I’d love to hear the discussion on how history is reflected in the clothing we wear. There was an interesting allusion to how what we may wear may in effect determine the opinion that someone may have of us or our ability to fit within expected norms.

I’ve thought about this quite a bit over the last two years as I’ve gone from wearing suits daily as a management consultant to a casual, hiking-ready outfit on a daily basis. (Full disclosure: the spark for this change came 10 months ago when my nine year old son asked me: “why do you wear a suit to work?”…I dumbfoundedly responded with “I don’t know…” and stopped wearing suits) Couple this with the long hair that’s grown in the last year and I suppose I’m making quite a statement!

What I’m most interested to hear is a discussion about diversity and inclusion and the role that clothing plays in conforming groups to a standard across many walks of life. Work is a great example because it’s full of case studies, but religious institutions and educational environments provide good backdrops too (I believe an episode hinted at athleisure-wear taking hold by way of college campuses).

If we can’t wear what we want to work, are we bringing our authentic self? If we feel like conformity drives the first decision we make in the morning five days a week, are we really thinking our mind is free to think beyond the obvious when facing challenges? Clothing for all its lovely warmth and individuality or belonging and general fun, can be oppressive when left up to unchecked norms in our lives.

I love the thread that this podcast pulls…please continue to pull!