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Podcast: Commonwealth Club of California Podcast
Episode: Why Clothes Matter: Identity, Resistance and Belonging in Times of Crisis
Description: At its most functional level, clothing serves as essential physical protection from the environment, soft armor and tangible comfort. Visually, clothing is one of the most immediate ways to assert individual identity, signaling values and collective belonging to others at first sight. But, when public discourse is polarized and words feel inadequate, clothing becomes a powerful nonverbal language—communicating solidarity, protest, fear or hope at a glance.
During periods of political tension and social exhaustion, clothing serves as a palpable reminder of who we are when the world is in flux, offering a sense of control in an...