanideathatitisworsequalityinthesupermarketandthatwhenIwashit,itwillgooutofshape.Anditismostdefinitelyaprejudice,causeitcouldbejustasniceaswhenyoushopinforinstanceH&M.Soyeah,justthefactthatgoinginasupermarket,thatisweird?

R:Alsoforbabies?Orjustforadults?

K:That,Idon’tthink,sinceI’vebeeninFøtexandlookedafterclothes.CauseIdoactuallybelievethatitlooksreallyniceanditisalsoØkotex(laughing).

R:Whataboutbuyingusedbabyclothes?

K:Iwouldhavedoneit,ifwedidnotreceivesomuch!

R:Soitisnotsomething,whichyouhavedone?

K: No, it has really not been necessary. It is very limited howmuch clothes, that I actually boughtmyself.

R:Doyouthenfeelmoreattachtothethingsthatyouboughtyourself?

K:Yeah(laughing)

R:Whatdoyouthinkaboutit?

K:Firstofall,itissomethingthatIreallyliked.ItissomethingwhichI’vefellfor,causeithasnotbeennecessary.IjustthinkthatthethingsIchosemyself,isbecauseIreallylikeit,andthenitjustmeanssomethingelsethanthethingsyouknow,thathasbeenusedalot.Therearealotofthethings,whichwegot,thatlooksreallynice.Andespeciallytheknittedthings,becausethatisnotsomethingyoubuy,that is something you receive as a gift. There is awoman from the familywhoknits a lot, and thatmeanssomethingspecial,causeyouknow,thattheyaremadeespeciallyforEmily.ButIhavethoughtaboutit,becauseifweforinstancegetmorechildreninthefamilyandyouneedtodeliveritback,andalsothesharingclothes,thenI’mthinkingthattherearecertainitems,whichIwouldselectout.Forinstancetheclothesweboughtwhenshewasborn.ThatIwouldnevergivetoanyoneelse,causeImlike,thatpieceisEmily’s.Itisveryspecial.

R:Actually,howlongtimebeforeyougavebirth,didyoubuyit?

K:Ithinkitwassomecoupleofmonthbefore.Prettyclosetotheduedate.

R:Whatotherthingswouldyouselectout?

K:Thereisadress,thatoneofmyfriendsmadeforEmily.Andthisisalsohers.Itisnotsomethingthatareborn.

R:It’skindofmadeforEmily?

K:Yeah,and thenyouhave thatdress, that I’veknitted.Someof these thing thathavesomekindofpersonality.Iwouldliketosavethem,alsoIfwegotanotherchild

R:Yeah.Whataboutthethingsthatwasknittedormadeforher?Didtheychosewhattheylikedordidtheycomeandaskedyouaboutwhichcoloursorpatternsthatyouprefer?

K:Theyhavejustmadeit.

R:Anditfitswell?

K:Yes,yes.

R:Haveyouactuallyreceivedpresents,thatyoudidnotreallyliked?

K:WehavereceivedsomeChristmaspresentsthatwechosetochange.

R:Soyouchangedit?

K:Yestoagiftvoucher.Somethingthatwasnotreallyourstyle.ButotherwiseIthinkthatwereceiveda lot of really nice clothes! There are some of the thingswe in heritage from the otherswherewethoughtlike“argh”,butwehavebeensoprivilegedthatwereceivedsomuch,sowedidjustnotpickit(laughing).Likethethingswherewewerelike“thisisjustnotourcolours,ordesign,ortheshapewasjustcompletelyoff”

R:Whatcoulditbe,thatwerenotyourstyle?

K:I’vereceivedaneonbodystockingwithanimalprint.Itwasjustnotus.Icouldreallynotimaginethatsheshouldwearit.Andsomeclotheswithrainbowcolours.Ilikecolours,butnotwhentheyaremixedalot.Likeextreme.Thatwedidnotchose.ButIthinkthereisnotsomuchbabyclothesthatarelikethat.,especiallywhentheyaresosmall

R:Aretheresomebrands,inwhichyouwouldneverdressEmily?

K:No,Idon’tknowthemsowell.No.

R:What if you received like the clothes, you talkedabout that therewere some children fromyourmothersgroup,whowerewearingthesebiglogos?

K:Yeah,Idon’tthinkthatIwouldliketogiveherthesekindofclothes.ForinstanceLouisVuittonorRalphLauren.IrememberthatwewereinMalaysia,theyearbeforeIgotpregnant.AndwewentintothisHUGEshoppingmallinKualaLumpur,andheretheygotawholeleveljustwebabyclothes,andtheyalsohadthesebrands.Andtheyjustlookedlikesmalladults.Andallthisclothes,thatcostlikeabillion DKK, and they hang on these small mannequins. And you think, they look like smallbusinessmen.TheysignalsomethingthatI’mreallynot.Formeitseemslikeapaceofthechild.It isnotcomfortablewithasuitortieforsmallchildrenorsmallhairbandsandpurses.ItisjustfarawayfromhowIam.AndImightthinkthatitismoreforthelookthatthinkingthatthechildrencanplayinit.

R:Socomfortismoreimportant?

K:Yes,absolutely!Itneedstobecomfortableforthemtowear.Wereceivedadresswithbottomsattheback.Itisveryverycute,butIwillneverputitonher.CausesherollsaroundandIjustdon’tthinkitiscomfortabletolayonbottoms.

R:Buthaveyoureceivedsomeclothes,thatyoudidn’treallylike,butyouuseditanyway?

K:No,thenwehavejustnotusedit.

R:Isthereadifference,ifyouhadanyideaofhowyouwoulddressher,andhowyouactuallydid?

K:No,Iwasveryopen-minded.

R:Whatabout…

K:Iactuallyalsohavesomeclothes,fromwhenIwasababy.

R:Thatshealsowear?

K:Yeahsheworeacoupleof items.Therearesomethatarevery80-style,whereI thought,no, thatwouldbeashame.Andthentherearesomeitems,thatarenotsopractical.CauseIthinkalotaboutit,likecanIquicklychangethediaper(laughing). Andthentherearesomeoftheseoldthingsthatarenotsopractical.

R:Doyouthinkthatwehavebecomemoreawarethatthedesignshouldbepractical?

K:Imostdefinitelythinkso.Therewerenopushbuttominmybodystockingsanditwasverydifficulttochangeadiaperwithit(laughing).Youneedtogetallofitoff.ButI’veusedsomeitems,andthatisreallyfunny.Youarelike“yeahsothisis30yearsold”(laughing)

R:Areyouthenalsomoreattachedtothesethings?

K:YesIam.Ithinkitisfunnythatmyparentssavedit.So,absolutely!

R:Isitthenalsosomethingthatyouthinkaboutwiththeclothesthatyouwanttosave?

K:Yesmostdefinitely.Ialsothinkitisfunnythatithasahistory.

R:Doyouknowthestorybehindtheclothesthatyourparentssaved?

K:No,Iactuallydon’t.Mydadcannotremember,andnowIcannotaskmymum.Butit’sfunny,therearesomefunitemsamongstthem,anditispleasant(hyggeligt).AndIalsothinkaboutthatitwouldbeniceforEmilytohavesomeofthethings,wesaveforher(laughing).

R:Arethereactuallysomepiecesofclothes,thatyouwouldsay“Ijustloveit”?

K:It’sclearthattherearesomepiecesofclothes,whichareourfavouritesandthatshewearsmoreoften.Whereyouarejusthappywhenitiscleanagain,soshecanwearit.

R:Whatisitthatmakesthattheseareyourfavourites?

K:Ithinkitisacombination,thattheyarecomfortableforheartowear,thattheylookniceonherandthat they are easy for us to use. There are just some things,where she looks extremely cute, like aspecial dress or a body stockingwith a nice colour…Sometimeswe find some clothes that fitswelltogether,whereyouthink“thisjustlookveryprettytogether”,andthenitjustsomethingyouusealotforher,whileshecanstillfitit(laughing).

R:Isthissomethingyouthinkabout?Thattheclothesarematching?

K:Itry,butit’snotalwaysworking,butwetry.

R:Whataboutwhenyoubuysomethingnew,oryouthinkthislooksverycute.Couldyouthenimagineyourselftakingapictureandsharingit?

K:(laughing)yes,andIalreadydoneittosomeofmyfriends.Ialsothinkthattherearealotwhothinkitiscutewithbabyclothesandthesmallsizes.Andthen…It’snicetogettherecognitionofthechoicesyoumake, that thereareotherswhoalso thinks it lookspretty.So I think thata lotof it is thatyouwant this recognition… thatwhat you do are good and right. Youwould not reallywant that otherpeoplethink“well,herchildisreallypoorlydressed”(laughing)

R:No,thatyoudon’twant(laughing)

K:Butyes,ifIfindsomething,whichisextremelycute,thenIshareitsometimes.

R:Isittoyourfriendsoronline?

K:No,justinprivatemessages.

R:Whataboutinthebeginning,howdidyouknow,whatsheneeded?

K: I askedAllan’s sistersa lot. Wereceivedboxeswithclothes.And thenyouwere thinking like “Ihavenoideawhatthesesizesmeans.Idon’tknowwhatweshoulduse” . Soweactuallygotoneof thesisterstocomeover,andthenwespentthewholeeveninglookingthroughttheboxes,piecebypiece.Andthensheexplained:“Thisisfornow,thisisforthewinter”.Sowejustgotlikeabasicintroductiontowhattouse,whentouseitandthesizes.AndthenIthink,thatwhenthereispassingsometime,thenyougetanideayourself.Inthebeginningitwasverydifficult.

R:Soitwaskindofmotheradviceyougotorhow?

K: yeah, and you don’t know the size of the baby either. So like how small should it be? And alsobecause theyhad cut the size label off, so I couldn’t see the sizes either.Butnowwe just try…Andthereisabigdifferenceinthesizesdependingonthebrands,soitisverydifficulttoknow.Someofthebrandsshecanuseasizesmallerorbigger.I’vetriedtodressherinsomethingthatwasjustwaytobig(laughing).Butthenitwasjustlike,oksoshecannotuseityet.

R:Soithasbeenkindofalearningprocess?

K:Yeah…Idon’tknowifitwillchange(laughing).

R:Ohyeah…Inregards to theclothes thatyou inheritage,haveyoudonesomethingspecificwith itbeforeshewaswearingit?

K:Wehavewashedit.Allofit.

R:Wasitbecauseitshouldbeclean?

K: Yes, and also because it has beenwashedwith a lot of fabric softener, so it smelled very strong(laughing)…andalsobecausealotofithadbeenpackeddown.

R: Yeah.What about the things that smelled of fabric softener? Did you wash it, so that the smellshoulddisappear?

K: It smelledreallya lot, so thatwedidn’t like.Weareveryneutral;wedon’tuse fabricsoftenerorperfume…Andalsojustsoweknewthatitwasclean.Causewedidn’tknow,becauseithasbeeninabasement.

R:Whatabout…wouldyousellanyoftheclothes?

K:(Laughing)that isareallygoodquestion. Ihavethoughtabout itmanytimes.Cause it isnotsurethatAllan’ssisterswillhavemorechildren…Andwehavetalkedaboutthatwewant1or2more.Butthesemountainofclothes,thatwehavearesomassive,sowecouldconsiderit(laughing)…ButIalsothinkitisabitdifficult,causeitissomethingwereceived.Ididn’tbuyalot.AndthenIhaveacoupleoffriends,whoarestartinggettingbabies..soIwillpassthethingson,whichIboughttothe.

R:Butnottheclothesyoureceived?

K:No,causeIwouldfeela littlebadabout it.At leastIwouldneedtotalkwiththembefore,causeIknowthat theyspenta lotofmoneyand Ialso think that theyhavesome favourite items, that theywouldliketokeep.Andinanotherwayitwouldalsofeelstupid,thattheyspentallthesemoneyonit,andifIthensolditandearnedmoneyonit(laughing).Iwouldnotsellitwithouttheirconsent.ButIreallyliketheideawithrecycling.Andalsoalotofthethingsthatwehaveaused.Forinstancethebed,highchairandchangingtable.SoI think,especially forbabythings. I’mreallycrazywiththe ideaofrecyclingthem.Idon’tlikewhenpeoplearejustbuyingandthrowingout,buyingandthrowingout…

R:Doyouthinkthatthisisspecificforourgenerationorisitspecificforyou?

K:Ialsoknowsomepeoplethatlikethateverythingisnew.Thattheydon’tlikeanythingthatitusedbefore…Soitisdifferenthowyoufeel.ButIcan’treallyseeanyideaofwhyyoushouldnotdoit.

R:Whataboutyourpram?

K:Thatisnew,butwealsolookedatusedones.Butthepricesareactuallyprettyexpensiveonusedprams…Sowe thought, this is also something,which isuseda lot and therefore theyareoftenveryworn-out – even though theyhave only be used to one child. And then relating it to howmuchwewouldsaveonit.Thenwedidn’tthinkitwouldbeworth.

R:No

K:Soweboughtanew,andthenweboughtabalconypram,whichbeboughtused(laughing).

R:Whataboutyourpram?Didyougetithomebeforeyougavebirth?

K:(Laughing)Itwasintheshop,wejustneededtocallthemwhenwewantedtopickitup.

R:Ok,wasthatbecauseofthesuperstition?

K:(Laughing)Iactuallytoldmygrandmotherthatweboughtapram.ThenshebecameEXTREMELYmad.Shewasjustlike“Haveyouboughtapram?”(Laughing)andthenIexplainedher,thatitwasstillintheshop,andthenitwasok.ButIdon’tthink,thatIthoughtsomuchaboutit.Ididn’tevenknow

aboutallthesuperstitions.IjustheardaboutitjustbeforeIgavebirth.AndthenIthoughtlike“wow,youcannotdothis,andyouarenotallowedtodothat”(Laughing).

R:Whatotherthingsarethere?Causethatisjusttheone,thatIknow.

K:Well,youarenotallowedtocutthelabelsofnewclothes,actually

R:Didyoudoit?

K:No…Thatwedidn’tdo.

R:Wasthatbecauseofsuperstitionsorwasitbycoincidence?

K:No,wearenotreallysuperstitious.Andthenthereissomethingabout,thatyouarenotallowedtobuildthebed…Youarenotallowedtoputthebeddingsonbeforethebabyhasarrived.

R:Soit’slikeallthethingstopreparetothebaby?

K:Yeah,therearealotofthings,whichyouarenotallowed.Butitisfunny,becauseitisokwithusedclothes.Buttherewerealotofthings,whereIwaslike“Well,Well”Butwedon’treallycareaboutit(laughing).Wedon’treallythinkaboutit.

R: No,no…NowI’mjust jumpingawayfromthat,butwhataboutonlinesocialmedia.Doyou lookhereforinspirationforbabyclothes?

K:Notforclothes,butIusetheapps,Reshopper.ThatoneIusedalot,butmainlytothings.Iactuallychose not to get information about clothes, because there is a specific filter. I don’t want to loo atclothes…Nowhen I have somuch (laughing)…Yeah, I’m following someof thebrandsonFacebookalsoHust&Claire.Sotherearesomeofthebabyclothesbrands,whichIthinkareprettythatIlookatandwhentheygotsales.

R:Yeah

K:ButIhaven’tboughtanythingonline.Ihavelookedattheirwebpagesmanytimes,butneverboughtanything.

R:Ahok.Arethereanycelebsorblogsyoufollow?

K:No,no.

R: I think thatwas it. Do you have anything that you think, “this IwantRebecca toknowbeforesheleaves?”

K:No,Idon’tthinkso.

INTERVIEWWITHCATHRINEInterviewwithCathrineChild:Freja,6monthsLocation:Inthemother’sapartmentinØsterbro.Interviewers:KateandRebeccaI:IdaK:KateR:RebeccaR: First of all, this interview is anonymous… so don’t be afraid of saying anything. We are doingresearchforourmasterthesisaboutbabyclothes.WeareresearchinghowfirsttimemothersinCPHsee the baby clothes, how you feel about it, how you use it and so on. We have prepared somequestions butwewanted this to bemore like conversation so youwould not feel stressed. This is(paperswithquestions)morelikeaguidanceforus.

R:Howdoyouseeyourselfasamum?

C:Iseemyselfasaveryback-to-basicskindofmum.Verydowntoearth, Ihope.Andit’s justprettymuch…learn by doing. And of course, I’d like to seemyself as quite loving and caring and…calm, IwouldsayI’mprettycalm.

R:Howhasitchangedyoutobecomeamother,ifyouthinkithas?

C: I’m veryworried about…anything and everything. Actually…it’s the hardest thing I worry about,sometimes, when I hear a track go by, I think about “Oh my god, it’s a Russian tank, we’ve beeninvaded,whatcanIdonow…(laughing)But,alsoI feel…Idon’treallyfeeldifferentfromwhoIwasbefore,it’sjust…Ijustfeellikemyselfbutnowwithababy(laughing).Idon’tfeelatallrestrictedorlimited,Ijust,IguessthatIacceptedthatthingshavechangedandthat’showthingsarenow.

K:Howdidyourfreetimechange?

C:Well.Atfirst,thisbaby’sbeen,she’sbeenverysoImean,I’vehadalotoffreetime,Ifelt.ButIguesswhatIdidbefore,well,Idon’tseefriendsasmuchanymorebecausetheyhavejobsandschoolbutIseemysistersalotandIdothesamething.Imeanwhenshe’s…atnight,I’vebeenouttodinnersandIvisit friends “and when she’s put to bed” I guess it’s changes a little…Also, one of the things thatchangeswhen you have a baby, you don’t remember everything that happened before (laughing) Idon’t rememberreallywhat Ididbefore (laughing)But I…Iguess Ialsohave less free timebecausewhenIlookat(theclock)whenIgotobedit’slike…nine.That’sthelatest-pleaseletmegotobed

R:Yeah,youbecomemoretiredsoyouhavetosleep

C:Yeah.

R:And…Yeah,Iguessthat’sprettymuch

R:Whatabout,like,ifwe’retalkingabout…babyclothes,

(Pause,aconversationnotrelatedtotheinterview)

R:Butifwe’retalkingaboutbabyclothes,whatwouldyousayyoulookafterwhenyouchooseit?

C: I look for…affordable prices, but I also…I don’t really buy too much baby clothes because mymother-in-law,sheknits,andmyownmum,shesewssoshe’smakingalot…thesetrousersarebymymum, this sweater’s by my mother-in-law and…so the things I purchase, I guess they’re not thecheapestbut…Idon’treallybuytoomuchbabyclothes.

K:Whatdidyoubuylasttime?

C:Ibought…thispantyhose…orleggingssothat’swhatitwas.

R:Doyourememberfromwhichbranditwas?

C:Yeah,they’refromNPandIboughtthemonlineona…Iprettymuchbuyeverythingonlinebecausetherearenoshippingfeesandabigstorethatcarriesallthebrands,so…

R:Okay,whatisthatsite?

C:Kidsworld.

C:SoIboughttheseandtheyarefromNP.

R:Anddoyouthen…likewhenyouselect…buy…doyoufindinspirationanywhereorisitbecauseyoumisssomething,yougointhere,howisitworking?

C: I look at a lot of stuff on Instagram, actually, that I wanna buy. And then I also go to the veryexpensivestorePurebabythat’srightdownhereandIlookatallthethingsandgo“Wow,thiswouldbe so cute”But…Imean, the thing is just that I don’t think it’sworth buying it because shedoesn’treallyusethatmuchclothes.SowhenI…Iprettymuch justknow,well,whatdoessheneed, is theresomethingbrokenor isshealwayscoldonherfeet,andIwillbuyacoupleofslippersorsomethinglikethat.AndIactuallyalways…Imean,it’sveryrarethatshe’swearingsomethingthatactuallyfitsher(laughing)becauseIalwaysbuyitonesizetoobig.

R:That’ssmart.Soshecanwearitforlongertime.

C:Yeah.AndbecauseIdothatit’sokaytospendabitmorebecausethenitlastslonger,becausesheisusingit,youknow.

R:Wouldyousayyouwouldpreferbrandedclothestowhat’snon-brandedclothes?

C:Yeah,Iwould.

R:Why?

C:Forexample,these…aretheycalledpantyhose?I…I’vehadsomefromH&Mandtheelasticbandjustwasn’tthatgood,itgotlooseandit’sannoyingthatitwon’tstayupandsoI’vedecidedtobuyformthis

brandthatI’vereadaboutthatitshouldbethebestanditcoststwiceasmuchbutthey’rejust…Idon’tseethatthey’vebeenwornthatmuchandtheyjust…they’rethesameaswhenIboughtthem.And…So,IjustdecidedthatI’lljusthaveonepairortwopairsinsteadof,youknow,fivedifferentcoloursfromH&MandthenI’mhappyaboutthequality.AndIthinkthat’smoneywellspent.

R:What about, you said that youwere lookingor found inspiration in Instagram, is it likea specialpersonyouarefollowingor…?

C:Yes.It’sacoupleofpeople.Doyouwantnamesor…?

R:Ifyouremember?

C: There’s a photographer called Maria Frank, she has to beautiful little girls and she buys themmatching clothes, expensive clothes, and I look at them and I think that it’s just, it looks very niceand…Thenit’sactuallyafewwomenfromadultwomen’sfashionthatjusthappentohavebabies.SoIthinkoneiscalled…JeenyMorgensol(??),sheworksatStineGaarde ,shehasaverycutebaby.Andthere’sagirlcalledLou, that isalso fromStineGaarde,she’s justhada littlebabyalsoandshebuysexpensiveclothesandverynice,sothat’s…AndI,Ijustlookatthemandthink“Aw,that’ssonice”,andthenIgo“Mum,canyoumakethese?”(laughing)

R:That’sagoodthingaboutyourmumbeingabletosew.

C:Yeah.ButIdon’treallycaretoomuchaboutdressingherup,Idon’t…Imean,whenIgotomyowncloset, I justwant topulloutsomething that Iknowwill fitandthatmatches,youknow,everythingelseand it’s thesame thingwithher, Idon’t care forstaying there, looking in thedrawer: “Ooh,mylittlebabywilllookgoodtoday…she…sailor?youknow(laughing).Ijustputon,youknow,oneor/inthreeof thesweatersthatmymother-in-lawknittedandthen,youknow,shehas fourorsomethingtrousers,and,itcomesoutandit’sdirtyandthen…Idon’treallychangeitthatmuch.

R:Would you say thatwhenyou arehomeorwhenyou goout, is there anydifference inhowyoudressher?

C: Yeah. Always if we go visit my mum, I put on something she made (laughing) to stay with mymotherandifIseemyfriends,yeah,IdefinitelyhaveacoupleofoutfitsthatIwouldsay“Thislooks…”,youknow,thisissomethingthatIthinkshelooksevenbetterin,youknow…Yes,soIdefinitelythinkaboutthat.Sointhatway,IguessIdressherup.

K:Doyouevertakepicturesofher,ofwhatshe’swearing?

C:Forthepurposeofshowingwhatsheiswearing,orjust…?

K:Yeah,yeah.Youknow,likea….

C:No.Although, Ido, I think if I lookat thepicturesthat Ipost…nej(Danish)…Idefinitely, if I takeapictureandit’sshowinganoutfit thatI like, Iwoulddefinitelythink“Wow,she looksevenbetter” ifyou’vehadsteppedwithmeinmymind,yeah.

R: Do you think…maybe it’s a hard question to answer…are you unconsciously thinking about howotherpeopleseeherwhenyoudressher?

C:Yes.It’snotunconsciousatall,actually.Imean,first,whenthey’relittle,there’stheissueofkindofwantingpeopletorecognizethatit’sagirl…becauseyou…youoftencan’ttellthefirstmomentbecauseit’sjustasoftface…

R:Sodoyouthinkthatitshouldbelikegirl’scolours…?

C:Yeah,atleastsomethingtorepresentthegender.

R:Yeah.

C:But…Idon’tcare thatyoucanrecognize thebrand, I justcare that it looksas if it’snotdirtyandwornoutordoesn’treallyfitor…anything,so.

R:Buthowcomethatyou’rethinkingaboutthesestuff?

C:Idon’tknowactually.IthinkbecauseI…Ilookata…IguessthatIliketolookatprettystuff,IlikethewholepolishedimagethatyoufindonInstagram,forexample.Imean,Ilikeitinthewaythatit’snicetolookat,anddon’tlikethewholethingthatis…youknow,thatis,inabroaderpicture,whatit’sdoing tomybehaviour and society andwomen and… (laughing) you know.But… I guess it’s, I alsothinkthat if they lookatherandyouknow,she’sa little…sortof…not, Imean,notcheap-looking, IguessIthinkit’sreflectssomewhatonmeandIdon’twanttolookasifI’mnottakingcareofher.

K:Istherelike…before,whileyouwerepregnant,haveyouimaginedthatyou’lldressherincertainway?

C:Yes.

K:Isitdifferentfrom…howitisnow?

C:Howitisnow?

K:Yes.

C:Yes.IhadanideathatI’llprobablyuseapileoftheseamazingclothesthatIseeonInstagramandbutthen,Imean,IseethepricesandIguessthatthey’realittletoohighforme,it’snotworthit.Andthen,plus,youget…Imean,people,theythrowclothesatyou.Um,everyone.Yeah,it’sjust:“Ooh,youhadababy,theirsisa…thousandthings…”(laughing)Um,so…IforgotwhatIwasabouttosay.

K:Ifyouimaginedthatyou’ddressherdifferentlybeforeandafter?

C:Um…I guess I dress her a little bit different. Just because I don’t…a lot of the clothes I don’t buymyself.

R:Whatabout,whenyougetclothes,orwhentheymakeclothesforyou,um…ormaybemorewhentheymakeclothesforyou,isitthentheirownstylethey’redoingitinordotheyaskyou…?

C:No. I’vedonea lotof lobbying(laughing)Withmyownmum, it’seasytosay:“Aah,really…?”andwithmymother-in-law,I…Idid,kindof“Ooh,lookatthis,it’ssonice!”(laughing)Andit’sactually,shetendstoshowmesomething:“Oh, isn’tthiscute?”andthenIcansay:“Well…notreally.”ButIthinkthattheybothhaveprettymuchthesame…samestyleasme.Therehavebeenacoupleofthingsand

I’dsay“No,that’snotreallymy…forme.”Andthen,therewassomethingthattheymadethemselvesandtheygo:“No,don’tputherinthat.”

R:Sowhat’sthethedifference?

C:It’sthecolour,thattheysee,forexample,inastore…mymum,shebuysthefabricsatthesamestoreandthenshegoes“Ah,thislookssocute”whenshe’sthereandthenshecomesandthen:“It’stotallynothercolour.”

R:Aretheresomecoloursyouwouldneverputonher?

C:Um…anythingneon,anythingthatdoesn’tgowithpurplebecauseeverythingispurplewhenEh,no.Idon’t…Ihaveveryfewthingsthathaveapattern,because…Idon’t likepatterns, I justdon’tknowwhy, itconfusesmea lot, Iget…Idon’t likepatternsonmyself…andthenIguess, Imean,shedoeshavelikethatlittlestuffwithflowersandshelookscuteinitbutI…Idon’tlike…AndIalsodon’tlikeall theDisneycharactersandeverything. Idon’tbelieve that, youknow, thereare somepeople thatthink:“Oh,it’ssoimportantthatchildrenhaverealchildren’sclothes”thatyoucouldtell:“Oh,thisisforachild.”ButImean,whenit’sthissizeandit’sobviousthat it is forachildsoIdon’treallyneedthatwhole…Okay,hereisacrocodileridinga…bananaboatorsomething.

R:Whatabouttheclothesyougotasapresent,isthereanythingthatyouhavereceivedthatyoudon’twanttoputonher?

C:Yes.Um…yeah,thereis…shegotlike…littleNikeshoesandIguessthey’recuteinthestorebutlike,shecan’tuse themforanythingand I… Idon’t like…I think it’s… itwas too,sortof, lookatme, I’vespend300kronersonapairofshoesthatwon’tworkbutit’sNikeand…Thenthereacoupleofum,someunderwear, thathad, like, ----becausetheyhaveshortsleeves Ididn’tusethemactually…andwhatelse…ActuallyIdidn’tum…alotofthestuffthatIgotforhershe’snotgrownintoityet.AndIalsogotalittle,I,thefirstcoupleofmonthsI’vejustborrowedalotofclothesfrommyco-workerandIalso…youknow,she’s…she’sgotalotofclothesthatare…inheritedbymycousinsand…

R: Did you then choose everything orwas there something like you picked them like “This, Iwantthe…”

C:Yeah, Ipicked them.And then, sometimes theybringmesomething, that they think: “Ooh, this iswhatyouwouldlike…”andthenit’sapinksweaterwitha…it’saBurberrysweaterwithaBurberrybeeandIdon’tlikethat(laughing)

R:Doesthatsomethingtodowiththatit’sBurberry?

C:Yes.100%.Idon’tlikeshowing…um…It’slikeactuallyaverynicesweater.It’sa…youknow,goodquality,Iguess,butIdon’tlike…thatithasa…

R:Becauseyoudon’tlikethatit’stoobigabrandwhen/likeyouseeit…?

K:Doyouthinkit’slikeshowingoff?

C:Yeah.IthinkthatifI’dputherinit,peoplewouldthink:“OhmyGod,theregoesoneofthemumsandit’ssoimportantforhertoshowthatshe’sboughtanexpensiveblouseforherkid.So,actually,it’s,

Imean, it’s anicepink sweaterbut I guess it’sbecause…youknow,what itwould sayaboutmeorwhatIwouldthinkaboutsomeonewhodidthat.

R:Whatifthelogowascoveredandyoucouldn’tseeit?

C:Fine,thenitwouldbeperfectlyfine.

R: Now, you say what you would maybe think about other people if they put on logos… Can youelaboratemore?

C:Ithinkit’s…it’sjust…ifIseesomeone,wehaveoneinmyeh…groupofmothers,andshealways,shehasallthese,allkindsofexpensivebabyclothes,RalphLauren,Burberryskirts,justanythingthatishigh…highprice.AndI,Ijustthinkthatit’stoomuch,it’sa…it’sadress-up,it’slikethebaby’salittledollandyouwannareflectsomekindofperfectimageviathebaby,so…ButImean,Iknowshe’sgottashitloadsofmoneyso,Imean,Igetthatshewantstobuyit,she…itjustdoesn’tmatterforher.

R:Butdoyouthinkitrepresentskindofthemother’svaluesor…?

C:Yeah.Ithinkit’s…Ijustthinkit’sunnecessaryto…Imean,it’stoomuchmoneytospendonsolittlefabricthatthey’ll fit inforamonthandahalf.SoI just,Idon’tseethepoint.AndIdon’treallythinkthat it’s… I… I think it’s…youare toomaterialisticpersonwhenyoudo that. Imean… I soundveryjudging.(laughing)Iamveryjudging.

R:WhataboutwhenyoudressFreja,doyouthenthinkthatotherpeoplejudgeyouaswell?

C:Yeah.Ido.

R:Isitsomethingthatyouthinkabout?

C:Yeah,Ido,actually,butIdon’t…Idon’tcarethatsomeonewhobuysexpensiveclothesthinksthat:“OhmyGod,she’swearingthat,and it’s…wheredidsheget that, is itreallyhome-madeor is thatafaulthere,she’snot…”Imean,Idon’tcarethatthepeoplethatIdislikedislikewhatI’mdoing,Imean,it’sobviousthatyouhatewhenthey...whenthepeoplethatIjudgedon’tjudgebutthenIfeellike“Oh,such a judgmental person…” (laughing) I don’tmean in termsof things that people judgememuchmorethantheydointermsofclothes.

R:Haveyoueverexperienced…orisit?

C:No,Ihaven’t,actually.

R:Never?

C:alwaysjealousthatshehasthesenicehome-madenips,forexample,becausetheycostafortuneifyoubuytheminthestore.

R:Butwhenyouthenthinkthatotherthinksomethingaboutyou,whatisitthatyouthinkof?

C:WhatIthinktheythinkaboutme?Well, Iworrythatifthey’dthinkthatshe’sdressedpoorlyor…yeah,poorly,Idon’tcareaboutiftheythinkit’sfashionable,justiftheythinkitlooks,youknow,worn

out, Iworrythattheythinkthat I live inanapartmentthat Idon’tvacuumandIdon’tshowerandIprobablydon’tcleanmykitchenand…Yeah,sothat’sthatkindofthings.

R:Unhygienic.

C:Yeah,that’swhatIthink.BecauseI…ifIseeachildandthenIthink:“Really?Youcouldn’thave,youknow, changed that sweaterwith theold foodon it beforeyouwentout?Oryouprobably live in ahousewhereyourdoghashaireverywhereandwhenyouseesomething,youjustputitonthefloorandleaveitor…yeah.

K:Haveyoueversoldorgivenawayanyofherclothes?

C:Ihaven’tsoldanythingbecauseIdon’thaveanythingthat…youknow,whenIlookatwhatpeoplesell, it’s not anything that people buy, they…they are particularly interested in the expensive andbrands…Idon’thaveanythingofthat,so.Plus,Iknow,we’llhaveacoupleofmorekidssothere’snopointsellingit.Ikeepit,yeah.ButIdobuysomeusedclothes.

R:Yeah?Likeatwhere?

C:Peopleon Instagram, theyhaveaseparate Instagramaccount forselling theirbaby’sclothes.Andit’s…a…Imean,theyhaveboughtatonofclothesfortheirbabiesbecausealotofwhattheysellhasn’treallybeenused.

R:Whataboutwhenyoubuyclothesthathavebeenused,doyoudosomethingtoitbeforeshe’susingit?

C:Um…Yeah,Ijustwashit.

R:Isthat…Whyisthat,togetitcleanorthatitwouldsmellor…?

C:Justbecause,youknow,Idon’tknowwhatkindofdetergenttheywashedit inandIwantittobewithoutperfumeandeverythingandIdon’tknowwheretheykeptitor…Just,youknow,it’sjustthat.Itfeelsmorenewwhenit’sjustwashed.

K:Doyoualsowashnewclothesyoupurchase?

C:Yes,everything.Iwasheverythingbeforeusingit.Once,IforgottowashsomeofmyclothesandIgotarash.Anditwasunderwear,soitwasnotgood.(laughing)

R:It’salwaysgoodtowashit(laughing)

R:Whataboutwhenyouinheritalotof…orborrow,someoftheclothes,didyouthinkaboutthatyouwereputtinganotherchild’spersonalityonheroryouchosetheoneyouthoughtchoseherorlike…

C:DidIthinkabout…?

R:Ifthere’slikepersonalityattachedtotheclothes?

C:No,don’tthinkaboutthatatall.TheonlythingIthinkaboutis:isthis…doIthinkthatitlooks…isitinanokaycondition?Ordoesitlooktoo…toowornout?That’stheonlything.Idon’teverthinkaboutwho’swornitbefore.

R:What about, you said therewere some styles thatwereabsolutelynot yourkindof style. Soyouthinkthatyourstyleiskindofrepresentativeinthiscase?

C:Um…WhenIbuyitor…?

R:Whenyoubuyitorwhenyouchooseit,justingeneral?

C:Yeah, Ionlybuy, Iwouldneverbuyanything justbecausesheneedssomething towearandthenbuyanything,IwouldalwaysbuysomethingthatIwouldfeellikeitgoeswithalltheotherstuffandthatIthinkit’sniceandgoeswiththewhole…well,howI’dliketoseemybaby.(laughing)

R:Whataboutinthebeginning,howdidyouknowwhattochooseforher?

C: Ididn’tchooseanything, Igota lotofsecond-handandIborroweda lotso itwas just…I…IchosewhatIwantedtoborrowandIjustdidn’tknowthegenderatthetimesoIjusttookallwhitesandthegreysand…Yeah,Ijust…sheworealotofwhiteandgrey,actually,so…

K:Soyoudidn’tknowifshe’sgonnabeagirloraboy?

C:No.Solike,thatwasactuallyaverygoodideaintermsofshoppingbecauseIwenttoalotofstoresbeforeshewasbornandyousee:“Oh,thisissocute…”andthenIjust,andIcouldn’tbuyit.Because,Imean,itwassuchagood…goodthingforme.

K:Ihaven’tthoughtaboutitthisway.(laughing)

C:BecauseIthinkifIknewthegenderbeforeshewasbornIwould’veboughtalotof…alotmore,andIwouldn’thaveusedit.

R:Didyoubuysomethingbeforeshewasborn?

C:Ahyeah,Iboughtacoupleof…whatdidIbuy?Um…somebodystockings,Ithink,um…Andthenasleepsuit.Butum…butshewassobigwhenshewasborn,soshecouldn’tfitinit(laughing).Butit…IknewthatIcouldborrowallthebabyclothessoIdidn’t…Ididn’tbuytoomuch.

R:Butyoukeptithere,athome?

C:Yeah,Idid.But,when…Imean,theredefinitelycameatimewhenshewaslikeamonth,monthandahalf,thatIfeltlike:Okay,Iputherinthewhite,small,genderneutralsandnowIneed,Imean,Ifeltlike…oh,but thatwasthat,shewas justacoupleofweeks.Um…thanI felt like: “Okay,sheneedstoownsomethingofherown,Imean,shedeserves,Imeanlike…IguessIgotalittle…

R:Howcomeyoufeltthatshedeservedsomekindofherown…?

C:Um…IthinkitwasjustbecauseIcouldfinallypicksomethingthatIlikedandthathadan…andofcoursethatwasn’tinpink.

K:Isthereapieceofclothingthatyoufeelattachedto?Thatyouwouldnevergiveaway?Eventoyourcousinsoranyone?Youwouldjustkeepitforever?

C:Yeah,allthe…shehas,um…somehome-knittedsweatersthatIwouldneverdolikethis…that’sveryniceandknowthatmymother-in-law,shetooka lotoftimemakingthemandI thinktheyarevery,verypretty.I’dnevergivethemaway.

But…um…somethingthatIbought…Idon’t,I’mnotsureIhaveanyfeelingsreallyattachedtoit.No,Idon’t…

R:Soit’smorebecausethey’vespentalotoftimeand…

C:Yeah,it’spersonal.

K:And…yousaid…before,atthebeginning,yousaidyouhadafavouriteshophereonthecorner?Purebaby,wasitcalled?Isitlikesomethingyouwishtobuyor…or…butyouneverboughtanythingformit?

C:Iwouldbuyprettymucheverything.IfIhadunlimitedmeans,I’dbuy…

K:Whyfromthere?Whyisitspecial?

C:Um…Well,it’sspecialbecauseithas…it’sallorganicand…ItjusthasthecolourschemethatIlike,sortof.It’sum…sortof,douche,sortof,doesthatmake…um…sortof,pastelcoloursandum…nottoobright andmaterials are really like wool…for most of the things…and they have a lot of wool andalso…becauseIjust…I’veheardandI’vereadandseenthatthequalityis…it’sjustnice,youcanjusttell…andshedoeshavesomethingsfromBilka,forexampleandit’salright,Imean,itfits,it’sfine,butyoucanjusttellthatifyou’vewashedit,itjustturnedmoregrey…and…losesalotofflexibilityand…

R:Whodoyoutalkaboutbabyclotheswith?Ifyoudotalkaboutit.

C:Idon’t,actually.Notaboutdesignsoranythinglikethat.Justum…Italkto,well,mymumandmymother-in-law about what to make next but… I don’t really talk to anyone about it. Because…it’sjust…thiswhole…um…eh(apause,Frejacrying)I’llbeback.

[pause,discussionnotrelatedtotheinterview]

C: I think thatbefore I gavebirth I just, I reada lot about…people... that thereare lotof Instagrampeoplethatjusthadbabiesandallthecommentsandstuff.Andyouhavetobesupercareful,Imean,youhavetobesoopentoeverythingandjustacceptthateveryonedoeseverythingdifferentand,youknow, no matter how you do it, it’s just as good as Instagram. So I feel, that when it comes toeverything,alsobabyclothes,don’t steponanyone’s toesbecausewe’reall rookies,and it’s really, Imean, it’s so difficult not to just say what you mean sometimes. Not about the clothes but abouteverythingelse.And Idon’t really…theonlyone I talk to itabout isbasicallymyboyfriendbecausehe... Iboughtsomestuffshedidn’treallyuseandthen, itcostmoneytoo,so…hewouldsay:“No,no,no…”

R:Doeshepickclothesforheraswell?

C:No.Hedoesn’t.Buthedoesliketo…whenI,ifIboughtsomething,youknow,sometimes,hewouldsay:“Ooh…”youknow,Icouldjusttellhe’sgonnathinkit’ssocute,so…Butforexample,Iwannabuyherasunhatforthesummerbecauseshecansitinherstrollerwithitandit’sforma…abrandcalledSoft gallery, I saw it on Instagramof oneof themothers and I thought itwas amazing, it costs200kronersandyoucanbuyonefor45 if that’swhatyouwant,or50,oryoucanbuyausedone.But Iwantthisone.So…Itoldhimaboutitbecauseit’s…

R:Andthat’sbecauseofthedesign…?

C:Yeah.It’sverycute.

R:Doyounoticewhatotherchildrenarewearing?

C:Um…doIno….yeah.Butonly…Idon’tnotice itandthengo: “Wow, this isamazing, Iwant that. IguessIonly…sometimes,Ifindmyself lookingfor…becauseIknowalotofthebrandsandthestuffthattheyproducebecauseI…Iwindowshopalot.AndthenIsee,ifsomeone’swearingit,andIgo:“OhmyGod,didtheyreallyspend800kronersonthatjacket”orsomething…So,actually.

R:Soit’smorewhenyouthinksomethingiskindofstupidthenifyouthinkthat(laughing)

C:Yes.Exactly.Yeah.But…I’veneverlookedatsomeoneandsaid:“Oh,wheredidyoubuythat,Iwantthat!”Never,no.Youknow,shehasenoughclothes,um,yeah.(Pause).But,Imeansometimes,Ithinkabout, Idon’t… thereare, Imean,unlimitednumbersofwebshops, thathaveall thesamebrands, Imean,theycarrythesamebrandsprettymucheverywhereandIjust,Ican’tbelievehowtheycanallprofit from, I mean, selling the same clothes as all the big department stores also do but I guessthere’s… a lot of peoplemust, like, buy it, although I think it’s reasonably priced… but, yeah. But, Imean,yeah,Iguessjustpeople,alotofpeoplebuyalotofstuff.I’mverysurprisedabouthowmanyoutlets therearewith children clothes. Just, inmyneighbourhood, righthere, Imean, I can… in theradiusof200meters,thereareone,two,free,four,five,six…eightstoresthatsellchildren’sclothes.

R:Wow,that’salot.Dotheysellkindofthesamething?

C:Alotofthesamebrands,yeah.AndI…Ican’timaginehowthatworks.Imean,howmanybabiescantherereallybetoputclotheson?(laughing)

R:Haveyouactually…or,doyouknowifthereareanybrandswhicharemorepopularthanothers?Like,moretrendy,orgivingmoreprestige?

C: I think trendy - yeah. Um… There’s the whole… Thewhole eco, wool, natural… There’s a brandcalled Serendipity that a lot of people buy and Silana or Silena, I don’t know, andWheat and thenthere’sawholeother,um,sortofmorehipandfun,alotofpeoplebuythatMiniButinythathaslotoffun,sortofpatterns.And...then,thereis…IthinkwhatalotofpeoplethatIknowthatwhentheyneedsomethingbasic,theyjustgotoCarl-Johan.Justbecausetheyhave…Imean,it’s…Imean,it’sanokaypriceforwhatyouget.

R:Whenyoubuybrandedclothes,whichbrandsdoyouprefer?

C:Well…IprefertheNPforall theaccessoriesandsocksandstuff.AndthenIpreferabrandcalledSmallStuff for…herbodystockingsbecauseshe’squite long inherupperbodyandthey justhaveabetterfit,a lotofbodieshaveawidefitbecausea lotof littlebabiesgetverychubby.Butshe’svery

longsothat’swhy.Buttheyareactuallyalittlebitmoreexpensiveand…butshehasacoupleofthemandtheylooklikethey’renewalthoughshe’s…there’sbeen…Imean,everythingonthem.So,yeah.

R:Whataboutclothesformsupermarket,doyoubuythat?

C: Yeah.Bilka andFrotexhave their ownbrand in away, theymake a lot ofwools aswell, and it’sactually a very good quality for the price so she has some stuff from there, sleep suits and bodystockings?aswell.ButIdon’tgotoSuperbrugsenandlookatwhattheyhaveand

R:OnlyBilkaandFotex?

C:Yeah,andthat’spurelytobuytheirwoolsectionandIdon’tcareaboutanyoftheotherstuff.

R:Howcomethatyoudon’tcareabouttheotherstuff?

C:BecauseI…shedoesn’tneedit…Idon’t,Imean,shejustdoesn’tneedit.

R:Nowyou’vesaid thatyou’re judgementalofall theotherparentswho justput their children intoany,like,flashybrands…Whataboutifamotheronlyusessupermarketclothesforherchild?

C:Idon’t,Idon’tactuallycareaboutthat.Idon’t.Ithinktherearealotofnicedesignsthatyoucanbuytherebut…Yeah,Idon’tactuallymindatall.It’sjustallI…allIeverthinkaboutis...isthestatethattheclothesare in.Like, Iwouldn’tputsomething thatwas totallywornoutonher.Yeah, Iwould think:“WhywouldIputitonher”andIguessthat’sstupidbecauseshewon’tnoticebutit’sformyownsake.ButIactuallydon’tknow,Imean,Idon’twhat...someclothes,youcantell:“Okay,that’sfromthisandthisbrand.”And I can’t tell if it’s forma supermarket.Because Idon’t know thedesigns. So, I don’treally thinkabout it.But Iwould say… inmy, sortof, circleofmums, theydon’tbuyanything… thekids’stuff…fromasupermarket.

R:No?

C:No.They…it’s…quitearicharea.So…andtheyhave…Imean,oneofthemevenhasasubscriptionsothatshegetsnewclotheseverymonth…Imean(laughing)

R:Doyouknowwhereitisfrom?Thesubscription?

C:Eh…whatisitcalled…Idon’trememberwhatit’scalled…Youknow,someofthe…

R:There’sone…Vigga

C:Yeah.Andit’slike,300amonthorsomething,andthenshealsobuysclothes,soum…andthenshealsocomplainsthatthechild,um,supportthatyougetistoolow,eh(laughing)andyougo:“Oh,youthink?Maybeyoushouldnotspendallyourmoneyontheclothes…”(laughing)

K:Isee.

C:Yeah.

R:Itissomethingyoutalkaboutthenwhenyouareinyourmothergroup

C:No.Thatwasjustthatshejustboughtitandshehadtoannounceit,shethoughtitwassoamazing…Sothat’sprettymuchwhatwetalkedabout.No,actually,sometimes, ifthere’sastocksale,um,thenwetalkaboutthat.Butthatwouldalsojustbeiftherewasoneofthe,moreexpensivebrandsandthenwewouldgotoastocksale.But,Imean…Idon’tknowwhatIwouldbuy.Shedoesn’tneedanything.Shehaseverythingsheneeds.

R:Yousaidpreviously,inthebeginning,andofcoursewealsoknowthatinthebeginning,whenyouaremotherforthefirsttimeandpeoplewhoyouknowhavedifferentwaysofdoingthingsandum,ofbeingsensitiveaboutit,um…Andyousaidalso,ithasalsosomethingtodowiththeclothing…Doyouthinkthatsomepeople,somemothers,kindofseeyou,okay,ifyoudressinoneway,youarekindofabettermumthenifyou’ddoitintheotherway,isthatwhyit’ssosensitiveor...Isthatwhyitis,isthatlikeum….?

C:Yeah, it’s just…eh…I just thinkthat it’s thewhole…oursortofgeneration, that it’s just…Becausethere’ssomuchthatyoucanreadaboutandsomuchyoucanlookupand…thenyoucanreally,justsort of see howmanydifferentways there are of doing things. And… I think that sometimes, you…There’salotof,inmyopinion,today,thatisjustsortof:“Oh,it’ssohardtohavebabies.So,so,sohard,andyoucan’tdoanything,andyouwon’tgetanysleep,andyouwon’tgetanyofthis,andyouwon’tgetanyofthat,andthen:“OhmyGod,Ihaveafewextrapounds”and…It’sjust…it’s,Imean,itiswhatitisandIgotplentyofsleepbutthat’sbecauseI…Ijust…Iknewthat,Itoldmy…Imean,therearejustsome things that you have to tell yourself, like: “I don’t wanna put up with this, even if she’s twomonthsoldanddoesn’tdoitonpurposebutthenyoujusthavetodosomethingaboutit.Andthen,Imean,there’sjusttoomuch:“Well,Iguessthat’sjusthowit…Oh,shewon’teat,well,whatisitnow”and…

R:Youfeltthatthisissomethingnegative…?Imean,negativeaboutum…howstressfulitis…?

C:Yeah,Ithinkso.AndIthinkthat…Youknow,before…it’slike…it’snot…youdon’thaveababyandthenyoutakeonthiswholebabyproject,so…allofthemumsfrommycircleofmums…ormothersgroup…beforetheyhadtheirbabiestheyallboughtdifferentthingsthattheythoughtthattheywouldneed.So,theyhaveonecribforthelivingroom.Theyhavethecribforthebedroom.Thentheyhavecribyoucanhangfromtheceilingwhentheywon’tsleepandthere’sthisonethatplaysthismelodyandthenthere’sthisonethatplaysanotherandinmyImean,Ididn’tbuyanything.Inmyopinion,ifthebabyneedstosleep,sheneedssomematrassandsomethingtoputoverher,that’s,that’sallsheneeds.AndIthinkthatthemoreyoubuyandthenalsoclothes,Imean,themoreyoujust,youmakeupproblemsforyourselfandyoumakeupthis,sortof,non-existentsituationsof“I’lldoitmyself,Icanhandleitmyselfbutit’sjustthat….Imean,thechilddoesn’tneedsomething…fancytowear.

K:Doyouthinkthis,like,informationoverloadisbecauseoftheadvertisementor…?

C: I, it’sbecauseof socialmedia, theyare so important to… to represent, youknow, certain image…Yeahand,youknow,I’mdrawntoitmyself,IcantellthatthepeoplethatIlookat,Ithink:“Oh,wow,whatanamazing.Youhave this .. full of fresh flowersand fresh coffeeand…But, Imean, that’snotreallythetruth.

R:Sodoyouthinktheypaintafalsepicture?

C:Yeah,Ithinkthat.

R:Butdoyouthinkithassomethingtodowiththeculturethen,um,thatlike,thereisthispressureonyou tobuy all thesedifferent kindof stuff, or…?Wheredo you think it comes from? Is it the socialmedia?

C: Yeah, and I think it’s because the people are olderwhen they have babies, so it’s, eh… Tome, Ihaven’tcutoffawholeeraofmylife.ThemumsthatIknow,they’remaybe30,35,theyhaveacareerandeverythingandsuddenly,youknow…it’swholeshiftintheirwholelife,soIjustthinkthatthey…youknow,theyjustgoallin,whereasit’snotreallythatdifferent,Imean,Ididn’tdotoomuchbefore,Iwasa…student,Ihadplentyoftimeonmyhands,Ididn’thaveanyobligationsorit’snotreallythatbig a difference tome and…Also, I don’t have themeans, so I don’t really take on thewhole…newworldand…

R:Doyouthinkthatthereisadifferenceinbetween,forinstance,howourparents’generation,howitwasbackthenandthenhowitisnow?

C:Ithinkthere’sahugedifference.Imean,babiestodayarespoiledand…well,hereyougo(laughing)Ithinkthatthey…overcomplicateit,Ithinkthatbabiestodaydon’tgetanypeacefromtheir…Idon’tthinkthatmumsshoulddragtheirbabiestocaféseverydayandmeetwithfriendsbecause“I’msooboredandunfulfilledbecause Ihave tostayathome” I think that’s…eh…I think thatmums,a lotofmums,theyareveryselfishand…yeah,Iactuallythinkthat,Ithinkaboutalotofmumsthatareveryselfishand…Because,obviously,youcan’tgooutasmuchandyoucan’tdoasmuchasbeforebutyouknow, you gotta, you have a… a whole life ahead to make sure that you sort of sculpt in the bestpossible way for your baby and I think that…when I go… for example, if I’m out and she’s in thestrollerorsomething, Iseemumseh…youknow,sitting likethis, jumpingthebabyaroundbecauseshe’salittle…youknow,Imean,she’s(babycrying)Andthen,youknow,withtheircellphoneintheotherhandeh…youknow,becausetheyhavetotalktosomeone,obviously,veryimportantandlistentothemorwhatever…andIjust,whenI’monmaternity,Idon’tevenneedmyFacebookappbecauseIjust don’t wanna be…you know, thismum, sitting like this. I mean, you have to say: “Well, okay, Idecidedtohaveababy,nowI’llfocusonthat.”

(Longpause,theinterviewerstalking,theintervieweetakingcareofthebaby)

K:Isthereanyrecommendationyouwanttotogiveus,maybe?Notthatwearepregnantbutjust,youknow,forthefuture?Doyouhaveanythingtosay?

C:Yes.Whenyouhaveababy,just,youknow,take…just…youknow,yourinitialoryourstyleshouldbethatit’s…it’snotyourjobtodoeverythingforher,youhavetohelphertofindouthow…Imean,howtodothings.So,forexample,alotofbabies,theydon’tliketohavetheirdiaperschangedbecauseit’sanewsituationbutyoujusthaveto…Alotofthemumsinmymother’sgroup,theycouldn’tchangethemwithouthavingthevacuumonorthe…fordryingyourhairon,theyhadtomakeasoundbeforetheirbabieswouldcalmdownandIcan’thelpbutthinking:Yourbabydidnotpopoutsaying:“Idonotwannabeonthistableifyoudon’tputthison.”SoIjustthinkthatyouhavetobeverycalmandsay:“Okay,shedoesn’t like that, I’ll just teachherhowto like it”because Imean,youhave tobeable tochangeyourbaby,Imean,that’sthe…and…

K:I’veneverthoughtaboutit.Like,aboutthis,youknow…

C:Ithinktheyjust…youknow,Ithinkthattheycandoanything,it’sjusttosortofhelpthemrealizeit.Andthen–don’tbuystuff,youdon’tneedstuff,just…youknow,allsheneedsreally,isjust…

R:Butthisstuffwhendon’tbuystuffpeople…doyouthinkthatpeoplebuyalotofstufftheydonotneed?

C:Yeah,don’tbuyaspecialcribbecauseyouautomaticallyassumethatyourbabywon’tsleep.Imean,ofcourseyourbabywillsleep.

R:Butdoyouthinkpeopledothatbecausetheythinktheywillbebettermothersorwhydoyoutheydothat?

C: I think theydo itbecause they think that theirbabyneeds it. I think theyneed... ”Mybabyneedsthis_thatcanswingbecausethenshewillsleep.”Butyourbabywillsleep-ifyouteachhertosleepinthebed, thenshewillsleep inthebed.And…ifyou…eh…youknow,a lotofpeople formmymumsgroup, they have somedevices for them that… in order to teach themhow to stay on their tummybecauseyouhave tokeep thebabieson theirstomachtomake themstrongerandthen…Thentheysay: “Mybabywon’t be on its stomach.”And I say: “Whywon’t it be on its stomach?” “Oh, it startscrying.”Andthen,whenthey’retogether,theycango“Woo”andthemum’slike“Ohno!”

R:Aretheyworriedor…?

C:Imean,ofcourse,you’llsay“Woo”,becauseit’shardbutit’s,whatareyougonnado,areyougonnalayheronherbackandthenshewon’tbeabletoholdherownhead?Thatdoesn’twork.Andthen…Forexample,now, theyhadto learnhowtogo fromtheirbacktotheirstomach,youknow,youcanhelpthem,youknow…enticethemwithatoyandwhenIdidthat,themums,theywerelike:“Oh,so,whatdidyoudo…something.?”“IshowedherthetoyandthenputitoverandIhelpedher”andshe’slike:“OhbutIboughtthisoneanditspinsaroundandthenyoucanputitinadifferentangleandthatwillshowthebabyand…”Well.

R:Doyouthinkthat’sit’sbecauseyou’reyoungerthatyoudiditlikethatordoyouthinkit’sjust…?

C: but I’dsay like100%that it isso.And Idon’t think thatbecauseyougetachildyou’re10yearsolder thanme, you can be… I just think that… themothers, they’ve been waiting and waiting andwaiting forthisbabyandthen, Imean, they just…ofcoursethey, it’sablessingwhentheycomeandthentheywannadoeverythingsorightandIthinkthatsometimes,you’lldoeverythingrightwithout,youknow,alotofstuff…Youjust…don’tneedalotofstuff.Don’tbuythat,that’smy…(laughing)

R: Do you have anything … about what you want to tell us about the baby clothes, do you thinksomethingspecific,likeanything

C:Um…notreally, I think that’s…no,noother that I think that it’scrazyhowmuchof itpeoplearebuyingand…andhow…No,Ithinkthecrazypartishowmuch,howmanyplacesthataresellingitandrunning,youknow.Imean,Icouldmakeaproperbusiness,youknow,openinganotherwebshop??...(laughing)

R:ifyougotoliketheorganicplace???orthingslikethat,isthatsomethingyouthinkabout…?

C:Yeah,Ithinkalittlebit.ButIthinkmoreaboutthe…howIwashit,youknow,sortofstufflikethat.But I don’t think it hurts to buy organic stuff. But I also think a lot of people survivewearing non-organicstuff.Imean,thisisnotorganic.

K:Thankyouverymuch!

INTERVIEWWITHJOSEFINEInterviewwithJosefineChild:Oscar,nearly2yearsLocation:Inthemother’sapartmentinØsterbro.Interviewers:KateandRebeccaJ:JosefineK:KateR:RebeccaR:Thisinterviewisanonymous–Donotbeafraidofsayinganything.Wearedoingresearchforourmaster thesis about baby clothes.We are researching how first timemothers in CPH see the babyclothes,howdoyoufeelaboutit,howdoyouuseitandsoon.Wehavepreparedsomequestionsbutwewantedtobemore likeconversationsoyoudonot feelstressed.This is(paperswithquestions)morelikeguidanceforus.J:IfeelthatitisasubjectIfeelprettycomfortabletotalkabout.R:Maybeyoucanstarttellingusshortlyhowdoyouthingthemotherhoodchangeyou?J:Itisabigquestion.Ithinkfirstofallyougetdifferentviewonyourlifeandonyourprioritiesandbeforeyougetchildreneverythingisaboutyourselfandnoweverythingisplaned.Ithinkyoubecomenewversionofyourself.IneedtothinkaboutthesethingaswellR:Wereyouveryspontaneousbefore?J:Novery.IalwaysliketoplanthingstoknowtowhatIshouldbutdefinitelymorethanIamnowandIthinkIliketheideaofknowingcoulddowhateverIwant.BoyfriendandIcouldjustdothatorstayhome.NowitislikeifyouaregoingoutIwecalledis“sofavækning”ifyouneedtobehomewhentheotheroneisgoingouritisjustittakesomeromanceoutoftherelationships.ThereareopportunitiestobetogethereverythingisplannedandyouneedtobelikenowwegoingtodothatandthechildisgoingtobewatchedbygrandparentsR:Soitismorelikescheduled?J:Itisveryscheduled.R:Whatdoyouthinkasaperson?Haveyouchanged?J:IthinkIchangedinthewayIammuchmoreappreciativethelife,mylifetheparentsandeverything.You see your family and yourself in newway. I also got surprised. I thought Iwas very you knowpatient and everything I amnot. Notwhen it comes tomy child. I thought Iwould be very patientmother.ButIamnot.R:Canyougiveanexample?

J:ThismorningIputhisjacketonhisshoesandanything.IthoughtIwouldbeveryunderstandinganddowntoEarthandtalktohimbutIamgettingveryannoyed.(laughing)andit ismuchyeah…ButIthinkitiseverydayandallthetimeduringthedaysoIthinksometimesifyoudonotgetthatmuchsleepthattodayyouarenotthatpatienceR:Thatisunderstandable.J:Wetalkalotofaboutitbecausethat’salsohowyouchangeasapersonwhenbecomemotherItrytoworkwithit:DK:DoyoufeelmorestressedoranxiousJ:Ithinkno.noactually.IthinkalotaboutthefutureandIcangetlittlestressedaboutthat.NowIamastudentandIdonothavejobaside,butIthinkalotaboutnextyearwhenIdonewithCBSandgoingtogetfulltimejobandyeah.ThatcouldbestressfulK:WearestressedaboutitnowJ:Ithinkabouthewillhavesomelongdaysindaycarewhoisgoingtopickhimup.IlovethatIhavetheopportunitynowtotookhimearlyandthefreedomwhenIamastudent.R:Yesthatisagoodthink.Nowyouhavetalkedbrieflyhowdoyouseeyourselfasamotherbutcanyouelaboratehowdoyouseeyourselfasamother?J:[Sights]despitethefactIthinkIamnotthatpatience,everybodyelsethinksthatIampatience.Theytellmethat Iamgoodtoexplaining tohimwhyhehas todosomethingandwhyarewedoing it incertainwayandIactuallyfeelverycalmandintheroleofbeingmother.R:Therewasnotabigshockorshiftforyou?J: I thinkthat isdifficultbecause insomewaytherewasbut I think it is inyourmindwhenyouarepregnantandwhenyouwantachild it is…youthinkthateverythingisgoingtobeperfectandjusthavethislittlebabyandyouandyourboyfriendisgoingtomakethisbeautifulcreatinganditisnotlike that at all beautiful. It is not like that at all. It is a hard jobmost of the time. Especially on thebeginning.ItismucheasierrightnowIthinkIliketheroleofbeingamotherbetterattheagehehasnowthanwhenhewaslittle.K:Howoldishe?J:Nowheisturning2inJulyK:Isitbecauseyoucancommunicatewithhim?Orwhyitiseasier?J:Actually it is the freedomit isalso thewayhowIcanbewithhim.At thebeginning thecoupleofmothsyouarejustinthisbubbleandyoudonotgetwhatisgoingonbutthenitisthesame.youarebreastfeeding, you arehome, you areup all night. It is… I like itmuchbetterwhenhebecome thenormal part of the family where he also do something and he is going to Day care. We have theweekend together. I think I ambettermotherwhen I pick himup after some hours I have been athomestudyingandhehavebeensomehoursinDaycare.Ihadmaternityleavein14mothsanditwastoolong.Ithinkifitwouldbe10or11monthsIwasreadytrysomethingelse.R:Icanimagineintheendyou…Doyouhavefriendswhoare/Wereatmaternityleaveaswell?

J:YeahIhadonefriendwhowasatmaternityleaveatthesametimeasmeandthenonewhogottomaternityleaveIthinkcoupleofmothersbeforeme.R:Didyoulikethenseeeachother?J:Yeahalot.Iwas…ItrytofocusalotondoingsomethingsoIcouldyouknowgetanormaldaybutalsothefactitwasmyismyneedsandnotmychild.Mostofallwhowishestobewithmesomostofthe days we have been relaxing and yeah that’s what they need when they are little. So you putyourselfasidealotanditcanbedifferentwhenitisallthetime.Alsointhenight.R:Sowecouldnowtalkaboutthebabyclothes.Inthebeginninghowdidyouknowwhatyouneedtobuy?J:SomeofthethingsIsearchedontheinternetsomaybethebabygearnotthebabyclothes.ThenItalkedtosomefriendsandfamilyandcallfriendswhohavechildreniftheyhavesomegoodthingsIneeditto…R:Whatthingshaveyouaskedthemforadvice?J: Yeah for advice if they have something ... therewas just broadly, important to get. I thinkwithclothesandeverythingIjustboughwhatIthoughtIneedit.R:Soyouhavenotfinditconfusingoritwasprettyeasy?J:IthinkyouthoughtaboutifyouhaveallthethingsyouneedbeforethebabyarrivesandbutwhenIgavebirthtohimIjustthoughwehavewhatweneeditifwegoingtomissanythingwehavetobuyit.So I think it isunder the timeuntil yougettingabirthbut you thinka lot about it.Thenyouknowbetter.R:Soyouboughtvariousthingsbefore?Alsobabyclothes?J:IboughtIdidR:Wetalkedtosomeandtheydidnotwanttohaveitinthehouse…J:Yeahwedid.WewereinNY4mothsbeforeIwasgettingbirthandthereweboughtourstrollerandwegotitbeforeandjustputitintheroomIknewthesuperstationbutIdidnotcareaboutit.IdidnotcareitmattersIthinkitwasnicetohavethethingsaroundyouandIdidnotwanttoyouknowthinkaboutpickingitupatmyasK:WhydidyoubuythestrollerinNY?J:Justbecauseitwasalotofcheaper.Webought“Bugaboo”ItIsveryexpensiveandwehavejustsomefriendslivingoutsideNYsowejustaskedthemtobuyitandtookithomefromthem.Theonlythingisthat it is something iswrongwith it. you have to contact the “Bugaboo” deliver inDenmark to askwheretheycandeliverit.Ifyoubuyitinstoreyoucanjustdeliveritthere.R:Whatabouttheclothesdidyoubuythem,likewasmostofitneworyouhadsomeusedclothes?

J:Mostofthemthemwereactuallyusedbutwealsohavemysister-in-lawhas2boysaswellsowegetalotofstufffromthem.K:SortofinherititalsoJ:YesbutIwasalsolotcritical(towardtheclothes)AtthebeginningIwasjustpickingwhatIwanteditandgaveitawaybutorIammuchmorethat“youneedsomuchstuffandyoubuyitallthetime”SO.Iambitmorerealizeitnow.K:Atthebeginningwhatdidyoupick?Wasitdesignyoupickor?J:NoIthinkitwasmoreifIlikeit,thestyle,ifitwassoft,easytowear.UnderwearbecauseIdidnotknowwhatIneededtousesoIthinkitwasnicetohavealotofthingstochosefromandbuyotherstuff.R:So,whatarethethingsyouaregoingfor?J:Actually,Ithinkalotaboutifitissoft,Ithinkitisveryimportantthtitiseasyforhimtowearthemheisrunningandcrawlingandthenitshouldnotbetight,nobutton, it is impossibletotightitwithbuttons. So it is easy to getup andgood to go.But also If I like thedesign and sometimes I fall forsomethingmoreexpensiveweboughtsomeprettyexpensivewintershoes/bootsandjacketbecausethatitissomethingimportantIwantittobegood.Goodforhisfeet,warmcleanandalsothejacketsandalsothewoolleninnerbodiesIalsoliketobuysomethingthatisgoodquality.R:Doyourememberwhatarethebrands?J:MostlyJohaoralsoIhavealotfromHustClaireandalsosomethingfromFøtexbrandX08orwhatitiscalledbutyouknow.Theinnerthinksandtheouterthings,Ithink,arethemostimportantwhathehassweateritisnotthatimportantanditisnotsupergoodquality.R:yousaidyoureallylikesomeofthestyles?Canyouexplainmaybeexplainthestyleyoulike?J: IgoforthemoresoftercoloursandthenI likesome printsbutnotthesewowprintsalldifferentcoloursandshapeseverything.Morelikestipes,dots.Iwantedtolooklikeheisaboyhimtolooklikeboy,butIamnotdressinghiminblacksorryblueorgreenR:Motlikearedorso?J:Ithinkhehasaoneredsweaterbutitisadarkred,itiscalleddarkvinecolour.Darkbluelightblue.Yeahgrey.AndthoseR:Whichcolourswouldyouneverputonhim?J:IthinkIwouldneverputpurpleonhimorbrown.Maybewehadsome.HiswinterbootshavebeenbrowR:AnyreasonforthatJ:NonotK:Isitbecauseyoudonotwearpurpleorthesecolours?J:Notreally.NotthatIdonotlikeit.Ijustwontchoseit.

K:PerfectlyfinewithmeR:Doyouthinktheclothesyouputonhimrepresentyourownstyle?J:Yeahabit I think itdoes. It ismystile. Idonotdress insupershinyclothes. Idono think Idressboring.Idon’tthinkIdoeither.Butheiswearingsweatpants.Itiseasy.K:whataboutoccasions.Doyoudresshimupdifferently?J:yeahabit.PartythisSaturday.Hewaswearingregularpants.Youknowthatareverysoftbutthelooksliketheyarenormalpantsandthenwehadasshirtbutjustyouknowverysoftone.IthinkthisismostIdresshimup.MaybeChristmasK:doyoutakepictureofhimandsharingitwithyourfamily?J:yesIdo.Notonsocialmedia.Butprivate.NotwhenIdresshimup.Justnormalpicture.K:Ithinktheyappreciatehim.R:Whenyoudresshimdoyouthinkhowotherlookathim?J: Normally Iwould say no, but at back of your head you always think. If I dressmyself somethinghideousIwouldthinkthatsomeoneelsewouldthinkthat.ButIthinkitismorethatIcareitiscleananditistherightsize.Ihateit isveryjudgmentalbutIseeitchildrenwearingblousewhichisdirtyanditismorningandIdonotthinkitisok.Theychosewhattheywant,butIlikewhenIdeliverhiminmorningcleanclothesthatismostimportant.R:Whendoyouseekidswithdirt?Doyouthinksomethingabouttheparents?J:Ithinkitisbitsloppy.MaybetheyarestressfulandIhatethatIputcleanclothesonhimandheiseatingbreakfastandhehassomethingonhim.ItisveryannoyingchangeitagainbutIthinkIwouldchangemyshirt if Istillbreakfast. Idon’t thinkheshouldgoaround.That’swhyI thinktheparentsshouldchangetheclothes.TheywouldnotgotoworkindirtyshirtK:areyoutheonlyonewhodresshim?OralsoyourboyfriendJ:Alsomyboyfriend?K:Doyouthinkheputshisstyleon?J:Idonotthinkitdoesnotmattertohimwhichpantstoonhim,butIdon’tthinkheputssomethingonwhichiscompletelyof.Butifhecouldchosetheclothesallthetimehewouldputmoreniceanddresshimmore.He likes theshirtshe isbusinessmen.Hewoulddresshimmorethansweatpants.Buthedoesnotcare.R:Dopeoplecommentonhiswearings?J:Notreally?Maybesomefriends.NotreallyR:Whatabout ifyou like…What otherwise ifyougoarounddoyounoticewhat other babiesarewearing?

J:YeahIdoactually,moreforinspiration.Ithinkfirsttimemotheryouusemostofthetimetousetherightglovesortherighthatforthewintertimesohedoesnotgetcoldifyouseesomethingelseyouthinggood.Ilookforit.R:Doyouthenaskaboutit?J:IactuallyIaskedonetimeforhatbecausewecouldnotfitonewhichfitsrightway.Iaskedwheretheygoit.Butotherwiseno.K:DoyoureadmagazinesaboutbabiesorfollowInstagram?J: Instagram Ido. I followsomeshopsorpersonswhopostsaboutbabyclothes. Someweb-shops. Ithinkitiscalledlittlecolumbineandmaybe…Someweb-shopsIuseforbuyingorhaveused,butIamnotdoing it thatmuchtoo. Inmyopinionat thebeginningyou thinka lotaboutwhatyourkidsarewearing.IhadafriendnowHeis5mothsandwhenshespeaksaboutititistotallylikehearingmyselfinposition.NowIamthinkinghecanwearthemonly4weeksorheshits inthemandithasbrownstains and it has to be thrown away.What are the cost. 300DKK and I think you change and youbecomeless.NowitismoretheoutwearIcaseabout.NowwearegoingtobuysomenewshoesandIwant tobuysomethinggoodeven if it isexpensive. Iknow it isgood. Iknowhewillwear themforcoupleofmoths.Thentheyeattomatosoupinday-careandtheyjustdon’tcomeoffanditisjusttoosadifyouputsomethingveryexpensiveinmorningandhecomeshomewiththem.AndyoujusthavetothrowitoutK:Doyouseparateclotheshehasinkindergarten.Orforweekend? J:Notthatmuch.InH&MtheyhaveverybasicsweaterandpantsandIjustbuysomeextraandputittodaycare.Sohehasalsoalwayssomethingstowearifheisgetwet.R:Wheredoyoubuytheclothes?J:InZara.AlotofinH&M.That’sallforthebasicbutIalsobuyalotonsaleIbuysomethisIthinkIboughsomethingveryexpensivebutIgotitsamepriceasZaraR:Wheredidyoubuyit?J:I bought pants in Miniroutiny and brand called Emily Edida or something like that and somesweaters.R:Wouldyousayyoupreferbrandedclothesovernon-branded?Oritdoesnotmatter?J:Ithinkitismixactually.IthinkitmustbeveryoddifIhaveonlyveryhigh-endclothesinhisclosetbecauseIdonothaveitmyself.Ithinkitistooexpensiveandyouhavetobuyitallthetime.SoIwouldalsogetbitsick/shortofmoneyIspend.SoIthinkitismixalsobuyexpansivesweateronceinwhilebutIalsolikeIcangotoZaraandbuy8itemsforhimfor500dk.R:Whatisexpensiveforyou?Whatistheline?ForBabyclothesImean?J:IthinkforcoupleofpantsIwouldpaylike100–200dkIthinkthatwouldbeok.IthinkinZaraitis100-120.ItissameinH&M.Ithinkitisaroundthat.Ithinkitisover200itisexpensive.Notlikesuperexpensive.ButexpensiveenoughthatitmakesmethinkaboutitR:Whataboutfromsupermarket?

J:HehasalotofwoollenpyjamasfromFøtexfromtheline.Itisverygood.SoIthinkhehaslike4orso.R:Whataboutpresent?Doyougetaclothesforhimasapresents?J: I thinkwhenhewasborn,atbirthdays,Christmasmaybesomethingfrommyparents.MyparentswhentoHawaiiandtheyboughta lotofnicestuff. It isalsoverycheapthere.TobuythesebrandedclothesR:Doyoulikethestyles?J: Yeah the one they actually brought I like the style. I think besidesmy friends a lot of parents orpeopleolderpeoplebuythesemorecolourfulbabystuff.ButIthinkmyparentsknownow.Theycanseewhatheiswearingandwhatwearewearingnow.K:Istheresomethingwhatwouldyouneverputonyourson?OrevenifyougetitasapresentJ:AdressK:Weactuallygotsomepants.Insteadofgoingstraitdowntheyarejustgoing(bigaroundthelegs).Baggy at the bottom. Also elastic. I hate those pants. I actually got a lot of them.Most of it it is sounpracticaltowear.Althosestuffaroundthefoodit is likewewouldwearthese“peak”trousersallthetime.Iwouldhateit.R:Soitisaboutbeingpractical.J:Ialsohatehowtheylookbutmostofititisdifficultforhimtowear.Weneverboughtthem.R:Whataboutbrandwise?Isthereanybrand,whichyouwouldneverputonhim?J:NoIwouldsayno.IdidnotseeanybrandwhereIthoughtIwouldnevereverputsomethinglikethatonhim.Ifitfeelsniceandfititnice. K:isthereanybodywhoyouconsiderasbabyclothesexpert?Orwebpage?J:IamjustthinkingIoftenaskoneofmyfriendsandmycousingotachild2weeksafterme.Notsomuchaboutthebrandorthestyle.Shegotsomething.ThenIhavesomewebpageswhenIneedtofindcertainstyle?K:Areyoupartofthemothergroup?J:notthatmuchanymorebutwhenthematernityleavewasoverwemakethisdealthatwewillseeeachotheroneSundayinmonth.Sometimessomeonecant.ItistheoverallK:Doyoutalkabouttheclothing?J:Alot.WealsohaveagrouponFBwherepeoplewriteabout.Whensomeonefindssomegoodwinterboots.Yeahforadvice.Ialsouseitalot.Oneofthegirlsjustwrittenwhereweboughtpantsbecauseshedidnotgotgoodpants.Weuseditalot.

R: In the beginning when you enter themother group have you though about what was your sunwearing?J:IthinkIdidbecauseinthebeginningIthoughaboutitalot.Idon’tknowifitisbecauseifitisbigdeal.Idonotthinkyoucancontrol.Itcanbeveryimportantfor1sttimemother.Andwhyyoucaresomuchabout it?Therearesomany things thatyoucan’t control.Foreseen. Butyoucanalsocontrolwhatyouputonhimandwhatheiswearing.ButnotbecauseIwouldthinkwhattheothermothersbabiesarewearing,thatitwasugly.R:Haveyounoticewhattheothersarewearing?J:Yeah,notto judge.Actually,soIt isbit judgmental.Actuallywhenyoumeetthemothergroupyoumeetthemothers.Icouldseethroughthebabieswhatkindofmotherwasbehindthischild.WhenIsaw someof the childrenwearing the same kind of clothes asmyboy it .. I could also see that themotherisdressedlikemeandwehavesomeinterestweshare.R:youthoughtyoumightbemoreconnectedwiththem?J:Actuallyyesanditactuallyfits.Therewere2motherswhoweredressingtheirkidsinverycolourfulpantsandyeahwedidnothavemuchincommon R:Doyourememberwhatyouthoughtaboutthem?Yousaidtheclotheskindarepresentthemother J: Ididnotthoughanythingbad. I justthoughtthattheyhaveother interestthanme.NotthatIstaythat it iswrong todress thechild. I just say that I stylemychild in theway that it suits theoverallchildrenfashion.Ithinkit isthesoftcoloursandstripesanddotsandtheseverycolourful itemsarenotpopularinmyopinionandonsocialmediaK:maybeit’slesstrendyJ:MaybebutIdidnotthoughaboutit.Ijustthoughmaybethemotherdidn’tdressthatmoderneither.MaybeitissomethingIliketofocuson.K:doyouthinkitmightbeagedifferentbetweenthemothers?IjusttrytopicturethemomJ:Idonotknow.Iknowmotherswhoaremyageunder30thatislikemeandalsosomewhoaren’tandIalsoknownsomeolder.Icantsaythat.NotinmyexperienceK:Isitaboutfollowingthetrends?J: maybe also because we and some other mothers follow on the social media and maybe getinspiration fromthatandmaybesomeof theothermothersgo just to thestoreandpickwhat theylike.Maybethatisthedifference.IdonotknowR:Doyou think theothersdid that?That they lookatOscar and thinkmaybe she is like this like amother?J:Ithinkthatthemotherslikemethoughaboutthat.Ithinktheother2mothersthataren’t.Idonotthinkthattheyrecogniseitwhatthechildwerewearing

R:Specialbrands?J:NoitwasmoreIlikethestyleK:Isthereapieceofclothesthatyouwouldneverthrowaway?J:onlytheclotshewaswearingfromthehospitalK:Willyoukeepitforever?J:yeahIwill.R:doyourememberhowitlooklikeit?J:yeahitwasthisblueandwhitebodyfromJohaorandpantswasgreyandblue.BodyYoujustopenitatthebottom.Iboughtitbecauseitwaseasytoopenit.R:Haveyouboughtityourself?J: Yeah I bought itmyself. And itwas actually very important tome.My boyfriend and I bought ittogether.R:SoyoureallythoughaboutitJ:Yeahbutwejustthoughthatthebody.Notthepants.ItwastoowarmthathedidnotevenwearR:Howcomeitwassoimportanttoyouthespecificclothesforyou?J: I think itwas just. I thinkwhenyouarepreparing yourself tobeamother it is abigdeal tobuysomethingyouknowyouwillputyourownchildinR:Isitthefirstitemwhichyouboughtforhim?J:Noitwasn’t.Iboughtotherclothes.Ithinkitwas2mothsbeforeIgothim.Wedidnotknowhowbigheisgoingtobeandalsoweweightedhim.K:Washebigboy?J:Hewas3,9kgbutstillthesmallsizeitcouldnotevenfit.Sohewasstilltoobig.And2weekslaterhecouldnotfitin.Itcostlike250kr.K:IamsureitwasworththemomentJ:Yeahexactly.And Iwouldspenda lotofmore. Itwas just softandeasy. Itwasperfect forhim towearK:Doyounormallyselltheclotheshecannotfitin? J:Inormallysortitout.IgotofleemarketonSaturdayandsoldalotofitandwestoreitinboxesthethingswewantedtokeep.Bothbecausewedonotwanttothrowitawayandwewanttohavemorechildrensoitwillbeeasiertothroweverythingout.Therearealsoalotofit…weboughtthesebodies

withlongsleeveandneckandwiththebottomsout.AnditisdifficulttogetoverhisheadandhehateditandIdidnotthinkofitwhenIbuyitandallofitwewilljustsellforotherchild.Somaybe5050.R:YoualsolearnintheprocesswhattobuyandnottobuyJ:Yeahalot! R:Are thereother thingsyounotice thatyoubought in thebeginningandyouwouldnotbuy themnow?J:Iwouldnotused…IknowIboughtthebreast-feedingpillowandIhaveneverusedit.Notevenonce.I thinktherearemore. I justcannotremember. I thinkthereare lotofthing. Ibelievethattherearemorethingswhatseemsgoodatthemoment,butIwouldnothaveboughitforotherchild.Itwasnotthat…importantK:Sohaveyouboughtmorestuffthanyouneededoryouhavebeenmissingsome?J:IknewIwillbuythisverysoftliftyoucanputinsidethestrollerBugaboobecausethestrollerisnotthatbig.Isnotthatbigone.Butyoucanbuy..Thesesoftones.Ifheissleepingyoucanjusttakethatandyoudonothave to takewholeupperpart.… Idefinitelybuy that.Maybe the toys.Wehave toomuchtoys.Healsogottoomuchclothesforthatage.I’veboughtalotinH&Mandso…itissadthatyouboughtitandhedidnotwearit.R:isthereabrandyouwouldliketobuybutyouhaven’t?ThatyoureallylikeJ:IreallylikethebrandJoha.Ithinktheyhavereallynicethesewoollenbodies,pyjamasitisverysoft.Iwouldbuymyself.Weuseditalotmorewhenhewassmaller.Wehavenowsomepyjamasorbodies.Idonotthinkitisthatexpensive.ButyoucangetnicepyjamasinFøtexassuch.K:Whatabouttheseorganicclothing?Doesitmatterforyouifitisorganicorecological?J: I liketoknowthatit isthat.Butit isnotIonlybuythat.Itriedtoonlybuyit. I liketheidea.H&Mhavethisline…K:Itisnotcriteriawhensearchingforclothes?J:NoitisnotR: You said you inherited the clothes.Andyou said you chosewhat about like. Itwasbasedon thestyle?J: Yeah. Also of course there was really expensive these Ralph Lauren shirts. And I am not RalphLaurenshirtkindpersonandIdidnotescapeitinmyway.Ikeptthem.MaybeifhewantswearthemandIsellthemafterwards.J:Whyisit?J:Ithinkitisbitshowoff.(laughing)IdonotlikethebrandK:Isitbecauseofthelogo?J:Yeah.It isnotthelogos.It isthistype.Poloshirt.Thiskindofbusinessdudewhoisnotthatmuchbusinessdudebuthewantstobe.AlsowhenIwenttohighschoolspeoplewearthem.Ithinkitwas

toomuch. I alsomyboyfriendhas thesedeminshirtbut Idonot thinkmychild shouldwearRalphLaurenshirtattheageofone.R:Soyouthinktherearevaluesattachedtoit?J:yeahbutnotthekindofvalueIwouldliketobeassociatewith.R:Whatkindofvaluesdoyouthinkthereareassociateitwith.J:Ithinkitisbitsnobbish.Youknowjust…Iactuallythinkifyouwanttoputyourchildinsomethingveryexpensiveorhighqualitybrandedclothes I think it ismuchmorestylish if youcannot see thebrand.R:Youdothinktheonewho’sbrandsallover…J:Yeah I think it is toomuch.Myparentsboughtverynicevest inHawaiiand ithas thisverysmallCalvinKleinlogo.Thatisok.Itisverysmall.Idonotthinkitisshowoff.TheyhavealsoboughTommyHilfigerandwhenIsawIdonothopeitisaCalvinKleinbrand.Itwasonlythat.IjustthinkitisoddthatthechildrenarewearingtheseshowofbrandsR:Sowhenyouseesmallthechildintoptotoeinthesebrandwhatdoyouthinkaboutthemother? J: I actually think theparent should care about something else (laughing). I just think: “Why?Whyshouldyourboyatthisage…Whyshouldtheyatthisageshowsomekindofpersonalityorstyle?SosoonK:IguessitisamorepersonalityoftheirparentsthanthechildJ:yeah.Ithinkitisnotappropriatethatasmallchildisgettingthiskindofpersonthroughthestyle.Ithinkitisperfectlyoktouseallthemoneyyouwantforbabyclothes.Idonotthinkyourchildneedstoflashallthesebrands.MaybeyoucandoitsometimesbutnotsomuchR:Whatarethevaluesyouhaveasamother?J:HowdoIwanttobeasamother?HowdoIwantotherto…?R:BothactuallyK:isthereadifference?J:Yeah.IhavetonsofvaluesIthinkofhowIwanttobeasamother.ButwhenotherseesmeandmysonIjustwantthemtothinkthatwearelovingcaringparentsandthatwetakecareofhiminactuallythewayofbeingcleanandactingwellandlikethat.IthinkathomeIthinkallthetimehowIwanttobeasamother.Yeah.ItisabigquestionR:That’sfine.Doyouthinkthatpeoplewillassignspecialvaluetohisclotheswhatheiswearing?J: Iactuallygetsomecomments…wehaveafineeconomy.Myboyfriendisdirectorat[company]sowedonotmissanything.Soactually theyaskwhyIbuyall thestuffatZaraandH&Mand like theyexpectmetobuyallofthisstufffrommoreexpensivebrandsbecausewecan

K:Sorry…Whoaskyou? J:Friendsandalso in themothergrouporothers.We justbothahouse.We’veboughta house,wegonnamoveincoupleofmonthsandthewayweliveyoudonotneedtoknowpeoplethatwelltoseewhatkindaofeconomytheyhave.K:MaybeitisthearehereJ:YeahmaybeR:Sotheyarelikethinkingthatyoucanaffordtobuyahousethatyoushouldthen…J:YeahIthinktheyareacuriouswhyandalsothatIhavethisfriendwhohasaboy5monthsandsheshowedmesomepants.Iwaslikeaaaa.forlike300DKK.Sheislikewhyareyoulikethatyoucanbuythat.ButIwouldneverbought500DKKpantsforhimR:Whatdidtheyanswerwhentheyaskyou?J:IthinkIjustanswerthatifyouwanttostay…IfyouwanttostayhealthyeconomyyouwillnotspentthatandIwouldnotspenditformyself.YeahAlsoI justsayitisnoneoftheirbusinesswhatdowespendmoneyon.YeahbecauseIjustalsosmallpairofpantsIjustcannotgetmyselftopaythatmuch.IwouldliketopayifIgotwhatitisworth.Itisnotworthit.K:Doyouassociatehigherplacewithbetterquality?J:Yeahforsomebrands.ActuallythisJoha,HostandClaireIknowtheyyoutheseorganicnicewoollenmaterialssothereitisdefiantlywhatyoupayingforandIalsodothatifIthinkitisworthit.IthinkalsothereismanybrandswhereIthinkyouarejustpayingforthenames.R:Haveyouexperiencethattherearesomebrandswhicharemoretrendy?Moreprestige…J: I think thatMinirudiny and Soft gallery and brand Bobo… something I think it is French brand.Wheatmaybe.R:Howdidyouexperienceit?J: I think these smallerweb shops or shops they have these items all these brands. And also Socialmediayoucansee that theyareposting.Maybe therearesomebrands…Youknowtheyhave thesetutorialsorbloggers.Youknowtheads.Ithinkitisfromthat.AlsoitisjustinmyheadK:Ifyourmomorgrammomwoulddressuporriseyoursonwoulditbedifferent?J:Howheisdressed?K:Alsomayberaised.Iwaswonderingifyouthinkthereisgenerationdifference?J:Ithinkthereis.ButIthinkthethingsmyparentsarebuying.Formysonwhathelikes.ButtheyliketoseehimThosearebitdifferent.ItisnotthatIdon’tlikeit.andbuymorethesevestandshirts.YouknowtheseknittedsweaterswithbuttonswhereIthinktheythinkIdresshimmuchmorecasually.Idonotknowifitisthegenerationorifitisthefashion.IrememberwhenIwaschild.Ialsowearthesameprintonmypants and shirt andwhenmy sisterwasborn. I think thatwas the style. Iwouldneverputthesameoutfitwealwayshadthesamethingon.That’slikein4years

R:Areyouannoyedwithit?J:ItisjustwhenIseethepicturesIthinkitisstupid.Whydoyouneedtowearthesamethigs?R:Whentheybuypresentforhim…dosometimesyoufeeltheyputhisstyleonhim?J:Myparents?Ithinkaboutwhentheygivinghimsomethingthathewearswhentheyseehim.Nottolikeplease them.Because they thinkhewould lookvery cuteand Iwanthim to seehim.So I thinkaboutthat.R:Whatabouttheclothesyouinheredit?Haveyouexperiencethatyouputthestyleofyourcousinonyourson?J:Ithoughtaboutit.Icouldseecertainstyle.Itisnotsamestyle.IthinkIchosetheitemsIthinkwhatmatchedthestyleoritemsIcouldstyleit.R:Soyoumixeditup? J:Yeah.IthinkwealsogotsomepantsIwouldneverbuyandwelikeitnow.Therearemuch…Ithinktheyarecute.EasyforhimtowearR:Haveyoudonesomethingwiththeclothes? J:Ijustwashedit.Itwasinbasement.IalsowasheverythingIbuybeforehewearshim.Ijustlikethattheyarewashedbefore.IfweinheriteditifitisdirtyIhavenotkeptit.IfitishisdirtIdonotcare,butIdonotlikeitifitisotherchildren.K:Ahok,Isee.J:Oh,I’msosorrybutIhavetopickupOscarnow.R:No,worries,Ithinkthisisveryfine.Thankyousomuchforyourtime.

INTERVIEWWITHBENEDIKTEInterviewwithBenedikteChild:Elias,7MonthLocation:Mother’sapartment,NørrebroInterviewers:KateandRebeccaB:BenedikteK:KateR:RebeccaR:Ok,sowewantthistobekindofaconversationsoit’snotsostiff(Everyonelaughs)B:Yeah,yeah…okR:ButwehavepreparedsomequestionsB:That’sfineR: So, eh,wecanstart talking just a littlebit, just shortlyhowyou think ithas changedyou tobeamother.B:Wow…It’sareallybigquestion(laugh)R:JustshortlyK:BrieflyB:Yeah,well,eh,Ithinkbothlike,itchangedmealotandthenalsojustdidn’tchangemeverymuch,Ithink I imagined that becoming a parent would become this totally different, new, person and amotherwouldimmergeandthenyou’dbesomeoneelse,andthatdidn’thappen.I’mprettymuchstillthesame,Ihavethesameinterests,andIjusthavealittlenewpersoninmylife.(Laughing)Andthat’s,and I think that surprisedme, that thatwashow itwas, itwas so like, ok sonow there’s ababy. Itwasn’tlikemagicoranything.Idon’tknowwhyIimaginedthat(thatshewouldbeanewpersononceherbabywasborn), but I did.Because I think thathaving a childwould changeyou forever, and itdoes,butinadifferentwaythanIimagined.Ithinkit’seasierthanIthought,actually.K:That’sgoodtoknow!(Laughing)B:Ihadfriendswhohadbabiesthathad,what’sitcalled,colic?So…R:Theyhaveahardtime.B:Theyhadaveryhardtime…R:[Aboutthebaby,thatispresentinthescene]Andhejustsleptalltheway?...andlikenowthatyouhavehim,howdoyouthen,canyoutellushowyouwouldthinkyouareasamother?

B:Um… I’mquite, I think I’mverypresentwithhim, like I try to communicatewithhima lot and Ithinkthatbothmeandmyhusbandvaluethatbothofusarequiteengagedwithhisupbringing,and…IalsothinkI’m,likeeversincehewaslittleI’vehadlikeonedayaweekwhereIgooutwithfriendsalonewithouthim,sowealsopriorities, justforTobias[husband’sname],tobealonewithhim,andthenformetohavesome,todosomethingelse…R:That’sareallygoodidea…B:Yeahbecause it’s,somepeopletheygetsoabsorbedwithmotherhoodandthatamazingbut…it’snoteverythingthat’samazingyoustillneedyouknowtogotoaconcertortodosomething,so…soIthink,Ithinkthat’sprettymuchsumsupwhattypeofmotherIam…K:Doyouthinkthatdiffersforyour,whenyourmumhadyou,oryouknow…Ohyeahitdid[assumednoddingfromBenedikte]…B:Mymumdideverything[emphasized],like,myparentsarekindofoldhippiesbutintheory,mydad,no,mymomdidtheupbringing,hewouldlikebethedisciplinary,likeifwedidsomethingwrong,hewouldbelike…K:Yeah,yeahIknow…B:Butlike,andalsoheisSouthAfricanmydadsohe’s,eh,theyhaveculturaldifferences,inhowtheythoughtthatchildrenshouldbebroughtup…ehm…So,Ithinkthatmymumwasjustlike“okI’lldoit…”.(Laughing)ButIthinknowasadultshe’sveryengagedinourlives,andIjustthinkthathewasjustabitscaredofbabiesandsmallchildren.K:Yeahthatcouldbe…hewasscared(Laughing)R:Talkingabout, like,notknowingand things like that, in thebeginning ifwenow talkaboutbabyclothes,howdidyouknowwhattobuyand…?B:Ijust,I’veseenmyfriendsandIthoughtwhatI’dseenwasthatifitwasagirleverythingwaspinkandifitwasaboyeverythingwasblue…(Laughing)I’msayingthisbeingawarethat(baby’sname)iswearingbluefromtoptotoe,(Morelaughs)…but,ehm…whenIstartedlikegoingintolikechildren’sshopstherewasjust,theywouldalwaysaskmeifitwasaboyoragirl,andtherewaspinkand…itwasjustsoboring…like…K:Alreadyintheshop?(Laughing)B: Sowewere quite aware thatwewanted likemore, like, unisex colors and… and try to ask forpeopletojustnotgivehimblue,becausehewouldgetjustlikesomuchblueclothesandwewerejustlike,abitofred(?)(Laughing)…Sothatabitaboutclothingthatwaswhatwethoughtmostabout…then I also thought a lot about that new clothes, a lot of clothes have ehm…have been chemicallywashedso,Iwaslikereallyencouragedtobuyusedclothesbecauseit’sbeenwashedsomanytimesthatthechemicalswerewashedout…Andthat’ssomethingthatIactuallyprioritize.AndIbought…quitealotoforganicclothesfromaspecialclothingbrandinSweden.R:Whatisthenameofthebrand?B:It’scalledDunsSweden?R:DunsSweden?Ok…

B:That’swhatthewebsiteiscalled,theyhavesuchcuteclothes…R:Soyoubuyalotfromthem?B:Some…Ithinkcomparedtoalotofothermothers,probablynotthatmuchbut…but,Ithink,yeah,formyhusbandhethinkitwas…“enough”,butyeah…Sosomenewandsomeused,andthenwegotalotinpresents…R:Andwhenyougotitused,didyouthenbuyitusedorinheritedit…?B:Both.Both.Mødrehjælpen[Motherhelporganization].Weusedthatquitealotbecauseitgoestoagoodcause,whichIreallyappreciate,thatthemoneytheymakefromitisoftenforsinglemothers,andIreallylikethatso…,weboughtsomeandthereandalotonlineaswell,becauseIamquiteparticularwith,veryparticularwith,Ididn’twantanythingchemicallywashed,so…R:Doyouthinknowthatthereisadifferencebetweenhowyouthoughtyouweregoingtolike…withwhatclothyouweregoingtobuy,andwhatyoudo(now)?(Laughing)B:Yeah!Definitely…Nowit’slikeok,IgotoHMandthere’slike3bodiesforlikeaDKK100,andI’mlike“I’lldothat”…Idon’tthinkIdidthat,thatmuchbefore…(Laughing)Iwasmore...Idon’tknow…Ithinkbecausehewassosmallandfragile,andIdidn’thavehimyetIwasjustveryawareofnotgivinghimanythingchemical.AndIthinknowIammorebalanced…there’ssome,someofhisclothesthat’snewandnottoo“great”onthatsidebut…mostofhisclothesareorganicorusedbefore…K:ButifyoubuyitfromHMdoyoudosomethingbecause,youaresayingthattheseclotheshavethechemicals,doyougetrid,toyouwashitor…?B:IalwayswashitandthenItrytobuy,theyhaveabrandcalledConscious,soItrytobuythataswell,itshouldbebetter…R:likemoreorganic?B:Yeah, I thinkit’s likebettertreatmentfortheworkers…theydon’tdochildren’sworkers,and…Ithink…Ithinkthatthechemicals,theydon’tusethesamechemicals…Iamnotquitesure,sincebeforeIhadhimIhadalotoftimetoreadalot,nowit’snot…(Laughing)R:What about in regards to brands, are there like anyone, now you talk aboutDuns, but are thereanyoneyouprefercomparedtoothersand…?B:Yeah,Luck…myhusbandhelikesshoppingwaymorethanIdo(laughing).SohethinksthatIusealot of clothes because it’s expensive organic clothes… but he likes how stuff looks, so he likessomethingcalledEjSikkelej. Yeahwhichwebought, I thinkthis isEjSikkeLejthathe[thebaby] iswearingrightnow.R:Whattypeof,isitlikepatternsand…?B:Yeah…Ithaslikesweet,reallycutepantsand…and….soIthinkthat’sanotherlikebrand…likethat’smoremyhusbandthatgoesforthat…Ilikealotoflikehome-knittedstuffandhomemadestuffand…Whatelse…?ButIthinkDunsSwedenisdefinitelywhatweboughtmostandthenEjSikkeLej.

K:Isthereamaterialthatyouprefer…?B:MarinoWool,Ilikealot…and100%cotton,Idon’twanttouselike100%polyester,or……Inormallydon’tsatthisoutloudtoothermothers(laughter)becauseIhatewhenpeoplearelike“ohithastobelikea100%organicandeverything”but…Imustadmitlike,okthese[pointingattheson’spantyhose]therearesomethinginit…that’snotlikepure…becausethatwasjustwhatwasthere.SoIdobuyitonceinawhilebut…ifIcanavoiditIdo…R:Alsonowyousaidaboutothermothers…justtoliketoknowthatwearedoingthisanonymous,soyoushouldfeellike100%freetotalk.B:Yeah,yeah…becauseit’salsolikeaIthinknewmothers,especiallywhenit’syourfirstchildyourverysensitivetosay“ohnoIdon’tdothis”butit’sso…Itrynottosay“ohnowonlythisorthat”.R:Whataboutifyougetitinapresentandyoucanseethatitislikemixed…B:ThenIgiveittothemandit’sfine,Iboughtthesebecauseitwastheonlyonesthere,it’snotlikethatI’mreligiousaboutit,it’sjustIprefer,ifIhaveachoiceIjustpreferthemorecleanmaterials.R:Sowhatwillyousayisthemostimportantwhenyoulookforbabyclothes,isitthenthematerialoristhe…colouror…?B: It’sdefinitelymaterial, yeah… first thematerial and then colour…Like I... I don’tbuybrightpinkstuffforhim…(Laughter),I’ve…DummiesIboughtforhimbecauseitwasnootherleft,thenIdon’tbuytoomuch…. (inaudiblebecauseofbabyscreaming)Ibought thesebecause theywhere therebut…wegetpresents,oftenblueandthenI’mlikeok,wellgetgreeninsteadofyellow…R:Andthat’sbecauseyouthinkit’sboringthateveryonejust…B:Yeah!!(laughing)blueforboysisjustlike“aaah”…Ijustwantabitofvariety..R:yeah,definitely…Different…Whataboutlike,whichbabyclothesyouboughtthelastmonthifyouboughtany…?B:Ididbecauseweregoingtraveling,inThailandforamonth…K:Oh,nice…B:Yeah!R:Lovely!B:So,weactuallyjustwenttoH&M,talkingaboutbodiesfreefrom…butthat’swhatwedid,becausewe just needed a lot of summer clothes…and then…I look for something used but it’s not close tosummer,soit’snotevenoutyet,sonowI’mjustgoingtostoreslookingforstuff…Yeah…LikeIlike,it’svery expensive, but for sale, PureBaby I like a lot, it’s just I think it’s also a combination of price,because Idon’t…Ialsogetabit, Idon’twant to likepayDKK300 forabody forababy thathecanwearforlike2months…So…Idolookforsalesaswell…yeah…[Talkingabouthowitistotravelwithbabies]

R:Sonormallywhenyoubuythebabyclothes…istherelikeeh…doyougetinspiredbyanythingor…orhowistheprocess?B:Yeah, like inmymaternitycrew, inNørrebro,wedokindof like, ifsomeonehassomethingreallyniceit’slike“ohwheredidyougetthat?”Like,Ihaveawool“flyverdragt”….eh….R:Likeawholebody…whenit’scold[RebeccaexplainingforKatewhata“Flyverdragt”is]B:Isawsomeonehadthat,inNørrebro…thebrandJoha,theyhavealotofcleanwhool.R:Whataboutdoyousearchonline,followanyblogsor?B: I stopped following blogs but I do search a lot, research online, Forbrugerådets [Consumers'AdvisoryCouncil]…theyhavealotoftesting,especiallyonchildren’sclothesandcreams,andstuff…Iuse thema lot,quitea lot…Andthenalso just like, Ido like,onlineresearch…AndIdoactuallyusesomeblogs, forcheckingout…ok“whattypeofclothesisbetter”whatpeopleprefer…soIactuallydouseblogsforthat…Orlikeonlineforums…Ithinkthere’ssomethingcalledmammanetIjustGoogledit.K:Probablythereis(allarelaughingintensely)B:VoresBørnthere’salsosomethingcalled…R:Soyoutalkaboutlikebabyclotheswithyourmothergroup…andwhoelse,ifthereareany?...B:IthinkIaskmymother,butshe’slike“Ican’tremember(laughing)K:Yeahthingschangedso…B:Yeah!Myfriendswhohavekids,Idoinheritsome….K:Doyoutalktoyourhusband?Wedon’ttalkaboutitthatmuchhejustbuysit..R:Doesheasksforyouropinion…?B:He’swaymoreintoclothingandstuffthanIam…Likeifweregoingout…He’svery,…hehasaveryoutgoingjobso,inaway,sohelikestopresenthimselfnicely.Ialsohaveaveryoutgoingjobbutinaverydifferentway…R:Whatisyourjob?Sorrywedidn’task.B:I’ma,what’sthewordinEnglish,“Fagrådgivere”?LikeaconsultantonrefugeesandtheintegrationattheRedCross,Iworkattheheadofficeanddo,…yeah…Idoconsultantworkonwhichprograms,…eh, … projects we need to do for newly arrived refugees…. Trauma treatment and, family supportsystemsandstufflikethat.R:Soyoukindofhelpdevelopingthem…?B:Yeah,sowedo…

R+K:That’sreally“cool”!B:Wedolikeeducations…eh,differentmunicipalities,alotofstuff…R:Thatsoundsreallyinteresting.B:Yeah,Ilikeitalot,Imean,it’sgonnabeinterestingtoseehowitworkswithachild…Iusedtoworklike50hoursaweekandnowIcantdothatsoyeah…[Benediktecheckstothebaby]R:IsthereanylikespecifickindofcloththatElias[theson]hasthatyoufeellikereallyconnectedtoso…B:Not really, because,wehaven’t inherited so, a lot of old stuff, that has value tome… likemyoldcloth,were,reallyshit,itwasfallingapart…(Laughter)Ehm,butIthinkthattheclothesthatheworewhenhewasverynew,Ifeellikeconnectedto,speciallyonebody,it’sgreenandithaslike,daisieson,smalldaisies,it’sfromDunsSweden.AndIjustrememberhimasababyandIthinkitwasactuallythefirst thing thatheworewhenhecameout, (laughter)… I’mveryconnected to that…andsomestuffthatmysistermade,sheknitted….Sheknittedalotofstuffforhim,I’mveryconnectedtothataswell.Becauseshejustputinalotofefforttomakeitforhim…soyeah…R:Soshedid…didsheknowthatmaybeyoudidn’t likeblue,andmadeitanothercolourandtrytopersonaliseit?B:Yeah!Shealsomadebluejusttoteasemeabit,butshealsomadelike,ehm,differentcolours,shemadepurple,….Andyeah…Differentthings.R:Nowitsoundsabitrudemaybe,butthesethatyouaremoreattachedto,wouldyouthinkaboutlikesellingthemorgiveittoothersor?B:IthinkthatIwillalwayskeep,Iwillnevergive,getridofit…Ithinkalotofthisclothesactually,andalso,yeah,becausewewantmorechildren…butalotofhisclothesit’slike“it’shisclothes”(Alotoflaugher)…I don’t wanna give it away, so I’m more attatched to it than I think I am…so… yeah(Laughter).K:Isthereactuallyany,canyouthinkofanybrandyouwear,andyouwouldwearifit’slike,ifit’slikeyousaidH&M,andyouwouldbuythesamethingforthebaby,likeisthereanybrandwhichwoulddowomenclothesandalsobabyclothes?B:EhmIknow,Iwearfor instance“name”(SofieSchnoor),whichI likea lot…andIknowshehasaline forbabies,but it’smostly forgirls,andalso I like, I’mnotvery into theclothingbecause itverylike,verylike…Idon’tknowalsoveryunpracticalforababy,verylike…Idon’tknowit’s,it’sIdidn’tlikeitthatmuch,it’stomuch“smallshoesforbabies”,hedoesn’tneedsmallshoes..or…I’msorrybutthesethingsaroundthehead,(laugherfromall), likeat least forsmallbaldchildren,hewasn’tbald,buttheyjust lookedlikesmalldrag-queens(massivelaughterfromall).soeh…yeah..sowellIthinkH&MisprobablytheonlyplacewhereIcouldbuyclothes,andforhimaswell..Iactuallydon’tlike…like…Idon’twannabelikeareplicaofhim,poorguy(laughter)…Mommyandsonoutfit…R:Butdoyouthinkthatlikethe….Theclothesyouputonhimrepresentyouasamother?Inaway?

B:I thinkfora lotofparentstheydon’twannasaythat itdoesbut itdoes ,becauseyoushowupinyourmothersgroup,andpeoplelookatobviouslyyourbabytogettoknowyou..alsolookat…whatclothesdoesyourbabywear,so…AndIthinkit’squitenicethatalso…Iactuallydidn’twanttodresshimuptomuchtooniceclothesbecauseIwaslike….,Idon’twanttoputaveryhighstandard…but….Thefirsttimeweseeeachother,everybody’slike:“ohniceclothes,because…Reahthat’sathing….K: Sowhen your in the group everybodywatch like, is it like I don’t know, I cant imagine it really(laughter)B: It’skindof,ohgosh, justyouwait, ifyouwant tohavechildren(massive laughter fromall), it’sawholething….Ehm..soforinstancethefirsttimewehadourmeeting,thenurseshesaid,whoputsthekids together, she said….Beaware “don’tmakehomemadebreadoranything”, because thenyouputthestandardtohigh,andthatisthepressureforalotofnewmothers.Sothefirstplacewewentshedidactuallybake,alotofcakesandbreadand…andthenitwasmyturnandIwaslike“noway,I’mnotgonna,youknowwearestressedout,it’sourfirstchild”.So I justbought, “Citronmåne” [Danishcake](laughter)…BecauseIwantedtoputthebarrierverylow…ButeverybodyelsemakeshomemadesoI’m theonlyonewho….And ita littlebit thesamewith theclothing like Ididn’twant to…EspeciallybecausewehavelikestudentsinourmaternitygroupandIthinkit’sabit…likeforsomeofuswecanafford togooutand…buywhatwewant forour childrenandsomecan’t so… it’s justabit…Idon’tknow,R:Soyouthinkaboutwhatotherswouldthinkabout(inaudible)B:Yeah it’smore that Idon’twant it tobeapressure foranybody thatwegoand,dressingMarinoWoolfromtoptotoe,everythingorganic,andlike…(inaudiblesentence)R:Haveyouexperienced,doyounoticeifsomeoftheothermothersinthegroup,like,dothat?....B:Yeah,alittlebit,Imeanwehave,it’sagood,varietyinourgroup,Imeanthere’s2students,….canyouhearifI?.....(getssomethingforbaby)….Sowehave2students….And2doctors,and…..onewho’s,just gonna stay at home, she’s muslim, she’s gonna stay at home with her child….And… I think,definitelyforoneofthestudents,herhusbandisanartistsotheyreallydon’thavealotof,Ithinkforherit’sbeenalotofpressure.….R:Shewantstodolike,showthatshe’sdoingitwell?B:Yeah it’s likewhenwe comeover shemakes like,homemade chocolates, shewants to… It’s justreally,likeunnecessary,youcanjustfeelthatthere’sabitofapressureIthink.R:Isitsomethingyoutalkaboutinthemothergroup?B:No,it’squitesensitiveIthinktotalkabout….Sheapologisesalotforwhereshelives,like:“ohwearelookingforsomethingelse”or…soit’syeah…Notso…buttherearedifferences,soit’sjustverydifficultto….Tomakeitgoaway…R: But, like, now you talk about how, you dress Elias [son], so the barrier should not be like, thepressureshouldnotbe likehigh,but….Wouldyousay that there isanydifferencebetweenhowyoudresshimnormallyorwhenyouareinthehouseandwhenyougoout?B:Yeah,Ithinkforinstancenow,hehasporridgeonhisclothes,ifIwasgoingtomymothergroupIwouldchangethisclothes,ifIwashomeit’slikeok,ButifIgooutIwouldn’t..

R:isitbecauseyouthinktheywouldthinksomething…B: yeah, you like amotherwith porridge o your baby’s cloth, people can sometimes be like HMM!(makingasoundtoemphasizepeoplesreaction).(laughter)Ithinkit’sprobablymoreinmyheadthanactuallybut…(laughter)…Yeah…..andalsoit’sfunalsotodressthemupfortheholidaysSoifwehavelikeIdontknowhowmanydays,thenwedresshimup,….inlittlesuitesandstuff(laughterfromall“ohthat’scuteetc”).K:Doyouliketakepicturesandshareitonlineor?B:Yeahactuallywedo,onInstagram...I’mnot,Ireallytrytobeawaretonotspampeoplewithbabyphotosbutyeah…Ido...R:Aretheresomebrandsyousaid,youneverbuy…doyouthinktherearesomebrandsthatthisisjustnotyou?B:Icantthinkofspecificnamesofbrands,buttherearequitealotofchildrensstuff,thatIcouldbuysomethinginthere,butIjustwont….it’sespeciallythosewhereit’sverypink,andblue…andifyouaskforanythingneutraltheygo(soundofconfusion)…ThereIprefernottobuycloths,alsoifit’sextremelyexpensive,andit’snotbecausethatIbuy,thatIbuyclothesthataregoodformychild(theexpensiveones),itstillhasalotofchemicalsinthereandit’sstillexpensiveatthesametime,Ijustdon’tbuythere.Idon’twantitR:Someoftheseluxury,likeDiororsomething?B:Yeah,I’mlike,fineiftheymakeaconsciousmind,that’swhatmymoneywentforandpeoplegotOKsalary’sandtheydon’tusechildlaborthenyes,….But when they do extremely expensive clothing and they still don’t have ethical production….Principles,thenit’snot….K:Howdoyoucheckiftheyhaveethicalproductionornot?IsitbecauseyouworkedintheRedCrossorno?Orisitlike….(inaudiblemurmur)B:Wellno,becausewedon’tdoanythingtoomuchwiththoseissuesbut,butIhavefriendswhoworkinthatarea,andso,Ialwayshavegoodsourcesandso…information,what’sreallygoingonYeahIhavequitealotoffriendswhoworkwithin“blablabusiness-inaudible)andalsoabroad…andworkfordifferentcompaniesanddo,anddoethicallinesofproduction,so…it’sthroughthem,Idon’tknowmuchmyselfIalwaysaskthem,Imeanmostcompaniestheydoreally…K:Iwasjustwonderingifthereanylikecertificationorsomething,foreh,ifyoucanfindthemintheshop?B:Yeah,…likefor,forfood,it’sfair-tradeisonekind,butforclothing….there’sreallylike,Ithink,andforcreamsandstuffthereisbutforclothing,Idon’tknowverymuchaboutwhatkindof,soIjustbuywhatIknowit’s….R:Noit’snotreally,likeyousaid,forfairtradeyoucanseeit,organic,butwithcloth,Ihaven’theardthereislike……

B:Yeahit’sreallytoobad,there’secolabelforotherstuffbutnot..theresecotecs,butecotecsisavery…theproblemisthateco-testisnot,fororganic, it’s justthatisdoesnothaveanumberofverybadchemicals in there, so it can still have chemicals in there, thatmight cause cancer, but it’s just theworththattheyruledout,sothatdoesn’treallyhelpmuch…SoIjustbuyfrombrandsthatIknowIlike..R:Whataboutthefood?Isitalsoorganicthatyoubuy?B:YeahIbuy,noteverything,butwetrytohavemostofourfoodorganic…allhisfoodisorganic(thebaby’s)And(inaudible)ifyou’reasingleparent,then,it’snotpossible,becausefinanciallywecandoit,butIdidn’twhenIwasstudying...butnowwecansoit’snice,toprioritise…butforbeautyproductsIdon’t(laughing)K: So do you have any, I don’t know budget or something, you spend on clothes per months orsomething?B:Nowejustbuywhatweneed,andwant….R:Yeah,haveyouexperiencedif it’s likeanybrandsrightnow,thataremoretrendy, likeyouwatcharoundandyouseethateveryoneiswearingthisor`?B:Ithinkthose“knittedhats”withfur,haveyouseenthose?R:Likeafurball?B:Yeah!Ithinkthosearequitepopular…andIknowthat“inaudiblebrand–yohobody?”,Ihavealotofpeople(inaudible)aswell(inaudible)…R:doyouthinkthere’smoreprestigeinhavingthese?Or?B: I think, it’sverymuch,….there's liketwodifferentstringsI think,that’sonethat’s likeso, theonethatIammoreintoabout,doingallstufforganicIthinkthat’saprestigethingaswell…likewantingtodo what’s best for your child … but I think there’s also another string that’s, new good lookingclothes…nicebrands,…Ithinkthat’sthereaswell…R:doyouexperiencethatinthemothergroup,aretheresomeonewhohaslikethatstyle?B:yeah,there’slikeonewhoIthinkisverymuchinto,fashionforherchildaswell,….Idon’tthinkit’sall,likeI’mnotveryfashionconscious,butIthinkifyouareasaparentyoumight,itmightalsobeimportantthatyourchildis….Likeit’smoreimportant,formyhusbandaswell(laughterfromall),…K:inthebeginningyousaid,somethingaboutthatyoulookforsales…but,doesitmatterif , it’slikebrandedclothes,ornon-branded?Likenotbrandedby, Imeantheonesfromthesupermarket….DoyoulookforalloftheseoristhereadifferenceB: Iwould say definitely there’s a difference, like I’mmore, in the supermarket I’m always, alwayscheckthelabel,toseewhat’sitmadeof,Ialsodootherbrands,buttherearejustsomebrandswhereyoufeelmoresecure..theyhaven’tputstuffintherethatbabiesarenotsupposedto….Idefinitelyhavea trust issue with supermarkets, ….I don’t like to think I would ever buy my own clothes in thesupermarket,I…..noIdon’tthinkI,maybe…Idon’tthinkIwouldbecauseIjustdon’ttrust,like…and

there is no reason for me not to trust a supermarket less than any other, but it’s just, I think it’sjust……(inaudible)R:Haveyoubeeninasituationwhere,Idon’tknow,thatsomeonehaslookedupon,thatthisislike,thiswillbegood,likeyou’rekindofagoodmotherifyouhavethisone,andnotagoodifyoulike…B:Yeah…Ithinkthat’salsowhyIgetalittlebitstubbornsometimes…about..Ihaveespecially,friendsoffriends,…whopracticesomethingcalled“attachmentparenting”..youheardaboutthat?yousleepwiththebabyfor(forever,forayear,somethinglikethat?)youbreastfeedit…And,forsomeofthosepeopleit’svery,likeorganic,everythinghastobeorganic….AndthenIgetabitoflike,…(inaudible+laughingfromall)It’stoomuch!...ButIthinkthatforsomepeopleit’sbeenalittlebitaboutthefactthatweasknottohave toomuch new clothes, or Iwould get, for instance,we have a person come here to clean ourhouseandshealwayscommentson…likehe,sometimeshehasbluesometimeshehasred, likeshesaid“youcanneverseeifhe’saboyoragirl”(laughterfromall).Sowedogetsomeornaments,likeapink “dummy”, in themothersgroup, especiallyoneof theothermothers, shealways commentsonlike,youhavevery(inaudible)girlslikepoorlittleguy???Sowehavemoreofthosekinds…R:Doyoutakeittoyouor..?B:No.K:Doyoulaughitoffor..?B:Ialwaysusetosaywedon’tbelieveinboys’andgirls’colours.K:It’ssotrue.B:Yeah,butI,Ithinksomepeoplethinkthatjust…evenjustdressinghiminredislikecrazylikeand…K: But that’s…isn’t it strange, I mean in my eyes it’s strange because I mean, why wouldn’tguys…couldn’twear red like Imean if theyareadults theydo it! (inaudible)assume theyare like5monthsoldlikeR: But when you said…I actually have a colleague she told me that…you know… like she alwaysbelievedthatshewouldlikeputanythingonhersonbutthenwhenshegothimlikenoshecouldn’tputredonhim(laughterfromall)B:YeahIthink,Ithinkit’sathinglike…IalsothoughtthatIwouldeasilydresshiminpinkfromtoptotoe,butIhaven’t,ImeanK:YeahokB:AndI thinkthat’sa…thisthingabout…Idon’tknowbutI think it’s likesubconsciously likeI thinkparents are afraidwhich I have a big problemwith, that “Oh ifwe dress him like, give him a pinkdummyorsomethinghewillturnoutgay”andlikewell,thenI’llbetheonlywomaninhislifethat’sperfect(alllaugh)K:That’ssosweetR:Maybeeveryoneshoulddothat!

(Inaudible,agreement)B:That’ssoit’ssosillyR:ItisB:Idon’tgetitIreallydon’tK:Andit’slikealsosomebodywhotoldmewithhairlengthlikeifit’saboyhemusthavetheshorterhairnotlongerandI’mlike“ok,sostupid”B: It’s very stereotype, Imeanwe’renot gonna cut his hair for the first couple of years and I think(inaudible)K:Well I imagine sometimes canbealso aproblembecause if theyplaywith something it’s gettingstuckinthehairB:It’sinterestingbecauseit’sthesameproblemforgirlsbutforgirlstheywillneversaycuthis…cutherhair,boystheysayitallthetimeK:Iwonderifwebecamemothersdowebecamestereotypes?(Alllaugh)R:It’sinterestingtoseehowitturnsout(Alllaugh,-ohgod)B: But my mom she actually says like “Ah when you were a child, we, you know, nobody caredabout…clothing was just something (inaudible)” and and today she’s like “your generation is soconservative”(alllaugh)butIthinkIammorethanheractually.(Alllaugh)R:Yeah?Butdoyouthinkit’sbecauseofsomethingorthatyoubelievedoesshehavealikeatheorythatit’sbecauseofsomething?B:WellIthinkit’salsolikewhenmyparentshadus,notmysistercauseshe’snineyearsyoungerthanme,butwhentheyhademeandmybrother….youknowtheywerestudents,theydidn’thavethesamefinancialmeansandthen…therewasn’tlikeapressuredressingyourchildacertainway,todaythereismore,IthinkR:Wheredoyouthinkthatpressurecomesfrom?Isjustthateveryonedoesitor...?B: I think that…I think that theurban industryor…ismoreadvancednow theway that it regulatespeople’sbehavioursindifferentways.It’sbeenquiteeffectiveand…K:Doyouthinkadvertisinghasanythingtodowithit?B:Ohyeah,totally,youseesitcoms,productplacementorlikesecretcommercialsandlikeohyessomuchIthink…Ireallydothinkthatwe’reinfluencedindifferentways

K:HaveyoueverboughtsomethingwhichyousawonTVorthesekindofthingsandthenboughtitlaterlikefor…regardingbabiesor…?B:IthinknotsomuchTVbutIthinkmoreonline(inaudible)“Ohthat’snice”K:Aretherealso,ImeanI’veneveropenedit,butImean,ifyouknowtherearethesemagazinesforwomenwhentheydressupamodelandtheysayyoucanbuythisjacketinH&MandthisoneinZaraisthereanythinglikethisforbabies?B:Forbabies?YeahIthinkK:Liketheywouldtakepicturethatsaywheredidyoubuy…B:Yeah I think there’samagazinescalled…maybe it’salsocalled “VoresBørn” I think Ihave itheresomewhere. They have commercials like that they also have tests…and they…and these like best intestswhentheytestdifferentthingslike,andIthinkIdefinitelylookforthat…ButIthinkI’m,IthinkI’maquitecriticalbuyersoifsomeonesaysyouknoworganiccreamforyourchild I always, always do like a “Forbrugerådstest” [Consumers' Advisory Council’s test] because Idon’ttrust…yeah…R:Haveyoutriedto, likeIaskedyoubeforealittlebit,buthaveyoutriedwhereyougotsomething,andthen….Likeyouwouldneverhaveboughtityourselfbutyoustilllike,giveitonElias,likeputitonElias,becauseyouwantedtodothemhappy[thegift-givers]B:Yeah,yeah,quitealot…Hisgreatgrandmother,shebuysallthisstuff,whydoyoudothat?It’sjust…yeah…andshebuy,ateddy,andIknowthatithaslike,badchemicalsinit,Icanseeitonthenet,andIwash itandI’m like“Itakeitawayafterlikesheleaves”. Cause it’sa“something” thatyoucan,whatcompaniesareallowedtoputonthemarket,butyouknowits,dangerousforyourhealth…It’sruiningcredibility(inaudible)relations..especiallyforchildren,so…Idon’tcarewithmyself,Iuseallkindsofstuff,butforhim,it’ssomethingdifferent.R:alsowhentheyaresosmalltheyget,(inaudible)more,Ibelieve..B: Yeah it’s really, and even something that’s like Svane Mærket [eco-label]…they can still have(inaudible,Ithinkakindofchemical)andstuff…Soyeah…that’sscary…R:HaveyoueversoldanyofElias’sclothes?B:YeahIuseanappthat’scalledReshopper,actuallydon’tsellclothes,maybeonlythings….Isoldlike,differentthings,butactuallynotclothes…nonotclothes…R:whataboutthethings,doyouthenjustsellitordoyouwashitB:yeahIwashitthenIsellit…AndIthinkforclothesit’smostlybecausewewantmorechildren,soI’mlike,ok,wellkeepit,Maybewhenwehavegottwochildren,thenmaybeIllsellit,butIstillthinkIllhaveanattachmenttoit…K:doyoubuytheclothesbeforehewasbornoryouwaitedafter?

B: Iboughtsomeof theclothesbefore,andI left thetags….becauseI’ma butsuperstitious.. Icomefromafamilythatisreallysuperstitious(agreementandlaughsfromall)K:IheardinDenmark,youarepretty(superstitious),becauseIheardthisstorythatyoucannotbuythe pram and bring it home…. You wait until … and I’m like “what”, that’s like, why? For me it’sabsolutely like, youhave the crib, and that thingmust be ready, like…In the house before… I alsoheardinDenmark,evenintheshopyoubuyit,youbuyitandthenyouleaveitthere…R:Yeahandthenyouwaitandyoupickituponthewayhomefromthehospital…B: We had it home a bit before he was born, you know you have to, but you know I was quitesuperstitious…R:Inwhichway?B:Like,Ididn’twannatakethetagsoff…wellit’salsoinmyfamilyit’slike,atradition,allthechildrenyoudon’ttakethetagsoff…soofficiallyit’syours,butit’snotreallyyours,it’slikestill….Yeah….So…mycousinstheyactuallylefttheirstuffattheparentshomeortheykeptitintheshop,fora….Buteh…yeahit’sjustifsomethinggoeswrong,youdon’twanttojinxit…YeahIthinkit’sathingaswell,probablybut…(alllaughing)yeahthereislikea,mydadssideofthefamilyarefromLithuania,originally,thenmovedtosouthAfrica,andverylike,…whenmovinginhere,we had to have, like bread in our cupboards, and salt with the bread, all these superstitions.. (alllaughing)K:Buttheyarecutesometimes!(laughingfromall)B:Yeah,it’swithyourbabysoyoujustdoit…(laughingfromall).Yeahjusttobesure(alllaughs)K:Yeah,whynot!(Laughing)B:Yeah…K:IhadaquestionbutnowIforgotit(laughing)Ohyeah,actually,howdoyouknowwhatsizetobuy?Likebeforehe’sborn?Iwaslike,becauseafriendofmine,had,youknow…herboyfriendssisterhadababy,andsheboughtadress,butthegirlhasitasat-shirt(alllaughing)….Shewassobig!SoIdon’tknowhow,yeahdoyou,dotheytellyouinthehospital?Or?B:Well theyactually feltmystomachand they said,he’s gonnabe4kilos+… luckilyhewasonly4kilos.Nottoomuchplus…SoIknew,andalso,likemyparents,thethreeofus,werethreesiblings,andwewereallquitebig,soIwaslikeok,Imean,Iknewnottobuythesmallsize,andIthoughtlikeOK,Ijustbuyalittlebitbiggersizeandthen,ifit’stoobigthenit’s“toobig”.But..itwasperfect…K:Oh,perfect!R:Doyourememberwhatwasthefirstyouboughtforhim…?B:56…R:No,Imeanwhatkindofclothes.

B:Oh,IthinkitwasfromDunSweden,thegreenbodywiththewhitedaisies..yeah…Itwassocute,andIthinmysistersheactually,shewasthefirstone,shestartedknittingstuff…Ithinkshewasthefirstoneto,Iwaslikethreemonthspregnantandsheknittedsomething(laughfromall),shewentcrazy,buteh….Itwasprettysweet,soyeah,wejust,wewouldhideitaway,andshewaslike(whispering)“Ididn’treallymakethisbutIdid…”(alllaughing)R:Becauseofthesuperstition?(laughing)B:Yeah!(laughing)…Andshe’swaycoolerthanme,andshe’smoreeasygoingthanIam,I’mmore…IthinkI’mmore, ImeanIthinklike,everythinginorder,andshe’swaaaymore easygoingand…butshestill(inaudible)(laughingfromall)[Talkingaboutthenameoftheson,whatitmeansandwhyhegotit]R: Ah, yeah I have a question…When you see people, do you have any like, I don’t know, kind ofthinkingthattheyarecertaintypesofmomsiftheyaredressingtheirchildreninacertainwayor….B:Yeah,Idon’twannasaythatIdobutIdo…likeforinstanceifyousee,….Ifyouseesomeonewherethechildiswearingdesignclothesfromtoptotoeyoudokindofthink,maybenotsomuchwhatkindofmothertheyarebutmorewhatkindofvaluestheyhaveintheirlife.Andofcourseifyouhave…seechildren thatyouknow, is justnotdressedwarmenough for theweatheror thenyoualsodomakeassumptionsabout…R:(Inaudible)Theysaythatclotheskindofrepresentsyouasamother?B:Toacertainextent,yeah…R:IssomethingyouthinkaboutwhenyoudressupEliasaswell?Whatotherswouldthink?B:Maybe,notsomuchwhatotherswouldthink,butmore…butjustmorethatIdresshimmorelikethewaythatIthink…accordingtomyvalues,Iwouldsay…AndIthinkalotofuys,wethinkthatclothing,wedon’treallycareaboutclothing,andclothingdoesn’tmatter,butitdoes,itdoesR:Inwhichway?B: In theway that it representsourvaluesystems…so Iwouldn’t for instancebuyaGuccibody forhim…exceptifitwasonsaleandithada“conscious”lineorsomething…Iwouldnotdoitbecauseofthebrand(inaudible)itlooksnicebut…butyeahR: do you think that brands kind of represent the value and then if you buy a certain brand, it isbecauseyoustandforandyoukindofwanttorepresentthisvalue…?B:Ithinkit’sdefinitelywhenyoudon’tknoweachother,sowhenyouseepeopleonthestreet,that’sthefirstimpression…alsowelikelookateachothersclothes,so…howyou’redressedwhatdoesthat,whyareyou…whenyougettoknowpeopleitdoesn’tcare,likeIhaveoneofmybestfriends,…sheonlydressedherbaby invery,veryexpensivedesignerclothes,weknowneachother forever,had Iseenheronthestreet,Iwouldbelike(inaudible–somethingjudgmental)(laughing)butshe’slikeoneofmybest friends, sowhenyouget to knowpeople it reallydoesn’tmatter, but it’s the first you…impression…R:It’sthesamelikewithadultpeople,youcanseewhattheywear…

B:Yeah,andweactuallyinheritedalotofclothesfromher,shehastwinboys,sohedidenduphavinga lot of blue…. Very expensive clothes (all laughing), that’swhat she dressed her boys in,whenweinherited it,sopeoplewere like…“WOA,youhavePaulSmithpantsonyourbaby”,andI’m like“butIinheritedit!”(Alllaughing)R:Doyouthinkthat,whenyouinheritclothes,doyouthinkthatyouputotherpeoplespersonalitiesonyourchild?B:Ehm,wellwemixitupwithyourownstuff…ButalittlebitsometimesIthink…ImeanIwouldn’tnormally…Iwouldn’t normally buy Paul Smith pants for Elias, but… I have them because she gavethemtome…ifshewantstospendallthatmoney,then…butit’sfine,likeIdon’treally,it’snottotheextentthatIwont,wontputthembecauseit’sabrand…[Talkingabouthowhelookslikehersister]R:What about, nowwe talked about your own personality but, what about Elias’s personality, doyou…(inaudiblefromall)Nobutsometimesyoulike,somechildaremorewild,orsomearemore….B:Ithinkhehasavery…he’slikevery…hehasaverycalmpersonality…Ithinkheisverycalminaway,heisstable…like…iftheressomethinghewants,andhedoesn’tgetit,hellbeveryvocalaboutit… (laughing from all)But otherwise if he’s happy then he’s just so easy going… he’s not veryworrisome…justvery…very,verypleasant,he’sreallyamazing….Ithinkhe’sagoodmixbetweenmeandmyhusband…R:Inwhichway,likethepersonality?B:Yeahlikemyhusbandsvery…he’svery…disciplined,withhisworkethics,whichIamalsobut…butthenhe’sveryeasygoing…hedoesn’tworryaboutstuff that’s,he’sverycalm…VERYcalm…and…andIthinkI’mmoreenergetic,andIworrymoreaboutstuff,andehm….ButI’malsoverygroundedin,notveryinsecure…soIthink..Ithinkhe’sagoodmixofbothofus…Butwhoknow,whenhewillbe like when gets a little older [agreement from all]. His dads, works at the university, he’s aresearcher,he’sverylike,hecansitforhoursandbeveryfascinatedbysomethingand…andliketheywouldreadbooks…thesebabybooks,andhecansit for like50minutesand look in thebook(nowtalkingaboutthebabyagain)R:Ohthat’salongtime…B:SoIthinkhehasabitmorepatiencethanIhave…[Talkingaboutthebabyandlaughing]…[Talkingaboutthedadswork]R:Doyouthink,doesithavesomethingtodo,alsomaybe,likeunconsciously,that,youdon’twanttodresshiminlike,blueandpink?B: I thinkactually that comesmore fromme thanhis father,becausehe…his fatherpickedout thisclothes for instance, like he’s very like…. If itwas up to (fathers name), hewould just dress him inblue...soIthinknotreally,it’smore..Ithinkit’smoremethanhimactually…[TalkingaboutEnglishandDanish]

INTERVIEWWITHIDAInterviewwithIdaChild:Frederik,6Month–wassleepingduringtheinterviewLocation:Inthemother’sapartmentinNørrebro.Interviewers:KateandRebeccaI:IdaK:KateR:Rebecca(ChattingaboutdifferencebetweenCopenhagenBusinessSchoolandRoskildeUniversity)(Hearingthebabyalarmonthesmartphone)K:Whatkindofbabyalarmisit?

I:It’slikeababyalarmcalledNabby.It’sDanishactually

R:Ahh,it’sareallysmartone.

K:Ijustwonder,becauseIneverseenitbefore.

I:Yeahit’sreallygood,youcancheckthetemperatureandforhowlonghehasbeenasleep.

K:Sothereissomedeviceinthepram?ItisbyBluetooth?

I: Yeah. It is really smart cause you always have your iphonewith you and then you only need thesmalldevice.

K:It’scool,Ilikeit.

R:Yeahit’smorepracticalthantheoldones

I:Yeah,unlesstheiphonerunsoutofbattery(laughing)

R:Haveyoutriedthat?

I:Torunoutofbattery?Yeah(laughing).Butpeoplealwaystendtohaveaniphonecharger.

(KateistalkingaboutherSamsungmobilephoneandcharger)

K:Thatishowitworkstodaywithtechnology.

I:YeahIknow,it iscrazy.Itwasmyboyfriend.Hegotthejobtofindthebabyalarm.Sohewaslikewhichoneisbest?Buthelikesallthetechnology.

R:Sohelikesthetechnology?

I: Yeah the lights are also connectedwith the iPhone, so you can turn it up and down and changecolours(laughing)

R:Wow,thatiscool.

I:(Laughing)Yeahitislikestuff,youdidn’tknewyouneeded,right?

R:Yeahexactly…Ok,soIwroteyoualittlebitwhatwearewritingabout,butIwilljustexplainyoualittle.SowearewritingabouthowfirsttimemothershereinCopenhagenfromtheGenerationY.Howtheyuseandlookuponandthinkaboutbabyclothesbrands.Andhowyouexperienceit…yeahthingslikethat…IalsoIwillneedtoremembertosaythatitisanonymous,sodon’tbeafraidofsayanything,feelfreetobehonest(laughing).Soyeah,wepreparedsomesmallquestions,butwealsowantittobelikeaconversation,sonotsostiff.Butyeah,wecanstartbyaskingyou,ifyoucanexplainjustreallyshortlyhowithaschangedyoutobecomeamother?Ifyouthinkithas?

I:Yeahinsomeways,definitely.Ihavetowakeupalotearlier(laughing)andsleepalotless.Andthatchangesyou,Ithink.ButIdefinitelybecomemoreawareofsmallstuff,whatisreallyimportant.Forinstance,yeah familyandbe there. I thinka lotaboutwhere Ishouldputmytime.Somaybethat issomething that has changed. Because I used to do a lot of volunteerwork, because I started a newcompanytogetherwithmyfriend,buttherearenomoneyinit,andthenIhadmyjobnexttoitandalsothestudying.Sorightnow,I’mthinking“wow,thisiswaytoomuch”,becausewhendoIhavethetimeformyfamily?Ididn’tthinkaboutthatsomuchbefore.SonowIhavetocutdownonsomethethingsinordertogetmoretime.Somaybethatissomethingthathaschanged.ButIstilltryto…Ilovetotravel.AndIstillwanttodothat.

R:Haveyoudoneit?

I:Yeah,wewenttotheStates,whenhewas2months.Wewenttherefor3weeks,anddidaroadtripandpeoplewere like “Areyouinsane,youcan’tdothatwithababy” , but itwasactually reallyeasy,becausehejustslept.

K:Yeah,thenitwasperfect,thathelikesthecarrides,becauseIknowsomebabiesthatdon’t liketodriveandbecomessick(laughing)

I:Yeah,hewasn’tsofoundofitatnight.Hecriedalotatnights(laughing).Butyeahitwasfine.IwearegoingtoTurkey inApril. Ireallywanttotravel,soI trytostaythesameifyoucandothat.Butsometimesitishard.

(Talkingaboutpricesforflightticketsforbabies)

I:Idon’tknowifitchangedme?IthinkthatIhadareallyhardtimegettingusetothestampmother(laughing).Peopleweresaying“OhIda-mom”(laughing).AndIwas like“Don’tcallmethat!”.I’mnotjustamom,I’mstillme.SointhatwayIbecamemoreaware.

R:Sodidyouseeitasanegativethingwhenthey?

I:Hmmnonotanegative.Ijustdidn’twantedittobejustmom.Yeahyouknow?CauseyeahwhenI’mwithhimofcourseI’mamom,butwhenI’moutwithmyfriendsI’mnot,I’mstillIda(laughing).SoIjusthadtogetusedtoit.It’smuchbetternow,butinthebeginning-Imeanthefirst4months,itwasreallyreallyhardformetobenamedthat.

R:Doyouthinkthatpeoplereacteddifferentlytoyouafteryoubecameamom?Likeyourfriends?

I:Hmm..,itisdefinitelythetopiceverytimewemeet.Yeahthat’swhatwetalkabout.AndIreallywanttohearwhatishappeningoutside(laughing).Tellmehowitisintheoutsideworld,whatisgoingonwithyou.Andtheyarelikehowisit likewiththebaby.Ithinkit ismaybebecauseI’mthefirstone.Because I’m the first of allmy friends, so they are really interested in hearing. I don’t know, but Iimaginethatifeveryonehadababy.Itwouldofcoursebeatopicaswell,butitwouldbeinadifferentway.Andpeopletheyreallywanttohelpalot,whichisreallynice!AndItakeadvantageofitaswell(laughing).Ofcourse,Imeanwhentheyhavekids,theywon’thavethetimetohelp(laughing).But…insomewayithaschangedmeyeah.

R:whatabout,nowwearetalkingaboutjustbeingamom,buthowdoyouthinkitis?Howdoyouseeyourselfasamom,orlikewhatkindofmomdoyouthinkyouare?

I: Yeah, I’ve been thinking about that a lot as well, because we have all this like ecological mindthinking,likebeingsustainableandeverything.WhichIhavebeenpunkedintothinkingfromCBSandeverywhereelseandfriends.Youknow“thinkaboutsustainability”,anditisreallyimportant.Imean,when he has towear clothes for instance, I go and buy ecological. If I can choose between buyingecologicalandnon,Iwouldbuyecological.ButIdon’t…I’mnotthekindofmom,whoislikeonlythatkindofstuff.Andwithvegetables,ofcourseIwanttofeedhimwell.Isitcalledecological?

R:Organic

I:Organic,organic.Ibuyorganicvegetables.ButI’mnot,ifthereisn’tanyorganic,thenIwouldbuytheother ones. And we talked a lot about…I have this group of mothers, where we meet. From thebeginningwetalkedalotabouthowimportantitisthatthehomedoesn’tneedtobeallcleanforus.And you don’t have to like dress up or anything like that. We just need to be very chilled abouteverything,andthatsuitsmeverywell.

K: Are youmore stressed? Or like. You said youwere timed pressured. You said that you need toorganisemoreyourtime,butdoyoufeelmorestressedorsomething?

I:Actually, I’vealwaysbeenanon-stressfulperson. I’vealways liked tobeverychilledand in somewaysIkeepthat.IthinkI’mnotthatstress,becauseIthinkalotaboutit.IthinkalotthatIdon’twanttobelikethisstressfulmom.SomaybeIthinkmoreaboutthesethingsthanIdidbefore.Ijustwasn’tverystressed.Butinsomeways,Idon’tknow.Ofcourseyougetmorestressedwhenyoudon’tsleepalot.Youknow,thattricksyourmind.Soinsomewaysyes,butasapersonIwouldn’tsaythat.No,I’mnotstressed.

K:That’sgood.

I:YeahItrytotakeonedayatatime.Idon’tplantomuch.Ialwaysmakeopenplans.

R:Soyoucanrearrangethem?

I:Yeahexactly.YeahsoIdon’tfeellikethatIneedtobethere.Andpeopleunderstandit.ButI’mreallyprivilegedthatIdon’thavetogotoworkinafewmonths.BecauseifIhadtogo,thenIthinkIwouldbemorestressed.

R:Yeah,causesomeonlyhavelike6monthsofmaternityleave.

I:Yeahexactly,causenowI’mlike“yeahI’mnotdoinganythinguntilSeptember,sowhendoyouwanttomeet?Idon’thaveanyplans”(laughing).FromnowtillSeptember.Sotohavethatthoughtitmakesmemorerelaxed.

K:SoinSeptemberyoustartschool,whenthesemesterstarts.

I:Yeah,IstarttoworkinAugustorJuly,butIgetmoneyfromthegovernmentuntiltheendofJuly.

R:Whenishefrom?

I:Heisfrom31stofAugust.Sothatisverynice.Andmaybealso…Idon’tknowifIshouldmentionit,butThomasmyboyfriend, he is a drummer.Heplaysdrumsprofessional, sohe is homea lot. Likeduring Monday to Thursday and Sunday as well. He only works in the weekends, sometimes andsometimeshepracticeduringthedays.ButIthinkthathelpsalot.Causethenwearetwoinit.BecauseIknowa lotofpeoplewherethehusbandsorboyfriendsgotowork from7:30andcomehomelike17:30.AndIcouldn’timaginedoingthat.SoI’mreallyluckythatheishome.IthinkmaybethatisalsowhyIm…

R:I’malwaysthinking,thatsometimesitmustbeboringtositaloneintheend.Likenothaveanyoneelse.

I:Yeah,butthentherearesomanygroups,whereyoucanmeetwithothermoms.

R:Ahthatistrue.

I:Butyeahdefinitely.Iwouldbereallylonely,Ithink.ButitisactuallyalsoreallygoodthatIamyoung,Ithink.Becauseallmyfriendsareeitherstudyingor,Idon’tknow,havemoreenergy(laughing).Theydon’thavekids,sotheyhavetimetomeetduringtheday.IfIwasolderandweallhadafulltimejob,nobodycouldmeet.Sothatisalsosomethingthatisreallyreallygood.

K:It’snicecauseitseemslikeyoucanbalancelifeandlifeasmom.

I:Yeah.YouknowbeforeIusedtogooutFridays.AndIjusttalkedtoafriendyesterday,andshewasaskingmeifIwantedtogotothisgalleryopening,butIjustmadeplanswithmymom,stayinghomeandwatchX-factor(laughing).SoIwaslike“No,I’mwaytotiredtodothat”.Soithaschangedmelikethat.Youknow,IusedtobereallyfreshuntilmidnightandnowIamtiredat20.00(laughing)

K:Itisunderstandable

R:Yeah ifyouareawakeatnightaswell.Andregarding likebabyclothes,howdidyouknowinthebeginningwhattobuyanddidyouthinkaboutit?

I:HowdidIknow?Iactuallystarted…IthinkthatthefirstthatIboughtwasfromFøtex,actually.Theyhavethisline,whichiskindofpopular,alsoorganic.Ican’tactuallyrememberthename.AndIbought

it from there, so Iwas like “ofcourseyoucanbuyclothesfromFøtex”. I’mnota shamedof that.AndKvicklyalsohasagoodline,itiscalledFriends,Ithink.Itisreallypopularaswell.ButIthinkthatIgotmyinspirationfromInstagram.IusealotofInstagram,checkingoutthesethings.

R:Aretherethensomespecificpersonsthatyouarefollowingthen?

I:Yeah,thereisonecalledKidsworldDK.Theyhavealotofdifferentlinesandmakeitnice.SometimesIfollowwomen,whohavekids,buttheyaremorelikefromabroad.Soyoucan’treallybuytheclotheshere.

R:Butmaybeyoucanseesomethingsimilarandgetinspiration

I:ExactlyandthenIalsogotsomeclothesfrommycousins.Theyalsohadsomeboys.SoIwasreallyluckytogetalotofclothesfromthem.Butwhatwasthequestionagain?

R:Iaskedinthebeginninghowdidyouknowwhatyouneededwhattobuy?

I:ThenIalsoaskedalotandIgoogledalot.Like“Whatdobabiesneed?“.Itisreallysimplylikethat(Laughing). You ask Google somany stupid questions (laughing). Like “Whatdomybabyneed”andthentherewasalonglist,like10bodiesand5pairsoftrousers.

K:Buthowdidyouknow,becauseyoudidn’tknowthesize?Soyouboughtitbigger?

I:Iboughtdifferentsizes.

R:Didyoubuyalotbeforehegotborn.

I:No,notalot.Idon’tthinkso.Imaybehadlike10bodiesandsomeindifferentsizes.Butitwaslikesize56Ithink.Iboughtmostlythatsize.BecauseInewhewascomingoutatthetime.AndIwasreallybig,whenIwasborn,andmybrotherwasreallybigandThomaswasreallybig,soIknewitwasn’tasmallbaby.Andsomeoftheclothes,thatIbought,hecouldn’tfit.Hewaswaytobig.

K:Howbigwashe,whenhegotborn?

I: Hewas 4,2 kg and hewas really, really long. He still is. He is one of the biggest babies frommymothersgroup(laughing). I justweightedhimandhewas like9kgrightnow.Andhe just turned6months.

K:Wow

R:Sohe’sabigboy.

I:Yeahhe’sabigboy.ButIdidbuysomeclothes.Iwouldn’tsayalotofclothes.CauseIalsothinkthatitisweirdtobuyclothesforsomeonewhoisnotthere

K:YeahIsee.

I: There is this kind of a superstition. Like “You can’t buy stroller, you can’t buy stuff for your babybefore,becausethatwillbringbadluck”.

K:Sodidyouleaveitattheshop?

I:No,actuallymymomgotsomeofit.AndthenIwaslike“nothatisstupid”,butsometimesitgetsinmyhead,butothertimes.

K:Yeahcauseyouwouldn’twanttojinxit,right?

I:Yeah,butactuallyclothes,Iwaslike“yeahyoucanbuyclothes”(laughing).Ionlythoughtitwasbigthings.

R:IthinkitisaveryDanishtradition,atleastwiththestroller.

K:YeahcauseIneverheardaboutit.

R:Iwasactuallyboughtamonthbefore,somyparentshadn’tboughtanythingatall(laughing).

I:Thatisthesamewithmyfriend.Theygavebirthlike5weeksbefore,sointheweekendtheyneededtogooutandbuyeverything.

R:Yeah, thatwasthesamewithmyparents.Thehospitalactuallysaid, that theywouldtakecareofme,sothatmyparentscouldgooutandbuythings.

I:Really,yeahthatisgood.

R:Yeah,butthatwasbackthen.

I:Yeah,butIreallywantedtohavealotofthethingsready.Ithinkitwouldbereallystressfulforbenottohavethebasicthingsready.ButthenagainImean,youmanage,right?I thinksometimesyoubuy.YouknowIhavethisknowledge,thatIneverthoughtIwouldknow.Iknowallthebrandsofthestrollersandwhattheycanandcan’tdo(laughing).Beforehewasborneven.Andwecheckedoutsomanythings,anditwaslike“ohyoualsoneedthisone,ohyoualsoneedthatoneandyoualsoneedthatone”andyoubasicallydon’tneeditsoyeah.

R: Do you think like that there are a lot of things that you maybe don’t need, but because ofcommercial,youthinkyouneedit?

I: Iwouldn’tsaycommercials. Iwouldmoresaywhatotherpeoplesayandsuggest.Yeahmouth-to-mouth.Ithinkthatiswhataffectsmethemost.Andmaybepeoplewanttomakesenseofit,thattheyboughtsomethingreallyexpensivethattheymaybedidn’tuse(laughing).Like“ohthisisthebestthing,youcannotlivewithoutit,we’veuseditSOmuch”. Andsometimes I’m like “didyoureally?”,but thenagainIdowantthebestformykid,right?Youalwayshavethatinmindeventhoughyouknowthatinothercountries,theystillmanagewithoutallofthesecrazystuff.

K:Sodidyoubuysomethingsyoudon’tneednow?

I:Actuallythisone(pointingatahangingcradle).Iactuallyborrowedthatone.I’mgladIdidn’tbuyit,cause I think it is like 1.700DKK. Butwe didn’t use it thatmuch. Itwas nice to have butwe justborroweditfromsomeone.ButIdon’tknowifIboughtanything.IbuyatReshopper,Iusedthatalot.Ibasicallyalmostbuyalmosteverythingthere.Notclothes,butanythingelseIbuyatReshopper.

R:Doyoubuyusedclothes?

I: Yes, at Mødrehjælpen. I use these shops a lot. I really like them because it is really nice, it’s allwashed. There are these different shops around the city, and they always have nice stuff. And it isreally,reallycheap.AndIknownow,thatthebabywearstheclothesforlike4weeks(laughing).Andtheyhavea lotofclothes,sotheydon’tget towearthemmorethanmaybe5times.So it isnot thatused.OfcourseIdon’tliketobuytheclothes,whereyoucanseethatithasbeenusedalot.ButIknowforafactnow,thattheydon’twearitthatmuch.SoIwoulddefinitelybuymoreusedclothesforthebabythanformyself.

K:Doyousellsomeofitlater,likewhenhegrowup?

I:Liketheclothes?I’mactuallynotsosureifIwanttoselltheclothes.Iamsellingtheotherthings–orsomeofit. Idowantmorekids,butIdon’tknowwhen,soI’mnotsurehowsmartitwillbetokeepthings.CauseitmighthavechangedwhenI’mhavingthesecondone(laughing)

K:Anditmightbeagirl

I:Yeahitmightbeagirl,but

R:Butyoudon’twanttoselltheclothes,yousaid?

I:No,Iliketoeithergiveitorlikegiveittootherpeople,orborrowitandtheycangiveitback.

R:Doyouthinkitisbecauseyoufeelmoreattachedtotheclothesthanthethings?

I:Yeahprobably.Andsomeoftheclothes,Idefinitelywanttokeepformyself.I’mgonnapickoutsomeof it. Idefinitelywanttokeepsomeof it.LikeIhaveit like“ohthisoneremindsmeofthis”.Iactuallyattacha lotofstories to theclothes–andalso formyself.AlmosteverythingaIhave forme, IknowwhereIboughtitandwhoIwasbuyingitwith.Sothereisalways.

R:Soitremindsyouofspecialthings?Alsotheclothesyouhave?

I:Yeah,yeah.AndIactuallyjustgotasweater–areally,reallyniceone.Madebyhisgrandmother,myboyfriend’smom.AndIputitinthewashingmachineanditshrank,andIwasjustsosad,Iwaslike“Nooo,thatwasmyfavouritesweater”.SoIdoputalotofthoughtsintoit.

K:Soyoureallythinkaboutwhatheisgonnawearorthingslikethat?Youputalotofattentiontoit

I:Yeah,causeIdon’tknow.Itsoundsreallystupid.Becausehedoesn’tknowwhatheiswearing.Hedoesn’t care ifhe iswearingpink (laughing).Butyouknow,you lookathimall the time, soyoudowanthim,orIdowanthimtolookniceandsweet.Andyoucandothatwithclothes.

R:Yeah.Doyoudresshimdifferentlywhenyougooutthanyoudowhenyouareathome?

I:Hmm…Sometimes,Imeanthatdepends.Idohavesomethings,thatIhaveboughtnewinthestores,andItendtotakecareofitmore,andItendtoputitonhimwhenwearedoingsomethingimportant,for instanceabirthdayparty.Thenhe isdressedmorenicely,so Idothinkabout itactually.So Idohavesomespecialpatterns.

K:Doyoutakephotoofitinordertorememberwhathewaswearingatcertainbirthdayparties?

I:Hmm..No, I do, actuallywhen I take pictures.Now I’m really honest, right?( Laughing).When I’mtakingpictures,Idoactuallythinkalotofwhatheiswearing.Icouldmaybeifhelooksreallycuteinsomething,andIknowIwanttakeapictureofhim,thenI‘mgonnaputitonhim(laughing).Andthenhemaybedidn’twore it like twohoursago. So I justputup (onFacebookand Instagram) thisblueoutfit.AndIjustwantedtotrythishatonhim,soIwaslike“itlooksreallycute,itwilllookcutewiththeblue”andthenIputitonandtookapictureofit.SoIdoyeah…dresshim(Laughing).

R:Doyouthinkyouthenunconsciouslymaybe,thinkaboutwhatotherpeoplewillthink?

I:Yeah,definitely.Becauseyoudoitforyourself,butwhenyougoout,oryoushowapicture.Youalsodoitforotherpeople,insomeway,right?Imean…Iknowthatpeoplewillthinkhelookscuteeitherway,ifhewearsagrey,green,orbluesweater.ButIthinkinsomewayyeah,youdoitnottopleaseothers,butyouknowtheyaregonnawatch,soyouthinkaboutit.

R:DoyouthinkthatwhentheyseeFrederikinareallysweetoutfit, thentheyalsosomethingaboutyouasamother?Doyouthinktheymaketheconnectionaboutwhatheiswearingandhowyouareasamother?

I: I think that…yeah because sometimes you see kids that are dressed in like hippie sweaters andoveralls,andthenyouthink“ohthat’samother,thatishippy-ish”(laughing).Becauseyoudothinkthatwhenyouseeakid, that is like in jeans,ablazerandashirt.ThenI’m like“ok,thatisamom,thatismaybelikeabusinessmom,thatwantstodresshimuplikethat”.Soyoudolike…itdoesaffect. If IseekidsIdothinklikethat,somaybepeoplewillthinklikethisaswell,whentheyseemykid.Ithinkthat,I’mnotsureifIdresshim,togetotherpeopletoseehowIam.Itisnotlikethat.AndIknownowsomeof thebrands,baby clothesbrands.And Ididn’tbefore. Imean it is somethingyouknowwhenyoubecomeamom,and it changesyour interests.And Ididn’t thoughtabout itbefore,when Iwasn’t amom, Ididn’t like lookedatotherkidsandthinking“OhheiswearingthatkindofbrandandohheisonlywearingH&M”. Ididn’t thoughtabout itatall.ButnowIknow,soIcanseesomeofthebrands,like“ohheiswearingabrandedshirt,soitmustbearichmom.Idon’tknowifitisnew,butitiskindofexpensivebabyclothes”.SonowIbecomemoreawareofthebrandsofbabyclothes.

R:AlsowhatyouputonFrederik,or?

I:Hmm…yeah…Idon’tknow.Idon’tknow,actually.BecauseIhavealotofthingsfromFøtexandIbuyalotofthingsfromthethriftstores.ButofcourseInotice,whenIputsomeniceonwithabrandnameinhisneckorinfrontofit.I’mnotsureifInoticelike,ifIthinkaboutitthatmuch.

R:Doyouprefertobuybrandedclothescomparedtonon-brandedclothes?

I:Hmm…Ido,because Ibelieve that someof thedesignsarealsonicer.Andsomeof the fabricsaresofterandsomethinglikethat.Andofcourse,Idon’tknow…Iusedtoworkindifferentbrandedshops.IusedtoworkatBurberry,andinAcneStoreandinWoodWood,soI’vealwaysbeeninterestedinit.Sothatmaybealsoaffectsme.Butthenagainfromthereandtogooutandshopthesekindofnewsthings.Idon’tdothat,becauseIdothinkthattheprices...forme,maybeitisbecauseIdon’thavethatmuchmoney.Idon’tknow..Hmm..I’mastudent.Anditisreally,reallyexpensive,so…Ithoughtaboutactually.Thatisalsoanotherthing,rightnowfromnow,likefromwhenhewasbornanduntilIdon’tknow1year,hegrowssofast.Itisinsane,soI’vebecomereallycheap.

K:Yeahmaybeitisalsopracticalinacertainway?

I:Yeah,Idon’twanttospendthatmuchonclothes,becauseIknowheisonlygoingtowearitlike5-6times,andthenhegrowsoutofit.SoIthoughtaboutifIwantedtobuyclothesthatisreallyniceandmaybemoreexpensive,thenIwillwaituntilheisactuallyreadytowalk.Becausenowheislikelayingdown.Itisstupid,becauseheisgrowingoutofitinnotime.SoIdefinitelythinkaboutthatwhenhegetsabletowalkaround,IthinkIwillthinkevenmoreaboutwhatheiswearing.

K:Canyoualso tellus,what is thenormalprocesswhenyoubuyclothes?Wheredoyou lookatorwheredoyougoshoppingorthingslikethis?

I:Actuallyclothes,IshopmostlyatMødrehjælpen.Andthisisdefinitelyoneofmyfavouriteshopstogoto,becauseyoucanalsofindbrandedclothes.

K:Isitastoreoronline?

I:It’sastore.Igotothestore.WhenIgoonlineIneverbuyanythingonline.Idoitforinspiration.Iactuallyspendalotoftimegoingtoallthesewebsites.Itisactuallysostupid(laughing).

R:Whatkindofwebsitesarethey?

I: Especially that one, Kidsworld. But it is just for the clothes, that I look at. It is not inspirationalpictures.Itisjustbasicclothes.

R:Anditisalldifferentkindofbrands?

I: Yeah they have all different kinds of brands. Hmm.. And then I get inspiration, but I never buyanything,andIalsogoalotactuallytoH&M.Igototheirwebsites,becauseIthink.AndZaraaswell.Cause I think theyhavea lotof sweetandcool clothes. It isnot cheap. I stilldon’t think it is cheap,actually.Ithinkitisquite.Idon’tknowifitisexpensive,butitisnotcheap.SoIgothereandifIreallyfindsomethingandthink“Ohmygodthisisreally,reallycute”,thenI’mgonnagoandbuyit.ButIdon’tbuyitonline,Igotothestore.AntthenofcourseIgetinspirationwhenIgodowntoMødrehjælpen,andsometimesIbuysomething,ifIseeitandIlikeit.AndsometimesIdon’t,becauseyeah.

K:Yeah,butdoyoulookwhatitismadeof,orqualityor?

I:Ialways,Ialwayslookatwhatitismadeof.Always!Iactuallywouldn’tbuyanythingwithpolyesterinit.I’mreallyawareofthatitiseitherwoolorcotton.Ithinkalotaboutthat.Ido!

R:Sowhenyouaresearchingorlookingforbabyclothes,whatisthemostimportant?Whatareyoumostlookingat?

I:Imostlylookatwhatitismadeof.Formeitisimportantthatitismadeofcotton.AndthenIlookatthedesign.

K:Doyoulikespecialcoloursorpatterns?Aretheresomethingyoulikeverymuchorsomethingyoudon’tlikeatall?

I:Hmm…Idon’tlikeifithastoomanycoloursinit(laughing).IthinkitisprobablytheNorthernthing,Idon’tknow.TheNordicstyle.

K:Butcoloursyoubuyanything,frompinktogrey?

I:Idon’tthinkIwouldbuypink.Butwedohavethisduvetcover,whichThomas’mommadeforus.Anditislikewithalldifferentkindofcolours.Shelovescolours,shereallylovesthem!Andtherewaslikealot,alot,alotofpinkinit,butalsogreenandblue-butalotofpink.AndIwaslike“hecan’tsleepinthat”.Itiswaytogirlish!AndthenIthink.Maybe,actuallythatisalsosomethingIthink;thatifIputthatout,andwewalkonthestreet,andthenpeoplewillkeepaskinglike“ohisitagirlorisitaboy”,becausepeopleaskthat.BecauseIknowthatifIdresshiminallblue,thenpeoplewillknowthatheisaboy.Soitiseasier.Soactually,thatisalsosomethingIthinkabout.

R:Doyoutendtodresshimalotinblue?

I:Yeah Ido.Cause rightnowhehasanorangehaton.And Iknow ifhe is going towear itoutside,peopledon’tknowwhetherifitisaboyoragirl.ButIalsohaveablueone,andifIputthaton,andIalsohaveabluepacifier,peoplewillknowitisaboy(laughing).SoyeahactuallyIdothinkaboutthecolours.Greenandblueandwhiteandgrey,yeah.

K:Yeah,whataboutred?Isitmoreforgirls?

I:No, I actually like red,but Idon’t think theymake thatmany red things forboys. Idohavea redsweaterandalsoanorangeone.AndIactuallylikeredforboys,Ialwayslovedredforboys.Butitishardtofind,becausethenyoumighthavetoactuallygoandbuytheexpensiveones.BecauseifyouwanttobuyatH&M,alltheredandpinkarealmostforgirls–likedressesandthesestuff.Andagain,atMødrehjælpen,youdon’tknowwhatisinit,causeit isusedclothes,soyouneverknowwhatyougonnaget,right?Andtheydon’thavealotofthesamestuff.

R:Aretheresomebrandsthatyouthinkyouwouldneverbuy?Becausethat’sreallynotyou?

I: Yeah…I don’t know. I notice because I went to Ilum, when there was sales in the beginning ofJanuary.BecauseIthought,maybeIcangetsomenicedesignerclothesforkidsreallycheap.Itwasn’tcheapeventhoughitwasonsales(laughing)butthenIwaslike“ohthereisaBurberryjacketforkids”-Iwouldneverbuythat!Ithinkthatisinsane.Icouldneverlikespendthatmuchmoneyonit.

R:Isthatmainlybecauseitistooexpensiveorisitwhatitstandsfor?

I:Yeah,maybealsowhatitstandsfor.Butthenagain,IdohaveaRalphLaurenT-ShirtIboughtinthestates,so…

K:Thereitismuchcheaperthanhere,isn’tit?

I:Yeah,definitely.But thenagain, italsostands for thesamething.BurberryandRalphLauren isn’tthatdifferent. Idon’tknow.Yeahit is thedesignthattricksme.There isabrandthatmakesa lotofcoloursandalotofdifferentthings.AndifIfindlikeashirtoranythingthatlooksnice,Iwouldbuyit,maybe.But intotalthedesigndoesn’tsuitmystyle, ifyoucansaythat?YeahI thinkyourownstyleaffectsalotofwhatyouputonyourkid.Yeah.

R:Howwouldyoudescribeyourownstyle?

I:Hmm…Iwouldsaythat…Idon’tknow,itisdifficult…Casualand(laughing).Idon’tknowreally.Iliketobuystuffthatlastlongandspendalittlemoremoneyonthat,forinstancejeansandso.ButthenIalso like trends. Yeah, maybe I’m a just like, yeah a really trend person, cause I do read a lot ofmagazines,andIdo.SowhenIbuytrends, Ibuythemcheaper, IbuythemfromH&MorfromZara,

andthenyoucan,whenyougettiredofit,youcanjustputitaway.Soyeah,maybeadogetaffectedalotoftrends.

K:Butyousay,thatyouwouldneverbuypolyestertoyourbaby,buttoyou?

I:Iusedtoactually,butnowIbecomemoreawareformyself,nottobuypolyester.Butthenagain,IknowcauseIworkedatashop,soIknowthatwhenyouhavealittlepolyesterinit,itwilllastbetterinthewashingmachine.Sothereisactuallysomethinggoodwithpolyester.Iknowthatpolyesterislikeabadword(laughing).Peopledon’tlikethewordandwhatitstandsfor,butIknowforafact,thatitisactuallygood for someclothes.But Iwouldneverbuy100%polyesternowbefore like someyearsago, I didn’t even look inside. But now I do, I’mmore awarewhat Iwearmyself. But Iwouldwearpolyester,yeah.Andprobablywhenhegetsalittlebitolder,hecouldwearsomepolyesteraswell.ButnowI’mlike…I’veheardthatwithinthefirstyear,it’sreallyimportantwhatyouputintoyourkidandwhattheywear.Ialsodon’twearthatmuchperfumethatIdidbefore,becauseIknowthathewouldbereallyaffectedbyit.

R:Wheredidyouhearallofthisfrom?

I:Hmm…basicallytheInternet.Likeall theseInternetpages,whereyoucango,andforums.Yeahallthesecrazystuff(laughing).AndthenI’mlike“yeah,Ihaven’tthoughtaboutthat”andthensomethinglike20otherpeoplethoughtthesamethingasme.

R:Doyouthenwriteintheseforums?

I:No,Ineverwrite,yeahbecausethereisalwayssomeonewhohaveaskeditbeforeme.ButIwouldnever write in it actually. And then you get from Sundhedsplejerske, she also comes with a lot ofbrochures that you can read. The government has somewebpages,where theywrite downwhat isgoodforyourkid,andhowmuchthey...likehowmanyvegetablesshouldtheyeataweekandlikewhatisgoodandwhatisnotgood.Andthereisalsolike“don’tweartomuchperfume”or“washinperfumefree”. So you get a lot of that from anywhere basically, I think. In the States itwas really different.Becausehere alsowithmedicine andeverything,people are like “don’tputmedicineintoyourkid, ifyoucandoitwithout”.AndthenwewenttotheStatesandhehadthisstomachproblem,andInoticedthatpeoplewerelike“yeah,justgivehimsomepills”andIwasjustlike“Noyoucan’tdothat,heisjustasmallbaby”(laughing).Sotheyhaveadifferentviewonit.Andwhentheywashedclothes,theywouldjustbe like“ohitsmellssonice”andI’mjust like“It’snotsupposedtosmellandthereisperfumeinit”(laughing).Sotheydon’tcareaboutthis.SoInoticedadifference.

K:Definitely!

I:AndIalsogotalotofclothestohimfromFrance,becauseIgotsomefriends.AndthentheywenttoFrance,andthereisalotofpolyesterinitandIwaslike“Iwouldneverputlikeanightsuitonhimin100%polyester,becauseInowyoucan’treallybreathinit”.

R:Anddidyougetthatasapresent?

I:Igotthatasapresent,butIneverusedit(laughing).Ihaven’ttoldher,Iwouldn’ttellher.

R:Haveyougotanyotherpresentswhereyoudidn’tlikedit,oryouthinkitwassomethingthatyouwouldn’tputonhim,butyoudiditanyway?

I: (Laughing)Yeah I actually do. Like aweek agomymombought somepants for him, and I didn’tthoughtitwasthatnice.AndthenIwasgoingvisitingher(laughing)andIknowthatshewouldloveforhimtohaveiton,soIputiton,andshewasreallyhappy(laughing),andthenwhenwegothome,Itookthemof(laughing).Soyeah!

R:Wasitbecauseyoudidn’tlikethestyle?

I: yeah,yeah. Idon’t likewhen it is toobaggy (Laughing).And itwas reallybaggyandhadall thesedifferentpatcheson(laughing).Butpeopletendtobuyalotofclothesforyouaspresents.SoIgotalotofclothesforhimaspresents.

K:Buthaveyoutoldpeoplelikedon’tbuyanypolyester,or?

I:No,Iactuallydidn’t.Idon’tknow,maybeIshould.Butitwasactuallyonlyoneperson,whogotit.Ithinkeveryoneelsegaveme100%cotton.Yeah,becauseyoudon’tfindalotofitintheDanishbrands.Idon’tthinkyoucanfindalotofthingswithpolyester.Itisalmostonly100%cottonandwool.Yeah.

K:Whatabouttoys?Iwasjustwonderingifitismorewoodenthingsthanplastic?

I:Yeahdefinitely.ThereisthisBrio,whichisverypopularwithallthesewoodthings.Idefinitelylikethewoodthingsbetter,becauseIknowthatitisbetterforhimnottohaveallthesechemicals.ButIthinkthatinDenmarkitishardtofind,becausewehaveaverystrictpolicyaboutthat.SoIthinkthatitishardtofindthingsthatarebadforyourkid.

K:Eventhoughitisplastic?

I:Yeah,eventhoughitisplastic.

K:I’mjustthinkingthatifitisplastic,thenitisbettertowash?

I:Definitely.Ialsoputsomeofthetoysinthemachineonce.Andtheylikeplasticbetter.Thethingisactually, that they like colours. If babies could chose, they would chose colours all over, Ithink(laughing). So I think that if they could choose betweenwood and plastic thingswith colours.Theywouldchosetheplasticones.

R:ItlooksmorefunIguess

I:Yeahitdoes(laughing).

R:Whataboutlikedoyoutalkwithothersaboutbabyclothes?

I:Hmm…noactuallynot.ButIdon’tknowifitisbecausemyfriendsdon’thaveanykids.

R:Yeahthatcouldbe.

I:Imighttalkwiththemiftheyhadkids,probably.Youknow,wehavethismothergroup,butIdon’tthinkabout.No,wenevertalkedaboutclothes.Butthatisalsobecausethatwefromthebeginning,thefirsttimewemet,wewerereally like,asIsaidbefore,thatwereallywantedtobeverymuchaboutthat itdoesn’tneedtobeallperfectandeverything,andweshouldn’t likebragabout“lookwhatwejustbought,”“or lookhowgoodheis,becausehecandolikethis”.Weactually talkedaboutnotdoing

that,becausesomeof themomswouldmaybebea littlesad if theycouldn’tdo itor if theycouldn’tafford it. Sowe never talked about it. Butmaybe it is becausewe from the beginning said thatweshouldn’ttalkaboutit.Havingspecialbrands.

K:Inyourmothergroup,areyouallstudents,orisitmixed?

I: Yeah,here inNørrebro, yougetmothers just around the corner, basically - if youare lucky.YeahbecausehereinNørrebrotherearesoooomanymoms,andtheyarealllikefirsttimes,yeah.Andyouonly get in groupswith othermomswho have their first kid. But actually inmy group they are allstudents.

R:Ohthatisnice!

I:Yeah,becausemycousin,sheis31andshelivesatFrederiksberg.Andsheiswithalotoflawyers,andtheyaresodifferenttoher.BecauseIknowshehasmoremoney,becauseshehasafulltimejob.But in ours we don’t have that much money. Actually we all live in a 2-room apartment, like thisapartment. Yeah almost all of everyoneof ushave the sameamount ofmoney, I think.Wehaven’ttalkedaboutit,but

R:Yeahifyouareallstudents,youallgetthesameamountinSU,Ibelieve.

I:Yeah,andwearefrom.Theagesarefrom23uptill31.

R:Yeah,soyouareallquiteyoung.Whatabout.Now,I’mjustskipping,justbecauseIlookatsomeofthequestions,wehavehere.Arethereaspecificpieceofclothesthatyoufeelreallyconnectedwith?

I:Hmm…Likewhatdoyoumean?

R:Like,morethananyother,youreallylikespecificallythatpiece.

I:IwouldsaythatifIdidgooutandbuysomepantsthatwasexpensiveorbranded,Itendtolikeitbetter,becauseIputmoremoneyintoit(laughing).AndIputmyownthoughtintoit.Becauseifyougoouttobuyinashop,therearesomanydifferentstylesandyoucanchosewhateveryouwant.Soyoudefinitelychosetheoneyoufindverycuteorveryniceandyoutendtoputitonhimmore,thanifyoujustgotoathriftstoreandbuywhateveristhere.Becausethereyoucannotchoose,youcanonlychosebetweenwhatisthere.SoIwouldsayyeah.Idohavesomefavouritethings.Andalso,actually,someoftheclothesthathisgrandmothermadeforhim,becausethatissomethingIknowthatsheputalotofeffortintoit.Butshemakessomereallynicestuffandsomenotsonicestuff(laughing).

R:Doyouthinksheputsherstyleinit?

I:Definitely.But Iactually,because Iwasactuallyreallyafraid thatshewouldmakesomany thingsthatIdidn’tlike,andthatwouldbereallyashame!Becauseshedidputalotoftimeintoitandmoneyaswell.SoIactuallytoldherbeforehewasborn.Itriedtobereallysneakylike“Ireallylikewhenitissimple,butwithsomecoloursinit”or“Ilikestripesnotwithtoomanycolours”.Itriedtotellher,whatIlikedandshelistenedtoit.SoshemadesomethingsthatIreally,really,reallyliked.Andthenagain,shedid like,makeherownthingswithsomeofthestuff.ButIdidactuallytellher,whatI likedinaverysweetway.

R:Soitismoreyourstyle?

I:Yeah,becauseIthinkthatitistoobadtogetitandjustputitontheshelves.

R:Yeah,onethingiswhenyoubuyit,that’sashametoo,butwhenshereallyputsaneffortintoit.

I:Yeahofcourse.ButIfindithardtotellpeoplethatbuysstuff,thatIdon’tlikeit.

R:Arethereanybrandsthatyoulikebetterthanothers,ifwetalkaboutbrands.

I: Yeah, there is thisDanishbrand calledHøst,which is reallynice.But I actually, have ahard timerememberingall thebrands’name.There is also something calledPapfar, I think. And Idon’thaveanythingfromit,butIfollowthemonInstagramandIreallylikealltheclothes.Butitisstillnewforme.Ithinkitisareallybittooexpensive.ButIreallylikeallthestylestheypick.Butfromthereandthen to buy it. But Imightwhenhe has his 1 year birthday, Imightwrite all the things down, likewhichbrandsIlike,andthensaythatIwantclothesfromthesekindsofbrands.

K:Thereisactuallysomekindofapp,whereyoucanliterallyputthelinkstothepieceofclothesyouwantandputitinsomekindofcloudthatotherpeoplecansee.

I:IthinkitisactuallyPostDanmark,whomadeit

R:YeahØnskeskyen.

I:Yeahmycousin,sheusedthat.Sheused it, it isreally,reallysmart.Sheused it,whenshehadherchild togive topeople, and then theycango inandcheck itout, and thenyoucango inasanotherguest,youcangoinandseelike“ohsomebodyalreadyboughtthat”.

K:Ithinkitisnotabadidea.

I:ButIthink,yeahitisgood,butsometimesIthinkitisabitashamebecause

K:Ifitistooexpensive,or?

I:Yeahalsobecauseyouknowexactlywhatyougonnaget.ThereisnosurpriseinitandI liketobesurprised.

K:Aah..thatistrue.

R:Andalsolike,sometimesitisjustmypersonalopinion,butsometimeswhenIgetawholelistofalltheseveryexpensivethingspeopleaskfor,itfeelsalmostlikeabegginglist(laughing).Maybethatisjustmypointofview.

I:No,Iagree.

R:Notwiththingsthatpeoplecanafford,butsometimestheyjustwishfortheseexpensivethings.AndIknowtheyprobablythink“ohyoucangroupalotofpeopletogetherandbuyit”

I: Yeah, but I think that it is also because youdo tend to putmaybe themore expensive things on,becauseyoucannotaffordit,andthenjusthopethatyouwillgetit.ButyeahIdon’tknow.

R:Whatabout…Yousaidyouinheritagesomeoftheclothes.Doyoujusttakeallofitordoyouthenchose?

I:No,Ichose.Yeahsometimes,becausethebrandsarereallydifferentintheshapes,andlikewithyou,youhavesomethingthatfitsyouverywellandit isexactlythesamewithbabybrands.Andsomeofthemare likereallyshortandwideandsomeof themaretall.Someof theclothes that I inheritagewas not verywell fitted for Frederik.My cousins they have kids both of them, and they have verydifferentstylesfortheirkids.Itisreally,really.Youcanreallysee“ok,thisone,comesfromonefamilyand this one comes from the other”. So I tend to mix it actually, because I think I’m a little bit inbetween.

K:Soyouarecreatingyourownstyle.

I:Yeah,yeah.Becausesomeofthemarereallylike,toobaby-ishIthink,andsomeofthearewaytooboy-ish.Idon’tknow(laughing).SoIdefinitelychoose.Idon’tuselikeeverything.AndalsowhenIgotthebag,shewasalsolike“justtakewhateveryouwantandifyoudon’tlikesomeofit,thenjustgiveittootherpeopleorthrowitout”.

R: Do you do something with it before you put it on Frederik? Like the things you get. Does itsometimesfeellikeyouareputtinganotherperson’sstyleonhim?

I:ThethingisthatwhenIcansmelltheirsmell,youknow?Becauseallpeoplehavedifferentkindofsmells.SothereissomepantsthatIjustputonhimyesterday.Ijustputdownabag,thatIforgotthatIhad,becauseIhadsomuch.AndIwaslike“Ohthereisthesepants.Ohtheyarehissizerightnow”.AndIthoughtthattheylookedsonice,butIcouldsmellmycousin’ssmellanditremindedmesomuchofher,soitactuallyfeltlikethatIputherson’spantsonmyson.

K:Butifyouwashitthesmellstays?

I:Ithinkyouhavetowashitacoupleoftimes.

R:Didyouthenwashitbeforeyougavethemonhim?

I:No,Ididn’twashthemactually.BecauseIknowthatshewashedit.ButifIbuyitinathriftstoresorifIbuynewstuff,thenIalwayswashitfirst.Butyeah…Idon’tknow.SometimesIfeelthatIputtheirstyleonhim.

R:Yeah?

I:Yeah,becauseyoucanreallyseethedifferentstyles.Definitely!TherewasthisoutfitwhenweweregoingtotheStates.Weneededtohavesomeclothesthatwerealittlebitlight,causeitwaswarmoutthere.Andtherewasthisclothes,itwaslikeashorts-suitwithashirtandavestandasmallhat.AndIwaslike,thisisreallycute,butitisdefinitelynotmystyle!AndThomashereallylikedit,andIreallydidn’t.SoIdidn’ttakeitwithus.Iwouldneverputiton.

R:Yoyouhavedifferentstyles?

I:Withsomeofityes.

R:Orisitmainlyyouwhochoosestheclothes?

I:Yeah,itisdefinitelymewhobuyalloftheclothes.Idon’tthink.Actuallyheneverboughtanything.Butalotoftimesheputontheclothes.

K:Sohemakeshisownstyle?

I:Yeahandactually tobereallyhonest(laughing).WhenIwenttothesegroupofmothers,AndI’vebeenupreallyearlyanddoingallstuffandI’vebeenmaybealittlestressedinthemorning.AndthenI’vesaid“OhThomas,canyoupleaseputsomeclothesonhim”andif Idon’t likewhatheputtogetherandIdon’thavetimetochangeit.Iwillstillgoout,butthenIwouldsaytotheothermoms“ohitishisdadwhoputtheclothesontoday”(laughing).SoIdoactuallythinkaboutit.Like(laughing)“itisnotmewhoputtheclotheson”.Iheisreallygoodatit.Normallyhethinksalotaboutstylesaswellhimself.SoIthinkhethinksaboutitaswell,maybenotasmuchasme,butyeah.

K:WhenyouwenttotheU.Shaveyoubeentotheshopstheretosearchforbabyclothes?

I:YeahIdid.

K:Istheresomethingthatarenothere?Imeannotconcerningbrandsbutmorelikepieceofclothesthatyou’veneverseenhere?

I:Ithinkyoucanseethatyouarein.WewereinSanDiegoandLAandIthinkthattherewasdefinitelymorebaseballclothes.ItisanAmericanstyle,youcanseethatintheclothesaswell.AndhereyoucanseethatitistheNorthernScandinavianstyle,Youcanseethat.Itismoresimpleandyouknow,nottoomanycolourswithsomeofthebrands.Butyeahyoucouldseeadifference.Andwedidactuallybuyabaseballshirt,becauseitremindsmeoftheStatesandouttrip.SoIwilldefinitelykeepsomeofthat,becauseyoucanseethatitfromtheStates.

K:No,andyoucanprobablynotbuybaseballsshirthere.

I:No,andfootballshirtsandallofthesethings.Ilikecollegestyle.Thereisalotofcollegestyleoverthere,forbabiesaswell.

K:DoyoualsohavetheT-shirts,whereitiswrittenlikeMydadis…

I:Idohavesomeoftheshirts.Yeah,like“thisoneismadeoutoflove”(laughing).Andthereisanotheronewith“Mymomrocks”(laughing).Idohavesomeshirts,yeah.

K:Doyoudoityourself?Becausesomeofthem,youcandesignyourself.

I:No,I’veboughtit.ActuallyIreceivedtwoofthemandboughtonemyself.ButInevermadeit.

R:Haveyouevermadeanypieceofclothesforhim?

I:No,butactually. I’mstartedto.Because I’mnotreallygoodatknitting,butmymother-in-law,shetriestoteachmehowtodoit.ButIdidn’tcomeveryfar(laughing).I’vealreadymademistakes.

R:Thisisactuallyoneofmygoals,whenIfinishstudying.Iwanttolearnhowtoknit.

I: I know, I thought that aswell. I thought “Im’gonnahavesomuchtime”, but then,when youhavedon’thaveanythingtodo,youjustwanttosleep(laughing).Iwouldlovetobeabletodothat,butyeahIalreadymadesomemistakes

(Showingthepieceofclothes,thatshehasstartedknitting).

I:Andshe(mother-in-law)wassosweettobuymeallofthis(pointingatthegarn)

K:Ohsuchagoodcolour!

I:BecauseIalsotoldher,whenwegoout“OhIlikethatcolour” (laughing).Butyeahitisreallynice.Andshereallycaresaboutwhatkindofwoolit isandit ishalfsilkIthink. LookhowfarIgotandIalreadymademistakes.SoIneedtogetpeopletohelpme.

R:I’msureitwillbegood.

I:Itwillbereadyinlike1,5yearorso(laughing).

R:Soyoujustneedtomakeitextralarge.

I:Iknow,right?

K:Oritisforthesecondbaby.

I:Butyeah,thatistheonlythingImade.

K:Iwasactuallywondering.Doyouknowthatthereisaservicewhereyoucanrentbabyclothes?

I:No

K:Iheardaboutit,thatitissomewherehere.Itisonlineandyoucanrentitforamonthorsomething,becausebabiesaregrowingsomuch.

I:Itsoundsreallygood.Isitlikenewclothesyoubuyorisitlike?

K:No,actuallyitisused.

R:Ithink…Idon’tknowwhichoneyouaretalkingabout,butwe’vebeentryingtosearchalittleforitandthereisalsoonewheretheysendyouapackagewiththesizeforthechildnowandthentheysendyoufivepiecesofclothes,andthenwhenyoucannotuseitanymoreyousenditbackandtheysendyouanotherpackage.

I:Thethingisthatheisreallybig,soheiswayaheadoftime.Thatwouldbeaproblem,iftheysendwhatfits.

R:Probablyyouwritewhichsizeheuses.Butwhatwouldyou thinkabout that?Thatsomeoneelsesendittoyou?

I:Idon’tthinkIwoulduseit.Iliketobeinchargeofwhatheiswearing.Sotobehonest,Idon’tthinkIwoulduseit.BecauseIdothinkalotaboutwhatheiswearing.

K:Iseethesolutionifyoucanpicktheclothesbeforeandthentheysendit.

I:Yeahthatwouldbeagoodidea.

K:ButI’mnotsurehowitworksexactly.

I:YeahIknowtheydoitwithdifferentproducts,likewithmake-up.TheyusethatalotforinstanceinFrance. Where you get a surprise bag every month. But I don’t know if it would work with babyclothes,becauseIdothinkthatmomsareawareofwhattheputon.Theywanttochoseitthemselves.Andyouknowwiththerenting?Ithinkthatmaybeitisagoodidea,butthethingisthatitissocheaptogoandbuyusedclothes.Itcost10DKKforabody,soithastobereallycheap.

R:Yeahalmostsotheportoisalmostmoreexpensive.

I:Exactlybecauseyougetjustsellitagainmaybe.

K:OrIimaginethatitcouldworkifyouhadreallyexpensivebabyclothes.LikewithBurberry.Maybethatwouldwork.ButIcan’tseeforinstanceH&M(laughing)

I:Yeah,thatisright.

R:Haveyoueverboughtanythingonafleamarket?

I:Yeah, I actuallyboughta lot.Actually Iboughta lotof clothesbeforehewasborn,maybe Ididn’tthinkaboutit.Itwasgoodthatyousaidit.Becausewedidbuy.YouknowbecausehewasbornintheendofAugust.Sowehadallthesefleamarketsduringthesummer.Sowedidbuysomeclothes,meandmymomespecially.Wewenttoalotoffleamarketsandboughtsomestuff.AndI’mgonnadoitagainnowinspringandthesummer.Iamdefinitelygonnadoit.

K:CanIaskyouwhatkindofbabyclothesyouhaveboughtthelastmonth,ifyouremember?

I:I’vebought.Whatdoyoumean?Whatkindofbrandsorwhatkindofstyles?

K:Whatkindofpieceofclothesandmaybebrands,ifyouremember.

I: Ibasicallybuyeverythingeverymonth,becausehegrowssofast.Soyeahbodies,andbodieswithlongsleeves,shirts,T-shirts,long-sleevedT-shirts.

K:Doyourememberwhereyouboughtit?

I:ThebodiesIboughtinH&MandinKvickly.Actually,Itendtobuythesimplebodiesinonecolour.Ibuyitinthesupermarkets.Sothecheapones.OrinH&M.Andtheshirts,IbuytheminMødrehjælpen.Because then you can actually get some of the brands way cheaper and also the pants, I buy it inMødrehjælpen.

R:Wouldyoubuysomeofthesweaters,theonesyouhaveontop.WouldyoubuytheminKvicklyorFøtex?

I:Hmm…

K:Orhaveyouboughtit?

I:No,Ihaveactuallyneverboughtanysweaters.Mymomhaveboughtsomeforme.Ohshelovestobuysstuff(laughing).Iactuallystoppedherbecausesheboughtwaytoomuch.Ihadsomuchthatitcouldn’tfitintothedrawers.SoIactuallyhadtostopher.AndIboughtthepyjamasthingforhim.

K:Andhaveyougiveanyoftheclothesaway?Causeyousaidthatyouneversoldit.Didyougiveittosomebodyelse.

I: No, it is actually still there. Cause I don’t know who to give it to (laughing). I could give it toMødrehjælpen,butIfeelthatIwanttosaveitformyfriends.Ididbuysomepresents,IwenttoIlumandboughtabrandedclothes.Butyeah.

R:Ithinkwearegood.

K:Yeahwegoteverything.Thankyouverymuch.

R:Ahisthereanybrandsthatyouexperiencedthataremorepopular?

I:IwoulddefinitelysaythebrandcalledWheet.Itisreallypopular,Ithink.

R:Doesitgivekindofastatustowear?

I:Hmm…I think that itwill show that themothers carewhat the child iswearing. In the sense thatthey.BecauseIknowthatalmostallbabyclothesisorganicand100%cotton.Soitisnotthat,whichstands out. But it ismore that you havemoney and you chose to buy nice clothes for your kid. Somaybeitshowsthat.Yeah,butI’mnotsure.

K:Buthaveyouseenitinyourmothergroupfirstandthenyouboughtit?Orwereyouthefirstwhoboughtit?

I:No,I just.Youknow,againInstagram,definitely.Andyouscrolldownpicturesofotherbabiesandthenyouseeitalot.Andpeoplewerelike“OhI’msohappyforthat”(laughing)and“ourkidsloveit”.Andthenitgetsintoyourheadandthenyouarelike“MaybeI’lllikeitaswell”andthenyougooutandbuythesebrands.

K:Wheredoyoumeetwithyourmothergroup?Isitinyourapartmentsordoyougotoacafé?Orhowdoesitwork?

I:Mostlyapartments

K:Andthenyoupreparefoodorsomething?

I: Yeah, yeah. We tend to make rye bread sandwiches and small snacks, so people can makethemselves. And sometimes we went to a café. We also went to swimming bath. We been doingdifferentstuff.

K:Ahh,soyouaremakingdifferentactivities?Isittheswimmingclasswhereyouswimtogether?

I:Yeah,yeah.

K:Ohitissonice!

I:Yeahitisreallyniceandwewenttothischurch.Thechurcheshavebeenusedalotforbabysinging.Ineverknewthatbefore.

K:Ah.Whatisthat?

R:Yeahcanbabiessing?(laughing)

I:No,theycan’tsing.Butwesingbabysongstogetherforthem.Andyouaretogetheralotofpeopleinagroup.Itsoundscrazyright?

K:No

I:Andthenwealsousethesesoapbubbles,andweblowandtheylookatit.Andthereislikeapianowheretheyplaysongsandtheyhearall thesounds.Yeah.Andit is for free.Becausesometimesyoupayalotforprivatethingsbutinallthechurches.

R:Ahitsoundsreallynice.Haveyouusedit?

I:Yeah,I’veusedit.EveryWednesdayinthemorning.

K:Cool.

R:Yeah,Ithinkthatnowitisgood.

K:Thankyou!

INTERVIEWWITHISABELLAInterviewwithIsabellaChild:Lucas,13monthsLocation:MothersworkplaceinHellerupResidence:Amager(CopenhagenS)Interviewers:RebeccaI:IsabellaR:RebeccaR:Idon’tknowifweshouldjuststart?

I:Yeah

R:Ok,soIcanstartbytellingalittlewhatwearewritingabout,butwearebasicallywritingabouthowfirst timemothershere inCopenhagen,howyouseeanduseandexperiencebabyclothesandwhatyouthinkaboutit.Justhowyouuseitingeneralorifyounoticesomethingspecifically.Butwehavemade some questions, but we also want it to be like a conversation, so I will probably ask somequestions thatarenothere [pointingat the interviewguide].Soyeah, just feel free to interruptandgiveyouropinionandeverything.Hmmm…andalso it is anomonys so just feel free to say anything(laughing)

I:AnythingIwant(laughing)

R:Yeahexactly.Butmaybeyoucanjuststartbyshortlyexplainifyouthinkitchangedyoutobecomeamother?

I:Itwas…IactuallybecameadifferentmotherthatIexpectedtobe.

R:Ah,yeah?Inwhichway?

I:Itisjustbecauseitismore,itismoreemotional.Yougetsomefeelingsthatyoudon’tknow,thatyouhaven’texperiencedthembefore.Andthenyoufeelunconditionallovetothatlittlechild,soyeahitisamazingandyeahIalsogotanotherchildwhatImightexpecttoget.CauseIthoughtIwasgoingtogetachildwhereyoucouldjustgivehimtoeveryone,butwequicklynoticedthatitwasn’tsomethingforhim. He couldn’t handle going from arm to arm, but yeah…It’s been a nice experience, I wouldrecommendittoanyone(laughing).

R:(Laughing)thatisgoodtoknowforthefuture…Soyousaiditwasnotlikeyouexpectedittobe?

I:Yeahitwasjustmore,itwasdifferent.Waymoredifferent,andIbecameamotherwithbigM,really.I’mputtingmyownneeds, it ishisneedsfirstandthenmyneedsdoesn’treallymatter.AndIdidn’tthoughtitwouldbelikethat.Itismuchlike…beforehewenttodaycare,hewasn’ttakencareofbyothers.BecauseIhaven’thadtheneedtogoout,Ididn’thaveaneedtogoouttoacaféwithmyfriendsorIthoughtImighthadthatneed,butIdidn’t.Ijustwantedtospendtimewithhim.

R:Andbefore,didyougooutalotwithyourfriends?

I:Yeah,Ioftenwentoutandoftentrained,andIhaven’treally.Ijustwantedtostaytogetherwithhim,so(laughing).Sothatitistotalotherlife,buthemightwanttobetogetherwithmeforfiveyearsandthenhewantstogooutandplaywithhisfriends,soyeah.Fiveyearsisnotthatlongtime,soI’lljustenjoyit.

R:Yeahexactly.Soyoutouchedalittleuponit,buthowwouldyousaythatyouareasamother?

I:Imightbealittlebit.OnsomepartsIthinkthatImightbealittleoverprotectivebyyouknow,ifhedoesn’twanttobeheldbythisperson,heshouldn’t.Butwiththemorephysicalstuff,Idon’tthinkthatI’mthatprotective, I just think like“ok,crawlupandfallandhityourselfandfigureout” .Hmm…I’mnotreallyintothat,whatisitcalled?Eco-stuff.Idon’treallythinkaboutit(laughing).SosometimesIfeellikeabadmother,whenyouhearaboutotherstalkingaboutit(laughing).Buyyeah,IfeellikeI’moverprotectingwiththemore“ifhedoesn’twanttodoit,heshouldn’tdoit”.Idon’twanttoforcehimintoanything.Butonthephysicalstuff,inthatwayhecanjustdowhateverhewants.

R:Nowyousaidthatyouarenotintotheseecologicalthings,thatyousayyoumightbeabadmother(laughing). I don’t think you are! But like, why is there a pressure you think of being into thisecological?

I:Notinmy,notinthegroupoffriendsthatI’min.Itisjustwhenyouhearaboutotherpeopletalking.Inthesocietythereisawaylikeyourchildshouldonlyeatorganicfoodandhaveorganicclothesonandstuff like that. Idon’t really thinksomuchabout it. Imean, sometimes,heeats cucumbers,andthenIwouldchooseanorganicone,butitisnotbecauseI’mnotchoosingit,butit’snotthatIsaylike“Ionlywantorganic”,Ijusttakewhatisthere,Idon’treallythinkaboutit.Maybesometimesthereis.Idon’tfeelthepressure,butsometimeswhenyouherepeopletalkaboutit,thenyousometimesthink“ok,maybeitwouldbeagoodideatothinkalittlebitmoreaboutit”,but…

R:Butistherethistalkaboutthatwhenyoubuyorganicthenyouarea“better”mother?Imeannotwithyourfriendsbutingeneral?

I:Ijustthinkgeneralinsocietythereisatrendgoingon,thatyoushouldbuyorganicotherwise…Youknowtocreateabetterworldandtobeabetterperson.Butit’snotlikethatit’sbadifyoudon’tbuyit.It’smorelikethatyouareabetterpersonifyoudo(laughing)

R:Sowhataboutinregardstoforinstancebabyclothes?Ifwetalkaboutthat,whatareyousearchingfor?

I: Right now, really justwhat looks good. Clothes he canmove around in and also clothes that lastlonger.Becausehestartstobeinthesameclothesforlongertime.Inthebeginningitwasmorelike“ok,what is cheap”, or Imight be buying something that said “eco” or stuff like that on orwool orwhatever,butIdidnotreallythinkaboutit,actually.

R:Soitwasmoreaboutthedesign?

I:Yeahorifitwascheap.Andsometimesitwaslike“okthislooknice,Iwillbuyit”andsometimeshewouldneedsomebodiesandyoucangettenfor100anditwasbothusedandnew,soyeah..

R:Howoldishenow?

I:Heis13months.AndIhaveanewoneonthewaytoJulysoyeah(laughing)

R:Sotheywillhaveagooduseofeachother, that isnice.Butyousaythere isadifferencebetweenhowyoubuyclothestohimnowandwhenhewasyounger?

I:Yeah in thebeginning, Imight, it is justbecausemyhusband isallergic toa lotof stuff;grassandanimals and whatever, so I was thinking more about, you know, trying to chose allergic friendlypillowsandstuff likethat.NotsomuchclothesIthink.ButalsointhewaythatIwasthinkingaboutyouknow, Idon’twant to force theallergiesonmykid, so if I couldbuy something thatwouldnotprovokeit.

R:Whatwouldthatbethen?

I: Ihaveno idea,but just like if it issaid, likeyouknowif Iwasbuyingapillow,that itsaid“allergyfriendly”.

R:Ok.

I:ButnowIthinklike.Itwillalsobegoodforhimtobetransposedtoalotofstuff.

R:Yeah.Whataboutinthebeginning,howdidyouactuallyknowwhatyoushouldbuytohim?

I:Ididn’t(laughing).Itwasjustlikehearingfriends,whatdoyouneed.AndthenI…Idon’tknowifyouheardaboutVigga?[acompanythatrentsbabyclothes]

R:Yeah.Ahsoyousubscribedit?Soyougotthesepackages?

I:Yeah,exactly.Ididn’tgetthefirstpackage,butthenextone.

R:Ok.,andhowdoesitwork?CauseI’vereadalittleaboutit.Sodidyouchoosetheclothesordidshechoosetheclothes?

I: I choose, there are two, for each gender, there are two packages you can choose from. There ispackage1andpackage2andthenyoucanchoosewhichone.Butit isfixed,youknow.Thereisthisamount,soifyouchoosethis,itisexactlythatclothesthatisitin.Andthenyouhaveit.Andthentheysayok,nextdeliverywillbein2monthsorwhatever,andthenyoujustpack,whenthenewdeliverycomes,youjusttaketheoldclothesandbutitinthebagandreturnit.

R:Ahok,andwhataboutthesizes?Doyouwritewhichsizeheneeded?

I:Yeahthereisnewbornandthenthereis56and62andsoyoujumpfromeach,andthenifyourchildgrowsfasterorslower,thenyoujustwrite“Idon’tneed”or“Iwouldneeditbefore,becausemychildisgrowing”.ButIstoppedafter,Ithink68wasthelastsizeIhad,becauseIthoughtthatthelasttimes,Ididn’tlikethedesignsomuch,andtherewerealotofstuffinitthatIdidn’tuse.So…butitwasreallyniceclothes,thepantsandthebodies,itwasreallynicequalityandalsobecauseIgot.Heisnotthatchubbymy child (laughing), he is kind of not skinny but a slimmer size, and it [the clothes] wereelastic,soitwouldfithim.Alotofthethingsyoubuyincottonitwastoobigforhim.So,but itwasreallygood.

R:Haveyouheardotherthatuseditorhowdidyougetintroducedtoit?

I: I actually, Iwent toAPA.That’swhenyouarepregnantandstuff like that, theyhavea school forpregnantwomanandwhenyouhavegivenbirth,kindoflikeamothergroupinawayandwhereyoulearnhowtostimulatethekidsandstufflikethat.Andtheyhadaposterandshewasouttelling,andthentherewasone,fromtheteamIwason,thatusedit.Andshesaidthatshewashappywithit,soIthought,yeahwhynot,trytobeabetterpersonandrecycletheclothes(laughing),butitwasactuallyreally,reallygood.

R:Hmm…whataboutbeforehewasborn,didyoubuyanythingtohim?

I: Yeah, I bought some stuff. Not I think that we, no I. Did we inherent some clothes? I think weinherentsomeclothesandthenweboughtsomebodiesandasweaterandstufflikethat,butitwasn’tthatmuch.BecauseIdidn’treallyknowwhatheneeded(laughing).

R:No,exactly,thatisalsodifficultwiththesizes.

I:Yeahexactly.

R:Sowhenyouboughtitbefore,likeIheardsomepeopledidn’twanttocutofthelabels,becausethatwouldbringbadluck.

I:Oh,Ididthat.WhenIboughtsomething,Iwashedit,soitwasallreadytobeused,butsomeofitIhaven’tevenused(laughing).Becauseyouknow,thesizewaswrong,sohecouldfitawarmsweaterinJune,hewasborninFebruary,butIjustboughtit,butyoudon’tknowthesizesandstufflikethat,soyeah(laughing).

R:Soyouaskedyourfriendsalsointhebeginning,yousaid?

I:Yeah,whatdoIneed,andsomewerejustgoingtoashop,andthenyouseeatinybodyorpantsandthenjustboughtit.

R:Whatabout,istheredifferencebetweenhowyouthoughtyouweregoingtodresshimandhowyouareactuallydoingit?

I:Notreally,Idon’treallycare,ImeanofcourseIwanthimtolookok,butIdon’treallycareaboutitthatmuch.

R:Sowhat is itactually, thatyouare looking forwhenyouarebuyingclothes?Yousaid that itwaslastinglongerand?

I:Yeah,hopefullyandthatitiscomfortableforhim,becauseheisallovertheplace.AndIknow,thatwhenIwasakid,Ihatedhavingjeanson,becauseIthoughtthattheylimitedmyabilitytomove,sosometimeshegetsjeansonbutotherwiseitisjoggingpantsandstufflikethat,anditdoesnotalwaysmatchbecause,thenhespillsonhispantsanywayandhewouldgetanextrapair,andhedoesn’tcarehowhelookslike,right?(laughing)

R: (laughing)yeahexactly.Butwhataboutor canyourecallwhereyoubought last timeclothes forhim?

I:IthinkitwasZara.

R:Aretheresomeshopswhereyoubuymoreclothesthanother?

I:IthinkitisH&Mcauseitisclosebyandcheap,butIactuallylikeZara,Ithinkthedesignisbetter.

R: Ah ok, and what about normally when you buy clothes, is it something you plan or is it moreimpulsive?

I:Itisdifferent,sometimesitislikehereallyneedssomepantsorhereallyneedsasweatshirt,thenitislike,youknowIplan.Idon’tplanexactly,Ineedtobuythis,itismorelikeIneedtogotoH&Morwhatevertobuyashirtorsomething.

R:Hmm…Isitmostlyyouorisitalsoyourhusbandthatbuys?

I:No,hedoesn’treallycare.IthinkthatifItoldhimtobuy,hewoulddoit,buthe…Ithinkyeah…

R:Ithinkthatisnormal(Bothlaughing)

I:ButthensometimeswhenI’moutshoppingandIsee“ohthereisaniceshirt”thenIjustbuyit.So…

R:Whatabout,doyouseekinspirationsomewhere?

I:No,itismorecoincidenceifIseeaposteroramagazine,butagain,Idon’treallycaretoomuchaboutit,soitismorelikewhateverisonthemannequininH&Morwhatever.

R:Butdoyouseelikeadvertisementforbabyclothes?

I:No,againitisbycoincidence.Ifitisinamagazineoronthetelevision,itisnotsomethingthatIseektolookat.

R:No,butdoyouthinkitimpactsyou?

I:Ithinkitcouldbe,ifIthink“ohthislookssmartorthislooksgreat”.

R:Ihaveseensome,butcanyoudescribeifyouseeanadvertisement,howdotheytrytoexposetheclothesforthebaby?Dotheyputthemomsonaswellordoyouthinkthattheseadvertisementmaysaysomethinglike“howitappealstoyou”.Idon’tknowifyouthoughtaboutit?

I:No,Ihaven’treallythoughtaboutitreally(laughing).Ithinkmoreaboutitwhenitisdesignforthekids room, then I lookmore into that. And I follow some people on Instagram, but it is more likebloggers,youknow. I thinkthat ismuchmoreexciting than for theclothes forhim.So Idon’treallythinkabouttheadvertisementforthechildsclothes,notyetanyway(laughing).

R:SoyouarenotfollowanyoneonInstagramforclothes?Isitjustforfurniture?

I:Yeah.

R:What about, do you sometimeshear other, like if youhave some friends, do you then talk aboutwhichbrandsyoushouldbuyisitsomethingyoutalkabout?

I:No,notreally,notreally. It ismorelike,whatdotheyneed.Likeok, it iswinter,whatshouldtheywear?Shouldtheywearjumpsuitorwhatever?Andthensometimesitisjustlike,“okthereisthisniceone”.Butitismorelike,whattypeofclothestheyneed.

R:Soitisnotaboutbrands?

I:No,it’snotreally.

R:Haveyouexperiencedthatpeoplehavealotofopinionsaboutit?

I:No,butIcanseethatsomeyouknow.Iknowalotofbrands,soIcantellifitisexpensiveornot,soIcanseesomepeoplecareaboutit,butit isnotsomethingwereallytalkabout.It isnotlike“ohyourkidsishavingH&Mclothesonorusedclothes”.Itismorelike,youcanjustseethattheyalwaysbuythegoodbrandsortheexpensivebrandsandthatiswhatthekidsiswearing.

R:Doyouthinkitsayssomethingaboutthemasmotheriftheyonlybuythese?

I:Notreally.Notreally.

R:No.Whataboutforinstancearethereanyoneyoutalkwithbabyclothes?

I:No,again,notreally,itismoreabout,orsometimesitislike“OhIgotthisreally,Ireallythinkthisfitsmykidreallywell,andheisaslimkid,so”. Just likeZara, theyaremoreslim in itand it fitshim. It ismoreonthe,yeahhowitfitshimandstufflikethat.

R:Yeah,doyoustillseeyoumothergroup?

I:No,butIdidn’treallyusethemsomuch,butIhavealotoffriendswhogavebirtharoundthesametime.

R:Ah,oksoyoukindofmadeyourownmothergroup?

I:Yeahexactly,exactly.

R:Wouldyousaythatyoudressyoursondifferentlywhenyouarealonethanwhenyoutakehimout?

I:Sometimes,Ithinkaboutok,nowwearegoingtoaparty,andthenImightfindsomeclothesthatfitmore together, and maybe chose the good pants with not so many spots on and stuff like that(laughing).YeahIthinkIdothat,notalwaysbutmostofthetimes.

R:Howdoyouthinkitcanbe?

I:IjustthinkthatwhenIgoIwoulddresslike,notwearingmyoldjeans.Ithinkitismorelikethat.Inthewayyoujustalwayswantyourkidtolookgood(laughing).

R:Haveyoueverexperiencedthatpeoplewouldcommentonwhathewaswearingor?

I:No,notreally.

R:No.IwilljustseeifIhavesomethinghere[lookingintheinterviewguide].Also,itisnothere,butI’mjustthinking,haveyoualsoboughtsomeusedclothes?

I:Yeah,alot.

R:Wheredoyoubuyitfrom?

I:UsuallyIusetheappreshopper,causethat is inthearea.SoIbought justbeforehewasbornandafterIhaveboughtalotofusedstuff.

R:Yeah.Whydidyoubuyitused?

I:Itisjustthatitischeaper,andsometimesyouget,againgthegoodorthemoreexpensivebrandsatareasonableprice.Andwhen theyare so small, theyhaven’t reallyhad the time touse it anyway, so(laughing).

R:Whatabout,haveyoubeeninasituation,whereyouthoughtaboutwhatotherchildren,whattheywerewearing?

I: Ialways lookatwhatotherchildrenarewearing, just toget inspiration.Not to judgeoranything,just tothink“likeok,thatlooksnice” .AlsobecauseI’mnotsogoodtodesignandstuff likethat,soIreallyneedsomeinspirationifIshouldbuysomecoolclothestomykid.Soitismoreinthatway.Justtogetinspired.

R:Doyouthensometimesasktheparentswheretheyhaveboughtit?

I:IthinkthatIhaveaskedsometimes,fewtimes,wheretheygotitfrom?

R:What about, likedo you think, or like, if you see a child that is dressedonly in specific high-endbrands,doyouthinksomethingaboutthemotherthen?

I:No,inthewayIjustthink“whywouldyouusesomuchmoneyonclothes?”butthenagain,iftheyhavethemoney,whynotuseitonthekid?Soitismorelike“ok,youmusthavealotofmoney”,butnotthatsheisabadorgoodmom,itismoretheireconomicsituation.

R: Yeah and what about on the other side, if you see a child that is wearing clothes from thesupermarket?

I:Idon’treallythinkaboutitactually.

R:Haveyouboughtclothesinthesupermarket?

I:Yeah,Ihave,bothinLidlandKvickly,becausetheyhavesomegoodclothes,andagaintheywereitsometimesfivetimes,andthenitisdone,right,so.Soformeitisok.

R:Yeahexactly.Doyouthinkyourownstyleiskindofrepresentedinwhatyouputonhim?

I:Yeah,Ithinkso.

R:Inwhichway?

I: I thinkthatIwon’tdresshiminanythingthatI thinkisugly.Likethenhegetsasweaterfromhisgrandmother,andIjustthinkitisreallyuglyandIwouldneverbuythat,andthenheisonlywearingit,whenthere isnotanyothercleansweaters,causeyouknow(laughing) Idon’treally like it.So inthatway.Ithinkitismorethatyouwanttolookatsomethingyoulike,butalsonowheisn’tthatold,sohecantellmewhattowear,somaybethatwillchangeifheisoldenoughtotellme;“Iwanttothisandthis”.Butrightnow,itismoreorlesswhatIthinkisok.

R:Isthereanyclothes,thatyouwouldneverputonhim?

I:No,Idon’tthinkso.Toostiffpants(laughing)

R:What aboutwith colours?There has been a lotwith like “girlsshouldwearpink,andboysshouldwearblue”.

I:Ithinkthatmychildcanwearred,hehasred,butmaybenotbabypinkorpink.Hewouldn’tcare,butIwouldn’tliketoputhiminbabypinkclothes.Hehasredpantsandredsweatshirt.

R:Is it importantforyou, likenowheissobigthatpeoplecanseethathe’saboy,butwhenhewasyounger,wasitthenimportantforyouthatpeoplecouldseethathewasaboy?

I:No,Iwasn’treallythinkingaboutit.IalsothinkitisbecauseIwasreallyboyishwhenIwasalittle,soifIhadgotagirl,Iwouldn’tnecessarilydressherinpinkaswell,itmightbeindarkblueorgrey.Andthenpeoplewouldsay“ohthat’saniceboy”,butagain, Idon’treallycare, thechilddoesn’tcareandIcouldtellit’saboyandthenpeoplewouldsay“ahokit’saboy”.Sono,Idon’treallythinkaboutit.Anditwasn’tthat,noIdidn’tthinkaboutit.

R:Whataboutregardingbrands,are theresomebrands,whereyouthinkthis is justnotyou, like“Idon’tlikethestyle”or“Idon’tliketheirvalues”?

I:No,nothingthatIreallythoughtabout.Notreally.

R:Aretherethensomebrandsonthecontrary,whereyouthink“Ireally,really,reallylikethisbrand”?

I:AgainZara,becauseItriedtheirclothes,andtheyreallyfitLucas.AndIthinksoofthedesignisok,but it is not that I think that like H&M has something aswell and I haven’t really tried thatmanybrands,sononotreally.

R:No,andwhatabout,yousaidsomethingthatyougotsomepresentsthatyouwouldn’thavechosenyourself. Have you gotten any like more presents, where you were thinking like “this was notrepresentingyou”?

I:YeahIgotalotofclothes,especiallyfromhisgrandmother,andthenIwaslike“Idon’tlikethat”andthenhehasn’tusedit,becausethenhehasalotofotherstuffthatIcouldputhimin.Butitwasn’tthatIdefinitelydidn’twantedtoputitonhim.Likeifwedidn’thaveanymoreclotheshewouldgetiton,but… And sometimes I have exchanged the clothes if it is doable. But yeah it is not like it doesn’trepresentme,itismorelike,thatIdon’tlikeit.

R:Yeah,Isee.

I: So it could be the same pair of pants that he already has, but if it is a colour that I don’t like orwhatever,thenitcouldbethatIwouldchangethem.

R:Arethereanycoloursthatyoudon’tlike?

I:Babyblueandbabypink(laughing).Again,yeahitismorelike…

R:Whydon’tyoulikethem?

I:Ithinktheyaretoosweet.Andtoobaby…yeah.Ithinkthatisthereason.

R:Whatdoyouthendo?

I:Itrytoavoidthem.

R:Whatabout,haveyoueverboughtanythinginsecondhandshops?

I:No,Idon’tthinkthatIhavebeeninashopbuying,noithasonlybeeninprivate.

R:likeReshopper?

I:Yeah.

R:Whynotactually?

I:Ijusthaven’tbeenintoany.Itisnotonmyway.

R:Soitneedstobemoreconvenientorflexibleforyouwhenyougoandshop?

I:No,itisjustthatIdon’tshopthatmuch,sowhenIshopitismoreinashoppingmallandthereisnotanysecondhandshopthere,soitismorelikethat.TheplaceswhereIgoshop,therearen’tany.

R:Ahok,whataboutonline?

I:Ihaveboughtstuffonlineaswell,anditiswaytooeasy(laughing)

R:(laughing)yeah“click,click,click”

I:Yeah,exactly(laughing).SoyeahIhaveboughtonline,yeah.

R:Fromwhichshops?

I:Ican’tremember,IthinkonewascalledBalajka,butIboughtfromdifferentstores.

R:Isitimportantordoyoulikethatyoucanbuyonlinealso?

I:Yeah,because it is easier todo itwhenyouareathome in frontof your computer, and then it isdeliveredtoyourdoor.Itiseasy.

R:Whataboutinregardstotime?

I:Yeahshoppingonlineisnottimeconsuming.

R:Isthatareasonforwhyyoualsoshoponline?

I:Itcouldbeyeah.ItisjustbecausewhenI’moffwork,Iwanttogohometobewithmykid,notgotoastore runningaroundafter clothes, so it is easier todo itwhenhe sleepsatnight…And then I alsosometimesdoit…ifIforinstancefindasweaterthatIreallylikeinashopandIcanjustfeelthatthequalityisalsoreallynice,butthenIthinkitistooexpensiveoriftheydon’thaveitinhissize…sothenI sometimes gohomeonline to see if I can find it cheaper or if I can find the clothes in the sizeheneeds.

R:Yeah,Iunderstand.Hmmwhatabout,haveyousoldanyofhisclothes?

I:No,notyet,butitisalsobecauseweknewthatwewantedtogetnumbertwo.Hopefully.ButIhavelend it toa lotof friends.Somysisterhasakidwho is fourmonthsyoungerthanmykid,sohehasborrowedsomestuff,andthenIhaveafriend,thathasababywhoisthreemonthsnow.SoIhaven’tsoldit,butIhavelendalot.ButI’mactuallyplanningonsellingitafternext,butitwasalsobecauseweknewthatwearegonnatoneedit.AndthenIwaslike,ok,ifwearegonnahaveagirl,thenalotofthestuffthatwehaveisdarkblueandgrey,sowewouldbeabletouseitagain.Soitismoreduetothat,itisnotthatIdon’twanttosell.

R:Hmm…Arethereanypieceofclotheswhereyoufeelmoreattachedtoit,thatyoudidn’twanttosellit?

I:Iactuallydon’tthinkso,butIcan’treallyrememberifthereisanything(laughing).No,Idon’tthinkso.

R:Soyouwouldjustsellanything?

I:Yeah.

R:Yeah,alsowhenyouthenforinstancelendtheclothes,doyouthendoanythingtoitbeforeyoulendit?

I:No,Ihavewasheditbefore,itisalwayswashedbefore,andthenIjustsay“youcanuseit,washitifyouwantto”.Butno,Ihaven’tdoneanythingaboutit.

R:Ok,whatabouttheclothesthatyouhaveeitherinheritedortheusedclothes?

I:Iwashitonce,justtomakesurethatitisclean.

R:Whatabouttheclothesthat youinherited,didyouthenchooseallordidyoupickoutthethingsyouliked?

I:Wedidn’tinheritthatmuch,soIthink,andwegotalotofbasicclothes,soIthink,thatwetookall.

R:Ahok,anddidthatstylefromthatclothes,doesitfitwithyours?

I:Yeahandthenagain,itwasalotofbasic,soitwaslikewhitebodies,soitwasreallybasic.

R:That’snice…Hmm…Soyousaythatyoushopinshoppingmalls,whyisthat?

I:ThatisbecausethereisonenearwhereIlive.

R:Whatabout.I’mjustthinking,becausewhenwebuyclothesforourself,thenwecantryitonandseeifitfits,isthatsomethingyouthinkaboutwhenyoubuyclothestohim?

I:Notreally,becausethesizesareusually.LikenowIknowthatH&Marealittlesmall intheirsizesandZara is fine inthesizes,andstuff likethat.So Iknowmoreor lesswhattobuy.So it isnot thathard.Ihavefoundoutthatalotofthechildorbabyclothesisactuallypretty,like,theyfollowthesizesmoreorless,butthenofcoursetherearesomebrandsthatarewiderthanothersandsomethatareslimmerthanothers.But it isactuallyprettysimple(laughing).So italmost fits,andyouknow,theyjustneedtohaveclotheson,theycanmovein.Thefitfactorisn’tthatimportant.

R:No,Isee.Whatabouthowitfeels.

I: Yeah, that is important. Sowhen I buy stuff online for example, I try to buy only 100% cotton,becauseyouknow.Cottoniscotton,butthenagain,otherwiseIcanjustreturnit.

R:Hmm.Yeah I see…and I justhavea statementhere, so I justwant tohearwhatyou thinkof thisstatement.

I:Yeah?

R: It is thatourgeneration is financial responsible inregards toshopping.Whatdoyou thinkaboutthat?

I:Whatdoyoumean?

R:Thatwethinkaboutthatitmaybenotcosttoomuch,orthatitlastlongeror.

I: I think it depends on the person. I know some peoplewho really think of the quality and that itshouldn’tcosttoomuchandwhereitisproduced,andthenIknowpeoplewhojustbuyifitisagodbrandortheyjustbuytheydon’tthinkaboutanything.SoIthinkthatitismorepersondependedthangeneration.

R:Ahok,yeah.Nowitismaybeverypersonal,buthowisitforyou,whenyoushop?

I:Ithinkitdepends,likeinthebeginningofthemonth,Idon’treallycareaboutit(laughing)andthenbytheendofthemonthImightthinkmoreaboutit(laughing).Youknow.Idon’tthinkaboutwhereitisproducedorstufflikethat,itismorelikedoesthepricecomparetothequality?

R:Yeah,wouldyousaythatbrandedclothesaremoreimportantforyouthannon-brandedclothes?

I:No,notreally,notreally!Sometimesitisnicetobeabletogetbrandedclothes,becausesometimesthequality.Moreoften it is thatyougetwhatyoupay forandoften it isbrandedclothes, then it ismoreexpensive,butthequalityisalsobetter.Notnecessarilythatthepricedifference,thatit isthatmuchbetter,butyeah…

R:Isthereaspecificclothesthatyoufeelreallyconnectedwith?

I:No,notreally.

R:No,ok.Iwilljustlookthemthrough[theinterviewguide].Sometimeswhenyoubuyforinstanceapieceofclothes,thatyoureallylikeorthatyougotitorsomething,wouldyoutakeaphotoofitandshareit?

I:No,notreally.ItshouldbewhenandifIgotanewshirtformykidandheiswearingit.ThenIwouldtake a photo of him and send it to the person that I got it from. But not something to share onFacebookorInstagram,itismoretosay“oh,nowheiswearingwhatyougavehimandhelookssocuteinit”.

R:Arethereanybrandsthatyouwouldliketobuybutyoudidn’tbuyit.

I:No,notreally.Imean,sometimesIthoughtaboutbuyingaNiceSoftGallerybodyformykid,butnowI think he is too big for the bodies, somaybe itwould be for the next one, because he has a lot ofbodies,sohedoesn’treallyneedmoreandstufflikethat.Butyeah…ItisnotlikeIjusthaven’tboughtitbecauseitistooexpensive,itisjustlike,orinawayitwastooexpensive,butitismorelike“ok,hehasenough,soIdon’tneedtobuyanymore”

R:Yeah,Isee.Whatabout,haveyouactuallyexperiencedifthereareanybrands,whichismorelike,kindoftrendy?

I:Itisdifficulttosaywhenyouareafirsttimemom,becauseIdon’tknowifthebrandsarejusttrendynow or if they always have been. But there are some brands that are only for babies and smallchildren,thatIhaveneverheardaboutbeforeIbecameamother.SoIdon’tknowiftheyaretrendynow.

R:Butmaybemoreiftheyaretrendyforothers,notforyou,butthatyoucanseethatalotofpeoplearewearingthesekindofbrands?

I:Yeah,IthinkthesebrandslikeJoha,MammaandSoftGalleryandKamKam.

R:Howhaveyouexperiencedthat?

I:Itisjustseeingwhatotherkidsarewearing(laughing)

R:Yeah,Isee.Wouldyousaythatthesebrandsgivekindofahigherstatus?

I:No,notreally.

R:No,do youactually think,becausenow I’m just thinking,becausewe’vedonea lotof interviewsnow and I can see a pattern that actually brands are not that important,which itwas before someyearsago.Likebrandswerereallyimportant.Doyouthinkthatit is ingeneralthatwedon’tcareasmuchaboutbrandsorthatitdoesnotgivethesamekindofstatusasitmaybeoncedid,or?

I:Yeah.Maybeyeah,itcouldbe.Maybeitismorelikepeoplearerestinginthemselves,andthatyoudonotneedbrandstoshowof.AlsoIseethatthereisatendencygoingfrombuyingthebigbrandstobuyingsmaller,Danishbrands.Thatarenot thatbig, it isnotBurberry,LouisVuittonorAddidasorwhatever,itismoresmallDanishbrands.

R:DoyouthinkthatthefactthatitcomesfromDenmarkisimportantforpeople?

I:Maybebecause it has aNordicdesign, it couldbe SwedenorNorway aswell, but a Scandinaviandesign.

R:Ok,great,Ithinkwewentthroughall…thethingsIhad…Doyouhavesomethingyouwanttoadd?SomethingyouthinkI,“needtoknow”beforeIgo?

I:No,Idon’tbelieveso,it’sbeenfun…

R:Thankyousomuch!

INTERVIEWWITHJUDITHInterviewwithJudithChild:Emma,2YearsLocation:Four-roomapartmentatØsterbroInterviewers:KateandRebeccaJ:JudithK:KateR:RebeccaR:Thisinterviewisanonymous–Donotbeafraidofsayinganything.Wearedoingresearchforourmaster thesis about baby clothes.We are researching how first timemothers in Cph see the babyclothes,howdoyoufeelaboutit,howdoyouuseitandsoon.Wehavepreparedsomequestionsbutwewantedtobemore likeconversationsoyoudonot feelstressed.This is(paperswithquestions)morelikeguidanceforus.R:Maybeyoucanstarttellingusbrieflyhowdoyouthingthemotherhoodchangeyou?J:Itchangemeinmanyways.It’schangedmeinthewayoffreedom.IthinkifIseefromperspectiveIwouldsaythatlifeismostlyabouther.Aboutmydaughter.Ithaschangedthewaythatthinghastobeorganisedanddoneandtherearemanythingswetookforgrantedbeforethatwecouldjustgethomelate andmake food late and cleaning andwashing doing laundry. Itwas easier.Wehave to do thiscommon thingbut there isalsoa littlepersonwhoneedsoutattentionso it takesmuch longer.Wewant to spendmost timewithheraspossible. So time isveryvaluableandwearebeingvery tiredparents.K:Howoldisyourdaughter?J:Sheis2yearsand2monthsold.Shewasborn24thDec.2013.Itisvery“hyggeligt”(nice)becausewecelebrate her birthday for family and friends and most people are home and people are off. TheypreparethefoodbeforetheoneswhocelebrateChristmasandthenwehavefullhouse.Everyone.25peopleputthissmallroom.Itissonice.R:Howwouldyousayyouareasmother?J: Nervous sometimes. Alwaysworrying about how is she developing in rightway. Is her languagegoodenough?Canshedoallthisstuffthe2-year-oldshoulddo?R:Doyoutoldwithsomeaboutit?J:Mostlymymotherbecausesheislikeamotherandfriendso.Ialsoliketospendtimeondecoratingherroomandmakinghobbiesforherlikesewingblanketsandstufflikethat.IalwayshaveaprojectswhatIwanttomakeforher.Itkeepsmebusy.R:haveyoualwaysdonethesecreatingthings?

J:Yeahbutnowitismostlycostumers.ItwaslikeIforgotaboutitandIjustwenttoshopandboughtsomefabricsandmadeadrawingforthecostumeandmakeitsittinglate.R:whatwasshethen?J:ShewasMashafromMashaandbear.Shehassomuchenergyandthebearistheparentfigureandshe is naughty girl. It is worth seeing it also for parents. It is actually Russian. She (daughter)understandssheisanaughtygirlsothatisthechallengingandveryfunny.Shewasveryhappyaboutitandpeoplewhoknewwhoitwasjustrecognisewhatitwasrecognisethefigure.R:Doyousewnormalclothestoher?J:No.ittakessolonganditisnotsocheap.Itisquiteexpensivetobuythisfabric.Evenifyougothebigstores.Theworktimeeffortandthepriceitisnotworthit.Itisonlyforcostumesandsoon.J:Ishowyouapictureofher.SheisveryenergeticsoitishardtotakepictureofherK:VeryCute.Icanrecogniseher(meaningthecharacter)R:Sosweet.Whataboutwhenyousayyoudonotsewdoyougooutandbuytheclothes?J:Yes.When Iwasonmaternity leave Ibough just littlebitof clothesbecauseshewouldnotget sodirty.Zerotooneyearitisnotsomessy.Iwasactuallysurprised.Itwasn’tthatbadIdidnothavetochangeherclotheseverydaybecauseitwasnotnecessary.ButwhenshestartedinkindergartenOMGIamchangingherclotheslotofthetime.Sometimessheuses2setsofclothes.Theyhavetochangeitinkindergartenorinthe“vuggestue”(kindergarden).AndIhaveextraclothessoIhavetohaveextraclothes inkindergartenand then Ineeddresshereverymorningso it takes lotofclothesand IbuymostlyinH&Mforthekindergarten.Ilikeit.Buyitonsalebecauseshegetssodirtybypaintingandfooditwontcomeoff.Soshehaswardrobeforkindergartenandshehasthenicewardrobe.Andthat’sforweekendsanddaysoffandholidaysandvacationsandIcancontrolit.Iamlittlebitcontrollinginthatarea.Ithink.IthinkIamholdingherlittlebitback.Shecanexploremoreinthekindergarten.ItisnotlikesheisnotcrazyherebutthenIwouldtakeherblouseofforgiveher“forklæde”–apronwithsleeves.K:That’ssmartJ:thenIcanmakesureitwontmakeamarksorstinksonherclothes.ButthenIbuytheclothswhichareforweekends.Iambuyingitontheinternet.Actuallythespringjustarrive.ItisfrombrandPompdelux.R:isittheoneyoubuyforweekends?K:itsoundsFrenchJ: yes, it is 2Danishwomenwho are designerswhowere inspired by France andmade this brand.Theydonothaveshops.Sometimestheymakesomepopupshopsbutitisbasedonhomesale.IhaveashopadvisorinHellerupandIgotoherandIseethecollection.ThereisjustonesizeoftheitemsandthenIcangoonlineandmakemyshopping.R:Howdidyouknowaboutthebrand?

J:ItwasactuallyfunnyIwassearchingforpulloversandIneededsomethingwarmanditwaslastyearinspringandIjustgoogleitandthenIfoundmywaytoPompdeLuxandIreadabouttheconceptsand it is littlebit cheaper thanordinarybrands than Ibuy “Miniature”or “Small”All thesebrands Iknewbutitisveryexpensivebutyoudonothavethemiddlemen–retailersothat’swhythepriceisnotsohigh.ItislittlebithigherthanH&Mandthequalityismuchbetter.ItempttoitisfairthepriceIpayforthequalityanditisverybeautifulandsweetandthecolourscanbemixedsotheymakesurethat the whole collection – I would be able to mix the colours. It is not used but it is coats and“flyverdragt” (jacket) and I tempt tobuy soft shell “dragt” (suite). It is for spring and sometimes insummerifitiscoldandifitiscoldwealsousedsomepantssomeblousesomedressesandtights.Likeeverything.ShoesIpreferonlytobuyonlyverygoodandIthinkitisveryimportantIonlybuyEcco.ItisreallyexpensivebecauseK:howmucharetheshoesforkidsthere?Canyoutellmetheprice?J:Iusuallyusebetween500to600kr.K:itiskindofliketheadultshoes.ItishalfofthematerialJ:maybeitismoredifficultandveryexpensive.Shealsohassome“tamleboots”Doyouknowwhatitis?R:NoJ:itislikebootsbutwithsomesoftwoolinside.Itisveryimportantthatshehasthesekindofshoeswhen she is inkindergartenbecausewhen she isoutside shewants tohop in to thepool.HerveryexpensiveshoeshavebeenwetinsideandIwasohno!Sad.Sofrustratingwhichwehavetobuytheseshoes and itwas inDecember itwas difficult to buy pair of her size. Finally, I found some on theinternet and It was on sale and it was black. I was ok. I just bought it and now she is wearing iteverydayinkindergarten.Youneverknowwhenitisraining.Itworksverywell.[TalkaboutkindergartensdifferenceinDenmarkandCzechRepublic]J:actuallythis“Flyverdragt”IdonotbuyinPompdelux.ItisexpensiveIthinkbecauseitcostlike600.Sheneeds2perwinter.Maybe3whenIneedtowashthem.Itcannotgotothedryer.Ittakescoupleofdaystodry.Ijustboughtforthenextwinter.IthoughshecanfitinthenextwinterandIboughthemonsaleIgotthemfor250.AndIbough2.Sometimesyoujusthavetobuysomethingontheinternetshecanfitinnextyearandbuyitcheaper.ItisveryexpensivebeforeIhadherIhadmanypeopletosaytomethatallthatissoexpensiveandyougoingtospendallyourmoneyondippersandIdon’tthinkitisthedippersbuttheclothesitissoexpensive.R:WhataboutthePompdeluxwhatisitspeciallyyoulikeabout? J:Ilikethecolours.Thewholepairs.Itisverygirly.Ihaveacatalogueifyouwanttoseeit.K:yes.Itwouldbegreat.Theseareverypastelcolours.J:Yes theseare the springcolours. It isverygirlish. Itwasdarker for thewinter colours.Theyonlymake 2 collections per year. They have the spring, autumn and winter. I use these in spring andsummer–overall–andIwanttobuythisonebecauseitiswaterproof–overall.K:smart

J:Heretheyshowhowtomatch(theitemsincatalogue)R:Howdoyouknowaboutthesizes?J:yes,thatistheproblem.Idon’t.Theyhavesomemeasuretablesontheend(ofthecatalogue)ifshewantstostandstill.Icanmeasureher.SometimeswhenIbuyit,IfoundoutIhavetoreturnitbuttheypayfortheshippingandthenIjustreturnitandchangeittootheritemortoothersizeanditwontcostmeanything.ButifIregardsIhavetopayforshipping.K:butIfitistoobigyoucanjustkeepitforlaterJ: I just haveone. they (don’t)have somebelts into it so I could adjust it toherbecause she is veryskinnyandsheisnotsmallinhighsoshecannotfitifitistooshort.Butthenitistoobigaroundthestomachthenitisfellingdown.SoIhavetoreturnit.ThenIhavetolookforsomethingelse.Anditisnewproblem.Somany. I though2pairsofpansbutshe isnot into themood farpantsandhadnotbeeninforlongtime.SoshewantstoweardressesallthetimesoIamthinkingmaybeitisthebestsoshecanhavemoredresses instead.So,goodconcept. It isveryeasybecause Idonothave tospendtime togo to shops. I consider to lookat this in catalogueandon the internetwhenshe sleepsandyeahR:Didtheshopadvisorgiveyouadvisewhichclothestobuy?Doesshehelpyou?J:onlyaboutthesize.SometimesshepointsoutthisisveryniceorsomethingbutsheknowsIliketheclothessoitisnotproblemR:Doyoutoldabouttheclotheswithothers? J:notsomuch.Littlebitinkindergarten.WhenIseesomeparentswhoboughtthePompdeluxIsay:owealsohavelittlebit.R:Whataboutjustingeneral?J:Mostlywithmymother.Sheissupportingorgrandparents.Myhusbandparentsbutnotingeneral.R:Doyoubuysometimesusedclothes? J:yes.Littlebit. Iamnotsogoodat it,but Iactually frommyshopadvisorsshehadablousessomebasic one and I though it would be very nice and I though it would be nice to have more forkindergartenandpay10krperblouseandit isverycheapanditwasinsomedarkcolourslikegreyandblacksoifitisgetdirtyinkindergartenIdonotcare.IamverygooinbuyingusedtoyslikeLegoorBrioorfurniture,butclothesnotsomuch.Ilikeitisnew.K:Haveyouinheritedanyclothes?J:no.Iamtheoldestandfirstonetohavechildren.Maybemysisterwillbeveryluckyandmycousins.ButK:areyouwilingtogiveittothem?J:maybe.Iamnotsure?

K:willyoukeepitor?J:someofit.Butitalsodepends.Iwouldliketohaveonemoresiblingformydaughter.FirstIwant tokeep itbecause it cost somuchmoneyand if I lend it to someone like I knewverywell Iwouldyouknowdemands:IwantmyclothestobewashinperfumedfreeandifIdemandsomethinglikethatIcannotbesuremaybeIcannotdemandthesekindrulesyeah.SomepompdeluxclothesIwouldtakesomepaymentforitbecausespendalotofmoneyanditisveryniceandmostofitdoesnotlookveryusedbecauseItakesogoodcareofit.SOyeah.MaybeIwill.Sellit.WhenIhavea2ndchildIwillevenifitisforthefamilyevenifitisvery.K:whatifitisaboy?J:thatwouldbeproblem.Shehasalotofclothes.Itissomebigproblems.TheyhaveveryniceclothesforboysbutitwillbeveryexpensivesomyhusbandandIhopetohaveothergirl.Heagreestotally.Healsogetsathrills.itishislittledaughter.Whensheiswearingfinedressorskirtsshetendstodancearound.Andhemeltscompletely.SoItisatrickfromthemotherandthegirlto(laugh)R:soyouaskhertodance…?(laugh)J:andthenwecanhavemoremoneyforclothes(laugh)K:itiswinwinsituationJ:itislikeyouknowalittledoll.Shelovesit.SheislikeItdoesnotstopherinplayingandsoon.Youknowsheislikeadamage.Sheisnotposingorsomethingshedoesnotcare.R:Doyousometimestakepicturesandsharesthem,ifsheiswearingsomethingcute? J:yeahofcourse.Shelookslikemessfromkindergarten.Itisnotthattakingapicture.Todaymotherstendtoplantoomuch.AndIamdoingthesamesowhensheiswearingPompdeluxIwanttokeepthemoment on the picture. Also because it is very cute and real adorable somy latest. I showyou thelatest.Imade.andputitonFBbecauseitwassocute.Ihadsomanycommentsfrompeoplethatwerewriting“Oohshewassocute”(showingaphotoonthesmartphone)R:shelookslikeprincessK:IlovetheskirtR:SOSweetJ:Shelovesit.Exactly.J:soandthesecolours(stillshowingthephoto)Ibuythemostlytheclothesinthesecolours.K:soitispurpleandpinkishright?J:yeahandalsosomeyellowforsummerR:wouldyousaythattheclothesyoubuyforherdoesitrepresentyourstyle?J:Iwillsaythat

R:Whataboutyourpersonality?Canyousaythat?J:Ithinkso.OrmaybeitismorethepersonalityIwouldliketohavebutIcanliveitupthroughher.R:tobeprincessagain?J:Exactly(laugh)K:livingthedreamforsomeJ:throughher.ButItisgonnaendsomeday.ShewillmakemestopK:DoesshehavefavouritepiecetoclotheslikeshewouldtellyouIwantthisthisandthisJ:No,no.notyet.butshetellsmeifshewantsdressorskirt.That’stheonlythingsthatshegotto.Itthink it is the point. She says I want to have a dress. Wear dress. I had to bough her night dressbecausealsowhenshesleeps, Ionlybought theminSupermarketorBilkabecause it isnightand itdoesnothavetocostsoaanything.Iprefertobuyitonsalebecauseitisveryverycheap.ThenIhadseveral night dresses because she reallywants dresses. So I have to stopbuying somanypants formoment but she is also wearing body stockings. All babies are wearing those until they get rid ofdipperandformeit isveryimportant inwintertimeit ismadeofwooloutsideandincottonintheinsideandithasneedstohaslongsleevesandIpreferitisnotecologicbutenvironmentfriendly.Someclothshasthelabel.K:canyoubuytheseinH&M?J:someofittheyhave.Pompdeluxbasicleggingsandblousearemadeofthisfabricandalsointhesupermarketbutitisonlyfewitem.Butmostlyitisthebasictheyarewearingtotheskin.InSummertimes I changeonly to cottonand Ihave to change it everyhalf ayear.Bodystocking, I alwaysbuytheminsupermarketotherwiseitistooexpensiveandthereisnoneedfortheyusingsomuchmoneyR:whataboutBeforeyougavebirthtoherhaveyouboughtsomeclothestoher?J:yes.ManypeopletoldmethatisthebadluckandIwaslike:whatshouldIdowhenIamstandingwiththisbabyandIdonothaveanyclothesandmaybeithastobewashed.Iwasveryconcernaboutthat ithas tobewashedbeforeshe iswearing itand that time ithas. I thoughevery itemhas tobeecologic/organicbutwhensheturnedoneyearitsortofchanges.R:sothereitisdifferentbetweenhowyoudresshernoworwhatyoulookforinclothesbefore? J: yeah.Big change I think.Alsobeforewhen they are from zero to one they are very absorbmuchmore.ItisveryimportantthatyoucareaboutwhatkindoffabricyouputontoyourbabyandIalwayswashthenewclothesbeforeshewearingit.Itisveryimportanttome.K:yousaidyouarethefirstinyourfamilyorfriendswhohadthebabyandhowdidyouknowwhattobuyorwheredidyoulookforinspirationJ: Itwasquitedifficult. Iwentmostly toH&Mandbaby stores like:Babysamand I think itwas toocommercialbutIdidn’tgotosmallshoesintheareaIdiditafterwards.IboughalotofJohaclothslike

bodystockingandwoolsuitesbutitisveryveryexpensive.Solikebuying8bodystockingfromJohawaslike1000kranditisveryexpensive.Soweboughsomebodystockingandjumpsuitefromcottonandwoolsuitbecauseshewasborninwintertimeandcoat.R:butSoyouwenttothebigshopsinthebeginning?Yousaid?J:Itwasalsoeasybecausewehadtobuyyouknowthetrolley/pram?R:didtheythenhelpyouwhattobuy?J:nonotsomuch.Ididnotask.IjustlookaroundformyselfIwashavingsomehelpforthepramandstufflikethatK:whenbuyingthepramhaveyouhaditdeliverhomebeforeshewasborn?J:No.Allof thestoreskeep it.Youpaydepositandtheymakesure it isaready. It isnotan issue. Itcould stay in basement. It is also what you prefer because you can buy many second hand atReshoper.dk It is fantasticappandIuse itverymuch. I thinkIuse it forsellingclothesbut IdonotthinkifyoubuysecondhandpramyoucannothaveknownwheelisbadandmanytimewhenyoubuyapramthatitisuseditwontbesogoodandyeahIhaveafriendwhoalsohaveagirlwhois4yearsyoungerthanmygirlanditwasverysmallandshehadtobuyanewoneandthewheelwasfallingoff.Andthesethisjusthavetoworkbecauseifyouareoutsideitisabigefforttojustgetoutsidewiththischildandthanitisjustoutside.ItwasveryexpensivebutIboughtverybigbrandandverylargeoneandshecouldfitinforlongtime.K:doyourememberthebrandodthepram?J:itiscalledOdder.That’slikelimousine.Odderand…islikethelimousinesandEJislittlebitcheaper.R:wasitimportanttoyouthebrandwhenyoubuyit?J:yes.BecauseofthequalityandIwantedhertosleepverygoodinthepramandthenIsocouldsway.IheardandIwasinmaternitygroupandsomesaidwetalkabouteachotherspramshowtheywereandonesaiditisokbuteverytimeIlockitandheisasleepandIunlockithewillwakeup.Ididn’tlikethatone.ItisnotcheapbecauseeverypramisexpensivebutnotasmuchasmineandItoughIwoulduseitatleastfor2childrenandIwouldsellit.IwantsomemoneyforitbecauseItakegoodcareofitandkeepingitinbasementwhereitisstandingdryandnice.Iamveryconcernabouttokeepitcleanandnice.Thestrollerismorelike,nowsheisbiggerandsittingandeatinginitandyoucannotavoidtomess.ItoughIcouldbeforebutitisnotpossible.Itismessieranditwasnotasmessyasapram.Ispendasmuchmoneyasforthatone.ButIwillsellitonedayButitisexpensive.Iwillbothkeepitforthesecondchild.Andmyhusbandactuallygottrolleyforhisbirthdaysowehavebothusedthatone,butyouknowitishardtocontrolandIhavetobothhandsonthehandleand[Talkingaboutroller-skating] J:Iusemypramverymuch.WhenIwasonmaternityleave.Iwouldeverydaywalkfourfivehours.ItwasgoodexerciseandshewassleepingandwalkingtocityandattheharbourK:thatislongwalkisn’tit?J:itwasalsonice

R:Doyoustillseeyoumothergroup?J:no.Itwasoneandhalfayear.AndIwasinthemothergroupthatwasputonbythenurseanditwasnotworkingforme.Itwaslikesomeofthemotherquicklyfoundeachotherandthenweweresomestandinglittlebitoutsideandwhenitwasmyturntoinvitethemeveryoneexceptonejustcancelled.K:thatsterribleJ:soitdidnotmeantmuchforme.SothenIwenttoanothergroupanditwasworkingveryfineformeandstaythereinsteadanditwasnicerK:that’sgood.Doyouseeksomeadvicefromthem?ImeanthemothergroupJ:westillhavegrouponFBwherewecanwriteeachotherandsometimessomeoneiswriting.Thereisnotsomuchnowbecausewearebacktostudiesandwork.Idon’thavetimeforit.ButIheardmanypeoplethatmeettheirmothergrouplike25yearsorsomethingbutitismatterofchanceifyoujustmeetwithpeoplewithwhomyouhaveachemistrywiththenitwouldbesomethingelse.K.YeahR:doyouhavebeeninsituationwheredoyouthinkwhatotherchildrenarewearingsometimes?J:yeskindergarten.IwasworryinginbeginningwhataretheywearingalotoftheexpensiveclothesorisitH&Mandsupermarketclothes.AndIfoundthatIthinkitisamixtureandthenIwasthinkingitdoesnotmatterwhatisshewearingbecausenooneislikepaysattentionandyeah.R:buthaveyoubeenlookingbecauseyouwanttoseehowitisandhowyoushoulddressherthenor?J:yesbecauseIwanthertofitintotheotherchildrenanddonotwanthertofeelthatsheisnotgoodenoughorsomethinglikethatbutIquicklyfindoutthatitisnotanyissue.AtthebeginningwhenshestartedwehavebeenmuchinthekindergartenandshewaswearingpompdeluxandIquicklyfindoutthat itwasn’tnecessaryandsoIactuallyuntilshewas1,5shewaswearingbrandslikeNoaandnoa. Iwent to shopsandbought clothes forheranduntil Iwouldourabout thePompde lux I alsosometimesusedbabygearandwebshopthatitiscalledKIDsworld.TheyhavelotofthesebigbrandslikeMoellerandsoon.R.Wouldyousaythatyoupreferbrandedclothesratherthannonbranded?J:itdependswhatitisusedfor,becauseinthekindergartenIdonotcareaboutbrandsbecausesheisgoingtobesodirty.Iitonlywhenwearegoingoutintheweekendssoyeah.K:isthereanybrandwhichyouwouldneverbuy?J:noIdonotthinkso.K:ImeanJ:thereisonebrandwhatitiscalleditislikecompetitortoH&M.IcannotrememberthenamebutyoufindthereMoells K:whywouldyounotbuyit?

J: because there were some clothes which have been called back for children because there wasdangerouschemistryandI thoughtIcannottrustthisbrandsomymother in lawwas like:Whydidnotyouwantmetobuyanythingfromthatstore?K:what about these luxury brandswhich have also products for kids?Have you bought somethingthere?J:likeK:LikeDiorJ:noitisoutofmine…itistooexpensiveIthinkthatisinsaneactually.IdonotbuyGucciformyselfsoIwouldnotbuyitforthechildK:wouldyousaythereisalimit?J:yesIamonSUR: What if you are somewhere and the child wears only Gucci of instance. Would you thenunconsciouslythinkaboutthechildorthemother?J:IthinkIwouldbelittlebitprejudiced.Iwouldthinkthat’sarichbabymotherwhowould…yeah.ToomuchR:wouldyouthinkthereisavalueattachedtotheclothesJ: I think tobuysomenormalbrands that just lookcute I think it isalrightbut ifyoubuyonlyveryexpensivedesignIthinkthatwhatwouldyoudowhenthechildisteenager.Thedemandsdonotgeteasier.EveninsomeschoolstheydemandthatyouhaveanIPADorPCsoitisIthinkyouarenotdoingyourchildfavourifyoutakeitsomuchR:Whatifwegototheotherextremeandthechildonlywearstheclothsfromsupermarket?J: Iwould think it is a littleparticular for the childnot like it isnotgoodenoughbut Idonot thinkmaybeitisnot.IthinkthereissomefamiliesIhaveseenwhohavenotthatmuchmoneywhohastobuyinsupermarket.IthinkitisokqualityanditlooksnicelikeH&Mbutitisnotlike…Idonotthinkthechildwouldhavemissedanything.Itisuptoeveryparentbe.Idonotthinkitisaproblemandifyoumakeitaproblemwhatitistheworld.ThisisonlymehavingalivingdollbutifIhaven’thadthemoneyIwouldhavetobuyitonlyinsupermarketanditisnotlikeitisuglyornotgoodbecausetheyalsohavethisorganicconcernsandIamalsobuyingsomeofherclothesfromsupermarketsoIdonotthinkitis…IfIthoughitwouldbewrongforotherpeopletodoitIwouldthinkitisviciousthough.Alsothereischildrenwhogetclothessecondhandandthatalsogoodforourenvironmenteducationforthechildrenbecausethantheylearnthatitisimportanttorecyclenotjustbuyandthrowitaway.K:WhatifsomeonewouldgiveyouapresentliketheGuccijacketoriftheygiveyoufromthebrandyoudonotlike?J:likemymotherinlaw.SometimesmaybeandsometimesIwouldsellit.K:hadithappened?

J: theitemsheboughinthatshop.I thinkIdonotknowexactly. Igive it toher.Becausetherewereproblemswith somemarks blouses and itwas leggings and I though Iwouldwash it but she onlyboughthisonce.ItislikeVeromodaorsomethingR:whataboutanyotheritemspieceofclothswhereyouthoughthisIwouldneverputonher.J:IhavesomeclothesthatIwasn’tthatfoundof.Itwasn’tthatgirlishandgoodlooingbutIuseditforthekindergarten.:DsoifIgetsomeclothesthatitisnotsonicewecanuseitthereK:Doesyouhusbanddressher?Oryouaretheonlyone?J:Iamtheone.andifIamoutofthedoorbeforehimIputtheclothesreadyforhimK:Isitbecausehedoesnotliketodoit?J:itismyarea(laugh) K:IseeJ:Heisnotintothisseparating(theclothes).Alsohehasproblemwithherhair.[Talkingabouthair]R:Doeshebuyclothesforher?J:Yes,heactuallydoes.Whenwegotoutofthehospitalhegotherthefistitem.ItwaswoolsuitwithsleevesandflakesitwasfromJohaanditwasonsaleitwasinlocalshophereanditissmallniceshopwhereshehaslittletoyandlotofbooksanditisveryexpensivebrandsthere.AndIthinkhedidverywell. Itwaspurpleandyeah. ItwasverygoodandsometimesIamsendinghimtoH&Mifsheneedsomeblousesorleggingsforthekindergartenandheisgoodatit.RK:that’sactuallygoodJ: He can also sometimes do it without of me saying it. It is not too often. … I have never beendisappointedR:Doyouhavesomethingtowhatyoufeelreallyattached?J:someofherdressesfrompompdelux.IdonotthinkIwillsellanything.MaybeIhavetokeeponedressormaybe10andkeepituntilIhavegrandchildrenbecausetheresomeitemsthatareveryverycute.itisnotliketherearenotsoexpensivetheycostaround180krto200themostexpensivedressIboughtinPompdeluxandIthinkitisfairpricebecausemysisterinlawboughtadressinMoellerandI found out that she paid 400kr for dress andmatching leggings and itwas 200 and Iwas like shespend600onthisset.IthinkitwastoomuchandthisisnotpriceinPompdeluxanditwasverycuteandverynicebutIthinkIcouldgetmoremoneyfromPompdelux.Ikeptit,becauseitwassomethingshewantedtogiveusR:andwhataboutthethingyoureallylikeyouwantedtokeepisitbecauseitjustlookscuteorwhydoyouwanttokeepjustthese?J:BecauseitiscuteandgirlishmadeofTutuandfabriclikeacottonunderneathandithasaAndIjustthinkitissocuteandneatK:Haveshewearittosomeoccasion?Orregularly?

J:yesitismoreforoccasionforherbirthdaypartyandholidays.Itisverycute.R: do you think about what others think when you dress her? Like not in the kindergarten butregularly? J:yeahwellnowwearegoing tomyauntanduncleand theywill think it she issocuteputting thedressonherandIthinkitwillworksImustsay.Itwouldbestrangenottothinkaboutthesethingsbecause she has I think and many people says me she has wonderful personality and this justimprovesit insomewayIthinksoandshelikes it. Ifshedidnot like it Iwouldn’t.youknowputsomucheffortintoitbutIcouldseeshefeelsgoodaboutit.Sothatisalsoimportant.R:soyouthinkitalsomatchesherpersonality?J:yeahIthinkso.Itjustmakesitwhole.R:aretheresomebrandswhichyouexperiencemoretrendyorprestigioustowear?J:yesIamlivingatØsterbroyouknowlikeMiniatureMoeller,wheatbrandslikethis.NoaandNoa.Ithinktherearemany.TherearemanybrandsIdonotknow.IthinkIseeotherchildrenandIamlikewowthat’sexpensive.Myneighbourunderneaththeyhavesonheis8monthsyoungerthanEmmamydaughterandhehasjacketfromMiniatureandlastjacketIwantedtobuythisjacketsecondhandformadaughterbutit didnotsucceedbecauseIcouldnotfinditinhersizeandthepriceIwantedtobecausethisjacketasit isnewitcostbetween600to800andthentheonewhoissellingitwanted400Iunderstandwhybecauseitwassoexpensiveanditdidnot looksonewandit lookquiteusedandthenIdidnotbothertodoit.AndItoughitistooexpensive.R:arethereotherbrandsyouwouldliketobuybutyouhaven’tboughtit?J:justminiature.Itisjusttooexpensive.…Iwasthinkingaboutbuyingthejacketfromstorebut600wasjusttoomuch.Sheisnotgoingtousedit.Itisgoingtobedifferentisshegoingtobeateenager.Sheisnotgrowingandshestaysinonesize.BecauseitislikeeveryhalfyearIhavetochangeclothesbecauseK:butitiseverythingright?J:itiseverythingfromjacketsandshoesanditgoessofastbutwhenhewaswearingthisjacketIwaswowtheycanaffordthat?IamyourneighbourandIcannot.That’sok.K:maybeitwassecondhandtoo.J:IknowsheisusingReshopertoosomaybe.Butitisok.EmmahassomanynicethingssoIcannotbejealousaboutthat.R:dopeoplesometimescommentonwhatisshewearing?J:often.Whenitisweekendandsheiswearingthesenicethingsyes.Actuallymymotherinlawwassureshewasn’tallowedtowearthesedresseswithtalksoshewassurprise.Shetoldmymothershelooks so cute and was bit surprise because she knew I do not gave it to her. I think ourmisunderstandinglieswhereshewouldbuyitinBilkaandIwouldbuyitinPompdelux.Itisalsocutefrom the supermarket but this is cuter. I chose to little better quality. I don’t think it is so muchdifferenceinthoseskirtsratherthaninnormalcottonproducts.Ithinkthereisbiggerdifference.

R:Butitismainlythedesignyoulike?J:IwasactuallythinkingaboutitandIthinkitisthewholeconceptitisthedesignandthegoodfabricand thecolourswhatmatches if I go to thesupermarket then itwouldnotmatch in thecolorand IthinkitisonethingnexttootherandIthinkitisgoodwisefromthemthedesignersIthinktheykeepthecustomersandgetustobuyfromthem.R:Doyouknowthatthereareotherwhobuyinthekindergarten?J: Iknowthereare2whoalsobuysPompde luxand that I just foundout that thisweek thatothermotherwasholdingpompde luxballoonandIsaid IalsobuyingPompde luxand(otherwoman) Ijustfoundoutmyneighbouristheshopadvisor.Ishernamethis?Andisitonthisroad?Yes(laugh)andthatshemovedhalfayearagotootherhouseandshedidn’tknowshelivesnexttothesoitwasfunny.R:andshealsobuysnearlyeverythingfromthere?Doyouknow?J:thatIdonotknow.Iknowthatthereisothermotherthatwasnewinkindergartenlittlebitbeforemydaughterstarted.wetalkedalotatthebeginningandalsonow.Wetalkedalotatthebeginningbecause we haven’t known a lot of people in kindergarten and we were new and she is very tallbeautifulblackladyandIamsmalldarkhairwomenandweboththinkalltheothermotherswehavedifficultypointingthemoutwho iswho becausetheyareallhightallandblondwithblueeyesandwho are you andwhich child is yours? It is kind of.We find each other.We talk about clothes andpompdeluxandtheNoaandNoaandthatwasveryfunny.Howlongistheorder.Itwasfirsttimesheisordering.Isaiditisquitelong.Ittookcoupleofdaysmaybeweeksoyeahthatwashowwegottalktoeachotheraboutit.Itisasmartconceptandyougettempted.R:Thankyouverymuchforyourtime.Wehavenomorequestions.

INTERVIEWWITHJULIEInterviewwithJulieChild:Marie,2Years Location:Mother’sapartment,NørrebroInterviewers:KateandRebeccaThisinterviewhasbeentranslatedfromDanishtoEnglish.ItwasconductedinDanish,sinceJuliefeltmorecomfortabletalkinginDanish.J:JulieK:KateR:RebeccaJ:Youcanjustshootwithquestions.R:Wehavepreparedsomequestions,butwealsohaveprobablyalotlikejustquestionsthatwewillask…so we want it to be like a conversation, so it shouldn’t be like a job interview. Just like aconversation.J:Yeahyeah.R:Maybebecanstartbyaskingyou,ifyoucanjustshortlydescribehowithasorifithaschangeyoutobecomeamother.J:Yeah…likeithasbeentobecomeamother?R:Yeahlikehowithaschangeyou…ifyoufeelithaschangedyou?J:Yeahithasandithasn’t…Ithinkthatehhh….Therearesomethings,whichIcannotdo,whichIdidbefore,naturally.Thathaschangedmeabit…ButalsothoughtsabouthowIgrewup,andhowIwantMarietogrowup…Thathasalsochanged…ehh…yeah…howhaveIchanged?R:Howisthat?Like,thishowyouthoughtyouweregoingtoraiseMarie,andthenitisnot,howyoudo?Oraretheresomethings,whichyouthoughtlike“Iwasraisedthisway,andthisIwanttopassontoMarieorIdon’twanttopassthisontoMarie”?J:Yeahit’smuchlikethat.TherearesomethingsthatIgottaught,liketosingalot.ThatIwouldlovetopassontoher…ortakecareoftheenvironmentbyrecycling…Yeahthingslikethat.AndIhaven’treallythoughtaboutthatitmeantsomuchtome–forinstancewiththeenvironmentandrecycling.Ithinkitisimportant.R:Soitisnotsomething,whichyouhavepracticedbefore?J:YesIhave,butIhavejustnotthoughtabouthowimportantitwasforme.Sothatisnew,thatIhavebecomemoreawareofmyvalues.SothathaschangedR:Soitisnotbecauseyouhavechangedyourwayofliving?

J:No,noIactuallynotthinkso.MaybeI’musinglessperfumesandsmellsintheproductsIuse.Thathaschanged,yes,R:Isitsomethingyouheardabout?Thatthisisbetter?J:Yesitis.R:Wheredidyouhearaboutit?J:YeahweredidIhearaboutit?Magazines,booksandfromothermothers.R:Ahh,yeah.Isitsomethingyoutalkabout?J:Well,yeaah..Ithinkso,maybenotinthemothersgroup,butmoremothertomother,yeahyeah.R:Andwhataboutyouasaperson?J: Ehh…well I also thought about perfumes and things like that. That all of a sudden means a lot,becauseshe(Marie)shouldliveonandshouldhaveanicelife.SoIthinkthatweneedtotakecareoftheenvironmentandtakecareofthebodyandherbodyandinthatwayI’vemightthinkaboutitmorethanIdidinthepast.Yeah.R:Andwhataboutinregardstobabyclothes?J:Yeah,buthereIhaveusedalotofreusedclothesorrotation.R:Whatdoesitmean?J: Well, rotation? Itmeans that we rotateswith the clothes. Actually I’ve been amember of somegroups inFacebook,where theyhavehadsomeclothes,and thenyourotates it andpass iton.Like“Hey,Ihaveabagfilledwithclotheswiththissize–e.g.74forboys.Aretheresomeonewhowouldliketogetit?”R:Yeah…mmmm.ThatissmartJ:Yeah.Andthenitrotateson.Andthisisactuallysomethingthatmyparentsandtheirgenerationdidalot.Theyrotatedalot.SoIhavebeenusedtothat.Butnowyoujustdoitinanotherway.ThroughnetworkonFacebook.R:Doyouthenchosealltheclothes,oraretheresomethingwhichyoupickout?J:Ichosethethings,whichcanbeusedandwhatfitsher.Itdoesnotneedtohaveacertainbrandintheneck.But I cansee that therearesome items, that last longer thanothers.And thismakesgoodsense,causeitcostsmore,right?R:Yeah.Whatabouttheorganicbrands?J:YeahIthoughtthatIwantedtousethemfurtheron.Butnowwereceivedsomanypresentwhenshegotborn.Soitisalmostnotuntilnow,thatIhavestartedbuyingalittle.Becauseshejustreceivedsomuchandtheygrowveryfast,yeah.

R:Whataboutwhenyoureceivedpresent,has therebeen timeswhereyou thought “Thisdoesn’tfitwithmeortoMarie”J:Yeah, Ihave thought “Iwouldn’tbuythismyself”, but theybought itwith thebest intentions. It’sapresent, so I don’t think I could throw it away. Of course you can change it to something else, butwell…I think thatMarie doesn’t care at all and forme it does notmean somuch. As long as she iswearingsomethingwarmclothesthataredry.Ithinkthisisthemostimportantforme.Andofcourse,then I also think it isgood to reuse,because theyuse it for sucha short time.So therefore Idonotthinkthatthereisneedfor…Ofcourseitcouldbethatsomeofthenewthingsareverypretty,butIalsothinkthatthereissomethingnicewithandthatitisgoodthoughttoreuse.R:Haveyouboughtanynewclothestoher?J:YesIactuallyhave.IthinkitwasjustfromH&M.Butwejustreceivedsoinsanemuchclothes.R:Whodidyoureceiveitfrom?J:Fromfamilyandfriends.R:Hasitthenbeennewclothes?J:Yes,everythinghasbeennew.R:Yeah…Andifyoushouldchoseyourself,whatkindofstyledoyoulikeMarietowear?J:Wellthesebodystocking,Ithinkarethemostcomfortableforthemtowear.Causeitmustbeveryuncomfortable to have something that tighten the belly, for instance if theywear jeans. And then Idon’t like loudcolours.AndI thinktherearea lotof themforchildren.Thesegaudycoloursora lotwithpinktogirls.IfIshouldbuymyself,Iwouldtrynottobuytoomuchpink.AndIcanseethatalotofthepresentswereceivedarepink(laughing).R:Andwhywouldyounotbuypink?J:Because,well.Pinkisnice,buttherearealotofotherprettycolours;orange,green,yellowandblue.AndIdon’tthinkthatgirlsneedtowearpink.R:Doyoumaybefeelthatthereissomekindofpressurethatgirlsshouldwearpinkandboysblue?J:Hmmm…no,notreally.Buttheselectionisverymuchlikethat.It iseitherblueorpink,right?It isverydivided.R:Doyouthinkaboutwhatsheiswearingwhenyouaregoingout?Isthereanydifferencewhatshewearswhenyouareathomeandoutside?J:Yeah,Iguessthereis.Withoutmereallythinkingaboutit.ButIamprobablythinkingaboutit,like“nowsheshouldwearadress”orsomethingelseinsteadofjustabodyandleggings.ThatIbelieve,thatIthinkabout.Butmoreonanuncertainlevelnotassuchcertain–orIdon’tknow.Becauseinsomewayitisonaconsciouslevel,becauseyouknow,thatyouaregoingoutsomewhereortothemothersgroup.Oryeah.R:Howcanitbe,doyouthink?

J:Yeah,whydowedoit?Well,Ican’tstoplaughing,whenothersdoit,andthenitisalittlethesameasmyself.Well,Ican’tstopthinkingthatalotofchildrenaresmalldollsforusmothersandwife.Thatwecanchoseexactlyhowtheyshouldbedressed.AndIcan’targueit,becausetheyshouldjustdo,whatwesay.Butyeah,itisyourownlittledollyoudress.R:Doyouthenfeelthatitisyourownstyleyouchose?Nowyoureceivedalot.J:Well,whenIshouldchooseinthefuture,thenIthinkitisverynaturalthatyoutrytobuyyourownstyle.Butitisdifficulttosay.Butthereareforcertain,somethingyoulikemorethanothers.R:Isitsomethingyoutalkabout?J:Likebrands?R:Yeah…J:Yes,Ibelieveso.Butitisverydifficult.Therearesomepeopleyouwanttodiscussmorewiththanothers.Causetherearesomepeoplewhoareverystuckinthewaythatitneedstobeacertainbrands,andthatistheonlythingthatworks.Iconsiderusingsomething…Idon’tknowifyouknowthisbrandVigga?R:YesJ:ButIdidn’tcometouseit,wellIcanstilluseit.ButIjustthinkthatitisagoodidea.R:Therehavealsobeensomedifferentinitiatives,whereyoucanrentclothes,isthisalsosomethingthatyouhaveconsidered?J:Ihaven’tconsideredrenting…orwithVigga?Nohereyouarepayingasubscriptionfeeandthentheysendpackages.ThatIhaveconsidered,butthenbecausetherewasthisrotation,Ithought“thisdoesn’tcostmeanythingatall”.AndthisIalsopassontosomeoneelse,andthenIhavealsogavesomethingstoMødrehjælpenorboughtsomethingsthere.OnceIgot15piecesofclothesforthesamepriceasonepieceofclothes.Andallofitwasmadeofwool.ThenIdidn’treallycarewhatthebrandswere.Butthatis amatter of opinion of course. It is extremely individual. And it is also because I’m a believer ofrecycling.R:Hmm…Doyoualsobuyusedclothesforyourself?J: Thatwaswhat Iwas going to say…I actually don’t do that (Laughing).Only if there is somethingspecificIcan’tresist.Ican’thelptoseeifthereisanythingforme,butIprimarilybuynewclothesformyself.R:Yeah…WhatareyouactuallylookingforingeneralwhenyousearchforclothestoMarie?J:Something,thatfitherwell.AndIsupposethatIalsolookaftercolours.Thatnoteverythingneedtobepink, just because she is a girl.Hmmmwhatmore?Comfort and colours (laughing). Isn’t it verynormal?Idon’tknowifitisnormal.Itwouldalsobeniceitisagoodbrand,becausethenithashigherquality.Itlastlongertime,butatthesametime,theyarenotwearingitforsuchalongtime.R:Arethereanybrandsthatyouprefer?

J:Nooo,wellIcanseebecausesheisaslimbaby,thentherearesomebrands,whichfitherbetterthanothers.ForinstanceNameit,theyhavesomefitmodels,wherasKatvig,isthereanythingcalledthat?R:Yes.J:Yeah,thatismorewideformorefatbabies.Shecannotfitthem.R:Arethereanybrandsyoucouldneverimagineyourselfdressingherinorbuying?J: No, there are not. It only deals about the price, I guess….This brand (pointing at the clothes thatMariewears)issomethingcalledComciComcaanditissize1-3monthsandsheis6monthsoldand….okitisalittletight.Butitisalsoaverygoodideathattheyhave…ItwasfromFindersKeepers,ifyouknowthat?R:No,whatisit?J:Wellthatislikeforupcomingslikestylists,clothesandartwork.Andherethegeniusthingwasthattheymakebottomsonthearmsandlegs,sothatyoucanfolditup.Andthenithaslikeasoftquality.R:Doyouactuallythinkaboutwhatotherbabiesarewearing?J:Yes,thatIdo.Well,Ithinksometimes“Woowitlooksreallygood!”andlike“wowsilverglittershoes”and“everythingmatches”.ThatIcanthinkwithalotofchildren.Likehowdothemothershavetimeordotheyalwayslooklikethat?Ithink…orisitjustbecausetheyareout?AndsometimesIthinkthatitwouldbenice ifMarie lookedlikethat,butthat isnotwhat isthemost important forme.Therearealsoa lotofotherthings.ThenI think it ismore importantthatshe ishappyand…shewillprobablyalsobeit,eventhoughshewasdressedinsomeprettyclothes,right?R:Doyouthenalsothinksomethingabouthowtheyareasmothers, iftheydresstheirchildreninacertainway?J:Ithinkalittle,thatitcouldbethattheyhavealotoftime.CauseIdon’tfeelthatIhavesomuchtime.I couldofcourse takeme the time– for instance in thenight time I couldbuysomething fancy.Butyeah…I think how do they otherwise feel beside that the children should have some nice clotheson…Andmaybethatthereissomekindofprestigioustoweartherightbrandorclothes.R:Haveyouexperiencethattherearesomebrandsthataremoreprestigiousthanothers?J:Yeah…Ihave..R:Doyourememberwhichones?J:Petit-Bateu…youprobablyknowbetterwhatitiscalled.ThisbrandIfeelcouldbemoreprestigious.R:Howhaveyouexperiencedit?J:ItwasactuallybecausewegotasuitwhenMariewasrecentbornfromthisbrandandmyfriendwhoboughtit,hersistes…becauseitwasboughtinFrancethesuit.Thenthesisteraskedifshecouldbuysome additional clothes to her…or a specific raincoat, I think. And then I just thought “God,do youreallyhavetimeforthat?”.R:Whataboutinthebeginning,howdidyouknowwhattobuyforher?

J:Ididn’tknow…Ireallydidn’t.R:Whatdidyouthendo?J: Then I tried to read a little online and ask friends and family. Especially howmuch clothes youneededtobuy.Ithinkthatwashardtoknow.SoIjusttriedandthenIthought“itisnotworsethatIcanalwaysbuysomethingsintheshopsifImisssomething”.R:Hadyoupurchasedanythingbeforeshewasborn?J:IgotsomeclothesfromtherotationandthenIbought…didIbuysomething?NoIdon’tthinkthatIhadboughtanything…R:No…Didyoudoanythingwiththeclothesbeforeshewasusingit?J:Yes,wewashedalltheclothes.Thatwehadheartorreadthatyoushouldpreferablydothat..AnditisalsothereforeIthinkthatareusedclothesisgenius,becauseithasbeenwashedalotoftimes.Andall the chemicalsareoutof the clothes. So therefore I also think that it is good. So then I can’t stopthinkingifitisthenjustasgoodlookingasthenewclothes.ButthenIthinkitmightbebettersheisnotwearinganythingthatwillmakehersick.R:Sothatwouldbesomevalues,thatyouhave?J:Yes,itmustbe,actually.ThatIfocusmoreonthatthanhowitlookslike.R:Haveyouexperiencedthatpeoplehavecommentedonwhatshewaswearing?J:No,never…R:Orthatshelookedcuteinsomething?J:Yes,thatIhave.Welllike“ohshelookscute”,butithasn’tbeenanythinglike…orwellwehadthesepantyhose,wherethefeedareballerinas…andthentheyarepurpleandthentheballerinasareblack.Andalotofpeoplethinkthatitisfunnyandcute.Itisverypretty.Butotherwise,well..Yeah,thentheyfeelthatsheiscute,butitisnotalwaysbecausesheiswearingsomethingspecific.No,Iactuallydon’tthinkso,R:Whataboutwith therotation,orwhenyouget theclothes.Doyousometimes feel that you takeanotherperson’sorparent’spersonalityon?Ordoyouthenchosewhatfitwithyours?J:Iprobablychosethethings.SoIthink,thisIwouldlovetouse,thisIwouldn’t.R:Andthisismainlybasedonthedesignor?J:Yes,butalsohowitfitsher.Becausesheissuchaslimgirl,sotherearesomeclothes,whicheasilybecomestobig.Andthenitdoesn’tfithersowell.R:Whataboutthemothersgroup.Wasthereanythinginthebeginning,whereyouthoughtthatwoulddresshernicer?J:HmmIdon’tknowifIthoughtthatsheshouldbedressnice,butIdefinitelythoughtaboutwhatshewasgoingtowear.SomaybeIthought,becausealsoMarieistheonlygirl,sosheshouldhaveadress

on(laughing).SothatIthoughtwasfunnytodressherin.Butitwasjustasmuchasifweweregoingtosomeotherarrangement.ThenI think it isnicetogiveheradresson,a little femininewithout itneedstobepink.Eventhoughactuallyalotofherdressesarepink.R:Ifsheiswearingsomethingreallycute,doyouthentakepicturesofit?J:YeahIdo.Butit is justaswellbecauseIthinkshelookscuteandnotjustbecauseoftheclothes.Igavehera costumeon lookingas a smurfonce, and then I tookapictureofher.Butwell, itwasn’tbecauseifwasprettyclothes,itwasbecauseshewasdressedout,righ?Butitisjustaswell,ifshesitsfunnyordosomethingfunnywiththehead.Itisnotsomuchtheclothes.R:Areyoutheoneresponsibleforchoosingtheclothesorisyouboyfriendalsodoingit?J: Yes,well…it is not becausewe agreed it, but it kind of just became thisway. I just fix it. And hemostlyagrees,like“ohthislooksnice”.Heisnotsocritical,eventhoughheisitwithhisownclothes.Herehepreferstohavebrandedclothes.Hejustthinksshelookscutenomatterwhatsheiswearing.R:She isalsoverycute (laughing)…Ohyeah…doyouhaveanywherewhereyouseek inspiration forthebabyclothes?J:Justinshops,Ithink.Well,inwindowsandIlookatwhatotherchildrenarewearing.R:Doyouthenask,wheretheygottheclothesfrom?J:No, Iactuallydon’t.ButsometimesI lookat Instagrambecauseotherstakephotosofthechildren,andthenyoucanseeit.Andsometimestheywritewhatkindofbrands,theyarewearing.SoIthinkthatishowIgettoknowthesebrands.R:Wouldyousaythatyoupreferbrandedtonon-brandedclothes?J: Ingeneral it isnotsoimportantwithbrandsforme.ButatthesametimeIcanseethebenefits inregardstothequality, it last longertime–butwhentheyaresosmall,especiallywhentheyarelessthan6months,thentheyarewearingit forsuchashortamountoftime.SoIcanseethatfromnowandtheoldertheyget,thenitisbetterthattheclotheslastlongertime…andtheystartcrawlingandtear thekneesandgetmoremessywithporridge. So in thisway I think it canbe important tobuysomebrandedclothes, right?But I cannot really stopgoingdown to thesecondhandshop,becausehereyoucanfinda lotofbrandedclothesand itcostsa littlemorethantheother,but it isstillwaybelowthenormalprice.R:Butwithwhomdoyouotherwisetalkaboutbabyclotheswith,ingeneral?J:Well,otherswhoalsogotsmallchildren.R:Whatdoyoutalkabout?J: Ehm…we talk about…where they bought it, howmuch it cost and discounts and not discounts.Becauseclothescanbeexpensive,soIhaveseveralfriendswhogotoinventory-clearancesales.Nowsheisnotsobig,butIhearthattheycansavealotofmoney.Whereyousometimesmusttakeariskregardingtheclothesorthesize.Well,ok,inayearsheneedsawinterjacketandthenIcanbuyitnow.Andthentaketheriskthatshewillbeabletofit itandthatshehasgrown.Yeah…Ithinkit isaverygood idea. Imightdo itwithMarie.Butotherwise,wedon’treallyneedsomuchyet.Notyet…but itwillcome.

R:Doyoualsothinkthatyoutalkingeneralaboutbrands,likesaying“thisisagoodbrand”?J: Yeah, yes. Or you hear “thisbrand isgood”, but you can also see it. Or I don’t know. I can’t helpnotice, that for instance a lot of children arewearingWheat for instance. There aremorewho arewearing these jackets. Then it iswritten on the back or in the hood.And then I can’t help thinking“hmmitmustbeagoodbrand,sincetherearesomanywhohaveit”,right?Butwealsotalkaboutit.ButIalsohavefriendswhere…nowIhaven’tboughtanyjacketsforheryetbecausesheispackedinduvetand in the pram…but she…We definitely talk about brands, for sure. Now I don’t know how bigchildren…wellthatyouaretalkingwiththemothers?R:Upuntil2yearsJ:Untill2years…Yeah,causewhentheystill…I think…aresosmall, then therearea lotof thingswecannotbuy.Likewecan’tbuyshoesforthemyetandjacket.Orofcoursewecanbuyit,butitdoesnotreallymakesense…atleastnotforme…causetheyarewrappedin,whentheyareinthepram.R:Doyouthinkthereisadifferencebetweenhowyoudresshernowandthenmaybeinayear?J:Yeah,Ithinkso.Iactuallythinkso.R:Inwhichway?J:Hmmm…Andthenagain…causeIstillthinkthatIwillthinkabouthowitfitsherandifsheisfeelingcomfortable, if it iswarmenough…LikeIdonow.ButitcanbethatI’llthinkevenmoreaboutthatitshouldlookprettyor likethat.ButIthinkit ismoreimportant…howtosay…thatit fitsherwellandthatitiswarm.Likeforinstanceinthewinterandinthesummer…thatitalsofitherwellandthatsheisnotfeelinguncomfortable…orthatsheneedstowearadresseventhoughshedon’tlikeit,orifshefallsinthedress.Idon’tknow,stufflikethat,youknow?R:Mmm…yeah…J:ThenIdon’tthinkitmakesanysensetodressherlikethat.R:Noitshouldbemorepractical?J:Yeahalso…R:Whatabout…aretheresomebrandsyouwouldliketobuy,butyouhaven’tboughtit?J:Yeah,thereareseveral,Ithink.Well,knowIcannotrememberthem.ButIthinkthattherearesomebrands,likeforinstanceNoaNoaIthinkisreallynice.ButIalsobelieveitisalotofmoneytospend.Or…yeahthisPetitwhereIcannotremembertheendofthename…butyeahIalsothinkthatitisanicebrand.R:Anditisnice,yousay,becauseofthedesignor?J:Yes,itis.Itlookscute.Well,therearealsosomebrandsinBabysam,whereIthink,theyaresoniceandgoodstyle,butIjustthinkitisalotofmoney–eventhoughitisforyourtreasureandyoulovehermostintheworld.ThatIstilldo.Eventhoughsheisnotwearingthemostbeautifulandnewclothes.Causeforheritdoesn’tmatter.Shedoesn’tnoticeit.CauseIcan’tstopthinkingthatitwillbeliketodisplaythem.That,youalsodoalotonthesocialmediaandstufflikethat.

R:Doyouhavepicturesofheronthesocialmedia?J:No,noIhaven’tactually.(Boyfriendenterstheapartment,greetsandtakesthechild)R:Whataboutwhenyougotorboughttheclothesbeforeshegotborn–didyouthenhaveitathome?J:Yes,thatwehad.Doyouthinkaboutthesuperstition?R:YesexactlyJ:Yeah,Idon’tbelieveit.Causewhatareyousupposedtodowhenyougetchildnr2or3?Sothentheyuse,whattheolderchildrenwore. So…theclotheswashereandalsothepram.Imeanitwasinthebasement,butstill…R:Yeah.Arethereactuallyanyclotheswhereyoufeelthatyouareattachedtoit?J:Yeah,forinstanceifsomeonemadeitthemselves.Likeknittedclothes.Mymotherorsomefriendswhomadeitthemselves.R:Doyouhavealotofhomemadeclothes?J:Ihavesome,notmuch.Somejerseysandalotofsocks.Therearealotofknittedsockshereforthewinter.AndalsosomevestsIthink.R:Haveyoualsomadesome?J:hmmm…No,no.R:Sowhentheyknittedit,didtheythenmakeitbasedontheirownfantasyorwhattheylikedordidtheyaskyou?J:Theyactuallymadeitthemselves,andchosethecoloursthemselves.ButI likeit. It isnottoopinkmorepurple.Andthatisfine,Ilikeit.R:Couldyouimaginesellingitorgiveittosomeone?J:No,no.R:Arethereotherpiecesyoucouldnotimagineresellingorpassingon?J:Yes,presents.Well,againithasvalue.SomeonehasthoughtaboutusandonMarie.So,Iwon’tsellit.Eventhoughshemightnotbeabletofititagainorifsheisnotgettingasister,thentheycannotreallyuseit.ButIwouldthinkthatitwouldbeweirdtosell.R:Soyoustillfeelattachtoit?J:Yes

R:Talkingingeneralaboutclothes.Doyouthinkorfeel,likeyouoringeneral…thatyoucansayhowmothersarebasedontheclothes?Ifyourpersonalityisbeingreflected?Orotherspersonalitiesandvalues?J:Likeoutintheclothes?R:YesJ:Yes,mostdefinitely.Ingeneral,likethatsomeonechoseorbuythemostexpensiveorthebest.Thattheymightalsodotothemselves.Well,Idon’tknowwhytheydoit,butIthinkitcouldbe.R:IsitsomethingyouthinkaboutwhenyoudressMarie.ThatothersbelieveyouareaspecifickindofmombasedonhowyoudressMarie?J:No,Idon’tthinkaboutit.R:Howdoyouthenthinkitrepresentyourpersonality?Isitthen,thatitshouldbewithoutchemistryorandthatitisused,thatrepresentyourpersonality,or?J:Idon’tthinkthatmypersonallyisreflectedinherclothes.Butofcourseitprobablydoes,whenyoureflectuponitonahigherlevel.ButIdon’tthinkaboutit.ItisjustbecauseIthinkitmakesthemostsenseforall.Thatitdoesn’tcost,asmuchandthatitisbesttoavoidchemicals.WithmyownclothesIdon’tdoit.Well,yeah…Iactuallydon’tknowwhyitisnotlikethat.ButIjustdon’t.R:Ah.Yeah.IstheresomethoughtsthatyouhadbeforeregardinghowyouwouldliketodressMarieoryourbaby,causeyoudidn’tknowitwasMarie,incomparisonwithhowyoudoitnow?J:No,causeIalsobelievethatbeforeIgotchildren,IalsothoughtthatIdidnotwanttospendsomuchmoney.Anditisnotbecausewecan’taffordit,butIjustthinkwewanttospendourmoneyonotherthings.Because I think thatbabyclothes isveryexpensive…Andwhenyouneeda lotof clothes…Oryoudon’tneedthatmuch.Butwell,youneedsomethingtochangewith,becausetheycanpooponit,so it is important tohavesomething tochangewith.Then I think it ismore important tospend themoneyonsomeother things.Alsobecause theygrowso fast.AndIalsohadthisopinionbeforeshecame.Itwasnotthatsheneededtohavecertainbrandson.ButIhavesomefriendswhothinkthat–butIalsohaveotherfriendswhothinkstheopposite.SoIneverreallydiscussitwiththem,becauseitbecomeslikethisdangerousfieldsometimes.Becausewedonotreallyagree.R:Isitbecauseyoufeelthatyoucanstartdiscussingaboutit?J:No,notadiscussion,butatleastnotagreeing.Andthereisnothingwrongwiththat,youshouldnotagreeoneverything,but…“youwanttospendalotofmoneyonit,Idon’t–thatisfine”.R:Talkingaboutagreeingandnotagreeing…andyousaythatyourathernottalkwiththemaboutit.J:No,causewedon’tagree,soIdon’tseewhyweshoulddoit.R:Becauseyoutalkedaboutitonce,andthenyoufiguredoutthatyouweredisagreeingandthen…J:No,Ijustthinkthatyouareallowedtobuythereallyexpensiveclothesorspendingalotofmoneyonit,Ijustthinkitisstupid.ButIcannotandwillnottrytochangetheiropinion.OrmaybeIcan.Ihaven’ttried…But I can’t help thinking, what they then are thinking aboutme. But I can’t…I do itmywayanyway.

R:Youalsotalkedaboutthatyourparentsalsodidtherotation.Doyouthinkitissomethingyougotfromthem?J:Yeah…buttheydidn’ttellmeaboutituntilafterIgotMarie.Soit isactuallynotthattheysaidyoushoulddothisoryoucoulddothis.R:Andwhentheydidit,wasitthenalsoinordertobeenvironmentallyfriendly.Doyouknow?J:Iactuallydon’t.Ijustthinkyoudiditalotinthe80ies.Andthentheygotchildrenatthesametimeandthenthesamebagofclotheswassentaroundtoallofthechildren–andthentheyusedthesameclothes.R:Yeah,itissmart.J:Yesitis.Andagain,alsobecausetheygrowoutoftheclothessofast.ButitisactuallynothingthatIreallytalkedwiththemabout.R:Arethereotherthingswhereyouthink,“Thisisverydifferentfromhowitwasbackthenandhowitisnow”?J:Regarding?R:Regardingupbringing,babyclothesandthingslikethat.J:Iexperiencethatitismoreimportantwiththebrandsnowthaninthe80’ies.Idon’tevenknowifwehadsomebrandedclothes.AndIalsobelievethatmoreclotheswerehomemade.Idon’tknow.Butwedon’tdoitasmuchtoday. ButIthinkwearemoreenvironmentallyconscioustodayandalsothatitneeds to be organic. I actually don’t know how clothes can be organic. Maybe you know what itimplies?R:Ithink,forinstanceoifyouhavecotton,thatitisorganicandwithoutchemistry.J:Yeahcause Ihaveactually thoughtabout,what it implies that theclothes isorganic. Is it then thetextile,maybe.R:Ithinkitisbecauseforinstancethatthecottonfieldhasnotbeenpollutedwithchemistryandthatthecoloursaremorenatural.J:Yeahit’srightthatcouldbe.R:Yeah…Doyouhaveanything,whichyoufindimportant,thatwetakeawaywithus?J:Well,whatyouarewritingaboutpreciselyisbrands?R:Yes,howfirsttimemothershereinCopenhagenusebabyclothesandbrandsasamother.J:Well…Idon’tknow,andalsobecause Idon’t care thatmuchaboutbrands. Iknowwhichonesaremoreknownbrandsthanothers.ButotherwiseIdon’tknow.No,Idon’treallyknow.R:Aretheresomebrands,whereyouthinkthattheyhavesomespecificvalues,whichyoucaneitherconnectyourselfwithorabsolutelynot.

J:Thenitisonly…Idon’tevenknowifyoucangetit,butLouisVuitton.Canyougetit?R:Yes.J: I would never give it to my child. It is because I think it is ugly and then because of the price(laughing).Itisinsane,Icanimagine.Thesebrands,Ithink…Idon’tknow.AndalsobecauseIimaginethattheonesusingLouisVuittonortheseexpensivebrands,theyhave…Idon’tknow.ButIdon’tuseitmyself.R: Butwhat kind of values do think that the parents,who give their children these kind of brandshave?J:Ithinktheyareabitsuperficial,becauseyouaregivingthemalabelandapieceofclothes.Itdoesn’treally say anything about how they are as human beings. But then again, you can alsomaybe alsodiscussthatIdo,whenIdon’tbuytheseexpensivebrands.ButIthinkitbecomessuperficial,becausewhy is it important that theyshouldwearapieceof clothes that cost800DKK insteadof200DKK,or…Well...Aslongassheiscomfortableandwarmandnotgetacold.AndthenIalsothinksomethingmorepractical.Idon’tknowifallfirsttimemothersdothattodayinregardstoearlier?R:Idon’tknowIthinkitisveryindividual.J:ButIhaveafeelingthatitisveryimportantwiththebrands.Yes,becauseIhaveexperiencedbothkindsofmothers.R:Andhowhaveyouexperiencedthemotherswhocareaboutthebrands.Whatdotheysay?J:Itismorethatitneedstobethesecertainbrands.Thereisnodiscussionaboutthat.R:Andthatisbecausetheyjustreallylikethesebrands?J:Yes,buttheyalso oftenchosetobuy iton inventory-clearancesale,sotheycangetdiscount.Andthenitdoesmakesense.ButthenIcan’tstopthinkingabouttheenvironment.Wekeepbuyingmoreandmoreclothes,butwhoisthinkingabouttheenvironment.Youdonotreallythinkaboutthefutureofyourchild,ifyoukeepbuying,Ithink.Causeforwho’ssakeisitthenyoubuytheseniceclothes?Itisnotforthechildren.Itismoreforus,becausewethinktheylookcute.Ialsothinkso,butthenIcan’tstopthinking,theycanlookjustascuteinusedclothes.Aslongasitiscleanedandwashedanditisnotdisgustingorwithalotofwholes.Butagain,itisbecausethesearemyvalues.ButIdon’tneedtodiscussitwiththem,becausewewillnotagree.R:NowyousaythatyouthinkthatmotherswhogivetheirchildrenLouisVuittonareverysuperficial.Whataboutpeople,whogivetheirchildrenclothesfromthesupermarkets.Whatdoyouthinkaboutit?J:Aslongastheyfeelwell.Thenitdoesnotbotherme.Again,aslongasitiswarmanddry.Thenitisok,thatitisfromasupermarket.AndIthinkthatthesupermarketsmakealotofwoollenclothesandorganic. So I can’t really say somethingbadabout it. I actuallydon’t know if the clothes fromLouisVuittonor theseexpensivebrandsalsoareorganic.But Idon’treally thinkabout it. I just thinkthattheyprioritizedifferently.Butthenyoucanalsosay,doIalsodothat?CauseIbuyusedclothes–butthatisalsoinordertothinkabouttheenvironment.R:Howdoyouactuallyseeyourselfasamother?Ifyouhavemadesomethoughtsaboutit.

J:IthinkthatI’magoodmotherandIthinkaboutthefutureofmychild.AndIdon’tneedtoteachher,thatitismostimportanttohaveLouisVuittoninsteadofclothesfromthesupermarket.Youarenotabetterpersonbecauseofthat.AndIwanttoteachherthat.Thesearesomegoodvaluestogivetoher,Ithink.AndIalsoknowthatSimonagrees.Becauseofcoursewewanttolooknice,thatIwant,thathewantsandsheprobablyalsowants,buttherearesomeothervalues,whicharemoreimportant.Itismoreimportanttofeelwellinsidethebodyandtheheart.R:Ithinkthatisit.Thankyouverymuch.

INTERVIEWWITHMICHELLEInterviewwithMichelleChild:Noah,2YearsLocation:Mother’sapartment,NørrebroInterviewers:KateandRebeccaM:MichelleK:KateR:Rebecca

Alltalkingabouthowtheinterviewisgoingtobeinstructureandthatit’sanonymous.

R: It’s a semi structured interview, but alsowith questionswe are curious about and come to talkabout.

M: Forme it all goes back toowhatmy background is – sowhat are you able to spentwhen youchoose clothes, cause obviously when you don’t have a lot of money, and being a parent that arestudying,my financialshave changed. So, coming fromCharlottenlundwherewebothhave fulltimejobswe couldhave afford anybrandwewouldhavewanted forNoah... But Iwas actually quite… Ithink…hm…worriedabout,whatwouldIbuy,alsotheygrowsofastinthebeginningsoIboughtsomuchniceclothes insize56andhegrowoutof it3weeksafter…(laughing). So Idecided,ok I justspendsomuchmoneybuyinghimniceclothes,thenhefititfor3weeks,someofithenevertriedon.

K:Oohh(laughing).

M:AndsoIactuallyjustsaidwe’llfind…I’llstarttolookinto…Hmm,someofitwewouldgoandbuy,andtypicallywe’llgotoMagasinandwaitforthesalestogoon,andgoforthenicebrandsonsalesandsayokaysohowbigishegoingtobeinhalfayear’stimeorevenayear’stime.

R:Yeah.

M:Andthengetitinalowcost,andthatwouldbehmm…oh...thenicebrandslikeMoloor…wecangoandlookinthestoreandthereislikeMolo(whisperingsomething)andehm...ohmaybeweshouldjust(laughing).

R:IheardaboutMolobefore.

K:Yeah,yeahmetoo.

[Michellegoestogettheclothes]

M:Ijusttookclothestosee(Alllaughing)

M:PetitPatouandallofthesenicethingsbutIwouldneverpayfullpriceforit,causeWheatisalsoaverynicebrand,ehm...And…MilliBi.

R:Millibi...Millibi?

M:Thisone[showstheclothes].

R:Oh.

M:WegotH&M,Norlich,hmmIgotLoggedwhichisH&Maswell.IgotsomethingcalledIdaTbyDK,whichIdon’trememberbuyingbut(alllaughing)butfairenough(alllaughing)Nameit.

K:OhyeahNameit,Iknowthat.

M: Hmm… There’s Baby Gap, Hummel…hm... Bluesew, which is like a cheap brand but hm… butPationalandLecalagain.

M:Soforme,formeit’saboutgettingniceclothesthatIthinkfitinthecolors.

R:Yes,ok.

M:Andsomething that I think…That I think… it… it’snicequality...And I thinksomeof theclothesrightnow,becauseobviouslyhe’s,he’salmost2…Buthe’splayingaround likehe’sputting like...andhe’seating,likeofcoursethere’sgoingtobeketchuponhis…likethat.

KandR:Yeah

M:Andthat’sfine,heeatsquitenicelybutthere’salwaysgoingtobesomefoodand…

K:Ofcourse

M:And… Iwantclothes thathecanactuallywear, clothes thathecanplay inand it’sokay if it getsruined.Likehe’sachildandheshouldbeallowedtodowhathedoes...

R:Yeah

M: Hmmm… so, so I’m quite ehm.. I think a little bit preventative to and I don’tmind him gettingsecondhandclothesifit’snicebrands.IfIcangetWheatpantsthatusuallycost250kr.AndIgotoahomewhereIcanactuallysee,okayitlooksnice,theykeptItnicely,andyoucan’tactuallyseethatit’sbeenusedIdon’tmindbuyingthatfromthem...Andthensavingthatmuchmoneythat’showIboughthisflyingjacketwhichwasehm…wasthataWheatorwhatwasthat?...TheyusuallycostDKK1.600andIboughtitfor300andyoucouldn’tevenseethatit’sbeenusedafteritwaswashed.

KandR:Mmm.

M: So, so Iwould do that but I do care about to some extent that I think it’s nice that he has niceclothes…

KandR:Mmm.

R:Sowouldyousaythatyouprefertobuybrandedclothescomparedwiththenotbranded?

M:Yeah…hmm…butIfyou justneedsomethingquickIdon’tmindgettinganH&Mbody,but IalsoknowthatonceI’vewashedit3timesthey’renotinshapeanymore.

R:Mmm..

M:AndifIbuyanicebrandtheyactuallykeeptheirshape.

R:Soisit’smainlybecauseofthequality?

M:Itisalsobecauseofthequalityehm...whenhegoestoonurseryschoolitdoesn’tmattertoomuch,butifwe’regoingoutIthinkit’snicethathehasniceclotheson.AndIthinkfortheareathatweusedtolivein,Charlottenlund,itmattersaquitealotmorewhatthekidsarewearing..

KandR:Mm…

M:Andeven ifyou lookat,atwhat theyhavehanging inthekindergardenyoucanseethat it’s, it’smore,it’smorewealthyparentsthatbuysfortheirchildrencomparedto...sometimesIhelpoutwithmyfriendschildwhogoestokindergardenatValby,ehmandit’sdifferent.Differentclothesand…thesame kids same issues but different outfit’s, and for me it’s not... it has to practical but I do havepreferenceforniceclothes.ButIrefusetopay3500for…Ithinkthat’sridiculous...likethereisalevel,sayokay(alllaughing)

R:it’stoomuch.

M:That’sridiculous.

K:Whatdoyoulookforintheclotheswhenyougobuythem?

M:Colours...ButIthinkitmatchestherestofhiswardrobe

K:Colours…

KandR:Mm

M:Hmm,andifthisissomethinghe’sneeding,butisthereaneedforit..ehmsometimesIgoonasaleandIfalloversomething...oh,thisisnice,andsoitbecolour,qualityanddoIthinkthat,thatactuallysuit’shim,doI..

K:Whataboutsomeorganicclothesorwhatmaterialsit’smadeof?

M:NoIdon’tcare…Ithinksomemomscareaboutthat…

K:Yeahweheardthatsome...

M:yeah.I,I,don’tcare...MaybeIshouldcarebutIdon’t.(alllaughing)

K:No...okay

R:Ithink...(inaudible)

R:Aretheresomecoloursorstylesyoulikemorethanothers?

M:Hmm.Wellobviouslybecausehe’saboy,I likegreyandblueandwhiteandit’sofcourseblack,Idon’tthinkit’sacolourIhaveabigpreferenceforbutitjustmatchestherestofit.ButIwillneverputhiminpink...that’sabout…pinkandredIdon’tputhimin.

R:Mm…

M:Helookslikeaboy.But…

(Alllaughing)

M:Idon’tthinkit’sboyclothes…yeah..

R:Whataboutthebrands,aretheresomethatyouwouldneverbuytoNoah?

M:IstheresomebrandsIwouldneverbuyehm?Ido...Idohave...like…Istheresomething...Ifit’slikesupercheapbrands…I,Iusuallyjustavoidthat,whichisabitridiculous,whenIsayI’mpricesensitivebutIdon’tgoandlookatit,butIfIbuyabunchofclothessecondhandit,itdoesn’tmatterifthat’sapartofitbutIwouldn’tseeklike...WehavethatBlueSewwhichwassomethingweweregiven,butIwouldneverlookatthat.

R:Hmm…

M:Sothesuperlowehm…

R:IsitlikeasupermarketorH&Mor…

M:NohmmBlueSewIdon’tknowbut,Butthat’swereyouusuallyfinditonehm.It’sevenlowerthanH&M…Which one is... Blue Sew... this one [pointing at somepants from the pile of clothes].. So it’sstupidbecauseIthinkthat’sactuallyanicepieceof…

R:YeahIthinkso.

M:Yeahanditlooksnice,andifitwascalledfromGroundFloorOne...itwouldhavebeensomething...ButIwouldavoidthatbecauseIthinkthatit’sIlike...thatissuper,supercheap.

R:Hmm…

M: Pretty sure it’s a Blue Sew… but, I , I , he’s wearing that he looks nice in it. But like... thesesupermarketclothesor…Iwouldneverbuythat...soIthinkH&Mismylower...liketherestis…Idon’twanthiminsupermarketclothes.

R:Yeah…isthereaspecialreasonforthat?

M:Ijustdon’tthinkit’snice...Iwouldneverbuysupermarketclothesformyself...likeIwouldnevergointoBilkaandbuysomethingunlessit’ssocksorsomething...

(alllaughing)

M: But I would never buy anything else than socks too… so why would I put my child... so it hassomethingtodowithmypersonalpreferences...likewouldn’tmindbuyingsecondhandclothesfromafriendifIknewthatshewouldtakegoodcareofit...soIthinkIbuyforNoahwhatIdoformyself.

R:Yeah…doyouthink...the…liketheclothesyouchooseforhimrepresentyouasakindofmother?

M:Hmm… I think that I… a little bit… In the same sense that I can get quite annoyedwith his dadsometimes,whenheputclothesonhimthatdoesn’tmatch.

(AllLaughing)

M:He’slike…“ohyouputitupsidedown“…andI’mlike“lookatthechild”...soIthinkhe’ssomehow…whateverIdowithmyclothes...thewayIdressmyself…hmm…thatIalsotrytodocoordination,sohe’sprobablyalittle...hmm…copyofme(laughing).

R:Ithinkthat’snormalyouputonwhatyoulike,causehe,hecantchooseit.

M:Exactly,hedoesn’tcare...ifitwasuptoNoahhewouldjustrunaroundinadiaper..

(Alllaughing)

R:Aretheresomebrandsyoureallylike…youthinkthat’sjustyou?

M:Wheat... I think it’s so cute... hmm... I think there is likeveryexpensivewealth (inaudibleword)clothesforkidsthat’ssupernice,butIwouldneverbuythemIDenmark…Ithinkthere’salsoatupperboundwhereIthink,thingsbecometooexpensive...Iwouldn’tpayDKK800foraniceshirtforaboythatistwoyearsofageIthinkthat’sridiculous.

R:Hmm.

M: But some moms would probably do that because it matters in the... When I used to live inCharlottenlund in themothers group therewas only... Therewas amomwhowould only buy thissuper, super expensive brand… oh... what is it called... ehm... give me second… I will... maybe yourememberit’ssuper,superexpensive.

[Michelleistryingtorememberthenameoftheexpensivebrand]

R:Tierre?

M:Yeah…ehm.NotPatear,it’sehm...Fateer?Beteer?Ithinkso...yeah(Petit)Bateau...shewouldonlybuther child in (Petit)Bateau…and that’s… I think that’s there (Petit)Bateau,whereshepaidDKK3.500 fora (Flyverdragt) Jacketand thebodies’ cost likeDKK400andDKK500…and I think that’sridiculous.

R:Yeah.

M:I...sothereisanupperbound...soIhavealowerbound...Iwontgotosupermarkets...butthere’salsoapointwhereIthinkit’sstupid.

R: Hmm… is it just because of the price that you wouldn’t like pay so mush solely, or is it alsosomethingtodowiththevalues...theylike...inthatspecificclothesandageoftheextremes?

M:Ithinkit’stodowiththepricethatIdon’tfeellike,itmightbeverycuteanditmightbereallynicequality...butIthinkit’stomuchpricingforsuchalittleperson,causehedoesn’tcare..it’s,it’saboutmeputtingclothesonhim..

R:Yeah.

M: Rather than him caring about the clothes... and I much rather want to say fine... Rather thanspendingxamountofmoneyonamonth...Iratherwanttodoasaving…andIthinkin10or15yearstimehewillcareabouthisclothes... I think it’snicer forhimtohavesomesortofsavingssohehasmoneytogooutandspenditonniceclothes,ratherthannowwhereheactuallydoesn’tcare,sowhatIdidinthefirstyear…it’slikeeverytimeIboughtasecondhand…Iputthevalueandestimatedfromwhat Iwouldcost if Ibought Inewandput themoney in tohisaccount…so thedifference Ididassavings…

R:Yeah.

M: So I actually savedup.. I think5000or6000 forhim... because I saved somuchmoney… I thinkthat’s a much better return of investment... rather than having him looking good for the first yearwherehedoesn’tcare.

R:Ohyeah…Isee

M:Hmm…

R:What about for the lower limit… likewhere you say you don’twant to do it for a supermarket,becauseyouwouldn’tbuyitforyourself?

M:Iwouldbeashamedofhimwalkingaroundinsupermarketclothes...

R:Hmm…

M:SoIthinkIhavesucha…tosay,thisistherange...I’mprobablylikehere[showingwithherhands]likewhereitbecomeslike…Iwouldbesoashamedifsomebodysaid:“Ohhe’swearinganiceshirt”...and it’snot logical... “…andiftheyaskwhereisitfromandIwouldhavetosay..IboughtitBilka”…it’sthesamesenseifIwaswearingsomething...andpeoplesaid...“ohthat’saniceshirt”...I,IwouldneversayifIboughtitinasupermarket.

R:No.

M:WhichIwouldneverdobut…

R:No.

M:Butthat’swhy…noIwouldnot.Hmm...sothat’snot…that’sprobablynotverylogical...givenmyotherargument…

K:Itdoesn’thavetobelogical…(alllaughing)

R:Yeah...weallhavefeelingstowardslike…andsomepeoplereallydon’tmindandsomepeopledomindand…

M:Yeah.

K:Doyoustillmeetupwithyourmothergroupor?

M:Yeahwedo….Sowemeetupevery.Ithinkevery2ndmonth.

K:Ok.

M:Soobviouslywhentheywerelittlewemeetupeveryweek,butpeoplestartworking,andsomeofthemgopregnantoryouknowhavingtheir2ndchild...soit’snice.

K:Doesitinfluenceyou,tobeyouknowwiththem..?Dotheyinfluenceyouinanyway..Idon’tknow…

M:Hmm…IthinkIhas...wellwhenyousitthereandtheytalkaboutallthesethingsbecauseIdon’tcareabout their child... I justdon’t… this isn’twere Ineed tobe in theconversation,butyoudogetsomesortof influence from thepeople thatyouare surroundedwith..Especiallywhenyousitwiththesemomswhoaretalkingaboutthisandtheotherandwhattheyboughtfortheirchildren…WhereI’mso...wellIjustgowiththeother...likeIthinkit’s...likethat..Idon’tsayanythingiftheyallagree...butiftheysitlike4peopleandagreeingIjustdon’tparticipate

K:Butyousayitdoeshavesomesortofinfluence?

R:DoyouthinklikethewayyoudressNoainthesemeetingsaredifferentcomparedtonormally?

M:YeahIthink,Ithinkaboutitmore... Idon’t lethisdaddresshim(laughing)Like…he...hedoesn’tcare...it’ssofunny..hedoesn’tparticipateinthemothergroupshimself…soIthinkthat’swhymaybe…Buthedoesn’tcarewhatclothesheiswearing[son],soit’sit’s..like.Iknowhim…soIjustmakesureit’s...ofcourse...It’susuallymewhoputsclothesonhim...95%ofthetime.

R:Hmm.

K:Butmaybe...doyoulike…wouldyousay...hmm.Youthinkaboutitmore...youthinkaboutitsohe’smore...Idon’twanthimtorepresentthat...likewithclothes...hehaslike...niceeclothesforhimselforinwhichwayyouthinkaboutitifyou...likesoitmatchesbetteror...Idon’tknow.

M:Ithinkitmatchesbetterbecausetheyalways...butmaybeit’sin…asome..likea...butlike...thatwealwaysassumethatwelookateachotherschildrenanditbecomeslikeacompetition…andI,Idon’tknowiftheysitinwiththesame...oreverybodyelse’schildrenaredressednicely,soweneedtodressthem nicely, ehm but they are always just nicely dressed so we always do that in the same way...Maybeit’salsoifIgooutandIneedtodosomethingIwouldalwaysalsoputabitofmakeupon…putniceclothes...andIthinkthatIdothesameforhimsoIthinkthechildissomehowalsoreflectingtheparent...likeme…

K:YeahIsee.

R:Doyouthinkabout,whatlikeotherchildrenarewearing?

M:Ehm...no…butiftheywearlikereallybadclotheswithholesin,andit’s,it’snotmatching...IthinkaboutthatbutIdon’tthinkaboutwhatbrandstheyarewearing...likeIwouldn’tcareifsomebodyhadusedclothes...butIwouldnoticeifitlookedlikereallywashedoutanddirty...thenIwoulddefinitelynotice...butIdon’tlike...Idon’tcareaboutthat

R:Yeah.

M:It’slike...Idon’tcaretomuchaboutothers...butI,Icareaboutmyown.

R:Yeah

K:Yeah

R:DoyouthinkthatwhenpeopleseehowNoahisdressed,thattheyalsolike,becauseyouthinkabouthowheisdressed,doyouthenthinkthattheyalsokindof,notjudgeyouasamother...butlikereflectuponhowyouareasmother?

M:IthinkI...hm.Dopeoplereflect…Ineveractuallythoughtaboutthat...Ithinkpeopledothat...yes...butthey...theyonlydothatif...ifyouwouldlook...ehm…ifyouwouldlooklike...ehm..Idon’tknow...“beskidt”... ifyouwould lookdirty...ehm... ifyouwould look... I think...orofyouhad like longhair…andehm...“usoigneret”…Idon’tknowifit’sconfusing.

R:Likeifyou’renotreallywashed…

M:Yeah,yeah,yeah…butIthinkforthemajorityforthechildren…aslongastheyjustlookliketheyarewashes... andhas... like this is justmyperceptionwith their clothes.. but I know that inmothergroups like inCharlottenlund…people careabout that. Like Idon’t careabout all the childrenbut Iknowsomeparentcareaboutthat.

R:Mm.

M:I’mnotsayingthattheseareparentsthatIwouldactuallyassociatewithorpeoplethatIthinkiscool...butIjustknowthattheylookatthat..

R:hmm...

M:whichisaholeotherdiscussion...butthatcanalsoannoymesometimes

K:Doyouthinktheyarelikestereotypesorsomething?Whenyougotoyourmothergroupor..

M:Ithinkinmymothersgrouparereally,reallynicegirls.But,buttheycarequitealot...andsomeofthemarereally,reallywealthy...sotheydon’tcareaboutmoney...atall...ehm…soit’s,it’sjustalsotosay my, my background… sorta’ where I moved from... it matters also... about... if I grew up withpeople...withtheequals..Kinda’whereIamnow.Iwouldhavebeenadifferentmatter…butwhenyoucome from such an area... and like background, and what is the level of income... then suddenlyclothingyourchildrenstarttomatterfor...Ithinkyougetasortof...OK...youneedtobeupthere.

ButagainIwouldn’tbuy(inaudible)…Ithinkthat’sstupid

(Alllaughing)

R:Wouldyousaythat...forthem...that...likebuyingacertainlevelofbrandskindofequalsthem...thatyouareabettermother?

M:mm... Idon’tknow ifpeople... forme Iwouldn’tmatter.. I think it’sabout thechild... itnotaboutwhatbrandyouputonthem..Ithinksomeparentswouldhavethatperception...thatokay.Weneedtoshow love thatway…but I think it’s thewrongway to show love... ehm…but I think someparentsprobablywould…butnotme.

R:howwouldyousayactuallythatyouareasamother..justshortly.

M:Ah…Icarequitea lot formychild. I lovemychild...butI’mprobablyaverybusymom…likeI’mnot…I’mnota...I’mnotonethosestrictmoms.Thatsit’sandbake.And,andputhimtokindergardenat10andthenIcanleaveat3.Ehm.ButIgivehimalotofcare...andalotofstimulationandehm…wedoquitealotofthings...butI’mnotlikesomeofthoselike“over-fussed”moms...likeI’mperfectlyfinewithhim.Alsowhenhewasalittlebabythatpeopletookhim,wheresomeoftheothermomsthatwasatleastinthemothergrouptheywouldn’tletanyoneelseholdtheirbabies.

K:Oh,Ok.

M:Like itwasonly themsittingwith themand someof themare evenbreast feedinguntil thedaytoday...andformeIwasalsoperfectly finewithalsootherpeopleholdingNoahandgivinghimandtodayhe’swithhisfatherandImisshimbutIknowhe’singoodhandssoIdon’tworry...wheresomemotherswouldn’tbeabletocopewiththat...andtheywouldworryallthetimeandtextandcallallthetime...likeIknowhe’swithhisfather...andIknowhisfatherloveshimasmuchasIdo,soI’mperfectlyfinewiththat..

R:Mmyeah.

K:He’singoodhandsyeah…

R:Mm...thatmakessense

R:Andwhatabout…ehm...whenyoudoshoppingforNoah..Doyougetinspirationfromanywhereordoyoujustgoandbuyitor?

M:I…Ido...sometimesIjustgoontheiInternetandlookondifferentwebsites,orjust“Google”itandsayokayisthereanygoodsalesonorifI’veseensomesortofstyleonanotherchildandIthought:Ohthatlookedgood,likeaniceaehm.Whatdoyoucallthese...vests…

R:Yeah...

M:thatlookssocutewiththe…ehm...shirton...andehm…thatdefinitelyshoes…shoesarethethingIspendthemoston,becauseshoesissoimportantforhisfeet...soI’msohorrifiedforwhenIneedtobuyshoes,becauseshoesarelike6-700like800kr.ForapairofshoesandI’mjustdying(laughing)thenIwouldgoandjustandseewhathavepeoplebeenwritingaboutshoes,becausethatmatters.Apairofpantsare justapairofpants... they justneedtobecomfortable.Ehm…sothatIdefinitelygoandlookintoehm…butjustontheinternet

K:istherelikeafavoriteblogorpageyougoon?

M:no...IjustgoandGoogle,andthengospecificallyandGooglemywayintoaspecificbrandorhavesomemomstestit,andthenthereareallofthesewebsitesforchildren,,theyhavelikeavarious…it’snot likea specificwebsite I go to.. I think for...whenhewasup to the first year I readevery singleweek.Whatishappeninginhisdevelopment,whatshouldyoudo...whichguideshouldyouget…veryinform...extremelyinform…Ithink...whenIgavebirthtoNoah,likeIkneweverythingthathadtobedone...likeIkneweverythingthatwashappeningthroughtheweek,andIthinkastimefliesby...youstart... I... of course I care about his development but I don’t go in there everyweek. Maybe everymonththatIgoinandchecksomething...butIthinkyoustarttorelaxmuchmore…

K:But like is it... do you think it’s better…orwasbetterwhen you’vebeenmore informed thennoinformationatall…doyoufeelrelaxed?

M: It, it just becomes tomuch because there’s all of these expectations about when you become amom...whatshouldyoudo...likebeingasupermomandallofthis:ohit’ssoeasytobeamom...it’snoteasy tobe aparent... it’snot easy tobemom... it’snotwith all the expectations andeverythingyouneedtodo...it’sbloodytoughbuttherewardissomuchlarger…soluckily.

(Alllaughing)

M:It’sokay…youhaven’tsleptforaweek.

(Laughing)

M: But it is really, really tough andwhat I found in all of these blogswas painting a picture aboutmotherhood.

K:Yeah.

M:That I thinkwaswrong... that I actuallywanted to see something about... youknowwhat… it, istough and sometimes you feel that you’re failing... that you you’re doing something… it’s not like itcomes from a place of love and you’re doing it because you care about the child, and that’s why Istoppedreadingalotoftheseblogs,becauseIgotirritated.

R:Yeah.

K:WhatkindofexpectationsarethereifyouwanttobeamotherIDenmark?

M:Just,justalloftheseabout...ohthisisniceanddandyandwehavetooutontheplaygroundandwecanbakeatthesametimeandcleanthetoiletandmakecoffeeandmakesome..

K:Soit’smorelikehousewife?

M: Yeah... just like super… super mom... and for me... I didn’t feel that I was connecting with thethought of thesemoms...well like... okay... I also…because I alsowant toworkwhile a lot of thesemomswouldstayathomewiththeirchildrenandI’mlikeokayfine,Ineedtofindsomebodywhocansay…okay it’sbloody thoughwe loveourchildren,wedo this,andsometimes it’salsohardand I, Ididn’tfeelthatIwasconnectingwithanyofthemomsthatwascurrentinblogging,orthesebloggerswerelikeeagertopainttherightpicturesofwhatitistobeaparent.

R:Theywanttopaintthelikenicerpicture...

M:Yeah.

R:Everythingisfake…

M:Yeahfake…exactly.Andtheydoalltherightthing…andtheydoallthese...it’salltheexpectationswhichreallylieswithyourself,buttheexpectationsarebuilduponsomethingotherpeoplewrite

K:Yeah

M:AndIjustgotfedup…andIjustthoughtfine...I’lldoitmyway...andobviouslyIwouldgetguidancefrommyfamilycauseIknowthatthere’salotoflove,andsometimesIgoinandGooglesomethingifIneed to find it, but I, I didn’t ehm... I just gotmore irritatedand I gotmore stressedabout it than IthoughtandthanIshould.

K:Yeah...Icompletelyunderstand

R:Doyouuseyournetworkalot...likefriendsandfamilytolike

M:YeahIthinkIgetalotofinspirationbothintermsofhowshouldyouactincertainsituations,butfor the clothes part I havemy own opinion.. of course some timeswe do talk, like girlfriends, butusuallyIwouldsaylike90%ofthetimeImakemyowndecisions.Butforalotofthingsaboutparent,parentingandbeingamomIdoseekouttohearotherpeopleandthenImakemyowndecision.

R:Mm…

R:whataboutinheritclothes...haveyouinheritedanyclothes?

M:No...Iwasthefirstonetohavechildren,andIhadtobuyitallfromscratch(laughing)

(Alllaughing)

M:Hmm…ohmygod…theyaregoingtobesohappyiftheygetaboy

R:(Laughing)Theycan…

M:theycanhavesomanythings...butitis…eh…it’ssoexpensiveIthink...thestarterkit...ImeanIyouhavenothing…youhavetospendatleast30.00035.000oneverything...notjustclothes..

K:Yeah

R:Wouldyouconsidersellingsomeoftheclothes...orhaveyousoldsomeoftheclothes?

M:No….Ieh...Iactuallyeh...doyouknow[friendsname]?

R:Yeah...oryouknowlikea...Iknowwho...

M:Yeah...she’shavingaboyin8weekstime...soshejustgotalotofclothes...soIthinkshegotlike6backpacks with clothes... cause I… and she wanted to like... pay... and I’m like no.. I actually justappreciatethatit’sbeingused.

K&R:Mm.

M:Ithinkit’s...formeitwassoachockhowmuchitcostsandifIcanpassitonandhe’sgonnagrowoutofitsofast…theremightbeabodythatneedstobethrownoutandsomeotherclothes...andthat’sperfectlyfine...butIthinkit’sgreatthatsomebodyelsecanuseit.

R:Haveyouehm...wouldyousellsomenowthatyougave itaway...butwouldyousellsomeof theclothes?

M:IfIhadtime...(Laughing)…yeah...itprobably...butitmeansyouneedtohavetimetodoit...andasIsaid financially... I’mnotsureIactuallywantto.Myfriend isgonnaborrowitrightnow...so Ididn’tpracticallygaveIaway…butshe’sgonnauseitandthenreturnit,whenshe’sdonewithit.AndI’ll,Iprobably pass it on in the family... Imuch ratherwant to do that.. Or I should pass it on to charityratherthansellingit.

R:Yeah.

M:But that’s just thematterof that I couldn’tbebotheredabout sittingand takingphotosof it andputtinginupontheinternetandhavingpeoplecomingby...thenImuchratherwanttosay...finethisIsmywaytogivebacktothepeoplewhohasbeenthereforNoahorgiveittopeoplewhoreally,reallyneedsit.

R:Haveboughtany…orehm...youboughtanyusedclothesback?

M:Yeah,yeah...Iboughtitfromotherpeople...soIwentinbutIcouldn’tbebotheredabout(laughing)it’stakesalotoftime…that’strue.

R:Butwhataboutwhenyouboughttheclothes...wasitinlikephysicalshopsor...?

M: thatwouldbe... thesecondhand... thatwouldbealliance ...I justwentandsought...okaytheareathatwearelivingin….aroundCharlottenlund,andHellerupandGentofteandjustthesurroundingofcitiesehm…whohadsomethingthatIwasinneedof...andthenalotofwhattheydois...theyjusttakeabigbagandthenyoubuyitfor500krandthereisalotofthingsandthen2/3youcanuseandtherestyoucanprobablytossout,butyoustillsavealotofmoney...that’showIgotalotofreally,reallyniceclothesforvery,veryfewkr..

R: yeah…that’sagoodidea…whataboutehm…(lookingthroughpapers)yeahisthereanypieceofclothesthatyoufeellikeyoucan?

M:WithNoahorthatIreally,reallylike?

R:Eh…apieceofclothesthatyoupurchasedforNoah...thatlike...youreallyfeelconnectedtothis

K:Youcouldn’tgiveitaway

R:Andyoureallylovethatpieceofclothes..

K:Specialmemoriesorsomething

M:No ...therewas always his first...when hewaswearing the first eh... timewe camehome from...whichIlovetolookatpictures...butbutIdon’tfeelconnectedwithit...isstilllookatthephotosandIreallyenjoythat…butIdon’t..

R:No

R:Whataboutifhe’swearingareally,reallycuteoutfit...wouldyouforinstancetakeaphotoand..

M:Yeah

R:AndputitonInstagramorsomething

M:Heisaveryphotographedkid(alllaughing)

M:Yeah..ItakealotphotosofhimwereI’mlike…personallyheisehm..Iboughthimacostumefor“Fastelavn”wherehewasalittlesnowman.

K:Oh…

M:AndItooklike25-35photos

R:(Laughing)

M:ButIthinkthat’swhereyoureallythink:ooh…he’ssocute...so,soitisajoywhenyoudresstheminsomethingnicely...orifhejusthadahaircut...andusuallyIdon’tputanythinginhishairbutIputinwax thisone timecausewehad togoout.. it’s anightmare togetoutbut, so I’mnotgonnado thatagain..

(Laughing)

M:Butthenit’snicetoseehimabitdressedup...youthinkokay…

K:Soforsomeoccasionsyousayyoudresshimreally,reallynicelyandthenjustshareonline.

M:Yeahbecauseit’sso...I’msoproud... likeI’msosuperproud..I’malwaysproudofhim...butwhenhe’sstandingthereandhelookschic.Imightbe...yeah!That’smine...Imeanlookathim...yougetsoproudasamom,sousuallywhenwehavesomething...butehm...onaregulardayIdon’tdresshimupinsomething...Iwouldalwaysmakesurethatit’scoordinated,butIwouldn’tthinkabout...okayithastobethese...Ijustmakesurethatthecolorslooksnice.

K:Yeah.

M: butwhen I’m looking at the clothes it’smostly like ehm... you look for stripes or these kinds offillingsorpatternsor...

K:yeah...Idon’tknowifyoudoitIwasjustwandering

M:nah...nowIjustpickedoutsomething...IthinkItrytogetsomelikebasic....likethisonewouldbejust... I like stripes... I think it’s nice to have a bit of eh... “mønster”. Yeah pattern. Be this I would

suddenly ehm.This one... and then Iwould probably ...Iwould like these pants and the someblackehm..“strømpebukser”

R&K:Yeah,ok…

M:soit’slikesuperover…butjustlikecool,nice...and

K: I saw some clotheswhere itwas like animals on it or these apples... or you know these kind ofpatterns

M:Idon’tlikethat...like..Idon’tlikecolor...likeIdon’tlikethosesortsofehm...Disneyfigures.Ehm...unlesshecomesonceandhereallywantsamickeymouseshirt

R&K:(Laughing)

M:ThenIwouldbuyitforhim(laughing)

K:Yeah... insomeoftheshopsI’veseen... itwasalotof...asIsaid...alotoflittlecows,dogs...alotofanimalslikethesethings

M:Yeah.

K:Maybeit’salsoforasmallerchild...fromwhatI’veseenintheshops..Idon’tknow

M:IthinkMolo…Molodoesthatalot...likewithstrongcolors...andIthinkitcanlooknice...butIthinkastheygrowolderIlike...wellofcoursethere’sabitofredinthat(showingapieceofclothes)butIlikethecolorstobeabitmoresubtle..

R:Yeah…notsostrong…are thereadifferencebetweenhowyoudresshimnowandthenwhenhewasalittleyounger?

M:Ithinkhewasmuchmoreincolorswhenhewasyounger.Causeyouhadthese,theselongbodiesthathewaswearing...IthinkIpersonallymore...justalittlemore..Idon’tbuythesecrazy...Ithinkwehave this one... but thatwas a tracksuit that I thoughtwas cute... but I think that’s about themostshiny...whereIwouldbuyalotofMoloforhimwhenhewaslittle.

R:YeahandMolohasalotofstrong

M:Yeahtheyhavealotofstrongstrongcolorsandit’snice...andIthinkthefabricIreally,reallynice...butformeIthinkit’s..ehm…abitmuch...notalways…theymakethingsingreycolorsthatIlike..butitcanbeabitmore..

R:Topounding

M:(Laughing)itcanbequiteeh...shiny..andIthinkthat’sabittoomuch

R:Whatabout..Idon’tknowifyourememberthisbut..thewayyourvision,beforeyougavebirthtohim..howyouwheregoingtodresshim,andthewayyouactuallydid..isthereadifferencebetweenthem?

M: I think before I became amom, I had a very different idea aboutwhat it is to be amom..whenyou’reinit..you’relike..ofthisIcrazy..Ihadlikethisidea...thathewouldonlyeatorganic,hewouldnever be allowed towatch television, he had to play.. like I had somany ideas.. and you become amom..andtheyourealizeallofthesefancyideas...andIthoughtthatIwouldalwayshavetimetoputhisclothesoutthedaybefore,soitwouldbeeasyandnice..and..Idoesn’tworklikethat..

SomywaytothinkthatIwasamom..I justtookeverythingandthoughtthatIwouldbefinejusttosurviveinthis…so..Iehmm..Ihadaquitedifferentideaaboutbeingamom.

K:Andbeforeyougavebirth…didyoubuycertainclothesbefore...oryou..?

M:YeahIbought…Istartedbuyingclothesbefore...thefirstthingIboughtIthinkwasapairofreallycutesocks…bluesocks...that’sfunnyyoualwaysrememberthefirstpair...Ijuststartedtobuy...butIdidn’tbuyanysecondhand...untilIrealizedhowquicklyhegrew...

R:(Laughing)

M:AndIhadsomuchI56...soifIcangivelikeoneadvicetomoms...donotbuyeverything..

(Alllaughing)

M:Becauseyouneedtobuysomuch in62and68and74cause theygrowoutof thatso fast.But IboughtIboughteverythingfromnew...Ididn’tbuyanythingonsale..buttheproblemis..Iboughtitallin56...andhewasoutofthatwithintwomonths...

R:Itwasconfusinglikeinthebeginningtolikebuythingsforhim..?

M:Yeah,yeah,yeah...youbuywaytosmall...soehm...thethingis..thatIalwayssaytonewmoms..justbuybig.

K:Howbigwashewhenhewasborn?

M:Hewas55cm

M:Sohewaslongandslim...sohewasneverafatbaby…

R:No,no…

K:Yeah..andwhataboutthese..sohaveyoufoundoutthatsomebrandsdidn’tfitonhimbecausehewaslongandslim.Becausetheyaremoreforchubbybabies..or

R:Maybenow..istheresomething..

M:Ithinkhefit’smostoftheclothes...butsometimeshefit’sin92...sometimesit’s98.Sometimesit’s86..it’sabitconfusing¨

(Alllaughing)

M:LikeIwouldbuy98becausewegotsomuchin92..he’slikealongslimboy...soit’s..Ithinkhefit’sinmostoftheclothes...obviouslysomeofitwouldbemorelooseonhim..butIthinkit’sfine

R:Haveyougottenalotofclothesinpresents?

M: Ah.. we did in the beginning. and now I just ask not to get anything because we have enoughclothes..andmuchratherwanttogobuyitmyself..ratherthanhavingsome..ohehm..thankyou..soit’sjustamatterofwhatdoesheactuallyneed..hisbirthdayisnextweekend..andIjustaskedforlike“legetøj”..andI justaskedforstocks ...andhehaslike3timesasmuchathisfathers.. likehedoesn’tneedmore ...so I just asked for stocks actually.. put it onhis account, causehemuch ratherwant itwhenhegetsbigger..

K:Yeah...buthaveyouexperienced...havetherebeenanypresentthatyouabsolutelydon’tlike...butyouputinonhim

K:NoImeantintheclothing...ifyoureceivedanythingforhim..

R:aspecificstylethatyoujustdidn’tlike

M:Ehm…no...noIthinkwe’requitelucky...ifIreceivedanythinglike..okayIneedtotakeaphotoofhim.No

R:No

M:butitcouldhavebeen

R:Mm

M:Iguess..nowe’reluckywedidn’tgetanythingterrible

K:DoyoutravelwithNoah?

M:Ehm.He’sbeenwithhisfather…thegoquitetothesummerhouse...he’stakinghimtothethisyearandehm...dependingonmythesisI’lltravelwiththemforeither2-3or4weeks.It’sprobablygoingtobe2weeks..soIthinkwe’llgosomewherewherethereisaswimmingpoolandsomewherewherewecangetfoodandjuice...it’slikewecanreadbooks..andhecanjustplayaround..

K:Mm..Iwasjustwonderingifyoutravel,youwouldlookthereforbabyclothesifit’sdifferentoryouwouldjustbuyithere?

M:No..weehmm..hisfatherwenttotheusandIaskedhimtobuyalotofclothes..anditwas2sizestosmall..butIwassoniceclothes,becauseitwascheaperoverthere..andehm..hisfatherhasgoodtasteandIjustsaid..welldon’tgoforcrazyshinycolors..thenI’musuallyokaywithit..

R:Yeah

M:andasIsay..sometimeswithchildrenyouchangetheirshirtlike3timesandthenIdoesn’t…

R:soisthereadifferenceabouthowyoudresshimathomeandwhenyougoout?

M:Yeah,.Whenwegooutandweneedtodosomething,Iwoulddefinitelydresshimnicerthan..butIthinkwealsowalkaroundrelaxedathome.. likeonaSundaywhenwe justhaverelaxedclothesonandwe’regoingoutfordinnerordoingsomethingwewouldalwaysdressabitnicer

R:Mm

M:So I think..he’sagoodreflectionofmeactually..whenwe talkabout it.. Ineveractually thoughtaboutit..

R:Ehm..haveyoubeeninasituationwhereyouthought…ohshe’slikedressedreallywronglyforthisoccasion?orwiththisgroupofpeople?

M:no…becauseIdon’tcareaboutotherkids..iftheyarenice..andwellallkidsuptotheageof2arenicekids...ehm..haveIbeenina...no..notevenolderkidsifIthinkaboutit.NocauseIdon’tcareaboutit..butIwouldimaginethatsomeparentsdo.But formeit’s justamatterofaretheynice..aretheynicebehavingaretheygoodkids..Idon’tknow..butI’veneverseenakidthatisdirty..notatleastwiththepeoplethatweassociatewith..liketheyalways..Ithinkit’slikeifyouhaveholesinyourclothes..Iwouldfeelsorryforthem..butnoneofthepeoplethatwehangaround..soIthinkthat’salsoafactorwhereyoujustsay...what is thisall ...thebackgroundoftheparents..andI thinkinthatsensewe’rekindofprivileged.

K: but have you been in situations where Noah draw something or he had like dirty clothes fromdrawingorplayingaroundandyouwouldstillgooutwithhimcauseyoudidn’thavetimetochangeit...likewouldyoudoitordoyoualwayschangehim?

M: depends onwhat.. ifwe’re just going to the supermarket to get a bottle of something it doesn’tmatter..unless it’s lie.. foodeverywhere (laughing) then Iwould like..because I’m like... Imean...heneedtotakeashower…

Orifhehadanaccident.Ialwayschangehim..Idoesn’tmatterwhereweare..butehmforthemajorityoftimeI’m...like..ifit’sjustalittlething..butifwe’regoingfordinnerorsomethingthenIwouldjustchange it.. forexampletoourmothergroup ...ehm.Iwouldalwayshavethesameclothes..unlesshehad something on ot.. now I’m justwondering because you know kids they always have ...well notalwaysbuttheyusuallyhavesomethingontheir..youknowthispart(showing)oryouknowifthey’redrawing..

K:dohavesomeextraclothesifyougosomewherewithhim?

M: yeah but that has most to do if he have accidents ...if like they shit themselves. Sorry for mylanguagebut theyshit themselvesandyouchange theirclothes like2 times . Iusuallybring3extrasetsofunderwearwithmejust incase..becauseItriedthattoendupstandingtherewithhimlike:sorry..butweneedtogohome..so..it’snotactuallytodowiththefood..obviouslyifitbecomesbadIwouldchangeit..butit’smorewith..ifheactuallypeeshimselforhehasanaccident...thenheneedstobeabletobechanged..

K:ofcourseofcourse

M: so I thinkas Imom I alwayshavebanana, juice, and3 setsof clotheswithmewhenwegoout..(laughing)

R:Yeahyouneedtobewellprepared

M:yougetverywellpreparedifyouthinklike..okaywhathappensif..howmanyhours...(laughing)..howmanydiapers...sospontaneitydies..andyoujustneedtoplanwhenyouhavechildren

R:doyouthink thatasbeforeyouwereamotherandhowyouarenow like is thatdifferent..wouldyou..

M:IthinkI’mmuchmorecalmnowandI’mstill..(laughing)..soyoucouldimaginehowIwasbefore..nobutit’s..ehm..Iwasmuchmorespontaneous..Ididn’tusetoplansomuch..Ididn’tuseto..ehm..Iwasmuchmore I domyown thing.Anthenyoubecomeamother andyou start to realize there issomeonewho’s super dependent on you. There you see.. you just cant do.. there is things that youdon’tforesee.LikewhenhegetssickIneedtowipeouteverythingelse..andyoujustneedtositwithhim.

Whenhewasinhospitalandkeptthrowinguponmecausehewassosick..whichisreallylike..yesI’mstandingthere..youjustneedtoputyourselfasideandjustcareforhimandyoustopstillcaringaboutsmallthings

SoIthinkmywholelifehasbeenputinadifferentperspective...sinceIhadNoah..andit’s...andhowrewarding it is tohaveachild, likehowmuch loveyouactuallycanhave fora littleperson ...that isquitebig..soIthinkforme..ehm..I’mmuchmoreawareofwhoamInowehm..whatsortofimpactdoIhaveonotherpeoplewhatsortof impactdoIhaveonthis littlechild..myson..so I’mmuchmoreawareofwhoIamandIalsomuchmoreenjoymyfreetimewhenIdon’thaveNoah.

So,soforinstancethisweekend.LikeIwastherethismorningjusttohavesomebreakfastwiththemandsayhello.Becausehehadabadnight,causehe’sstillabitsick..andIreallyenjoyedthat..andrightnowafterhavinghimsointenselyit’sniceforabout24hoursandthenImisshimterribly.. thenit’snot funanymore..so it’snicetohavemyowntimenowjust todomyownthing.AndI’mnot.. IcantakeacoffeeandlaydownandwatchsomeTV..butthenitalsojustkicksin..Ireallymisshim..

R:Yeah

M:SoIappreciatealittlebreakfromthemomtime..butIreally,reallyallthetime..

R:Tobelike...onedayandthen..

M:IfIcouldbelikeafulltimemomfor30,5daysandthenhaveahalfdayof(laughing)

R:(Laughing)yeah

Mgothespa,gotothegym,takeacoffee,takeanap...nobutitisfantastictobeaparent..butasIsaiditisreally,reallythough..thetoughestpartisprobablywhenyoudon’thavetimetoehmtakeacoffeeor takeabreak forahalfanhour.. youcant justpausehimandsay.. (makesnoisewithhermouth)okay

(Alllaughing)

M:Andgooutand..it’snotpossible...butno..it’sahh.It’squitefantastic

K:areyougoingtohavemorekidsor?

M:no

K:No

M:but that’salsohave todowith therelationshipwith.. I thoughtmatt,ormyexwas theonewhoshouldbemyfuturehusband.Obviouslythat’snotgonnahappen..atleastnotrightnow...andsorightnowIdon’twantanymorechildren.Itdoesn’tmatter.I’m30so...luckilyI’mqiute..ifIhavechildrenin5yearstimeit’snotlikepeoplearegoingtoturnaroundandthinkwowyou’re35you’resoold...butrightnow..no

K:yeah

M:Iwanttojustfocusonhimandhiswellbeingandhe’snottakingthesplitupveryeasy

K:ofcourseofcourse..andyouhavealotofthingtodo..Imean..Iadmireyoubecauseit’s likealotthingsandyouhadtomoveoutandyouhadsomethingbetweenyouandsuddenly it’s ...youknow..it’s,it’salotofthingstodoand..

M: it is.. it is though part of the conversation.. but it’s okay.. Imuch ratherwant to be onmy ownhappy..ifhimandIcantbeinthesameroomtogether..causethat’snotgoodforNoah

R:noit’snotgoodforanyone

R:Ithinkwearethroughwithit..

K:yeahIthinkso

R:I’lljusthavequicklookatit

M:Ihope...didyougetalltheanswersthatyou..

R:Hopefully

M:Howmanyinterviewsdoyouhave?

K:Wedid4so fare..andwearescheduledtomorrow1 ...Mondayone..Tuesday2 ...so it’severydaysomebody

R:Yeah

K:Butit’sreallynicebecausesometimesthemotherssaid:ohIhaveacousinorIhaveafriend..youwould like to.. I can send a message to them and ask ...they would like to participate.. so it’s thissnowballeffectIthink...becausesometimesyouhavelike..youknow...

M:Ifyouwantsomebodymore..Idon’tknowhowrepresentativethe.Whodoyougot...maybeit’snicetohavesomebodywithadifferentbackground..soi..

R:Yeah I think for rightnowwehavea lot fromNørrebro ...likeeveryonewe’veasked.. they live inNørrebro...it’sfunny..itwouldbegoodtohavesomeonenotfromNørrebro

K:Yeahbutitdoesn’tmatterthatmuch

K: It’sokay..we’redoingquitewell.Of theamountsof interviewswe’vescheduled ...sowearequitehappywithit

K:Likeit’salotofknowledge..alsopersonalknowledgeifyouknowwhatImean..

R:Yeahcausewedon’thavekids

M:Youaregoingtobescared(alllaughing)

K:Yeahit’sehm.It’salotofknowledgeIdon’tknow..andwearealwaysamazedbecausetheydaysomethingnewandthenwearelike:really…?!Ineverthoughtaboutthat.

INTERVIEWWITHSARAInterviewwithSaraChild:Anna,12MonthsLocation:Mother’sapartment,NørrebroInterviewers:KateandRebeccaS:SaraK:KateR:RebeccaR:Thisinterviewisanonymous–Donotbeafraidofsayinganything.Wearedoingresearchforourmaster thesis about baby clothes.We are researching how first timemothers in CPH see the babyclothes,howdoyoufeelaboutit,howdoyouuseitandsoon.Wehavepreparedsomequestionsbutwewantedtobemore likeconversationsoyoudonot feelstressed.This is(paperswithquestions)morelikeguidanceforus.K:Howdidmotherhoodchangeyou?Ordiditchangeyou?S:Yes, itdefinitelychangedme. I thinkIwas ...beforeIgotpregnantandhadababyI thoughtthat Iwouldbeabletogoonwithmynormallifebutjustforthebabyaswell.SoIwas...Ialwaysthoughtthatitwouldbefinetosendthemoffto day-care.And Iwouldn’tmind that, and Iwouldbe fine togoback to the schoolandhavea careerand...causethat’sverymuchnormalinDenmark.But..And..I...just...itjustchangedme.Idon’t...Iwannaseeher.IhaveaneedtoseehermorethanIthoughtIwouldhave,somostdaysI’lltryandpickheruparound3.R,K:Hmm.Yeah.S: WhereIwasalways...beforeIhadababyIthoughtoh,peoplethattalkabout,youknow,howit’sbadifyoupickthemupafter3.Theydon’tknowwhattheyaretalkingabout.(laugh)AndIknowthatwhenIgetareal,afull-timejobbecauseIamastudentnow,IknowthatwhenIgetafull-timejobIwon’tbeabletodothat,andthatmakesmeabitupset,sothathaschangedme.AndIthinkalsojustthegeneralawarenessoftheresponsibilityforsomeoneelse,havingtomakesurethatyouhavefood,andyouhavecleanclothes,andyouhaveenoughdiapers,andallthosekindsofthingswherebeforedidn’tmatterifweshoppedonMondayorWednesdaybecauseifwedidn’thaveanything,wewouldjustquicklyruntothestore,bynowit’s...youhavethatresponsibility.R:Hmm.Bemorestructured.S:Alotmore.Wehaveacalendarnow.(laugh)Wehaven’tchangedsomuchso...(laugh)Yeah.Sothathasdefinitelychangedme.R:Howwouldyouthensayyouareasamother?S:IthinkIam...That’sareallyhardquestion.IthinkthatItryto...doaslittleaspossibleinasensethatwentotherrouteforswimminglessonsandgymnastics,andwewerereallydoingmuchofthatduring

maternitybecauseAnna,mybaby,allshereallyneedsisus.Sheneedstocomehomeandplaywithuson the floor and just relax, especiallynow that she is inday-care. So I think I amverypresent as amom.That’sthemostimportantthing.That’swhatItrytobe...TobeawarethatwhenIamwithher,Iam not also watching TV or using my phone, even though obviously you still do that sometimesbecauseyouarehuman,butItrytobeawarethat,youknow,wedon’tturnontheTVtillsheisgonetobed,unlesswewannawatchthenewsorit’sbeen...likeunlessIamreallytired,andIjustreallyneedtojustsitforalittlebit.R:Yeah.S:It’schangingalittlebitnowthatsheisslightlyoldish,shecanplayonherown,soIwillHmm,yeahthen...(mumbling)K:Wouldyousayit’sdifferentfromhowyourparentsraisedyou?Orhow...youknow.S:Ithink,yeah,Ithinkit’sdifferentinasensethat,hmm,there’smoreexpectationsfromtheoutsidenowthentherewasback.Yeah.Ithinkso.(K:Oh,okay).Butthat’smyexperience,Ithink.R:Inwhichwaywhatkindofexpectation?S:Ehm...Well,I’vehadalotofexperienceswithpeoplehavingopinionsonwhatyoudoandhowyoudoit,sowhetheryoubreastfeedornot.(K+R:Oh,okay)Whattypeof...(changeofthoughts)whereyoubuyyourbabyclothes,whatcolouryoursnowsuitisforthebaby.It’sweboughtacheaperonethatwaspinkandit’snotverysmarttohavealightpinksnowsuitbecauseitgetsdirty,andIwaslike,wellit’scheap,oughttowashitmore,so,uhm,peopleseemtohavemorevoiceinopiniononwhatyoudo.Itdoesn’treallyTheysayitloudorcommentorwillaskandthenwhenyoureply,theyallsortofhavea slight of....experienced some judgemental comments, but...I don’t actually think if I’ve done itdifferently, the way they think it’s right, I’m not sure if it would have been any different causeeveryonehasanopinion.R:Hmmm.S:That’swhat I feel...There is lotofexpectationson likehowyouaredoing this jobasamom.Nowwhere...Iknowthatmymomneverbreastfed,shejust...itdidn’twork,soshegaveusabottle,andshedidn’tfeelbadaboutthat.Sheneverthinktwiceaboutit.R+K:Hmm.S:Istartedday-carewhenIwas4monthsold.K:Oh,okay.S:Sothatwasjustanormalthingtodo,mymomwasanurse,soshewas,ImeanIwasbottle-fed,soIcouldstartday-care,andIbecameanormalperson.(laugh)(K:Yeah,ofcourse.)SoIthinklikethathaschangedalot...inthatsense.K:Whydoyouthinkitisthatmorejudgementalnowthenbeforelike...ifthereisn’tanythingparticularS:It’sbecauseformorepeopleit’saproject,sonowadayshavingababyit’sisadecisionthatyoumakewithyourpartner,andyouhaveitattherighttimecauseeveryone...thereismorebirthcontrol,andyou have...and a lotmorewomenwant a career or something like that, so people plan it, and then

whenthey finallydecide theywantababy, theywant itnowandhas to feedandthen,youknow, itbecomesaproject.Ithinkthat’salotofit,youwanttosucceedatraisingachildthatlooksgoodandbehavesnicelyand is so sureand...all thesekindsof...it’s silly really,hearmyself saying itbecause Idon’teventhinkaboutitunlesssomeonecomments.Sowewenttoaparty,oneofmyfriendsbecameadoctor like lastmonthandwewent to celebrate that, shehadabig reception,and IbroughtSallycauseitwasa...youcouldbringachild,soIbroughtSallyalong,andthentwoweeksagoImetupwithherforacoffeeandshesaid:HaveIevercommentedonhowcuteSallywas?Andshewaslikehappyandwas so interactive and Iwas so proud because she said thatwhich is silly because Iwas rightthere,andIsawherdoallthesethings,butitwasn’tuntilsomeoneelsesaiditthat...Itmeantmore,soIthinkit’sjustthatsortofhyperawarenessUnlikeIguessyouwantotherpeopletolikeyourchildandyouwantotherpeopletosayohthat’sanicetop.Wheredidyougetthat?R:SoisitsomethingyouthinkaboutwhenyoudressSally?Like...S:Yesandno.Imean...Ithinkaboutitbecausesheisourfirstchild,soalltheclotheswebuyfor..,that’smainlynewstuff.Unless...I’vetriedtogotosecond-handstores,butIjuststandtherewiththeclothesandit’snotenough,butthenIcan’t...Istillthinkit’snotcheapenoughtonotbuynewclothescauseIdon’tbuyexpensivenewclothes,soIthinkaboutitinasensethatwhenIthenbuynewclothesitallmatcheseachother,likebecauseIhavetobuyitanyway,somayaswellbuysomethingthatmatches,butIthinkwithoursecondchildIwillreusealotofstuffwehaveand...R:Hmm.Yes,itwillbedifferent.S:Yeah.AndIthinkifI...Imeanwe’vehadafewpresentsfrompeoplewithclothesandsomeofit...itwasjustnot...nice,sortofugly.R:Andwhatdidyoudowithit?S:Someofitsheneverwore.R+K:Hm,okay.S:Butthatwaswhenshewasverylittleand...,theyjust...theygetsomuchclothesatthebeginning,andyoudon’tusehalfofit.Sallywouldwearthesameclothesacoupleofdaysinarowbecauseshewasaveryneatbaby,sheneverpoopedoutsideherdiaperoranythinglikethatthatmanysmallchildrendo,sowedon’twashmuchclothes,it’snottillnowwhensheisalotolderandactuallyplayinggetdirty.Wehavetochangeherclothesalotmore.Soyeah,therewassomestuffthatIgotgiven,thatwasjustsouglythat...(laugh)Icouldn’tputitonher.R:Whatisuglylike?Whatdidyouthinkwasugly...S:Whatit’scalled?“Vilua”indanishS:It’slikea..S:Yeah,it’satypeoffabric.Andit’suhm,it’spolyesterish,soit’svery.., it’snotlike...IlikewoolandIlike cotton and all those types of materials, and I quite like, if I can get my hands on it, cheapbioorganicclothes,andthiswas likeshehad...likespecifically therewasaonesie.Soonepiece,withfeetinit,andithadlikeatop,thetoppartwasbrownandthebottompartwasthistypeofpink,andithad)somethingonit(laugh),itwastremendouslyugly,itwasreally,reallyugly.AndIjust...anditwasmymomwhogaveittome,sonotevenlikesomeonewhodidn’treallyknowme, itwas(laugh)mymom.Iwaslike‘Thanks!’(laugh)whatever,putitonher.ButIthinkifIhadnootherclothes,IwouldjustchoosewhateverIhave.So...OrifIdidn’thaveopportunitytobuyherclothes,Iwouldgetcheaperclothes.

R:Whatdid...Whatdoyougoforwhenyou’relikeshoppingclothes?Somethingspecific...totrytofind?S:So...Firstofall,Ilookatpricebecausewearebothstudents,sopriceisimportanttome,hmm,lessernowbecausesheusesthesamesizeforalongertimeSoIalsolookatquality.Itrytomakeitsortof...ifIthinkthatshewillwearitforalongtime,Iamokaywithpayingalittlebitmore.Butgenerallyit’sprice and then it’s quality.So, hmm, I used to shop a lot in Kvickly and Føtexwhich is just normaldiscountstoresbecauseIfelttheyhadaprettygoodselection,butrecentlythey’vebroughtinalotofstuff with animal prints on it, and it’s a lot of colours, and I don’t like that. I like simplicity. (R+K:Hmm.)SoI’vestoppedshoppingthereforthatreason,mainlytheirdesign.Idon’tlikeit.(K:Yeah.)Thelast twoseasons...twotimes theyswappedoverclothes. I justhaven’t liked it, so Ihaven’tbought it.ButIwasconsciousofthemasanopportunitybecausetheyarecheaperthangeneral.R:Yeah.S:Morerecentlywe’veboughtalotofstuffatH&M,theironlinestorecauseofconvenience,andtheyalsohave someonlineexclusive set thatdon’t to comeout in the stores, (R:Hmm,okay, yeah.) andtheyarelittlebitnicerandtheyhave...their...alotoftheirbabyclothesareorganicandthepricerangeisslightlycheaperthanwhichislikeallthebrands...Miniature,WadenWell,these...theDanishbrandsatleast.K:Howdidyouknowit’sorganic?Like..isit..doesitsayitonthelabel?S:Yeah, ithasa label.Theyhave...I thinka lotof theironlineexclusivesare fromtheorganicseries,hmm,butmainly...Imean,Idon’talwaysbuyorganicoranythinglikethat.Butif it’sorganicand...I’llpayalittlebitmorejustbecauseIknowthat,andbecauseIknowthatwhenIgetit,likethequalityoftheclothesismarkedlydifferent.K+R:Hmm,okay.S:And...Andit’snotmuchmoreexpensive.Iguessthat’stheideaR:DoyouthinkthereisadifferencebetweenhowyouthoughtyouweregoingtodressSallyandthenhowyoudidit?S:Yeah,definitely.ImeanIdon’thavemanyfriendsthathavebabiesorhadbabiesbeforeme,soIamoneofthefirstonesinmygroupofsortofacquaintancesandfriendsandIhad...hmm...IthinklikeinthebeginningIboughtalotofclotheswhereIdidn’treallycoordinateit.SoIdidn’tthinkof...Igotthispieceanditwilllookgoodwiththatandgetthat,Ijustwouldbuyit,eitherbecauseitwascheapandIdidn’tknowwhatsizesIneeded,likebeforeIhadher.(R:Yes).ThenonceIgotherIthinkIfoundoutthatsimplicitywasbetter.Solesspatternsandmoresortofthesamecolour,orcolourshades,sothatIcouldmixandmatchacrossdifferentbrandsanddifferentstyles.R:Yeah,that’sactuallyprettysmart.S:(laugh)Yeah,butittookmeawhile.Ittookmeaboutprobablysixmonthstogetthat,likewe...we’vegotsomestuff that Ineverreallyputonherbecause I thoughtah,ayellowtopthatwouldbereallygood,butthenIhadnothingthatmatchedthat(R:Hmm),soitwouldonlybewhenJasondressedSallythatshewouldbewearing:ThisislikeLet’snotputthatonherandthenmatchingwithsomethingred.(laugh)

R:Right.S:Sohedoesn’tthinkaboutitatall.It’ashameIt’smainlymethatthinkaboutit,andIwillgenerallyput it in closet? up for an evening for the next day and stuff. Just because it seriously takesme 10minutestoevenjustdecideon(laugh),it’seasierifIjustdoit.K:Andinthebeginningwhenyousaidyoudidn’tknowwhatsizeshewouldbeIsitlike...Eh,did...Wasthereanyproblemorsomethinglikeyoudidn’tknowbeforeyouhadher.Ofcourseyoudon’tknowhowbigshewillbewhensheisborn,ifit’s3kilos,4kilos,youknow,thesize.Butdidsomebodyhelpyouwithitlateror...?S:Hmmm.K:Oristhereanyproblem...doyouremember?S:Well,it’smainlythatyoudon’tknowhowbigtheyarewhentheycomeout,andthenoncetheyareout,you’vebought,youknow,newbornsizeandthenthesizeupbecausethenyouhavebothandeventhe newborn size was slightly big for Sally cause she was quite a small baby. She has never beenweightShehasneverbeenfat.Shehasalwaysbeenreallylongandquiteskinny,soalotofclothesjustdidn’treally fitupbecause, Imean,shewastoo long for thesmallsizebut tooskinnyfor thebiggerone,sointhebeginningthatwasalotofthe...issue,itwasn’treallyanissuecauseshewouldjustwearthe bigger size, and it would be a bit flappy, and later on, I think, you just get to know the sizes,differentbrandsaredifferentlysizedaswellslightly.Yes.IknowthatH&M,H&Mactuallymadequitelongbodystockingsonthetopthatbindsunderneathbottom.TheyarequitelongandslimwhichfitsSally.Ehm.ButIknowthatotherpeople...likeFrenchbrandsforexample,theyarequitesmallintheirsizes,asit isforadultclothes.Soyougettoknowthesizesalittlebitandgetcomfortablewiththat.Andthen,yeah,Ithink,IthinkwhenIwasfirstbuyingclothesIaskedtheonefriendthatIhavethathadababy,andshewaslikeIjusthada,youknow,asetforeveryday,sosevensetsofclothes,likeunderwearandtopwearbecauseshejustdon’tknowhowmuchthinggonnagothroughandonceyougettoknowababy,youknow,shedoesn’t...like...allherpoopstaysinthediaper(laugh)ordon’tor..There isalwayspee,sowehavetochange it twiceadayorwhatever.SoI think itbecameeasy justbecauseofthat,yougottoknowyourbabyandhowdirtytheyareandthenitchangewhentheystarteating,andit’sfoodeverywhere.(laugh)Soit’sevolvingIthink.R: But did you ask like others, like you told, you said you talked with your friend about in thebeginningbut...was it normal that you...or is it normal that you talk about your...about baby clotheswithyourfriendsorotherpeople?S: I think the people that I know that have babies when I see them like if we have a play day orsomething,andIsee...likeIhaveonefriendthathasababythat’sagirl,sameageasSally.So...andwehaveasimilartasteinclothes,soifIseeherwearingsomething,I’llaskwhereit’sfromjustbecauselike out of curiosity, emm, so we do talk about it a lot, but I think that mainly I’ll ask whensomething...IfIlikesomething.IfIseesomeone,ababywearingsomethingthatIreallylikeorI’llaskforitfrom...butImightnotalwaysbuyit.Ifit’s...ifIknowthatit’sabrandthat’sexpensive,Iwillthinkthat’s reallyniceand Iwill recognize it, and there isa lotof recognitionyoucan tell, youknow, thecertainstylethatmustbethatorthatbrand.K+R:YeahButIalsoknow,likeonthestreetoronaplayground,thatsuitwasthismuchandthatwas...becauseIkindofoutcheckthepriceandthengo, Ican’treally justify it,paying200DKKforatopthatIknowthat she won’t wear for more than a month or whatever. So it’s normal to talk about, and I

think...comparedtomyfriendsthatIhaveThathavesmallchildren.There’salotmoreawarenessonitinR:That’sactuallyveryinteresting...S:Yeah.K:Mh.S:Definitelymoreawarenessofit.(K:Hmm)Likebrandsand...R:Yeah.Soyouaresayingit’simportantforalotofpeople...tohaverightkindofbrands.S:Well,that’s...Imean...IcanonlyassumethatbecauseIseealotofbrands.So...Imean...It’shardrightnowbecauseit’swinter,soyoumainlyseeasnowsuit.Imean,theyareallreasonablyexpensive,butyoudefinitelyyourecognizethebrandsoverthenon-brandedones.AndIamnotsuretheyarebetter.Likereally.Idon’tknow.Ehm...ButIdefinitelyknowthat’sthatbrand.R:But is this somethingyou thinkabout likewhenyouseea childandhowheor she isdressedassomethingyouthinkaboutthen,like...howcanIexplainit?Whenyouseeachildandit’sdressinginacertainway,couldIlikebethatIt’salittledirty.Orit’sreallyexpensive.Or...something...Doyouthenthinkaboutitlikedoyouthinkthenthemothermustbelikethisandthisor..S:Ehm,...hmm...Idon’tthinkIassumemuchabouttheparent,no,IthinksometimesafterSallyisoutatday-care, obviously I notice the other babies as Sally is the youngest. So the other babies there arearoundheragebutstillabitolder,andnotmanyofthemwearbrandsthatIrecognizeintheirclotheslike immediately, so there’ssomebrandswhereyouknowtheyalwaysdo this typeofpatchof itortheyhavethiscolourshade,andnotmanyofthechildreninSally’sgroupwear...(R:Hmmm)thatSallyisactuallyprobably the...nicestdressed there in thatsense.And I’vecaughtmyself thinkingnot thatthe parents were poor or couldn’t afford it, but that they were probably little bit more sensiblebecause they have more sort of everyday clothes, clothes that if it breaks or gets dirty, it doesn’tmatter,youjustwashit,andit’sfine.Ehm.Where...IthinkI’vehad...theygainrespectfromme,moresothanI thinkpoororworseof themin thatsense,but that’sbecause I think it’smoresensible,causetheyaresmallchildren,theycan’thelphowtheylook.Itis...Ithinkit’sitisparentsdecidingwhat,youknow,howtheirchildrenlook,andIamawarethatIdothatwithSallyaswell,butIalsodoitbecausethereisnoreasonnottobuymatchingclotheswhenIhavetobuyeverythingnew,so..R:Andistherereasonyoudon’twanttobuylikeusedclothes?S:Yeah,ImeanI’vetried,whenIwaspregnantIwould...IlookedatReshopperAndso,andlookedforclothes,andIwenttoMilibeIquitelikeM.for...webuyalotsofusedtoysandthatkindofstuff,butwhenIactuallylookattheclothes,Ijustcan’tmakemyselfbuysomethingthat’swashedlikethiscauseIdon’tknowhowit’swashed.AndIdon’tknowifit’sbeeninahousewithanimals,andwe’vegotacat,soitdoesn’treallymatter,butwhatiftheyweresmokersor...AndM.forexamplehaveaquitehighstandardso...Ican’texplainwhatitisthatmakesmenotwanttobuyit,butIthinkit’s...Istandthereandpairofpantsis20dkkButtheyareobviouslyworncausetheyare(R:Yeah)used,andanewpairofpantsonspecialor...onH&Mmightbe60or80,maybeeven100,butIwillstillpaythat80%morejusttotabnewpants.ButIthinkthereisalso,sometimesIalsothinkIcouldusethesepairofpantsforanotherbabybecausewearegonnahaveanotherbabyatsomepoint,hopefullyit’sagirl.(laugh)SoIalsokindofthinkthatsomeofthisstuffIwilluseagainforanotherbaby,soIdon’twannabuyusednowwhichis,Imean,IpaywaymorethanIwouldifitwasused,so...

K:Whataboutinheritclothes?Haveyouinheritanything?S:No,Imean,mysisteris10yearsolderthanme.Andherchildren,theyoungestis10yearsoldandaboy.Andshehasgivenmesomeclothes,butit’sjust...Idon’tlikeit, likeit’snotnice.It’swashedandemm...Andthenit’sstupidthingslikeit’snottherightcolour.R:Whatkindofcoloursdoyoulike?S:Well,Ilikepink,andlikelightblueandyellowsandgreens.AndIreallydon’tlikepurple.Ihavethisthingwithpurple(laugh)andeverythingispurpleatthemoment.Allthebrandshavepurplestyles,yeah,FøtexandKvickly?mainly,theircoloursnowarepurplecauseit’sthethingtodocauseit’snotpinkwhichhasbeenabigthingforalongtime,soit’sanewthingit’spurple,andIjustdon’tcareifotherbabieswearit,that’sfine,butIdon’twantmybabytowearit.Sointhatsensethosearelimits,weareusingclothesinthatsense.R:Andwhataboutlike...doyouthinknowyousayyoudefinitelydon’twantpurpleonSally,butdoyouthinkthat...it’syourownkindofstylethatthenreflectswhatyouputonher?S: Yeah,well, yes because she can’t tellmewhat shewants, so it’s definitelymy style and, um...it’sultimatelymydecision, Jason doesn’t care.He just, he cares if it’s super-duper expensive, he is likethat’sridiculous,Iamnotpayingthatmuchfor...forclothes,sohe’llcommentonprice,uhm,butit isultimatelyit’swhatIlikethatIputonher.Definitely.Soifit’ssomethingIdon’tlike,Iwon’tbuyitorifIgetitgivenasapresentIdon’tlike,shemightwearitonceoutofcourtesy,soiftheycomeoverIputitonher.(laugh)K:Andthenthey’veseenherwearit.It’ssonatural.Yeah.S+R:Yeah.R:That’s..K:Iwoulddothesame.R:Yeah.Metoo.S:Yeah,IthinkandIthinkit’s...it’saslikesameaswhenyouareanadult,andyougetgivensomething,andyoudon’treallylikeit,youcan’ttakeitback,oryoudon’twanttotakeitbackbecauseitwouldmakeascene,soyoukindofjustaccept,smileandthengoon,don’tputitonthem.Ithink,yeah.K:No,it’snot.R:No,it’sreallynatural.It’slike,yeah,whenyousayweforgetsomethingandwedon’tlikeit.S:Yeah...Yeah.Imean,Ithink,onethingthat’sdifferentisbecausewe’re...JasonisAustralian.WehavealotoffriendsinAustraliathathavechildren,andtheydresstheirkidsverydifferently,sooftentheywearonesie,soinonepiece,evenwhentheyarequiteoldandthenwehavehadsomesentovercausetheyarereallynicematerialandyoucan’t...It’snotverycommontogetbiggersizesinonesiesunlessit’spyjamas.Andthesearepyjamasthanactuallyclothes.AndSallywearsthemonweekendsorifsheissickor,andsometimeswe’vediscussedwhetherwecouldput itonherandsendher today-care.AndIdon’tthinkwecanbecauseIthinktheywouldcomment,theywouldbelikewhyisshewearingpyjamas?(laugh)

K:Ah,okay.R:Yeah,it’sdifferent.S:Theyexpectthemtowearanoutfit,pantsandtoporadressorwhateverif it’sagirl.Wehadoneexperience in a day-carewhen itwaswinter and Sally has awool suit cause she gets...we take herthereinherpram,sowhenitwasfreezingoutside,Iwouldtakeoffherpants,shestillhadstockingsonandbodystockingontop,andthenIputthewoolsuitonandIgaveherinaday-care,shewasasleepandIsaidsheisinher...uhm,sortofdoinguncoverwiththewoolsuitonanduncoveredher,butyouneed...herpants are inher cabin. Sheneeds towearpants after likewhen she getsup and take thewool suit off. And then...I thought I sort of conveyed that reallywell, and then in afternoonwhen Icame in andgother, theywere like...shewore thewool suit forhalf adaybecausewe just couldn’tunderstand...anditwasveryweirdthatshewaswearingawoolsuit,andthenweunbuttonedit,butshedidn’twearpants,sowecouldn’ttakeitoff.It’sjustlikewhydidn’tyoujustgoandgetthepantsoutofher cabin.But they reactedquite strongly, so they really couldnotunderstandwhy Ihaven’tdressedmybabyadequatelywhichissostupidbecauseItriedtotellthem,whichthey...thatmessagegot...youknowgotlost.R:Yeah.S:Butalsojust,yeah,Ithinkthey,uhm,Sallywasasleep,soIdidn’twanttowakeherupundressingher,andtheyjustsaidtheyneedtogoandlookforpants.Theyjustthoughtitwasreallyweird.(laugh)thatshewaswearingaonesie.So...R:Sothat’smaybealsoinfluencingthatyoudon’twanttogivehimorgiveherthatonesie.S:Yeah,fairly.Ordefinitelycause,ImeanK:Thatexperience,hm.S: Yeah,so, in thatsense...yousortof...there’s...Therearesomeexpectations,youcan’t just...let themwearwhateverIthink,butthat’smainlyIthink...I...It’sweirdbecauseIdon’tneedthatofothers,butIthinkIamalsomaybealittledifferentbecauseIamnotbornandbredinCopenhagenandwehavealotoffriendsthat,youknow...,Australianfriends,andIhavesomeofmybestfriendsliveinArhusandhavechildrenthere,andtheyaredifferentthere,sothereisdefinitelysomeawarenessinthisareaby...R:Doyouthinkthatpeoplethinkalotwhatotherchildrenarewearing?S:Definitely.K:Isitlikecapitalcityissue?(laugh)S:Yeah,well,Icanonlycompareto(AurhusAndIdon’texperienceitbeingthatbigadealoverthereasitishere.(K:Hmm)Ithinkthat,Imean...,youcouldn’t..,yeah,Idon’tknow...Ithinkpeoplerecognizebrandshere.Thereismoretalkaboutit.(K+R:Hmm)And,umh,butthereisalsolikethereshopperwithusedbabystuffandclothesandallthat,sothat’shugehere,notveryhugeanywhereelse.Uhm,andhere it’s ...everything isa lotmore...I trytouse it inArhus likewhenIwasoverthere,visitingafriend,andI just lookedwhatwas inthesurroundingarea,andtherewasmuchless,but itwasalsomarkedlycheaper,sothesamebrandwouldsellcheaperusedovertherethanitwouldhere.K:Hmm.

S:SeeR:Theyknowtheycanputthepricehigh.S:So theyput thepricehigh,yeah, forsayusedbrandedbabyclothes, it’salmost thatworthbuyingusedbecause it’snot thatmuchcheaper thanbuying fromnew.So...inmyopinion, fromreshopper?butthenIalso...yeah...Onceithasbeenwasheditlooksused...(R:Yeah,K:Mh.)quicker.R:WouldyouconsidersellingsomeofSally’sclothes?S:Ihaveactuallysoldsomeofit.SomeofoutthestuffIboughtinthebeginningwhenIdidn’tknowwhatIwantedandIbought..,IwenttoawarehousesaleandboughtsomeclothesandIjustnever,sheneverworeitcauseIdidn’tlikeitwhenIactuallyhadit,andIdidn’tknowwhattoputtoit,andIsoldthatbecauseitwasneverworn.Iwasheditonceandthenneverputitonher.(K:Hm)Sothat...ButIsold it at almost the same price I bought it for. Not much of her clothes now I would sell, mainlybecause it’sonlyH&M,sowhen that’swasheda coupleof times it looksquiteold, and Idon’t thinkpeoplewouldbuyit,basically.MaybeprobablybecauseIwouldn’tbuyit.Ihaven’ttriedtosellitreally.Butthereissomethinglikeshe’sgotaskirtfromWheetwhichislikeatwirlballerinatypeskirt,andshe’sworn itquitea fewtimes,shewore itatherbaptism,andshewore itat..apar, likeaweddingparty,soit’saniceskirt.Iwouldn’tputitonherlikeonanormalday.R:No.S: It’s a party skirt. And if we didn’t have another girl, I would sell that. But I wouldn’t fullycharge...muchforitcauseit’squiteused.Andforherbirthdayweboughtadress,areallynicesortofdressforherbirthdayparty,andshehasonlywornthatoncesofarcauseshehasnothingtowearitforotherthanthat.R:Sothattimesyousoldit,yousaid...didyoudoanythingwithit?Ordidyoufeelattachtoit inanykindofwayornotatall?S:Notatall. Ithen...Ithink...IthinkIwouldneversellsomethingthatIfeltattachedto,somymom’sknittedsomestuff,Iwouldneversellthat.Uhm,this,acoupleofthingsthatI’vegottenfrommysisterthatI’veactuallyusedthatshesaiddon’t,don’tsellitorgiveitawaybecauseIwantmychildrentobeabletogiveittotheirkidswhichIthinkis(laugh)it’ssoworn,but,Imean,outofcourtesyIhaven’tdoneanything to that.Andyeah, someof thepresents that shehas gottengiven that even though Ididn’tlikeit,Ihaven’tsolditbecauseit’sapresent.Ithinkthat’sbadfor...badkarma(K:badkarma)todothat.(S+R:Yeah)ButanyoftheclothesI’vesoldIhaven’tcaredfor,andalotofit...tagsweren’tevenout,soIjustwouldsellitandsayit’sneverbeenworn,paywhateveryouwantandcomeandgetit.R:Ihadaquestion...K: Is thereapieceof clothes, likewhichyouare feelingattached to it, is it likesomethingspecial? Imeanyousaidtheskirt,butthenyousaidyouwouldsellit,soistheresomethingwhichyouwouldn’tsell?Maybeyousaidtheknittedclothes,(S:Yeah,hmm..)butIdon’tknowifit’slikeattachedbecauseyourmommadeitorifit’sbecausesomespecial,specialoccasionorsomethinghappened.(Yeah).S:Hmm....Idon’tthink...That’sreallyhardtosayhey,becausethereisalotofitwhereshewouldwearitforacertainperiodoftimewhensomethinghappened,sowhenshestartedcrawlingor...whenshewalked over the first time she wore this type of clothes a lot, but I don’t think I would feel thatattached to the clothes,...so everything I....I don’t have an item that I am attached to in that sense.Ehm...No,Idon’t.

K:That’scool.S:Yeah.R:Whatkindofbabyclotheshaveyouboughtlikethepastmonths?S: (laugh) I bought everything in the size that she is now actually, in the pastmonths, uhm, I haveboughtprobablythreepairsofpantsandsixtopsandsomesocksandnewpyjamasandanewpairofhome-wearshoesandapairofnormalshoeswhichwereactuallyused.HerfirstpairofshoesIusedonce,buttheyhaveneverbeenused,buttheywereboughtatreshopperR:Wheredidyoubuyalltheseclothes?S:Mainly H&M, andmainlyit’s because I don’t have, actually I don’t have time go out and look forclothes,andIdon’tenjoyitbecauseIfeellikeIneed...hm,alotofthetimeshegrowslikethisandsheneedsonlyclothesallatonce.It’sjusteasiertojustbuyitonlineandthenjustgetit.(K+R:Yeah.)ButifIwasn’tabletofindacoupleofnicesetsonH&M,Iprobablywouldgoandget...I’dsaywe’veboughtafewstuff,likesomestuffatmagazine.Butmainly,ehm,sometimesthere’satoystore.andclothstoreforkidswhichIsometimeshavegoneintobecauseIneededsomethingspecific, likeapairofhome-wearshoes,andIknowthattheyhavethereinthisbrand,butthenIgointhereandIthink,oh,Iamhere.Ishouldhavealookforthethings,andtheywanttohelpyoubecausethat’sagoodservice,butIjust...IalwayssortofbackoutofitbecauseIthinkit’sslightlymoreexpensive,andIkindof ...Idon’tknowifIcanjustifythepriceandallthatkindofstuff,andthat’seasytojustdistraponlinebecausethenit’sjustmyowndecision.Idon’thaveanyonetrying....(R:Don’tgetinfluencedbyallthis).ButifIknowthatlikethere’ssomethingsIknowthatI’dbuyinacertainbrand,likepyjamasarealwaysthesamebrandbecause Iknowthey fit, and theyarewarmand theywearnicely, so I...takingmewashtapesandtheystillwearnicely.HershoesareaspecificbrandbecauseIknowthattheyaretestedandgood,sothere’ssomethingsthatI’dbuybecauseit’sthebrand...Iknow...Irecognizeabrand.R:There’ssomebrandsyouhavelikethefavouritebrands?S:Well,that’sbecauseIlikewool,hmm,soJohaweusealot.We’veboughtsomewoolthisseasonandcomparatively,theywhentheyarewashedtheywearquicker,sotheylookworsequickerandafewofthemareactually tornwheretheclothesthatweboughtthat’sbrandedJohathewoolclothesnevertore,andyoucan’ttellthatithasbeenwashedabilliontimes.SoIquitelikethebrandbecauseIcanseethevalueinit.R:Yeah.S:SowhereasIwannawear,likeuseitagainforthesecondwear.ThestuffwegotfromFotexisfinefor a season, but then you can’t use it again. And they have some nice hats and gloves and it’s areasonablepricerange.I likeehm,there’safewbrandsthatI likebecauseIthinkit’spretty.SofarIhadlimitedfunds.Iwouldbuythosebrands.R:Whichonesarethey?S:IlikeNoannoa?Miniature?Hmm,Ilike...Ithinkit’scalledLouisPmaybe,Iactuallycan’trememberthebrand,theymakelikebigfluffyskins??Andstuff.Theyareverypretty.R:Likeprincesslike?

S:Yeah....What’stheotherone?enfant?.Iquitelikethem.ButImean...R:SowouldyousayastyleforSally’siskindofgirlishor...?S: I think it’s girlish because she is a girl. Ehm, and I think probably also...I wouldn’t call it old-fashioned,butI like...hm,Idon’t likebigboldcoloursandlotsofpatterns. I likequitesimple,maybethat’sthere’salittlebitstructuredbutnotanactualpatternorwhatever.Andthosebrandsdothat.Idon’tknowwhatshe iswearing today.She isactuallywearingaNoanoa Ifyouareherewhenshecomeshome,youcanseeit.Imean,butshehasoutof7oreighttops,shehasonebrandedone,andtherestisH&Mor...andshewillwearthatnowagain...Imean,shedoesn’tcareandnoonecomments,soit’sme,it’sjustmethat’slikeah,thiswouldbenicetodayIwillputthatonherandthat’sit.R:Doyoudressherdifferently, like fordifferentoccasions, like ifyouaregoingout justmeetsomegroups,youdressherinthisplaygroundorifyougotothepark.S:Hmmm,yesandno. Imean, Ido if I amgoing toaparty. If I’dwearsomethingdifferent, Iwouldthink about dressing her in a dress... But then I am also...It has to be comfortable as well. So...Weboughtheradressforherbirthdayandthatwasaverystiffoutf...(pause,movingsomething)Iwillgetit.It’saverystiffdress.Soit’snotreallyforplayinginit.Sosheworeitandinfirsttenminutes(sheisindistance).K:Aw,it’ssopretty.S:It’snotaplaindress.It’sakindofthing.K:Youmakepicturesandthenputitdown.S:Yeah,prettymuch.Imean,shewasfinewithit.Andshehadhairclipin,andshegets...she’sstartingtounderstand,youknow,willIlooknicenow?(laugh)K:Aww,that’socute.S:Andshe like...put itonherheadand lookpretty,but then fiveminutes latershewillbepullingatsomeone’shair andbehorrible littlebrat (laugh)Yeah, Imean, ...yeah, thepartywewent towherepeoplehadcomeinto, I...shewasmeanttowearadress,butthenshewasn’t feelingverywell inthemorning,actuallyshewasjustbitgrumpy,reallygrumpyactually.SoundslikeIamnot...Idon’tevenwannatryandchangeherclothesbecauseshewouldjustgetmoregrumpy,sowe’djustleaveherandthe clothes that we put on her this morning. And the majority of her clothes looks nice. So...Imean...Yes, I’ll thinkabout itbut if the timeorhermoodorwhatever is it for it, I’ll just leave it. (R:Hmm.)Idon’tcare.Andifitgetsalotofthetimebecausedaddy’sdoingbreakfast,andshestillswearsittoday-carebecause...R:Whataboutwhenyoudidmothergroup,itwaslikeintheverybeginning...(S:yeah)Isadifferencethere?S: I think the very first time I thought about it a lot what she wore, and a few times after a littlebit...maybeIthoughtaboutit,mainlybecauseshe...thereisonlytwogirlsthatweresixandfourboysandtwogirls.ButnottothepointwhereIwouldreallydoanythingaboutit.IthinkIthoughtaboutitmorebecausecoupleofthemomstherehadparentsthatknittedor...clothesforthem,andoneofthemomshadthisthingwhereshewouldonly,hecouldonlywearlikebrownandyellowandgrey,likeany natural colours like dirt colours. So he always looked really...we used to call himmuddle babybecausehealwayswould...notbecauseshespentalotofmoneynecessarily,butshe...hecouldonlybuy

thisonespecificorhavethisonespecificsnowsuitbecausethatwas(noise)gettinginbrown,therestofthesnowsuitswereacolourtheyjustcouldnotget.Solikeforcarryingthebaby,andtheyboughttheautomodel?becausethatwasmadeinbrown,eventhoughit’snotasgood...(noise)R:It’sveryspecific.S:Yeah,sothatwasImean,IthinkmainlybecauseofherIthoughtaboutitalittlebitwithmybabybecause I didn’t constrict her in that sense of colour. She wore...She wears colour, just not brightcolours,orthisisreallybrown.Generallynotasbrightcolours.So...Ithink...R:Soyouhaven’tfeltapressurelikefromtheoutside?S:Not...Notinthat...mymommygroupbutIhave...IamprettyluckyIthinkwehadareallygoodgroup.I think other people feel a pressure, and I think that’s with anything with your child. If someonecomments,yougetreallyproud,andyoumightmakethemwearthatalittlebitmoreoften,butthenhalfoftimesomeonewouldcommentonherandsheiswearingcrappyclotheson,solikeokay...Soit’snotnecessarilyabouttheclothes, it’sa...it’saboutotherqualities.(Rmumblesintoit:howshe ....yeahdefinitely)Yeah.R:Buthaveyoubeeninasituationwhenyouthoughtoh,Sallyistotallywarminthiscontextorsheislike...S:Hmmmm....R: Someone, you said someone comment on their like...their... snow suit, have you had situationwhere...orsituationslikethat?S:No,Ineverfelt likeshewasdressedwrongly. IsometimeswhenJason’sdressedherthoughtIamgladwe are not going anywhere today. (laugh) Just because...Imean...Just because it just doesn’t...Imeanit’sbetternowthatIbuyclothesthatyoucan’tgetwrong...likewhateveryoupick,youwillsortofmatch. (chuckle)Buthe just...Imeanhe justdoesn’tcareorhe thinks that’s fineshecanhave thesweatpantswithkittensalloverandthensomesortofcolouredflowertopwithit.And...R:Hereallydoesn’tseeit.S:Hejustdoesn’tseeshecan’tweartwopa...likeandthat’sofcourseshecan.Sheiswarm.Sheisfine.So...Imean...Ifweweregoinganywhere,Iwouldn’tbecoming.Ifweweregoingsomewhere,Iwouldprobablychangethepants.K:Doesheeverbuytheclothes?S:No.K:No.Youwerethe100%ormorelikelybuytheclothes.S:Yes.Isometimesifit’sexpensive,Iwilltalkaboutitmainlybecauseit’smoneyissue,likewehavetomake surewe also can buy food orwhatever. (laugh) But generally it’sme decidingwhat she getsand...R:Didyougetinspiredbysomethingbefore,buyingitor...

S:No.Notreally.Imean...AsIsaidIbuymoststuffonline,soI’llgoontoH&M’swebpageandthengothroughwhattheyhaveandgo...Ilikethesethings.ButthenIalsocheckbootstoreorsome...IhaveafewbabyclothessitesthatIactuallyquitelike,theycomeup...Iguessgetitas...ButtheycomeuponmyFacebookbecauseI’velikedthemonFacebook.R:Well,doyouthink...There is a store called Malíe Amí (R: Yeah.) I think it’s a mom that’s just decided she really likedbrandedbabyclothes, so shestarted, it’sa sidebusiness toher. It’sawebshop.And that comesupon...Imeanthatcomesuponmyfeed,soIseeitthereIquitelike...shehasalotofbrandsthatIlike,sointhatsenseIaminfluenced,butnotsotothepointwhereIwouldactuallybuyit.K:Hmmm.S: So I get an idea on...oh, these brands I like, have these colours going on, or these styles at themoment,butthenIamsotoseeifIcanfindsomeorseemore...K:Doesshe...Doessheblog...likehaveablogorit’sjustashop.S:It’sjustashopbutshe...ifshegetsanordering,she’dgenerallylayouttheorderthatshe...youknow,anorderforalittlegirl,andthenshewouldlayouttheclothes...K:Oh,yeah,yeah,okay.S:andthenI thinkshe’llputapairofshoesthatshethinkswouldgowellwith itandahairtie,andthenshemakesaphotoofthatandputsitonFacebook,onagroup.Anditcomesuponmyfeed,sointhatsenseIguessIaminspired...towardssomethings...R:Doyoufollowanyblogsoranything?S:No.Iamnot.No.Idon’t.Oneofthemomsinmymommygroupdoes,andshe...notsomuchclothesbutotherbabystuff,shesortofknowsfromthat.Sowhatcreamworksbestonredbums.R:laugh,Yeah.K:Soyou’daskherifanythinghappensyouaskheror...?S: Yeah,well, hm...I’ll askmyhomemommygroup (K: yeah) I think.Wehave...Wehave a group onFacebook,andwedostillseeeachother,eventhoughweareallworking,probablyabouteverytwomonthswestillseeeachother.And...and,we’ll...ask...whatdidyoudowiththisso...shewouldnothaveher teeth brushed... what did you do with that? So there is a lot of knowledge sharing inmommygroupsinthatsense.WithclothesatallIthink.R:Andwhoarethatyoutalkedwiththatabout?S:Well...clothesIdon’t...IthinksometimesItalktomymomaboutitbutitthat’smainlybecausealotof the timesheworeoutofeverythingallat same time,and it’s stressful, trying toget italland it’sexpenseSoIwilltalktoheraboutthathowit’sexpensiveandthat’s frustrating,andshewillbelikewellyoujustgetitusedandnow...IguessIcould,butIdon’twantto.Youknow,sheisjustsensible.Andother times I’d talk...like I havea good friendand shewants tohaveababy, so she just listensbecause she thinks it’s an interesting thing that I am like...but then I lookhere and I quite like that

brandandIthink,ImeanIcan’tjustifyusingityouknow,soIwillhavethat...?whatshallbelike...orthenjustbuyitatH&M.R:Yeah.Arethereanybrandsthatyouwouldneverbuy?S:Yes...becauseIdon’t liketheirstyle.Hmm.Whataretheirnames?Hmmm.It’sactuallyF...what’s itcalled?FillipFeline.?Andthere’sanotheronethathaslotsofcolours.R:becausetheyhadwiththecolourshedoesn’tlike?S:Thereistoomuchcolour.Toomuchpattern.Thenotheronewithapplesandthedifferentcoloursapple...thatIcan’tevenrem...see?Ican’tevenrememberthebrandnames.(laugh)Ijustlookatthem.Ugh.Shecannotwearallthatcolourallatonce,it’stoomuch.Ican’trememberthebrandbutgenerallylikeHummelforexample,Idon’tquite...Idon’treallylikethateitherbecauseit’stoomuch...youcan...italwayshasabiglabelrightthere,andIdon’tlikethat.Ilikethemmoresubtle,sortofbrandinginthatsense.R:AretheresomebrandswhereyouthinkpeoplewouldthengetmeinacertainwayifIweartheseandthesebrandslike..?S: I think I judge people who dress their babies top-to-toe in those really colourful brands that Irecognize. Ican’trememberthenamesofthemrightnow.I judgethembecauseI think...I thinktheyputitontheirbabiesto...toshowtheworldthatI’veboughttheseclothesbecauseit’ssorecognizable.It’ssoeasytoseethat’sthatbrand.Ican’trememberthename,youknow.(laugh)Anyways,theyareveryeasytorecognizewhereNoaNoaandEnfantAndthosebrandsthatIquitelikeIcanrecognizeitbecauseIlookattheirpagesandliketheirdesigns,andsometimesI’llbuyoneortwothings.Butit’snotclassicIt’snotoutwear.It’snot...soIthinkthat’sthedifference.IthinkIjudgeinthatsensethat...R:thatiftheyhaveliketoomuchkindofbrand...S:Yeah,becauseit’svery...Imean...Iguessit’sthesameforadults.Ifadultswore,youknow,afulloutfitinNike.Youknow,youwouldlookatthemandgookaysoyoupaywhat?Twoandhalfbrandforthatoutfitbecauseyouknowthat, it’s inherent,andyou cant ignore that.That’sabrandand itcost thismuchwhere it’s the same for baby clothes, those brands that you can recognize, and generally thecolourfulone,Hummelhasabigbrandonitall,orAdidasshoesorwhatever.K:Especiallytheonewhocannotit(laugh)S:Yeah,lotsofthem.Yeah,exactly.Andtheywearit.Andit’snotgoodforthebabytowearshoes,andtheycan’tevenwalkthat’s...Imean...that’sanotherdiscussion.K:Whenyousaidyoulike...likesimplicity...likeontheclothes...Doyoudressyourselflike...Wouldyousayyourstyleisalsosimplicityoryouwouldusemorepatternorlike...S:No.K:No.S:It’sdefinitelythesame.Imean...if Iamgoingout.IfIamdoingsomething...Ihaveadressthat’ssolot’sofflowersandcolours.Butonaneverydaybasisit’s,youknow,onecolourcardiganandanothercolourtopandapairofjeans.Soit’sprobablyverysimilar.IhateJasonsaysit’sthesame.(laugh)SoSallyhasalotofgreybecausemomhasalotofgrey.Yeah.

....(Telephoneisringing)S:Whoa.Iwonderwhothatis.ProbablyJason....K:Didanybodywhoyouconsiderlikeababyclothesexpert?S:Afriendor?K:Yeah,anybodylikewho...Idon’tknowifyou...S:LikeifIfollowedablogandIknewthattheyK: You just did it that they are very interested in it or..or? They are really like oh don’ t buy thisbecause it was made in China in bad working conditions, no by this because this is organic madein...handmadeinThailand.S:Not...notsomeoneIwouldgoandaskforadvice.K:Okay.S: But I know that...like I have some friends that think about whether it’s organic more like thatmommymommygroupthatwouldonlybuybrownandsoon.Iknowthatshe...ifIwentandaskedher,shewouldbeabletotellme...K:Okay.S:Thatyouknow,don’tbuyfromH&Munlessyoucouldseethereisanink...?labelbecauseotherwiseit’sCambodianchildren that’smadeall. She isveryactive in thatsense.Ehm...Ihavea friendwhosereally good friend has to stay at home of hermom, so all she does is investigate, you know,whichshoes are better towear at this stage of development or...But I don’t go looking for...I don’t ask foradviceinthatsenseonlikebabyclothes.K:Iwonderifthereislikeonlineforumorsomethinglikethisorno...S:Thereprobablyis,butIhaven’tlookedforit,andIdon’tthink...(K:Yeah)AndIdon’tthinkIwouldconformtoitreally.R:IsthereonepieceofclothesthatSallyhasthatyoureallylove?S: Hmmm...I think Jason, ismo...,my husband, ismore attached to her clothes than I am (R: Yeah?laugh) causehepicksup certain things shewears...hmm...no,notonepiece.No.There’s certain setsthatI...Ithinkshelookscuter,butnottothepointwhereIwouldlikenotsell itoralwaysputherinthatifIcould...Oh,lookwhoishere...(pause)Ehm. This is, I mean, probably if I had to pick something out of her clothes right now, this top isprobablymyfavourite.ButIwouldstillsellit.(pause)

Theyhavethisstuffonwhentheycomehomefromday-careand,Imean...K:Areyoudrawingsomething?K: Just the sharing online...is there any...any...hmm...well, if you like something verymuch on her, ifshe’s likecute,doyouliketakepictureof itandput itonline?OnyourFacebook?Orsharingitwithyourfriendsor...sendittoyourmom?Lookhowcutesheistoday!S:Hmm.Nooo.Imean...IamveryrestrictivewithFacebook,Idon’tputmanypicturesup,soIwouldneverdothat.Iwouldneversaylookhowcutesheisinthisclothes.ButIhavefriendswhodothat.Iwillsendapicturetooneofmyfriendsifsheiswearingsomethingthatthey’vegivenher,thatIthinkshelookscute.ButgenerallyIsendpicturestomyfriendsbecausesheisdoingsomethingcute(laugh)ratherthansheiswearing...thatsheisdoingsomething,andthensheseemstobewearingsomethingthatmakesherlookcuteorsobut....K:Yeah,yeah.R:notbecauseof...S: ...not because ofwhat she iswearing. No. I think once, yeah,we took one for that she got like aheadbandwithalittlebowonandweputitonher,andshewaslike(laugh)whatareyoudoing?Wetookaphotoofthat.K:Okay.S:Weuploadeditonsnapchatorsomething.K:It’ssocute.S:Withthecaptionwhatareyoudoingtome?(laugh)That’smaybebecauseshereactedlikethat.K:Yeah,it’snotbecauseofthe....Yeah,that’s...good!..S:Yeah.K:Thankyou.S:That’sokay.............

APPENDIX7:EXAMPLEOFCODINGInterviewwithCathrineChild:Freja,6monthsLocation:Inthemother’sapartmentinØsterbroInterviewers:KateandRebeccaI:IdaK:KateR:RebeccaR: First of all, this interview is anonymous… so don’t be afraid of saying anything. We are doingresearchforourmasterthesisaboutbabyclothes.WeareresearchinghowfirsttimemothersinCPHsee the baby clothes, how you feel about it, how you use it and so on. We have prepared somequestions butwewanted this to bemore like conversation so youwould not feel stressed. This is[pointingattheinterviewguide]morelikeaguidanceforus.Somaybeifyoucanstartbyexplaininghowdoyouseeyourselfasamum?

C: I seemyselfasaveryback-to-basickindofmum.Verydown toearth, Ihope.And it’s justprettymuch…learn by doing. And of course, I’d like to seemyself as quite loving and caring and…calm, IwouldsayI’mprettycalm.

R:Howhasitchangedyoutobecomeamother,ifyouthinkithas?

C: I’m veryworried about…anything and everything. Actually…it’s the hardest thing I worry about,sometimes,whenIhearatrackgoby,Ithinkabout“Ohmygod,it’saRussiantank,we’vebeeninvaded,whatcanIdonow”…(laughing)But,alsoIfeel…Idon’treallyfeeldifferentfromwhoIwasbefore,it’sjust…Ijustfeellikemyselfbutnowwithababy(laughing).Idon’tfeelatallrestrictedorlimited,Ijust,IguessthatIacceptedthatthingshavechangedandthat’showthingsarenow.

K:Howdidyourfreetimechange?

C:Well.Atfirst,thisbaby’sbeen,she’sbeenverysoImean,I’vehadalotoffreetime,Ifelt.ButIguesswhatIdidbefore,well,Idon’tseefriendsasmuchanymorebecausetheyhavejobsandschoolbutIseemysistersalotandIdothesamething.Imeanwhenshe’s…atnight,I’vebeenouttodinnersandIvisit friends “and when she’s put to bed” I guess it’s changes a little…Also, one of the things thatchangeswhen you have a baby, you don’t remember everything that happened before (laughing) Idon’t rememberreallywhat Ididbefore (laughing)But I…Iguess Ialsohave less free timebecausewhenIlookat(theclock)whenIgotobedit’slike…nine.That’sthelatest“pleaseletmegotobed”

R:Yeah,youbecomemoretiredsoyouhavetosleep

C:Yeah.

R:And…Yeah,Iguessthat’sprettymuch

R:Whatabout,like,ifwe’retalkingabout…babyclothes,

[Pause,aconversationnotrelatedtotheinterview]

R:Butifwe’retalkingaboutbabyclothes,whatwouldyousayyoulookafterwhenyouchooseit?

C: I look for…affordable prices, but I also…I don’t really buy too much baby clothes because mymother-in-law,sheknits,andmyownmum,shesewssoshe’smakingalot…thesetrousersarebymymum, this sweater’s by my mother-in-law and…so the things I purchase, I guess they’re not thecheapestbut…Idon’treallybuytoomuchbabyclothes.

K:Whatdidyoubuylasttime?

C:Ibought…thispantyhose…orleggingssothat’swhatitwas.

R:Doyourememberfromwhichbranditwas?

C:Yeah,they’refromNPandIboughtthemonlineona…Iprettymuchbuyeverythingonlinebecausetherearenoshippingfeesandabigstorethatcarriesallthebrands,so…

R:Okay,whatisthatsite?

C:Kidsworld.

C:SoIboughttheseandtheyarefromNP.

R:Anddoyouthen…likewhenyouselect…buy…doyoufindinspirationanywhereorisitbecauseyoumisssomething,yougointhere,howisitworking?

C: I look at a lot of stuff on Instagram, actually, that I wanna buy. And then I also go to the veryexpensivestorePurebabythat’srightdownhereandIlookatallthethingsandgo“Wow,thiswouldbe so cute”But…Imean, the thing is just that I don’t think it’sworth buying it because shedoesn’treallyusethatmuchclothes.SowhenI…Iprettymuch justknow,well,whatdoessheneed, is theresomethingbrokenor isshealwayscoldonherfeet,andIwillbuyacoupleofslippersorsomethinglikethat.AndIactuallyalways…Imean,it’sveryrarethatshe’swearingsomethingthatactuallyfitsher(laughing)becauseIalwaysbuyitonesizetoobig.

R:That’ssmart.Soshecanwearitforlongertime.

C:Yeah.AndbecauseIdothinkthatit’sokaytospendabitmorebecausethenitlastslonger,becausesheisusingit,youknow.

R:Wouldyousayyouwouldpreferbrandedclothestowhat’snon-brandedclothes?

C:Yeah,Iwould.

R:Why?

C:Forexample,these…aretheycalledpantyhose?

R:Yeah.

C:I…I’vehadsomefromH&Mandtheelasticbandjustwasn’tthatgood,itgotlooseandit’sannoyingthatitwon’tstayupandsoI’vedecidedtobuyformthisbrandthatI’vereadaboutthatitshouldbethebestanditcoststwiceasmuchbutthey’rejust…Idon’tseethatthey’vebeenwornthatmuchandtheyjust…they’rethesameaswhenIboughtthem.And…So,IjustdecidedthatI’lljusthaveonepairortwopairsinsteadof,youknow,fivedifferentcoloursfromH&MandthenI’mhappyaboutthequality.AndIthinkthat’smoneywellspent.

R:What about, you said that youwere lookingor found inspiration in Instagram, is it like a specialpersonyouarefollowingor…?

C:Yes.It’sacoupleofpeople.Doyouwantnamesor…?

R:Ifyouremember?

C: There’s a photographer called Maria Frank, she has to beautiful little girls and she buys themmatching clothes, expensive clothes, and I look at them and I think that it’s just, it looks very niceand…Thenit’sactuallyafewwomenfromadultwomen’sfashionthatjusthappentohavebabies.SoIthinkoneiscalled…JeenyMorgensol,sheworksatStineGaarde,shehasaverycutebaby.Andthere’sagirlcalledLou,thatisalsofromStineGaarde,she’sjusthadalittlebabyalsoandshebuysexpensiveclothesandverynice,sothat’s…AndI,Ijustlookatthemandthink“Aw,that’ssonice”,andthenIgo“Mum,canyoumakethese?”(laughing)

R:That’sagoodthingaboutyourmumbeingabletosew.

C:Yeah.ButIdon’treallycaretoomuchaboutdressingherup,Idon’t…Imean,whenIgotomyowncloset, I justwant topulloutsomething that Iknowwill fitandthatmatches,youknow,everythingelseand it’s the same thingwithher, Idon’t care for staying there, looking in thedrawer: “Ooh,mylittlebabywilllookgoodtoday…she…sailor?”youknow(laughing).Ijustputon,youknow,oneofthesweatersthatmymother-in-lawknittedandthen,youknow,shehasfourorsomethingtrousers,and,itcomesoutandit’sdirtyandthen…Idon’treallychangeitthatmuch.

R:Would you say thatwhenyou arehomeorwhenyou goout, is there anydifference inhowyoudressher?

C: Yeah. Always if we go visit my mum, I put on something she made (laughing) to stay with mymotherandifIseemyfriends,yeah,IdefinitelyhaveacoupleofoutfitsthatIwouldsay“Thislooks…”,youknow,“thisissomethingthatIthinkshelooksevenbetterin”,youknow…Yes,soIdefinitelythinkaboutthat.Sointhatway,IguessIdressherup.

K:Doyouevertakepicturesofher,ofwhatshe’swearing?

C:Forthepurposeofshowingwhatsheiswearing,orjust…?

K:Yeah,yeah.Youknow,likea….

C:No.Although, Ido, I think if I lookat thepicturesthat Ipost…nej(Danish)…Idefinitely, if I takeapictureandit’sshowinganoutfit thatI like, Iwoulddefinitelythink“Wow,she looksevenbetter” ifyou’vehadsteppedwithmeinmymind,yeah.

R:Do you think…maybe it’s a hard question to answer…are you unconsciously thinking about howotherpeopleseeherwhenyoudressher?

C:Yes.It’snotunconsciousatall,actually.Imean,first,whenthey’relittle,there’stheissueofkindofwantingpeopletorecognizethatit’sagirl…becauseyou…youoftencan’ttellthefirstmomentbecauseit’sjustasoftface…

R:Sodoyouthinkthatitshouldbelikegirl’scolours…?

C:Yeah,atleastsomethingtorepresentthegender.

R:Yeah.

C:But…Idon’tcare thatyoucanrecognize thebrand, I justcare that it looksas if it’snotdirtyandwornoutordoesn’treallyfitor…anything,so.

R:Buthowcomethatyou’rethinkingaboutthesestuff?

C:Idon’tknowactually.IthinkbecauseI…Ilookata…IguessthatIliketolookatprettystuff,IlikethewholepolishedimagethatyoufindonInstagram,forexample.Imean,Ilikeitinthewaythatit’snicetolookat,anddon’tlikethewholethingthatis…youknow,thatis,inabroaderpicture,whatit’sdoing tomybehaviour and society andwomen and… (laughing) you know.But… I guess it’s, I alsothinkthat if they lookatherandyouknow,she’sa little…sortof…not, Imean,notcheap-looking, IguessIthinkit’sreflectssomewhatonmeandIdon’twanttolookasifI’mnottakingcareofher.

K:Istherelike…before,whileyouwerepregnant,haveyouimaginedthatyou’lldressherincertainway?

C:Yes.

K:Isitdifferentfrom…howitisnow?

C:Howitisnow?

K:Yes.

C:Yes.IhadanideathatI’llprobablyuseapileoftheseamazingclothesthatIseeonInstagramandbutthen,Imean,IseethepricesandIguessthatthey’realittletoohighforme,it’snotworthit.Andthen,plus,youget…Imean,people,theythrowclothesatyou.Um,everyone.Yeah,it’sjust:“Ooh,youhadababy,theirsisa…thousandthings…”(laughing)Um,so…IforgotwhatIwasabouttosay.

K:Ifyouimaginedthatyou’ddressherdifferentlybeforeandafter?

C:Um…I guess I dress her a little bit different. Just because I don’t…a lot of the clothes I don’t buymyself.

R:Whatabout,whenyougetclothes,orwhentheymakeclothesforyou,um…ormaybemorewhentheymakeclothesforyou,isitthentheirownstylethey’redoingitinordotheyaskyou…?

C:No. I’vedonea lotof lobbying(laughing)Withmyownmum, it’seasytosay:“Aah,really…?”andwithmymother-in-law,I…Idid,kindof“Ooh,lookatthis,it’ssonice!”(laughing)Andit’sactually,shetendstoshowmesomething:“Oh, isn’tthiscute?”andthenIcansay:“Well…notreally.”ButIthinkthattheybothhaveprettymuchthesame…samestyleasme.TherehavebeenacoupleofthingsandI’dsay“No,that’snotreallymy…forme.”Andthen,therewassomethingthattheymadethemselvesandtheygo:“No,don’tputherinthat.”

R:Sowhat’sthedifference?

C:It’sthecolour,thattheysee,forexample,inastore…mymum,shebuysthefabricsatthesamestoreandthenshegoes“Ah,thislookssocute”whenshe’sthereandthenshecomesandthen:“It’stotallynothercolour.”

R:Aretheresomecoloursyouwouldneverputonher?

C:Um…anythingneon,anythingthatdoesn’tgowithpurplebecauseeverythingispurplewhenEh,no.Idon’t…Ihaveveryfewthingsthathaveapattern,because…Idon’t likepatterns, I justdon’tknowwhy, itconfusesmea lot, Iget…Idon’t likepatternsonmyself…andthenIguess, Imean,shedoeshavelikethatlittlestuffwithflowersandshelookscuteinitbutI…Idon’tlike…AndIalsodon’tlikeall theDisneycharactersandeverything. Idon’tbelieve that, youknow, thereare somepeople thatthink:“Oh,it’ssoimportantthatchildrenhaverealchildren’sclothes”thatyoucouldtell:“Oh,thisisforachild.”ButImean,whenit’sthissizeandit’sobviousthatitisforachildsoIdon’treallyneedthatwhole…Okay,hereisacrocodileridinga…bananaboatorsomething.

R:Whatabouttheclothesyougotasapresent,isthereanythingthatyouhavereceivedthatyoudon’twanttoputonher?

C:Yes.Um…yeah,thereis…shegotlike…littleNikeshoesandIguessthey’recuteinthestorebutlike,shecan’tuse themforanythingand I…Idon’t like…I think it’s… itwas too,sortof, lookatme, I’vespend300kronersonapairofshoesthatwon’tworkbutit’sNikeand…Thenthereacoupleofum,someunderwear, thathad, like, ----becausetheyhaveshortsleeves Ididn’tusethemactually…andwhatelse…ActuallyIdidn’tum…alotofthestuffthatIgotforhershe’snotgrownintoityet.AndIalsogotalittle,I,thefirstcoupleofmonthsI’vejustborrowedalotofclothesfrommyco-workerandIalso…youknow,she’s…she’sgotalotofclothesthatare…inheritedbymycousinsand…

R: Did you then choose everything orwas there something like you picked them like “This, Iwantthe…”

C:Yeah, Ipicked them.And then, sometimes theybringmesomething, that they think: “Ooh, this iswhatyouwouldlike…”andthenit’sapinksweaterwitha…it’saBurberrysweaterwithaBurberrybeeandIdon’tlikethat(laughing)

R:Doesthatsomethingtodowiththatit’sBurberry?

C:Yes.100%.Idon’tlikeshowing…um…It’slikeactuallyaverynicesweater.It’sa…youknow,goodquality,Iguess,butIdon’tlike…thatithasa…

R:Becauseyoudon’tlikethatit’stoobigabrandwhen/likeyouseeit…?

K:Doyouthinkit’slikeshowingoff?

C:Yeah.IthinkthatifI’dputherinit,peoplewouldthink:“OhmyGod,theregoesoneofthemumsandit’ssoimportantforhertoshowthatshe’sboughtanexpensiveblouseforherkid.So,actually,it’s,Imean, it’s anicepink sweaterbut I guess it’sbecause…youknow,what itwould sayaboutmeorwhatIwouldthinkaboutsomeonewhodidthat.

R:Whatifthelogowascoveredandyoucouldn’tseeit?

C:Fine,thenitwouldbeperfectlyfine.

R: Now, you say what you would maybe think about other people if they put on logos… Can youelaboratemore?

C:Ithinkit’s…it’sjust…ifIseesomeone,wehaveoneinmyeh…groupofmothers,andshealways,shehasallthese,allkindsofexpensivebabyclothes,RalphLauren,Burberryskirts,justanythingthatishigh…highprice.AndI,Ijustthinkthatit’stoomuch,it’sa…it’sadress-up,it’slikethebaby’salittledollandyouwannareflectsomekindofperfectimageviathebaby,so…ButImean,Iknowshe’sgottashitloadsofmoneyso,Imean,Igetthatshewantstobuyit,she…itjustdoesn’tmatterforher.

R:Butdoyouthinkitrepresentskindofthemother’svaluesor…?

C:Yeah.Ithinkit’s…Ijustthinkit’sunnecessaryto…Imean,it’stoomuchmoneytospendonsolittlefabricthatthey’ll fit inforamonthandahalf.SoI just,Idon’tseethepoint.AndIdon’treallythinkthat it’s… I… I think it’s…youare toomaterialisticpersonwhenyoudo that. Imean… I soundveryjudging.(laughing)Iamveryjudging.

R:WhataboutwhenyoudressFreja,doyouthenthinkthatotherpeoplejudgeyouaswell?

C:Yeah.Ido.

R:Isitsomethingthatyouthinkabout?

C:Yeah,Ido,actually,butIdon’t…Idon’tcarethatsomeonewhobuysexpensiveclothesthinksthat:“OhmyGod,she’swearingthat,and it’s…wheredidsheget that, is itreallyhome-madeor is thatafaulthere,she’snot…”Imean,Idon’tcarethatthepeoplethatIdislikedislikewhatI’mdoing,Imean,it’sobviousthatyouhatewhenthey...whenthepeoplethatIjudgedon’tjudgebutthenIfeellike“Oh,such a judgmental person…” (laughing) I don’tmean in termsof things that people judgememuchmorethantheydointermsofclothes.

R:Haveyoueverexperienced…orisit?

C:No,Ihaven’t,actually.

R:Never?

C:Alwaysjealousthatshehasthesenicehome-madenips,forexample,becausetheycostafortuneifyoubuytheminthestore.

R:Butwhenyouthenthinkthatotherthinksomethingaboutyou,whatisitthatyouthinkof?

C:WhatIthinktheythinkaboutme?Well, Iworrythatifthey’dthinkthatshe’sdressedpoorlyor…yeah,poorly,Idon’tcareaboutiftheythinkit’sfashionable,justiftheythinkitlooks,youknow,wornout, Iworrythattheythinkthat I live inanapartmentthat Idon’tvacuumandIdon’tshowerandIprobablydon’tcleanmykitchenand…Yeah,sothat’sthatkindofthings.

R:Unhygienic.

C:Yeah,that’swhatIthink.BecauseI…ifIseeachildandthenIthink:“Really?Youcouldn’thave,youknow, changed that sweaterwith theold foodon it beforeyouwentout?Oryouprobably live in ahousewhereyourdoghashaireverywhereandwhenyouseesomething,youjustputitonthefloorandleaveitor…yeah.

K:Haveyoueversoldorgivenawayanyofherclothes?

C:Ihaven’tsoldanythingbecauseIdon’thaveanythingthat…youknow,whenIlookatwhatpeoplesell, it’s not anything that people buy, they…they are particularly interested in the expensive andbrands…Idon’thaveanythingofthat,so.Plus,Iknow,we’llhaveacoupleofmorekidssothere’snopointsellingit.Ikeepit,yeah.ButIdobuysomeusedclothes.

R:Yeah?Likeatwhere?

C:Peopleon Instagram, theyhaveaseparate Instagramaccount forselling theirbaby’sclothes.Andit’s…a…Imean,theyhaveboughtatonofclothesfortheirbabiesbecausealotofwhattheysellhasn’treallybeenused.

R:Whataboutwhenyoubuyclothesthathavebeenused,doyoudosomethingtoitbeforeshe’susingit?

C:Um…Yeah,Ijustwashit.

R:Isthat…Whyisthat,togetitcleanorthatitwouldsmellor…?

C:Justbecause,youknow,Idon’tknowwhatkindofdetergenttheywashedit inandIwantittobewithoutperfumeandeverythingandIdon’tknowwheretheykeptitor…Just,youknow,it’sjustthat.Itfeelsmorenewwhenit’sjustwashed.

K:Doyoualsowashnewclothesyoupurchase?

C:Yes,everything.Iwasheverythingbeforeusingit.Once,IforgottowashsomeofmyclothesandIgotarash.Anditwasunderwear,soitwasnotgood.(laughing)

R:It’salwaysgoodtowashit(laughing)

R:Whataboutwhenyouinheritalotof…orborrow,someoftheclothes,didyouthinkaboutthatyouwereputtinganotherchild’spersonalityonheroryouchosetheoneyouthoughtchoseherorlike…

C:DidIthinkabout…?

R:Ifthere’slikepersonalityattachedtotheclothes?

C:No,don’tthinkaboutthatatall.TheonlythingIthinkaboutis:isthis…doIthinkthatitlooks…isitinanokaycondition?Ordoesitlooktoo…toowornout?That’stheonlything.Idon’teverthinkaboutwho’swornitbefore.

R:What about, you said therewere some styles thatwereabsolutelynot yourkindof style. Soyouthinkthatyourstyleiskindofrepresentativeinthiscase?

C:Um…WhenIbuyitor…?

R:Whenyoubuyitorwhenyouchooseit,justingeneral?

C:Yeah, Ionlybuy, Iwouldneverbuyanything justbecausesheneedssomething towearandthenbuyanything,IwouldalwaysbuysomethingthatIwouldfeellikeitgoeswithalltheotherstuffandthatIthinkit’sniceandgoeswiththewhole…well,howI’dliketoseemybaby.(laughing)

R:Whataboutinthebeginning,howdidyouknowwhattochooseforher?

C: Ididn’tchooseanything, Igota lotofsecond-handandIborroweda lotso itwas just…I…IchosewhatIwantedtoborrowandIjustdidn’tknowthegenderatthetimesoIjusttookallwhitesandthegreysand…Yeah,Ijust…sheworealotofwhiteandgrey,actually,so…

K:Soyoudidn’tknowifshe’sgonnabeagirloraboy?

C:No.Solike,thatwasactuallyaverygoodideaintermsofshoppingbecauseIwenttoalotofstoresbeforeshewasbornandyousee:“Oh,thisissocute…”andthenIjust,andIcouldn’tbuyit.Because,Imean,itwassuchagood…goodthingforme.

K:Ihaven’tthoughtaboutitthisway.(laughing)

C:BecauseIthinkifIknewthegenderbeforeshewasbornIwould’veboughtalotof…alotmore,andIwouldn’thaveusedit.

R:Didyoubuysomethingbeforeshewasborn?

C:Ahyeah,Iboughtacoupleof…whatdidIbuy?Um…somebodystockings,Ithink,um…Andthenasleepsuit.Butum…butshewassobigwhenshewasborn,soshecouldn’tfitinit(laughing).

---

Butit…IknewthatIcouldborrowallthebabyclothessoIdidn’t…Ididn’tbuytoomuch.

R:Butyoukeptithere,athome?

C:Yeah,Idid.But,when…Imean,theredefinitelycameatimewhenshewaslikeamonth,monthandahalf,thatIfeltlike:Okay,Iputherinthewhite,small,genderneutralsandnowIneed,Imean,Ifeltlike…oh,but thatwasthat,shewas justacoupleofweeks.Um…thanI felt like: “Okay,sheneedstoownsomethingofherown,Imean,shedeserves,Imeanlike…IguessIgotalittle…

R:Howcomeyoufeltthatshedeservedsomekindofherown…?

C:Um…IthinkitwasjustbecauseIcouldfinallypicksomethingthatIlikedandthathadan…andofcoursethatwasn’tinpink.

K:Isthereapieceofclothingthatyoufeelattachedto?Thatyouwouldnevergiveaway?Eventoyourcousinsoranyone?Youwouldjustkeepitforever?

C:Yeah,allthe…shehas,um…somehome-knittedsweatersthatIwouldneverdolikethis…that’sveryniceandknowthatmymother-in-law,shetooka lotoftimemakingthemandI thinktheyarevery,verypretty.I’dnevergivethemaway.

But…um…somethingthatIbought…Idon’t,I’mnotsureIhaveanyfeelingsreallyattachedtoit.No,Idon’t…

R:Soit’smorebecausethey’vespentalotoftimeand…

C:Yeah,it’spersonal.

K:And…yousaid…before,atthebeginning,yousaidyouhadafavouriteshophereonthecorner?Purebaby,wasitcalled?Isitlikesomethingyouwishtobuyor…or…butyouneverboughtanythingformit?

C:Iwouldbuyprettymucheverything.IfIhadunlimitedmeans,I’dbuy…

K:Whyfromthere?Whyisitspecial?

C:Um…Well,it’sspecialbecauseithas…it’sallorganicand…ItjusthasthecolourschemethatIlike,sortof.It’sum…sortof,douche,sortof,doesthatmake…um…sortof,pastelcoloursandum…nottoobright andmaterials are really like wool…for most of the things…and they have a lot of wool andalso…becauseIjust…I’veheardandI’vereadandseenthatthequalityis…it’sjustnice,youcanjusttell…andshedoeshavesomethingsfromBilka,forexampleandit’salright,Imean,itfits,it’sfine,butyoucanjusttellthatifyou’vewashedit,itjustturnedmoregrey…and…losesalotofflexibilityand…

R:Whodoyoutalkaboutbabyclotheswith?Ifyoudotalkaboutit.

C:Idon’t,actually.Notaboutdesignsoranythinglikethat.Justum…Italkto,well,mymumandmymother-in-law about what to make next but… I don’t really talk to anyone about it. Because…it’sjust…thiswhole…um…eh(apause,Frejacrying)I’llbeback.

----[pause,discussionnotrelatedtotheinterview]

C: I think thatbefore I gavebirth I just, I reada lot about…people... that thereare lotof Instagrampeoplethatjusthadbabiesandallthecommentsandstuff.Andyouhavetobesupercareful,Imean,youhavetobesoopentoeverythingandjustacceptthateveryonedoeseverythingdifferentand,youknow, no matter how you do it, it’s just as good as Instagram. So I feel, that when it comes toeverything,alsobabyclothes,don’t steponanyone’s toesbecausewe’reall rookies,and it’s really, Imean, it’s so difficult not to just say what you mean sometimes. Not about the clothes but abouteverythingelse.And Idon’t really…theonlyone I talk to itabout isbasicallymyboyfriendbecausehe... Iboughtsomestuffshedidn’treallyuseandthen, itcostmoneytoo,so…hewouldsay:“No,no,no…”

R:Doeshepickclothesforheraswell?

C:No.Hedoesn’t.Buthedoesliketo…whenI,ifIboughtsomething,youknow,sometimes,hewouldsay:“Ooh…”youknow,Icouldjusttellhe’sgonnathinkit’ssocute,so…Butforexample,Iwannabuyherasunhatforthesummerbecauseshecansitinherstrollerwithitandit’sforma…abrandcalledSoft gallery, I saw it on Instagramof oneof themothers and I thought itwas amazing, it costs 200kronersandyoucanbuyonefor45 if that’swhatyouwant,or50,oryoucanbuyausedone.But Iwantthisone.So…Itoldhimaboutitbecauseit’s…

R:Andthat’sbecauseofthedesign…?

C:Yeah.It’sverycute.

R:Doyounoticewhatotherchildrenarewearing?

C:Um…doIno….yeah.Butonly…Idon’tnotice itandthengo: “Wow, this isamazing, Iwant that. IguessIonly…sometimes,Ifindmyself lookingfor…becauseIknowalotofthebrandsandthestuffthattheyproducebecauseI…Iwindowshopalot.AndthenIsee,ifsomeone’swearingit,andIgo:“OhmyGod,didtheyreallyspend800kronersonthatjacket”orsomething…So,actually.

R:Soit’smorewhenyouthinksomethingiskindofstupidthenifyouthinkthat(laughing)

C:Yes.Exactly.Yeah.But…I’veneverlookedatsomeoneandsaid:“Oh,wheredidyoubuythat,Iwantthat!”Never,no.Youknow,shehasenoughclothes,um,yeah.(Pause).But,Imeansometimes,Ithinkabout, Idon’t… thereare, Imean,unlimitednumbersofwebshops, thathaveall thesamebrands, Imean,theycarrythesamebrandsprettymucheverywhereandIjust,Ican’tbelievehowtheycanallprofit from, I mean, selling the same clothes as all the big department stores also do but I guessthere’s… a lot of peoplemust, like, buy it, although I think it’s reasonably priced… but, yeah. But, Imean,yeah,Iguessjustpeople,alotofpeoplebuyalotofstuff.I’mverysurprisedabouthowmanyoutlets therearewith children clothes. Just, inmyneighbourhood, righthere, Imean, I can… in theradiusof200meters,thereareone,two,free,four,five,six…eightstoresthatsellchildren’sclothes.

R:Wow,that’salot.Dotheysellkindofthesamething?

C:Alotofthesamebrands,yeah.AndI…Ican’timaginehowthatworks.Imean,howmanybabiescantherereallybetoputclotheson?(laughing)

R:Haveyouactually…or,doyouknowifthereareanybrandswhicharemorepopularthanothers?Like,moretrendy,orgivingmoreprestige?

C: I think trendy - yeah. Um… There’s the whole… Thewhole eco, wool, natural… There’s a brandcalled Serendipity that a lot of people buy and Silana or Silena, I don’t know, andWheat and thenthere’sawholeother,um,sortofmorehipandfun,alotofpeoplebuythatMiniWutinythathaslotoffun,sortofpatterns.And...then,thereis…IthinkwhatalotofpeoplethatIknowthatwhentheyneedsomethingbasic,theyjustgotoCarl-Johan.Justbecausetheyhave…Imean,it’s…Imean,it’sanokaypriceforwhatyouget.

R:Whenyoubuybrandedclothes,whichbrandsdoyouprefer?

C:Well…IprefertheNPforall theaccessoriesandsocksandstuff.AndthenIpreferabrandcalledSmallStuff for…herbodystockingsbecauseshe’squite long inherupperbodyandthey justhaveabetterfit,a lotofbodieshaveawidefitbecausea lotof littlebabiesgetverychubby.Butshe’sverylongsothat’swhy.Buttheyareactuallyalittlebitmoreexpensiveand…butshehasacoupleofthemandtheylooklikethey’renewalthoughshe’s…there’sbeen…Imean,everythingonthem.So,yeah.

R:Whataboutclothesformsupermarket,doyoubuythat?

C: Yeah. Bilka and Føtex have their own brand in away, theymake a lot ofwools aswell, and it’sactually a very good quality for the price so she has some stuff from there, sleep suits and bodystockings?aswell.ButIdon’tgotoSuperbrugsenandlookatwhattheyhaveand

R:OnlyBilkaandFotex?

C:Yeah,andthat’spurelytobuytheirwoolsectionandIdon’tcareaboutanyoftheotherstuff.

R:Howcomethatyoudon’tcareabouttheotherstuff?

C:BecauseI…shedoesn’tneedit…Idon’t,Imean,shejustdoesn’tneedit.

R:Nowyou’vesaid thatyou’re judgementalofall theotherparentswho justput their children intoany,like,flashybrands…Whataboutifamotheronlyusessupermarketclothesforherchild?

C:Idon’t,Idon’tactuallycareaboutthat.Idon’t.Ithinktherearealotofnicedesignsthatyoucanbuytherebut…Yeah,Idon’tactuallymindatall.It’sjustallI…allIeverthinkaboutis...isthestatethattheclothesare in.Like, Iwouldn’tputsomething thatwas totallywornoutonher.Yeah, Iwould think:“WhywouldIputitonher”andIguessthat’sstupidbecauseshewon’tnoticebutit’sformyownsake.ButIactuallydon’tknow,Imean,Idon’twhat...someclothes,youcantell:“Okay,that’sfromthisandthisbrand.”And I can’t tell if it’s forma supermarket.Because Idon’t know thedesigns. So, I don’treally thinkabout it.But Iwould say… inmy, sortof, circleofmums, theydon’tbuyanything… thekids’stuff…fromasupermarket.

R:No?

C:No.They…it’s…quitearicharea.So…andtheyhave…Imean,oneofthemevenhasasubscriptionsothatshegetsnewclotheseverymonth…Imean(laughing)

R:Doyouknowwhereitisfrom?Thesubscription?

C:Eh…whatisitcalled…Idon’trememberwhatit’scalled…Youknow,someofthe…

R:There’sone…Vigga

C:Yeah.Andit’slike,300amonthorsomething,andthenshealsobuysclothes,soum…andthenshealsocomplainsthatthechild,um,supportthatyougetistoolow,eh(laughing)andyougo:“Oh,youthink?Maybeyoushouldnotspendallyourmoneyontheclothes…”(laughing)

K:Isee.

C:Yeah.

R:Itissomethingyoutalkaboutthenwhenyouareinyourmothergroup

C:No.Thatwasjustthatshejustboughtitandshehadtoannounceit,shethoughtitwassoamazing…Sothat’sprettymuchwhatwetalkedabout.No,actually,sometimes, ifthere’sastocksale,um,thenwetalkaboutthat.Butthatwouldalsojustbeiftherewasoneofthe,moreexpensivebrandsandthenwewouldgotoastocksale.But,Imean…Idon’tknowwhatIwouldbuy.Shedoesn’tneedanything.Shehaseverythingsheneeds.

R:Yousaidpreviously,inthebeginning,andofcoursewealsoknowthatinthebeginning,whenyouaremotherforthefirsttimeandpeoplewhoyouknowhavedifferentwaysofdoingthingsandum,ofbeingsensitiveaboutit,um…Andyousaidalso,ithasalsosomethingtodowiththeclothing…Doyouthinkthatsomepeople,somemothers,kindofseeyou,okay,ifyoudressinoneway,youarekindofabettermumthenifyou’ddoitintheotherway,isthatwhyit’ssosensitiveor...Isthatwhyitis,isthatlikeum….?

C:Yeah, it’s just…eh…I just thinkthat it’s thewhole…oursortofgeneration, that it’s just…Becausethere’ssomuchthatyoucanreadaboutandsomuchyoucanlookupand…thenyoucanreally,justsort of see howmanydifferentways there are of doing things. And… I think that sometimes, you…There’salotof,inmyopinion,today,thatisjustsortof:“Oh,it’ssohardtohavebabies.So,so,sohard,andyoucan’tdoanything,andyouwon’tgetanysleep,andyouwon’tgetanyofthis,andyouwon’tgetanyofthat,andthen:“OhmyGod,Ihaveafewextrapounds”and…It’sjust…it’s,Imean,itiswhatitisandIgotplentyofsleepbutthat’sbecauseI…Ijust…Iknewthat,Itoldmy…Imean,therearejustsome things that you have to tell yourself, like: “I don’t wanna put up with this, even if she’s twomonthsoldanddoesn’tdoitonpurposebutthenyoujusthavetodosomethingaboutit.Andthen,Imean,there’sjusttoomuch:“Well,Iguessthat’sjusthowit…Oh,shewon’teat,well,whatisitnow”and…

R:Youfeltthatthisissomethingnegative…?Imean,negativeaboutum…howstressfulitis…?

C:Yeah,Ithinkso.AndIthinkthat…Youknow,before…it’slike…it’snot…youdon’thaveababyandthenyoutakeonthiswholebabyproject,so…allofthemumsfrommycircleofmums…ormothersgroup…beforetheyhadtheirbabiestheyallboughtdifferentthingsthattheythoughtthattheywouldneed.So,theyhaveonecribforthelivingroom.Theyhavethecribforthebedroom.Thentheyhavecribyoucanhangfromtheceilingwhentheywon’tsleepandthere’sthisonethatplaysthismelodyandthenthere’sthisonethatplaysanotherandinmyImean,Ididn’tbuyanything.Inmyopinion,ifthebabyneedstosleep,sheneedssomematrassandsomethingtoputoverher,that’s,that’sallsheneeds.AndIthinkthatthemoreyoubuyandthenalsoclothes,Imean,themoreyoujust,youmakeupproblemsforyourselfandyoumakeupthis,sortof,non-existentsituationsof“I’lldoitmyself,Icanhandleitmyselfbutit’sjustthat….Imean,thechilddoesn’tneedsomething…fancytowear.

K:Doyouthinkthis,like,informationoverloadisbecauseoftheadvertisementor…?

C: I, it’sbecauseof socialmedia, theyare so important to… to represent, youknow, certain image…Yeahand,youknow,I’mdrawntoitmyself,IcantellthatthepeoplethatIlookat,Ithink:“Oh,wow,whatanamazing.Youhave this .. full of fresh flowersand fresh coffeeand…But, Imean, that’snotreallythetruth.

R:Sodoyouthinktheypaintafalsepicture?

C:Yeah,Ithinkthat.

R:Butdoyouthinkithassomethingtodowiththeculturethen,um,thatlike,thereisthispressureonyou tobuy all thesedifferent kindof stuff, or…?Wheredo you think it comes from? Is it the socialmedia?

C: Yeah, and I think it’s because the people are olderwhen they have babies, so it’s, eh… Tome, Ihaven’tcutoffawholeeraofmylife.ThemumsthatIknow,they’remaybe30,35,theyhaveacareerandeverythingandsuddenly,youknow…it’swholeshiftintheirwholelife,soIjustthinkthatthey…youknow,theyjustgoallin,whereasit’snotreallythatdifferent,Imean,Ididn’tdotoomuchbefore,Iwasa…student,Ihadplentyoftimeonmyhands,Ididn’thaveanyobligationsorit’snotreallythatbig a difference tome and…Also, I don’t have themeans, so I don’t really take on thewhole…newworldand…

R:Doyouthinkthatthereisadifferenceinbetween,forinstance,howourparents’generation,howitwasbackthenandthenhowitisnow?

C:Ithinkthere’sahugedifference.Imean,babiestodayarespoiledand…well,hereyougo(laughing)Ithinkthatthey…overcomplicateit,Ithinkthatbabiestodaydon’tgetanypeacefromtheir…Idon’tthinkthatmumsshoulddragtheirbabiestocaféseverydayandmeetwithfriendsbecause“I’msooboredandunfulfilledbecause Ihave tostayathome” I think that’s…eh…I think thatmums,a lotofmums,theyareveryselfishand…yeah,Iactuallythinkthat,Ithinkaboutalotofmumsthatareveryselfishand…Because,obviously,youcan’tgooutasmuchandyoucan’tdoasmuchasbeforebutyouknow, you gotta, you have a… a whole life ahead to make sure that you sort of sculpt in the bestpossible way for your baby and I think that…when I go… for example, if I’m out and she’s in thestrollerorsomething, Iseemumseh…youknow,sitting likethis, jumpingthebabyaroundbecauseshe’salittle…youknow,Imean,she’s(babycrying)Andthen,youknow,withtheircellphoneintheotherhandeh…youknow,becausetheyhavetotalktosomeone,obviously,veryimportantandlistentothemorwhatever…andIjust,whenI’monmaternity,Idon’tevenneedmyFacebookappbecauseIjust don’t wanna be…you know, thismum, sitting like this. I mean, you have to say: “Well, okay, Idecidedtohaveababy,nowI’llfocusonthat.”

(Longpause,theinterviewerstalking,theintervieweetakingcareofthebaby)

K:Isthereanyrecommendationyouwanttotogiveus,maybe?Notthatwearepregnantbutjust,youknow,forthefuture?Doyouhaveanythingtosay?

C:Yes.Whenyouhaveababy,just,youknow,take…just…youknow,yourinitialoryourstyleshouldbethatit’s…it’snotyourjobtodoeverythingforher,youhavetohelphertofindouthow…Imean,howtodothings.So,forexample,alotofbabies,theydon’tliketohavetheirdiaperschangedbecauseit’sanewsituationbutyoujusthaveto…Alotofthemumsinmymother’sgroup,theycouldn’tchangethemwithouthavingthevacuumonorthe…fordryingyourhairon,theyhadtomakeasoundbeforetheirbabieswouldcalmdownandIcan’thelpbutthinking:Yourbabydidnotpopoutsaying:“Idonotwannabeonthistableifyoudon’tputthison.”SoIjustthinkthatyouhavetobeverycalmandsay:“Okay,shedoesn’t like that, I’ll just teachherhowto like it”because Imean,youhave tobeable tochangeyourbaby,Imean,that’sthe…and…

K:I’veneverthoughtaboutit.Like,aboutthis,youknow…

C:Ithinktheyjust…youknow,Ithinkthattheycandoanything,it’sjusttosortofhelpthemrealizeit.Andthen–don’tbuystuff,youdon’tneedstuff,just…youknow,allsheneedsreally,isjust…

K:Well,you.

R:Butthisstuffwhendon’tbuystuffpeople…doyouthinkthatpeoplebuyalotofstufftheydonotneed?

C:Yeah,don’tbuyaspecialcribbecauseyouautomaticallyassumethatyourbabywon’tsleep.Imean,ofcourseyourbabywillsleep.

R:Butdoyouthinkpeopledothatbecausetheythinktheywillbebettermothersorwhydoyoutheydothat?

C: I think theydo itbecause they think that theirbabyneeds it. I think theyneed... ”Mybabyneedsthis_thatcanswingbecausethenshewillsleep.”Butyourbabywillsleep-ifyouteachhertosleepinthebed, thenshewillsleep inthebed.And…ifyou…eh…youknow,a lotofpeople formmymumsgroup, they have somedevices for them that… in order to teach themhow to stay on their tummybecauseyouhave tokeepthebabieson theirstomachtomake themstrongerandthen…Thentheysay: “Mybabywon’t be on its stomach.”And I say: “Whywon’t it be on its stomach?” “Oh, it startscrying.”Andthen,whenthey’retogether,theycango“Woo”andthemum’slike“Ohno!”

R:Aretheyworriedor…?

C:Imean,ofcourse,you’llsay“Woo”,becauseit’shardbutit’s,whatareyougonnado,areyougonnalayheronherbackandthenshewon’tbeabletoholdherownhead?Thatdoesn’twork.Andthen…Forexample,now, theyhadto learnhowtogo fromtheirbacktotheirstomach,youknow,youcanhelpthem,youknow…enticethemwithatoyandwhenIdidthat,themums,theywerelike:“Oh,so,whatdidyoudo…something.?”“IshowedherthetoyandthenputitoverandIhelpedher”andshe’slike:“OhbutIboughtthisoneanditspinsaroundandthenyoucanputitinadifferentangleandthatwillshowthebabyand…”Well.

R:Doyouthinkthat’sit’sbecauseyou’reyoungerthatyoudiditlikethatordoyouthinkit’sjust…?

C: but I’dsay like100%that it isso.And Idon’t think thatbecauseyougetachildyou’re10yearsolder thanme, you can be… I just think that… themothers, they’ve been waiting and waiting andwaiting forthisbabyandthen, Imean, they just…ofcoursethey, it’sablessingwhentheycomeandthentheywannadoeverythingsorightandIthinkthatsometimes,you’lldoeverythingrightwithout,youknow,alotofstuff…Youjust…don’tneedalotofstuff.Don’tbuythat,that’smy…(laughing)

R: Do you have anything … about what you want to x us about the baby clothes, do you thinksomethingspecific,likeanything

C:Um…notreally, I think that’s…no,noother that I think that it’scrazyhowmuchof itpeoplearebuyingand…andhow…No,Ithinkthecrazypartishowmuch,howmanyplacesthataresellingitandrunning,youknow.Imean,Icouldmakeaproperbusiness,youknow,openinganotherwebshop??...(laughing)

R:ifyougotoliketheorganicplace???orthingslikethat,isthatsomethingyouthinkabout…?

C:Yeah,Ithinkalittlebit.ButIthinkmoreaboutthe…howIwashit,youknow,sortofstufflikethat.But I don’t think it hurts to buy organic stuff. But I also think a lot of people survivewearing non-organicstuff.Imean,thisisnotorganic.

K:Thankyouverymuch

Time Organic

FinancialResponsible Supermarket=nonbranded

Handcraftetclothes Rentedclothing

Onlineshopping Generation

SocialMediaPhysicalShops

Brandedclothes

Quality

Dressingup

Presents

Culture

RepresentationofthemotherColours

ReferenceGroup

Chemicals

DivestmentRitual

Inheritedclothes

Firstclothing

APPENDIX8:JANTELAW

Translation:

1. You'renottothinkyouareanythingspecial.2. You'renottothinkyouareasgoodasweare.3. You'renottothinkyouaresmarterthanweare.4. You'renottoconvinceyourselfthatyouarebetterthanweare.5. You'renottothinkyouknowmorethanwedo.6. You'renottothinkyouaremoreimportantthanweare.7. You'renottothinkyouaregoodatanything.8. You'renottolaughatus.9. You'renottothinkanyonecaresaboutyou.10. You'renottothinkyoucanteachusanything.

Source:Denstoredanske.dk,2016Denstoredanske.dk.(2016).Janteloven|Gyldendal-DenStoreDanske.[online]Availableat:http://denstoredanske.dk/Kunst_og_kultur/Litteratur/Nyere_motivskikkelser/Janteloven[Accessed12Apr.2016].