Appearance‐related possessions and the transition to retired life

As life expectancies are rising worldwide, this qualitative study explores the meaning of appearance‐related possessions and their roles in the critical life transition to retirement among older males. Using an ethnographic approach, data were collected via in‐depth interviews and observation. Viewed through the conceptual lens of Turner's rites of passage, findings indicate retirement is experienced by older male consumers (+55 years old) as a ritual process with three phases (separation, transition, and incorporation) and two “areas” (pre‐ and post‐retirement). Interpreted through Symbolic Interaction theory, the multi‐layered meanings of favorite appearance‐related possessions as well as the way participants interacted with them changed over time depending on the rite of passage phase, the co‐existence of identities (working self vs. retired self), and the contradictions experienced during the process of reconstructing the self. Attachment, as well as detachment, were crucial to the way appearance‐related possessions supported and sometimes hindered the transition experience. Results show that it is in the having, as well as in the not having, that participants defined their identities during this process. Limited qualitative studies exist that explore male consumers, the process of retirement, and how possessions are used to navigate this major transition in life. Understanding retirement as a social process offers opportunities for theoretical and managerial contributions.