Clothes Vault helping women succeed in business

Northwestern Financial Review, Dec 15-Dec 31, 2002 by Dullum, Justin

[community outreach]

A group of women at the Stephens National Bank & Trust in Marinette, Wis., are helping other women in their community gain a foothold in the workforce. Their program is called The Clothes Vault and what it provides-free of charge-is like money in the bank.

The Clothes Vault started in 1999 when several employees of the bank, who were also active in the bank's Women's Advisory Council, expressed anecdotal evidence of women who lacked nice clothing for job interviews. Council members had interviewed women who came to their offices dressed in old clothes - not out of a disregard for etiquette, but because they didn't have enough money to buy a professional wardrobe.

The women on the council put a call out for clothing. It didn't take long before they had a substantial inventory. "A lot of women came forward and donated very nice clothing," said Elizabeth Woodky, one of the founders of the Clothes Vault and marketing coordinator at Stephens National Bank & Trust.

The bank kicked off the Clothes Vault with a fashion show. Each one of the women on the advisory council donated one of their favorite suits and modeled it. From there, the program took off. News of the vault began spreading by word of mouth. Non-profit organizations began referring women to the bank to seek out an appointment to visit the Clothes Vault.

One might expect an operation such as this to encounter two problems: people donating poor-quality clothing and people taking advantage of generosity. Woodky and Kathie Pinkerton, another founder, said neither has been the case.

"Usually we get a call asking where to drop things off. At that time they usually ask for specifics of what we're looking for. We tell them we're not looking for something you might wear to church or a party. We want suits and pants - things for work," Pinkerton said.

Donated items not used by the Clothes Vault are given to Goodwill.

As for people looking to score free clothes, Pinkerton said the way the Clothes Vault is operated lends itself to weeding out the insincere. Women who need clothes are referred to the vault by one of its affiliated non-profits - such as a local shelter for battered women. Additional procedures ensure that the Clothes Vault's patrons are truly in need.

It works like this: A woman needing professional work clothing will call the bank and make an appointment with one of the volunteers. The woman is then taken to the Clothes Vault - located separately from the bank - first to select one outfit in which to interview for a job. If she lands a job, she can pick more clothes for daily use.

"They can just bring in a pay stub or a letter of referral from their new employer," said Woodky. "If they come in and they already have a job but just need new clothes, we do the same. We use our judgment at times as well. We've had some young people who really don't have any sense of direction. They need the initial interview outfit. That's one of the reasons we provide one outfit for interviews. If they get a job, they can bring in some proof that they got the job and they are eligible to pick out some more items."

The Clothes Vault is housed in the Stephens National Bank & Trust Community Center. It's set up to look like a normal clothing store complete with racks and fitting rooms. "We're looking for mannequins," said Pinkerton.

So far, the Clothes Vault has helped 40 women acquire respectable attire to help further themselves in their careers. The vault contains 200 suits in addition to various garments. "It's not only for business professionals but waitressing or retail work. If you just need some nice black pants or a white shirt, we'll have that too." Pinkerton said.

Woodky and Pinkerton said the founders worked hard to establish the store but the rewards received for their efforts are greater than their labor.

"The payback is seeing how excited these women are to go shopping in the Clothes Vault. They are able to find beautiful articles of clothing that they may not have been able to afford," Woodky said. "We had a woman the other day who was in tears. It almost brought us to tears. She couldn't thank us enough.