Topic: Social Exclusion

A personal anecdote describes the feeling of social exclusion and being "the other" when refusing to wear a mask at a Whole Foods during the pandemic. This experience is compared to the "double consciousness" described by W.E.B. Du Bois, where an individual is constantly aware of how they are perceived by a hostile or judgmental society. The hosts argue that pandemic mandates allowed non-minorities to briefly experience the systemic pressure typically faced by Black Americans.

The rule against wearing white after Labor Day was created in the late 19th century by old-money elites to exclude the "nouveau riche." Valerie Steele of the Fashion Institute of Technology notes that these subtle fashion manipulations were designed to identify outsiders who didn't know the rules. This demonstrates how fashion has historically been used as a tool for systemic social and racial exclusion.