‘Dress’ fits women working for professional success

Christine McCall

One suit at a time, Dress for Success Boston is changing women’s lives.

This nonprofit organization seeks to provide women who have experienced economic hardship with the chance to enter the professional workforce. It also gives them the strength, confidence and professionalism they need to land a job.

Since the program’s creation in 1996, the organization’s reach has grown tremendously. There are now over 70 affiliates all over the country and the world. The Boston branch was co-founded in Roslindale by Enith Levine and Nancy Schneider in July of 2001, and has recently relocated to the Family Justice Center in Boston. Dress for Success Boston has served approximately 1,800 women, about 40-49 percent of whom are presently employed.

Levine, who worked as an architect for 25 years, said the impetus for starting the Boston branch of Dress for Success was a desire to give back to the community in a way that would aid struggling women.

“For me, it’s about empowering women and their families,” she said. “[These women] share a common goal — that is to become economically independent.”

Women are referred to Dress for Success by a network of nonprofit member organizations, including homeless and domestic violence shelters, job training programs and agencies that focus on welfare-to-work initiatives.

Job counselors at the different agencies schedule interviews for the women. These women, typically between the ages of 20 and 35, interview for entry-level positions such as data entry operators, bank tellers and administrative assistants. Some women also get jobs with health care services and at temp agencies.

Levine said that women who are sent to Dress for Success do not have many options in their closet. Thus, when women come to the boutique, personal shoppers aid them in choosing the most professional and flattering items to wear for their job interview.

Every woman who comes into the boutique receives individual attention from a personal shopper. Each client receives one suit, shoes and accessories for the initial interview. Once the client gets the job, she can come back and can pick out a week’s worth of separates so she can dress appropriately for the first week of work. All of these services are provided to the client at no cost.

“[Women] enter with a dream and they leave with the hope of making their dreams a reality,” said Levine.

Last week, an African American woman walked into Dress for Success wearing casual black pants, a blouse with bright colored prints and gym shoes. The personal shopper greeted the woman with a big smile and escorted her into the boutique to look for the perfect suit for a job interview.

The first outfit this woman tried on was a grayish-colored suit. She emerged from the dressing room looking like an entirely different person, her smile stretched ear-to-ear, her body language expressing a newfound sense of self-confidence and personal pride.

The personal shopper asked the woman how she felt. The woman’s first response was, “I feel professional; [it] makes me feel professional, relaxed.”

Such joyous scenes are the norm at Dress for Successs. “The beautiful thing about this is that there are always transformations going on,” Levine said.

Since its inception, Dress for Success has made an impact on many Boston women’s lives. One woman who expressed her gratitude in a thank you note to Dress for Success Boston wrote, “I just felt so warm and loved. I now have more confidence in myself. You not only gave me a suit, you gave me the strength I need. You dressed me like I am a very intelligent professional. Now it’s my turn … going to the interview.”

Another woman who showed great appreciation for what Dress for Success did for her said, “From the moment I stepped into your beautifully decorated shop, I felt like I was being handled with golden gloves. The sincere personal attention you gave me to help find the perfect outfit made me feel comfortable and confident in preparation for my interview.”

“It is absolutely the best job in the world,” said Schneider. “It is instant gratification.” Schneider worked at a battered women’s shelter for eight years before opening Dress for Success Boston with Levine. When the very intense personal nature of that career eventually led Schneider to pursue other opportunities, however, she knew she still wanted to remain in the social service area.

Once a client gets a job, attention is turned to the more difficult task of keeping it. Dress for Success is affiliated with the Professional Women’s Group (PWG), a forum for support that helps the women stay active in their efforts to maintain the career opportunities they have worked so hard to get. PWG holds monthly meetings during which the women can converse with experts in the workforce. The conversations are mainly led by women who have reached the top of their professions.

The boutique is currently looking for and accepting spring and summer suits in all sizes. According to Levine, larger sizes in clothing are more difficult to come by, especially sizes 18 and up. She added, “We would welcome anyone who has connections. We would love to work with them.”

In addition, the boutique is always in need of suit blouses, shoes, handbags, scarves and jewelry. The boutique does not accept dresses, denim or casual wear.

Various volunteer opportunities are available to those who would like to get involved in Dress for Success and see transformations take place before their eyes. Dress for Success is always looking for people with computer and organizational skills, people to sort and sew donations and personal shoppers to assist clients in finding the perfect suit.

Dress for Success Boston is currently in the planning stages of arranging its first fundraiser. The tentative date is for January 2007.

If you or someone you know is interested in donating clothing items or accessories, the upcoming drop off dates are June 8 and 22 between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. For more information about volunteer work, donations or the program in general, call 617-323-7544 or visit the website at www.dressforsuccess.org.