Clothing and Memory: The Symbolism of Clothing in Affective Construction

Abstract

This article analyzes the affective memory of clothing, emphasizing how garments as narrative tools for remembrance and emotional connection, especially in fictional contexts. It is a theoretical-analytical essay grounded in the works of Benarush, Stallybrass, Chauí, and Dohmann, exploring the symbolic dimension of clothing as a repository of memory. The first section provides a theoretical framework for understanding garments beyond their utilitarian purpose, highlighting their capacity to evoke individual and emotional memories. The discussion addresses how clothing transcends its status as a consumer good to assume symbolic and affective significance. The second section conducts an analysis of specific scenes from two fictional narratives: the film Brokeback Mountain and the series Euphoria. In these narratives, items such as shirts and hooded coat occupy central roles, symbolizing emotional bonds, grief, and resilience. These scenes illustrate how garments embody physical and emotional imprints, serving as tangible connections between the past and the present. This essay advances the understanding of clothing as memory-bearing artifacts, demonstrating their dual function of representing and reconfiguring past experiences in the present. Ultimately, it invites readers to critically engage with the cultural and emotional significance of garments as symbolic objects, carriers of personal histories, and mediators of affective memory.