“I had only one Walmart-purchased suit from high school and some hand-me-down, oversized dress clothes,” recalled Takahashi, a business administration major with a concentration in accounting.
On a tight student budget, he didn’t have the option of spending hundreds of dollars on a new suit and accessories in a department store. Instead he turned to Warrior Wardrobe, a free career clothing program offered by Stan State’s Career and Professional Development Center.
“My experience with Warrior Wardrobe was excellent,” Takahashi said. “I chose a charcoal-colored suit, a tie and a white dress shirt. It helped me present myself professionally and built my confidence for interviews, Meet the Firms Night and when I volunteered with the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program.”
With about a year of operation under its belt, Warrior Wardrobe accepts gently used business wear and other donations to provide professional attire to students who need to look polished for interviews, job fairs or presentations. In May, the Career and Professional Development Center received a $5,000 grant from the University’s IDEAS program to make needed purchases, establish an on-campus shop and acquire interview-preparation software for student use in the center.
The Warrior Wardrobe started informally when a retiring staff member packed up his business wear and brought it to the Center as a donation to any students who could use it. The staff was inspired to parlay the gift into a bigger program because they knew from experience that many students did not have and could not afford to buy career clothing.
“Once we decided to create Warrior Wardrobe, we put the word out for donations and we got a really large donation of clothing from a member of the Alumni Council,” said Rebecca Stephens, recruitment and career specialist. “That sparked the program and really got it going.”
In addition to free clothing, Warrior Wardrobe advises students on how career clothing should fit and how to best accessorize for an office. It’s an important service for students who may be unfamiliar with office attire.
“We want our students to be on a level playing field when they go out for an interview,” said Stephens. “Warrior Wardrobe can help them present themselves as professionals and give them a boost of confidence.”
To improve convenience for students, Warrior Wardrobe will move from MSR to the University Student Center when construction is complete, according to Stephens.
Warrior Wardrobe is always looking for career-appropriate attire for men and women. To donate, contact Stephens at rstephens2@csustan.edu or call (209) 667-6937.