Consumer Desires and the Fluctuating Balance between Liquid and Solid Consumption: The Case of Finnish Clothing Libraries.

This article examines the co-existence and dynamic interplay of liquid and solid consumption through a phenomenological study of subscription-based clothing libraries in Helsinki, Finland. Liquid consumption refers to ephemeral, access-based, and dematerialized consumption characterized by temporary use without ownership, while solid consumption involves possession and long-term relationships with objects. The study finds that consumers balance a "solid core" of personal wardrobe staples with a "liquid rotation" of borrowed clothing, with changes in consumer desire driving shifts between liquifying and solidifying consumption over time. It also identifies new burdens of access-based consumption—such as increased care demands, time pressures, and attachment to borrowed items—that complicate liquid consumption and can prompt renewed desires for ownership. These findings contribute to understanding how consumer desires fluctuate across the liquid–solid spectrum and how access-based consumption integrates into everyday fashion practices.