Description
Suiting Program
The clothing that Dress for Success provides to our clients symbolizes our faith in every woman's ability to succeed.
Dress for Success solves the catch-22 that confronts disadvantaged women trying to enter the workforce: without a job, how can you afford a suit? But without a suit, how can you get a job?
Shortly after Dress for Success was founded, we became well-known for providing suits to disadvantaged women returning to or entering the workforce. Although our mission has expanded, the suiting program remains a crucial part of our work and a vital first-step in a woman's journey toward self-sufficiency.
Each Dress for Success client receives one suit when she has a job interview and additional apparelup to a week's worth of clothingwhen she becomes employed.
Many Dress for Success affiliates provide more than just a suit and, when available, supply the women they serve with other pieces of clothing and accessories such as shoes, scarves, jewelry or other interview-appropriate items. Our goal is for each woman to leave Dress for Success with a complete outfit that will help her feel confident in her interview and land a job.
After a client finds work, she can return to Dress for Success for her employment suiting, during which we provide her with enough additional apparel to mix and match for up to a week's worth of outfits.
Job-ready women come to Dress for Success by referral only from a range of non-profit organizations. Each client works one-on-one with a highly-trained volunteer Personal Shopper, who helps her select professional attire and also provides support and encouragement as she prepares for her upcoming interviews.
Every woman who comes to Dress for Success is treated with dignity and respect and can walk through our doors feeling confident and welcome. We focus on helping each woman prepare for the journey ahead of her, and our concern is where our clients are going, not where they've been.
Much of the clothing we distribute comes from women who donate their suits and other items to Dress for Success in order to help another woman succeed.
Other Programs:
CAREER CENTER | In our career center, clients participate in self-directed work searching online, reading career guides, making phone calls and sending faxes. We make sure that clients have access to the technology they need to secure employment. Career Center volunteers also offer feedback and support concerning interview skills, resume-building and career development.
GOING PLACES NETWORK (GPN) | GPN facilitates unemployed and underemployed Dress for Success clients in gaining professional skills, accelerating their job search and building confidence through weekly training sessions, one-on-one career coaching and networking in a supportive environment.
PROFESSIONAL WOMEN'S GROUP (PWG) | PWG supports Dress for Success alumnae who are in the workforce. The goal of PWG is to promote employment retention by providing professional development resources and instruction, as well as a network of support composed of professionals and Dress for Success clients and alumnae.
