How Dress for Success Is Serving Women During the Coronavirus Pandemic - HarpersBAZAAR.com |
- How Dress for Success Is Serving Women During the Coronavirus Pandemic - HarpersBAZAAR.com
- Milford bridal salon goes virtual to help women find perfect wedding dresses - WDIV ClickOnDetroit
- People are rewearing their wedding dresses at home to do chores and entertain their kids - Insider - INSIDER
| How Dress for Success Is Serving Women During the Coronavirus Pandemic - HarpersBAZAAR.com Posted: 27 Apr 2020 02:53 PM PDT  Courtesy of Dress for Success Since its founding in 1997, Dress for Success has served more than 1,200,000 low-income women by outfitting them with professional attire to help them look the part as they interview for jobs and secure steady employment. A global organization with more than 150 offices in some 25 countries, the nonprofit relies on donations of suits, blouses, shoes, and bags to help provide office-ready styles for its clients. But as Joi Gordon, the organization's CEO, explains, "We're so much more than clothes." For more than two decades, Dress for Success has evolved from a provider of workwear to a comprehensive career assistance resource that takes a holistic approach to helping women achieve economic independence. By offering mentorships, workshops, networking opportunities, career coaching, mock interview sessions, and more, the organization not only aims to help women find jobs but also make sure they excel at them. And with global unemployment rates on the upswing due to the economic devastation caused by Covid-19, its mission has never been more important. "Our response to the pandemic was not simply to close our doors—the women who walk through those doors need us," says Gordon. "We decided to pivot our organization and make it work virtually. We're working harder than ever because we realize that our clients need us more than ever." In March alone, more than 700,000 jobs were eliminated in the United States because of the coronavirus pandemic, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. Of those 700,000 jobs, nearly 60 percent were held by women. "We know there will be a record number of people unemployed when we come out of this, and that marginalized communities will be affected the most," says Gordon. Considering that 40 percent of the organization's clients are single mothers and 64 percent were already living below the poverty line pre-pandemic, ensuring that it remained open, active, and accessible was crucial. In a process Gordon describes as baptism by fire, Dress for Success shifted its focus toward digitalization. Within a month's time, 90 percent of its affiliates were offering tools and resources online, whereas previously only 5 percent had. Of the women who have taken advantage of the virtual programming, which includes things like workshops and career coaching, 30 percent are new to the organization. "We want to make sure that we're readily available now and post-pandemic to provide full services to what's probably going to be a really robust group of women who will need us," she says.  Courtesy of Dress for Success Before Covid-19, Dress for Success's functionality was heavily reliant on in-person interactions. Candidates who had gone through job training programs would be sent to one of the organization's offices before their first interview, where they were outfitted in professional attire and engaged in mock interviews. Depending on whether or not the client ultimately got the job, she would enter either of Dress for Success's two main programs: one that focused on continued job placement through once-a-week meetings; or the Professional Women's Group, which provided monthly workshops focusing on growth within the workplace. Both tracks featured mentorship, leadership training, and professional development classes, and once a client secured a job she would also receive a week's worth of professional clothing. "We have a lot of different points of connectivity with the women we serve," says Gordon. The group's hands-on approach works. Seventy-six percent of women who complete Dress for Success's workplace development programming are employed within 90 days, while 80 percent of women who complete its employment retention programming remain employed for at least one year. Even more impressively, 80 percent of participants achieve some form of financial stability by the end of the program. Right now, the overall professional landscape looks vastly different than it did even two months ago. Companies that are still able to hire new employees are doing so through virtual interviews, and many people who have lost their jobs are figuring out in what other fields their skill sets are applicable. To guide clients during this unprecedented time, Dress for Success has been rolling out online workshops covering LinkedIn and social media networking techniques, how to conduct yourself on a video interview, personal finance advice, Covid-induced stress-management tips, and more, in addition to more evergreen career development programming. Many of the workshops are led by prominent public speakers, small business owners, and HR professionals who volunteer their expertise. "We've also done quite a bit of meditation and relaxation programming, because to say our women are multitasking is an understatement," adds Gordon. "Many are single moms, and for the ones at home, they're having to teach their kids while still preparing three meals a day while trying to contact unemployment while trying to get food stamps while maintaining an upbeat and resilient attitude."  Courtesy of Dress for Success As for its clothing-based efforts, Dress for Success is still figuring out how and when to start receiving workwear and distributing it to their clients again. Currently the group is not accepting donations. Pre-Covid, a client would walk into a Dress for Success boutique and be greeted by a volunteer stylist who would then ask her about her style, favorite color(s), and where she was interviewing. A rack of options would be compiled and brought into a fitting room for the client to try on. "The process functions very much like a personal shopping experience," says Joi. "We work with you until it works for you, however long that takes. Until the organization's boutiques can reopen and face-to-face interactions can resume, Dress for Success will continue its fight to empower women virtually. As for what you can do to chip in? "We want to find more women and men who care about women's success to join Dress for Success on this journey and provide women with the tools they need to succeed," says Gordon. "We want more volunteers, we want more donors, we want more friends, and we want to reach more women. That's the way we're going to get out of this pandemic, by helping one another."  |
| Milford bridal salon goes virtual to help women find perfect wedding dresses - WDIV ClickOnDetroit Posted: 27 Apr 2020 03:43 PM PDT :strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/d1vhqlrjc8h82r.cloudfront.net/04-27-2020/t_7670113717d1408e81fde3926ecf7ce8_name_image.jpg) Gina's Bridal Boutique takes new approach to wedding dress shoppingMILFORD, Mich. – A bridal salon in Milford is improvising during the coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis to make sure women can still find their perfect wedding dresses. Wedding dress shops are still closed, but as of right now, many summer weddings are still on, and those brides need their dresses. Gina's Bridal Boutique in Milford is taking going virtual to make sure women can still shop for a dress. Kristen Hibner is looking for her fairy tale dress in preparation for her wedding in August. "It's definitely not what I imagined when I was a little girl, trying on dresses," Hibner said. Once Gina's Bridal Boutique was forced to shut down, owner Gina Salaski decided to to virtual. "We have a virtual meeting where I show them the dresses on mannequins and they pick their top five," Salaski said. "Then, they can pick them up and take them home." When the bride has the dresses, a Zoom call is scheduled with Salaski, the bride and some of the bride's friends to give their opinions. The virtual process does take much longer, though. "It's more time, but to be honest with you, if we can bring a little bit of joy and happiness to such a weird time and give people something to look forward to, then I'm happy to do it," Salaski said. On a positive note, the bride is able to have her friends who live out of state be part of the process virtually. Salaski said the virtual dress shopping has been very successful. So far, every bride who has gone through the process has found a dress, she said. Copyright 2020 by WDIV ClickOnDetroit - All rights reserved. About the Authors:  |
| Posted: 03 Apr 2020 12:06 PM PDT
Most people only wear their wedding dress once: on their wedding day. But for some women, self-quarantine has proved to be the perfect occasion to wear their special gowns again. While some have donned their dress while playing with their children, others have put them on before doing household chores. Here's what inspired three women to dig their wedding dresses out of storage while staying home and social distancing. Some people are using social distancing as a time to show their wedding dresses to their childrenLeAnn Sabatini, a mom from Ohio, has been self-quarantining in her home since March 13. While playing with her young children last week, she became inspired to show them the dress she wore on her wedding day. "We were going through Barbie clothes and my 4-year-old picked out a wedding dress for her doll," Sabatini told Insider. "She then asked when she could see my wedding dress." "My girls have asked in the past, but there always seemed to be something that got in the way," she continued. "I figured it was as good as time as any! The squeals they let out after I said yes — it was very exciting for them, and for me too." Sabatini's family seemed to love the occasion as much as she did. She said her husband and five children "gathered in the living room" and expressed "oohs and ahhs" as she walked down the staircase "like a queen." She ended up wearing her dress for about an hour afterwards. "My 4-year-old quickly told me she wanted to put on her 'wedding dress' too," Sabatini said. "This was followed by my 18-month-old running to the playroom, picking out an Elsa gown, and my 6-year-old dressing up too. My two older boys were over it after I cascaded down the staircase." "Honestly, it felt incredible to wear my gown again," she continued. "I didn't professionally preserve it knowing full well that, someday, I would like to show it to my future children, other than just in pictures. My gown and veil were handmade by my grandmother, and it's just such a gift to share it with my kids." Others got creative, and wore their wedding dresses while doing household choresKerry Godbout, a bicycle mechanic from Canada, had worked her "dream job" for five days before being laid off as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. She began to social distance on March 13, and one day decided to organize her tools and bike equipment in her at-home workshop. That's when she came across her wedding dress. "I've lost a lot of weight, so I wanted to see if I could wear it again," Godbout told Insider. "I gained a lot having two babies, and I've been married for 11 years, so it's been a long time and I thought it would be fun." "I put the dress on and it was too big, so I was super excited about that — it was one of those weight-loss achievements," she continued. "It actually made the dress comfortable to wear." Speaking to Insider, Godbout said she "cleaned the house top to bottom" in her dress, including vacuuming, scrubbing toilets, and dusting. But because she's a cyclist, she also wanted to attempt a bike ride in her gown. "I have a very expensive bike set up indoors to train on, and I thought it'd be really funny to see if I could get a leg up over it wearing the dress," Godbout said. She set a 10-second timer, and was able to get on the bike after approximately "20 attempts." Amazingly, she "didn't get a spot of grease" on its hem. It's worth noting that Godbout wasn't always as enthusiastic about her dress. She describes herself as "a bit of a tomboy," and says she doesn't always keep things if they don't "have a purpose or practical use." Over the years, she's tried to sell the dress, donate it, and repurpose it. Now, however, she says the dress shows how she's a "different person" than when she first wore it. "I like the juxtaposition of the fact that I'm wearing my mechanics baseball hat for the bike shop I worked at, and I'm not wearing any makeup, and I didn't make a fuss about it," Godbout said. According to Godbout, she "didn't dare look" at her dress before her wedding because she was afraid of it getting dirty. Instead, she kept it wrapped in plastic and "treated it like crystal." "And then you get married and you spend all day wearing this thing, and what do you do with it?" Godbout said. "It goes to the cleaners and it goes back in plastic and back in the dark. This is probably one of the most expensive garments of clothing I've ever owned, and it's trapped. It just seems like such a waste." "Wearing it around the house doing casual things with it breaks down its mystique and made it accessible — and kind of just takes away some of the worry about it too," she said. "Like who is it for? It's not for anybody but for me and my enjoyment, so why not wear it?" You don't need a wedding dress to feel glamorous while social distancingLiz Mace, a musician and influencer based in Nashville, has been self-quarantining for three weeks after testing positive for the novel coronavirus. She's since recovered and is feeling better, leading her to find her wedding dress while reorganizing her closet. "I was looking at it like, 'You know what? I haven't tried it on in a while, I'm not going anywhere, I literally have nothing else to do,'" she told Insider. "I love my dress so much, and obviously I paid a lot of money for it." She ended up wearing the gown for "half the day," as it made her feel "really pretty and special." "It just reminded me of my wedding day," Mace said. "It was my dream dress from the beginning and it holds a lot of memories, but it also just makes me feel really good. After being sick and not being able to go out and feel like that, putting on the wedding dress made me feel extra special." However, you don't need a wedding dress to feel the same way. "A lot of people were commenting, 'Oh I can't fit in my dress anymore,' or 'It's preserved,'" Mace said about the responses she got after sharing photos of her dress on social media. "My note to that would be: any fancy gown will do," she said. "Feeling really glam for a moment will do wonders."  |
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