Dressbarn Suits Up Female Jobseekers For Success

Dressbarn, the retailer for women’s clothing and fashion accessories, is holding its annual “Send One Suit Weekend” clothing donation program from Feb. 24- Feb. 27. The program seeks to remove a fundamental hurdle for many women in need who are seeking employment: having the appropriate attire for a job interview.

In the ninth year of its program, Dressbarn will collect professional attire at more than 825 locations across the nation, including ones in , Bristol,, and . Gently used suits, dresses, skirts, slacks, blouses, belts and shoes are sought.

Teaming up with Dress for Success, an international non-profit organization that supports economic independence for females, collected clothing will be donated to women looking to better their lives by finding a job or attempting to re-enter the workforce.

With the number of unemployed in the state at the highest in 30 years—the latest unemployment rates from the Connecticut Department of Labor are at 9 percent—more local women than ever before are out in the job market. The Send One Suit Weekend program is stepping in to provide much needed assistance to the large number of disadvantaged jobseekers in the state. 

“The last thing a woman should have to worry about during a job search is whether her wardrobe will prevent her from being seriously considered for employment,” said Vivian Behrens, EVP and chief marketing officer at Dressbarn. 

Last year, Dressbarn’s “Send One Suit Weekend” clothing drive collected more than 43,000 professional items of clothing in four days.  The collected items were distributed to more than 70 Dress for Success affiliates throughout the U.S.  This year, the company is looking to bring in more than 50,000 items of gently worn professional attire.

Additionally, Dressbarn stores will offer donors an additional savings of 15 percent off total purchases, in gratitude for their generosity. For a complete list of locations and acceptable items, please visit dressbarn.com. 

“Every day we witness the transformative power professional attire has over the lives of women and their families," said Joi Gordon, CEO of Dress for Success Worldwide. "With these donations, women can walk into an interview suited, brimming with confidence—the first and most fundamental step to professional and personal success.” 

Dress for Success Worldwide provides professional attire, a network of support and the career development tools to help disadvantaged women thrive in work and in life. Since starting operations in 1997, Dress for Success has helped more than 500,000 women work towards self-sufficiency. Visit www.dressforsuccess.org to learn more.