#wordswewear: mobile texts, expressive persons, and conviviality in urban spaces

ABSTRACT

In this programmatic paper, we approach #wordswewear, referring to the wide range of linguistic inscriptions on clothing and accessories, as part of the embodied, mobile semiotic landscape of the city. Our main objective is to reflect on (1) the conditions that gave rise to the apparent pervasiveness of #wordswewear in urban spaces, and (2) the extent to which they constitute a form of public, urban discourse. Drawing on an emergent collection of over 500 images photographed in situ, mainly in three global cities – Hong Kong, London, and Shanghai – the paper situates #wordswewear in everyday mobilities and moorings and considers their wearers as expressive persons. We contend that #wordswewear encapsulate the contemporary, paradoxical urban condition among city dwellers, whereby they seek a sense of involvement with one another while being “on the move” and maintaining their respective, individual comfort zones. Fleeting and ephemeral as they may be, such acts of momentary engagement (or avoidance thereof) are some of the most minimal, analyzable acts of performing identities in public discourse. Finally, we suggest that #wordswewear can be considered as manifestations of urban conviviality understood as a space for the negotiation of diversity, inclusion and exclusion.

KEYWORDS:

• Clothing inscription
• conviviality
• mobile semiotic landscape
• public discourse
• wearable text

Acknowledgements

Thank you to Jenn Gresham and Jürgen Spitzmüller for most useful and detailed comments. Earlier versions of this paper were presented at the HKU–UCL “Writing in the City” Workshops held in London on 1 February 2018, and in Hong Kong on 12 April 2018, as well as at the 10^th Linguistic Landscape Workshop, University of Bern, 2–4 Aril 2018. We thank all audience members at these events for their constructive feedback and support. Adam gratefully acknowledges various schemes that have supported work leading to the completion of this paper: HKU–UCL Strategic Partnership Fund (2017); HKSAR Government Funded Research Project (GRF), “Word as Image: The Sociolinguistics of Art” (RGC Ref. № 17600415; 2016–2020); HKU School of English Small Project Grants (2019); Last but not least, we thank all our family members, friends, colleagues, anonymous urbanites, and Instagram followers who have shared with us their #wordswewear and their stories. All caveats apply.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes on contributors

Adam Jaworski is Professor at the School of English, University of Hong Kong.

Jackie Jia Lou is Lecturer in Sociolinguistics at Birkbeck, University of London.

Notes

1 In a personal note, Jürgen Spitzmüller states, “There’s a bonmot of the Viennese poet (and passionate coffee house visitor) Peter Altenberg stating that ‘The [Viennese] coffee house is the place for people who want to be alone but need company for that.’”

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by HKU-UCL Strategic Partnership Fund (2017); HKSAR Government Funded Research Project (GRF), “Word as Image: The Sociolinguistics of Art” (RGC Ref. № 17600415; 2016–2020); HKU School of English Small Project Grants (2019).