In the final episode of the "Wear Who You Are" podcast for 2025, host Fiona Dieffenbacher, an Associate Professor of Fashion at Parsons School of Design, discusses her research that intersects dress, embodiment, and spirituality. Fiona, a former fashion designer and published author, shares insights from her key projects, including "Dress and Emotion" and "The Outlier Initiative," which explore the emotional significance of clothing and inclusivity in the fashion industry. She emphasizes how clothing choices are influenced by personal identity and cultural environments, illustrating that fashion is a profound expression of the self.

Get ready to jingle all the way with Nat on this episode of the "Wear Who You Are" podcast! Nat dives into the holiday shopping season, equipping listeners with practical strategies to navigate the crowded market with style and confidence. She highlights vital sales dates, including Black Friday and Cyber Monday, while cautioning against the traps of inflated pricing often seen during these events. Of course, Natalie emphasizes the importance of creating a Strategic Shopping List to avoid impulse buys, suggesting tools like browser extensions to track item prices historically. This episode also shows a Strategic Shopping List in action, demonstrating how a stylist identifies specific items they're looking for during the holiday shopping sales. In the final notes of this solo episode, Natalie also delves a bit into the BU Style values and ethical implications of holiday consumerism, advocating for mindful purchasing that takes environmental and social factors into account. We encourage listeners to support small businesses and engage in community-building initiatives like Small Business Saturday and Giving Tuesday, and ask you to join us in being thoughtful consumers this holiday season.