We are excited to share that we have officially launched a Dress for Success affiliate in the Greater Philadelphia area! Dress for Success is a worldwide non-profit that seeks to empower women through a network of support, professional attire and the development tools to help women thrive in work and in life.

Every day in Philadelphia, thousands of economically disadvantaged women struggle to find and sustain employment and to provide stability for themselves and their families.

Many women in Philadelphia are in need of a network of support on their path to financial independence. Dress for Success Greater Philadelphia was established to help break the cycle of poverty by providing a lifeline of services to low-income women on their quest for economic self-sufficiency.

Disadvantaged women face a difficult dilemma when trying to enter the workforce: when they finally get a job interview, many realize that they do not have interview appropriate attire – just one more discouraging reminder of their difficult situation.

Dress for Success Greater Philadelphia will address this problem by providing each client with a free interview appropriate suit, personally selected for her in our boutique in consultation with a trained volunteer personal shopper.

Every woman who comes to Dress for Success Greater Philadelphia will be treated with dignity and respect and can walk in feeling confident and welcome.

Once a client successfully gains employment, she may return to our boutique to select a week’s worth of attire to ease her transition back into the workforce. Finding work is only one step in her journey towards economic independence though – remaining employed, building a rewarding career and having access to a supportive network are also essential to building a self-sufficient life. Dress for Success Greater Philadelphia will also provide the following programs with more coming in the future:

• Professional Women’s Group (PWG) – This group will be focused on supporting our employed clients through a monthly forum of networking, sharing new experiences and challenges and education. Guest speakers will address topics such as financial literacy, stress management, workplace etiquette, debt counseling, childcare and affordable
  housing.
• Career Services – Dress for Success Greater Philadelphia promotes confidence and professionalism by providing its clients with career guidance, resume and cover letter writing lessons, interview preparation and mock interviews.
• One-on-One Mentoring – Interested clients will be paired with successful businesswomen in the community for guidance, support and personal consultation on employment-related issues and career building.

This growing portfolio of programs will help ensure that disadvantaged women in the Greater Philadelphia area have access to support and services for every phase of their professional lives – from the job hunt to sustained employment and self-sufficiency.