Dress for Success: Opening doors for Women’s futures
What if you could live the Cinderella experience? But it was not for a party, it was preparing you for your future.
Dress for Success is truly a special place, with a modern fairy godmother feel. Every week, expert stylists support women to prepare for events and career opportunities. But here is the magic moment, the stylists are volunteers.
Executive Manager for Kirikiriora Hamilton, Erin Andersen, said that volunteers put together outfits for women.
It is “more than dressing” emphasises Andersen. It is empowering women through the confidence of dressing, so that they can become financially independent.
Women of all sorts of ages and backgrounds get referred to Dress for Success
Andersen said – Older women who may be looking for work, or younger ones who need
placement clothing.
“I have seen people arrive here, a lady 3 weeks ago in what she always wears, gumboots, jeans, never wore a dress in her life. Came home to her whanau and said, “Look at what I’m wearing” and they said, “Oh bro, you just look so beautiful!” – Erin Andersen
The global movement started in New York and the Kirikiriora Hamilton branch was established in 2002, one of New Zealand’s 8 affiliates.
It works via donations from various members of the community, informally and through businesses. A team of volunteers organise ‘workwear’ appropriate clothes, the clothes are steamed and hung up. Often clothes can also go to Rosy, located just next door.
Rosy is a new initiative for the Kirikiriora branch, a boutique that sells preloved clothes. Here they sell brands like Trelise Cooper, Gregory, and KowTow. The proceeds go towards Dress for Success, Hamilton.
Rosy is open on Thursdays and Fridays.
Before Andersen started her role at Dress for Success, she was a Director of Communications at Wintec. In this role she saw barriers women had during Covid 19. Such as not having a computer or being able to access the internet.
She also experienced her own barriers between changing jobs as she took 6 months out of the workforce, wondering how to best explain her break to prospective employers.
Hamiltons Dress for Success Career Hub, is designed to help women conquer these challenges. Career Hub has run two seminars this year, ‘managing your money’ and ‘looking after your well-being.’ Volunteers help with CV writing and interview skills.
Other barriers for women can include not being able to make appointments. Circumstances like sick family members, or not having transport.
Whatever the barrier, there is no judgement and there is always an opportunity to come back – this is the philosophy of Dress for Success.
It did make me feel very conscious that if I am feeling like this, how are other women feeling? There are all these challenges and barriers that we need to try and understand, so that women can get that opportunity and confidence to go through things.
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– Erin Andersen
Andersen says that funding is key for not for profits and she has some ideas to help their growth-including securing a couple of major corporate sponsorships. “Money could also be generated into making Rosy open longer, and if more people understand what Dress for Success does, more women could be referred to our services.”
Spreading the word Andersen spoke on International Women’s Day, at the engineering firm Aecom and their generous $250 Koha contribution was appreciated. As this is the average price that goes towards an outfit.
Final words
As part of my story research and preparing for interviews for my degree assignments, Expert stylists at Dress for Success, Hamilton put an outfit together for me. I tried on tops, skirts, and pants. I was offered jewellery, a work handbag, sophisticated black boots. I felt extremely uplifted. The experience was Empowering. Just like Cinderella, I felt transformed and much more confident going into my interview with Erin Andersen.
Click here to discover more about the magic of Dress for Success
