The anatomy of a battle jacket: a multimodal ethnographic perspective

O'Hagan, Lauren Alex ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5554-4492 2021. The anatomy of a battle jacket: a multimodal ethnographic perspective. Journal of Contemporary Ethnography 50 (2) , pp. 147-175. 10.1177/0891241620950804

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Abstract

The battle jacket—a sleeveless denim jacket customized with band patches—is a staple item of clothing for heavy metal fans. This paper brings together social semiotic analysis and ethnographic insights to explore three different types of battle jacket: the “classic” jacket, the “tribute” jacket, and the “modern” jacket. It discovers that, despite the jacket’s assortment of bold images, colours, typography, and symmetrical arrangements, owners, in fact, consider aesthetics as secondary to the jacket’s function as a “channeler” of memories, relationships, beliefs, and ideologies. For each owner, the jacket serves a unique purpose, whether acting as a biography of their musical life (“classic” jacket), representing social ties and connections with loved ones (“tribute” jacket), or promoting particular political and religious beliefs (“modern” jacket). Through a multimodal ethnographic approach, battle jackets are revealed to be sophisticated and multifaceted artefacts with a range of sociocultural functions embedded in a rich history.

Item Type:	Article
Date Type:	Publication
Status:	Published
Schools:	English, Communication and Philosophy
Subjects:	M Music and Books on Music > M Music P Language and Literature > P Philology. Linguistics
Publisher:	SAGE
ISSN:	0891-2416
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	28 July 2020
Date of Acceptance:	27 July 2020
Last Modified:	06 Nov 2023 21:15
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/133719

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