Dress for Success – preparing women for the workplace
Dress for Success has been empowering women with work-ready clothing for over 20 years. Journalism student Grace Odlum went along to try them on for size.
Dress for Success – more than just a new outfit
Dress for Success recently celebrated its 20th year in Hamilton and is part of a worldwide network with 143 stores globally.
The organisation’s goal is to help as many women as possible, by providing them with a clothing service for events such as job interviews, viewing rental properties, court appearances, and even funerals.
The scope has broadened considerably since the Hamilton branch started in 2002. According to Executive Manager Jane Rotton, it used to be mainly corporate wear but has now become more about ‘smart casual’ clothing.
Rotton says “We want to help as many women as we can”.
The service includes skilled volunteers talking with the women about their preferred style and needs in a caring way then selecting an outfit or capsule wardrobe and accessories to suit.
Dress for Success gets a lot of their donations directly from the public, but businesses all over New Zealand donate as well. One business is plus size clothing store, Taking Shape who pass on unsold clothing at the end of the season to the organisation.
Rotton says the donations are then shared amongst the different cities and that the clothing from Taking Shape is great as Dress for Success often needs clothes size 16 plus.
Another donor is their Alexandra Street neighbour, Again and Again, which sells high-quality pre-loved clothes on consignment. Owner of Again and Again, Jahdiel says she is happy to donate any unsold items that are not wanted back to Dress for Success.
Trying it on for size – a student’s story
As I was heading into the final weeks of my semester, I attended an appointment at Dress for Success on Alexandra Street in Hamilton. I’d been encouraged by my tutor to get a first-hand experience for my story, and I also knew, as someone who dresses very casually, that I was beginning to struggle finding appropriate clothes to wear to job interviews, internships, and other work-based situations.
I was nervous going into it. I have always hated shopping for clothes and often trying clothes on makes me feel bad about myself. However, after only about ten minutes, Julie Thomson and Jan Gibson had already boosted my confidence in a way that I did not realise was possible.
In a room full of clothes and racks, Julie and Jan asked me what colours and styles I preferred to wear, but also showed me items that I would never normally pick for myself (some of which I ended up loving).
They didn’t get annoyed if I didn’t like a piece they picked or if something didn’t fit – they had a patience I aspire to achieve.
After about 45 minutes, they’d helped me pick out two pairs of trousers, two tops, shoes and jacket to create a practical capsule wardrobe for me. I can honestly say I loved it.
