Dress for Success

It's been about 3 months now since I started my year of no new clothing. Already my closet looks much better, thanks to the hangers and the purging I've been doing. Almost every time my mother comes to town, I send a box of stuff home for the thrift store where she volunteers. Until now though, I've been hesitant to donate my unwanted work wear.

That's where Dress for Success comes in. They give disadvantaged women suits so that they can go on job interviews. Over the years I've collected large amounts of business clothing, thanks to working office jobs and a stint as an employee at Limited, where I paid in every month for the privelege of purchasing clothes at a discount. I have some old suits. Dress for Success needs suits. Sounds like a perfect match! Not only do they accept clean suits, but they also accept work appropriate separates, closed toed shoes, and accessories. I've got a decent sized pile of clothing all ready to go to their collection site at the Dress Barn in Fargo.

So why am I waiting to bring in my donation? Well, I work at an office with several other professional women who all dress up everyday for work. Earlier this week I sent out an office-wide email inviting others with unwanted work clothing to bring those items to our office. I'll make a stop at the Dress Barn on Friday to deliver all the donations. It makes me feel good to think that my unwanted clothing could help another woman land a job that could be a turning point for her and her family.

Interested in donating your old work clothing? Visit www.dressforsuccess.org to learn more about this great organization and how you can donate!

10 to go!!!

Two full months down already! I've been talking with several people about my no new clothing, no new shoes for 1 year plan, and it has made for some interesting conversations. Apparently I am not the only one thinking about how to better control my closet. One of my favorite blogs, http://www.younghouselove.com is also tackling the issue on their post today. One of the pieces of advice that I like, never buying something on sale if you wouldn't consider it at full price, is one that I have given more than once. While I admire Sherry, I don't think I'll ever be able to edit my closet down to a size that would fit in an Ikea wardrobe, and I am ok with that.