Collaborating for Good: Dress for Success
Feb 28, 2017
Dress for Success has built a global anti-poverty movement around the seemingly superficial, ultimately transformative act of changing what a woman sees when she looks in the mirror. At the heart of the organization’s singularly focused mission is a radically simple idea: The right clothes at the right time can forever alter the trajectory of a woman’s life.
A starting point
Poverty has so many dimensions that even deciding where to begin the fight can seem like an insurmountable challenge. Dress for Success was founded around the eminently practical notion that providing a woman with the support she needs to land a decent job is a very good place to start.
For women trapped in a relentless cycle of under-employment, inequity or abuse, the first step toward self-sufficiency can be the most daunting. Knowing that a new or better job has the potential to impact her life in profound and positive ways, the question remains: How do you go about turning the dream of a better job into a reality?
Dress for Success has been answering that question for decades by giving disadvantaged women the tools they need – including, but not limited to, appropriate attire for an all-important job interview – so they can take their lives into their own hands, provide security for their families and shape a more hopeful future.
A network of support
From the moment a woman becomes part of the Dress for Success community, her life begins to change. Meeting others who’ve faced similar challenges and navigated the journey to increased financial and personal independence is inspiring, empowering – and deeply reassuring. The realization that there is a way forward – and that she doesn’t have to travel it alone – is a turning point in countless Dress for Success stories.
In addition, the care and generosity of the people who volunteer to help with a woman’s professional “make-over” can be a revelation to someone for whom hardship and marginalization have been the rule. Encouraged to see themselves as worthy and worthwhile, sometimes for the first time in their lives, Dress for Success clients present themselves to the world in a positive new light. Not surprisingly, the world frequently responds to them in a positive new way.
A continuum of services
Recognizing that a job interview is often the pivotal event in a job search, Dress for Success offers services to help women both secure and “ace” that all-important meeting. Volunteers at organization boutiques lavish new referrals with personal attention, helping them choose professional clothing and accessories that will inspire confidence and project competence. The resulting boost to a woman’s self-image is the most powerful and enduring result of this simple, strategic intervention.
And the support doesn’t end there. Whether a woman is searching for a new job or looking for ways to advance in her career, Dress for Success Career Center programs offer guidance, training and information to help her take the crucial next step. From career counseling and job training…to interview techniques and networking…to professional development and financial planning, Dress for Success offers a continuum of services to support women every step of the way.
A world of possibility
Working in collaboration with thousands of organizations around the world dedicated to helping women survive and thrive, Dress for Success is proving that the most stunningly simple actions can have infinitely complex and far-reaching consequences.
By giving struggling women a hand up at a crucial turning point in their lives, Dress for Success is replacing despair and marginalization with dignity and economic empowerment. Their deceptively modest, ultimately transformative mission is literally changing the world, one woman at a time.
At Legistics, we believe that collaboration can change the world. To find out more about how our dedicated teams can work with you to build a brighter future for your business, visit our home page. To find our more about how you can help struggling women build a brighter future, visit dressforsuccess.org