The Westminster Wardrobe is a new professional clothing exchange on campus, created this spring to help students dress for current, graduate, or post-grad opportunities.
The initiative began with Honors Dean Dr. Alicia Cunningham-Bryant, donors, and the office of fellowship advising.
Yvonne Francis, a Westminster alum and manager of Honors College Operations & Engagement, and Sarah Phillips, a sophomore, sociology major and Westminster Wardrobe Student Manager, both said how important the Westminster Wardrobe is for students.
“A lot of undergraduate students might not have the experience, the time, the money, really, to access a lot of professional clothing, and you never know what might pop up for you”, Francis said. ”If you’re interviewing for jobs or maybe graduate school, then the Westminster wardrobe is a really great way for students to be able to access professional clothing that can be pricey and expensive.”
Located in Gore 116, the office is filled with suits, dresses, and skirts. All items in the wardrobe are new or almost new, donated by students, faculty, and donors.
“There is a lot to be said that giving yourself professional armor makes you feel more powerful and empowered in your space and especially getting to choose what that looks like for you as opposed to walking over to the [thrift store] and trying to find something that might fit,” said Dr. Cunningham-Bryant.
Professional armor is hard to come by, as 47% of recent college grads reportedly showed up dressed inappropriately to work or a job interview, according to edweek.org.
With almost 50% of graduates reported being undressed in job interviews as reported by edweek.org, Westminster Wardrobe is a place for students to have access to dress professionally.
