Suited for Change

SFC uses professional attire and workforce development to assist clients seeking financial security. It works with 100 partner organizations to arrange suiting appointments with women (some 1700 annually) facing high barriers to personal and professional success. In a one-hour, confidence-building session with stylists, they receive two fashionable, work-appropriate outfits – available for women whose preferences reflect a spectrum of gender identities – along with interview preparation and job coaching that ensures they are ready for their big interview. Additional outfits are added when clients secure employment. A professional readiness program provides workshops and an individualized coaching program emerges out of clients’ interests and needs: trained volunteers draw on personal experiences, skills, and networks to foster positive woman-to-woman relationships. SFC’s welcoming environment offers a respite from the challenges of gender, race, size, physical ability, income, and language that exist outside its walls.