Estimated read time: 4-5 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
Jul. 18--The unemployment rate might be down for low-income women, but the cost of a new suit remains high.
To keep down the expense of dressing for work, private nonprofit organizations such as Dress for Success and the Women's Alliance are helping to outfit women headed to new jobs.
"These women come from all walks of life," said Mary-Frances Wain, executive director for Suited for Change, the Washington-based Women's Alliance member organization. "Many of the women don't know what to wear to a job interview, or have never worn a suit ever."
Women are referred to these organizations from other nonprofit and government agencies, including homeless shelters, domestic violence shelters, immigration services, and substance abuse and job training programs.
The groups provide advisers who have gone through similar experiences, said Liz Carey, affiliate relations director of Dress for Success.
The Women's Alliance, comprising 30 member programs across the country including Suited for Change, has helped more than 200,000 low-income women in the past 13 years, said Executive Director Nicole Wild.
Suited for Change offers personal shoppers who discuss professional attire with job seekers, said Ms. Wain.
Clients are given two complete outfits for job interviews. Once they land a job, they can get three more suits, said Ms. Wain, adding that the organization assists more than 150 women a month and has helped 11,000 women since it was founded in 1992.
Leary Shore, a former Suited for Change client who sits on its board of directors, said the program gave her the self-esteem she needed to get a job.
"They say it's all me, but I know they were strategically placed in my life and I just feel like I got more from them than suits and seminars," said Mrs. Shore, a manager at Xerox Corp. working with the government.
Job training and support systems that move women from welfare to the work force are helping to build stronger families and a stronger economy, said Jill Miller, president and chief executive officer of Women Work, a national network for women's employment.
"With training to compete for well-paying jobs, the wages that women earn have a multiplier effect in their local communities: As tax-paying citizens they contribute to the local tax base, as consumers they contribute to the local economy and as economically independent heads of household they provide a positive role model for their children," Ms. Miller said.
Each Dress for Success client receives one suit when she has a job interview and a second suit when she gets the job, said Jennifer McNulty, deputy director of DC Metropolitan Dress for Success.
The organization helps 100 to 150 women in an average month and provides support for its clients through a job-retention program known as the Professional Women's Group, an invitation-only networking association for clients who have recently entered the work force.
Eighty percent of the Professional Women's Group members keep their jobs, Ms. Carey said.
Between 65 percent and 70 percent of women find a job after receiving the services of a Women's Alliance member organization, Ms. Wild said.
About 50 percent of clients keep their jobs after completing their training and leaving Suited for Change, Ms. Wain said.
Both Dress for Success affiliates and Women's Alliance member organizations rely on donations, including dry-cleaned suits, professional shoes, handbags in good condition and stockings still in their packages.
Clothing in sizes 14 and larger are always needed, said Mrs. McNulty, noting that the DC Metropolitan Dress for Success accepts clothing donations on the first Wednesday of every month, from 5 to 8 p.m., in the food court at Pentagon City Mall.
Suited for Change accepts donations by appointment; other contributions come from businesses such as Exxon Mobil Corp., which conducts a clothing and accessories drive for the charity each fall.
Patrick Dexter, an Exxon Mobil community relations adviser, said the company's employees wanted to help women move up from entry-level jobs.
"These accessories and clothes give them an edge in their interviews," Mr. Dexter said. "So it was a natural fit for our 2,000 employees to help others in the community succeed."
Suited for Change also maintains corporate partnerships with General Motors Corp., Capital One Financial Corp., Giant Food Inc. and the WNBA.
Dress for Success' corporate sponsors include Citibank, Dress Barn Inc., FedEx Corp. and Robert Half International Inc.
-----
To see more of The Washington Times, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.washtimes.com.
Copyright (c) 2005, The Washington Times
Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News.
For information on republishing this content, contact us at (800) 661-2511 (U.S.), (213) 237-4914 (worldwide), fax (213) 237-6515, or e-mail reprints@krtinfo.com.
