ABSTRACT
The first chapter is devoted to understanding the representation and structure of the Arte dei Rigattieri (guild of second-hand dealers) within the historiographical context. It focuses on the existing scholarly literature. It also discusses the historiography of the lesser guilds and the phenomenon of used clothing. Second-hand clothing was primarily the domain of English-speaking scholars of material culture and fashion but has also elicited interest from some economic historians. However, Anglo-Saxon, Belgian, and Dutch scholars have mainly viewed the second-hand clothing phenomenon through the lens of trade and consumption. This, in turn, means that other aspects have gone largely unnoticed. These aspects include the identity of second-hand sellers, their social and professional integration, and the subsequent analysis of the multiform opportunities for political and economic mobility.
