Dress for Success Charlotte

The Mission of Dress for Success is to promote the economic independence of women by providing a network of support, professional attire, and the career development tools to help women thrive in work and in life.

Dress for Success was founded in New York City in 1997 and now has more than 143 affiliates in 23 countries. Dress for Success Charlotte was incorporated in 2000 and works in partnership with more than 80 Referral Agency Partners. 

In 2022, more than 700 women were referred (800 pre-pandemic) for job preparedness, job acquisition, employment retention, financial education, and career advancement programs and services.

Key programs include:

• Interview and Employment Suiting: Two complete interview outfits, including shoes and accessories, and a working wardrobe, up to five outfits, when employment is secured. This service is often the first point of contact for those seeking job preparedness and job acquisitions services.
• Professional Women’s Group (PWG): A networking association that encourages career growth for clients who have successfully gained employment. The PWG strives to teach members about workplace communication, corporate culture, financial literacy/wealth building, balancing family and work, and more.
• Going Places Network (GPN): A specially designed program for chronically unemployed and underemployed, GPN provides a curriculum that blends a proven methodology to improve the career prospects of unemployed and underemployed women and helps these women gain professional skills, accelerate their job searches, and build confidence through weekly training sessions, one-on-one career coaching, and networking in a supportive environment. Virtual and in-person programming currently meets twice a week over a 4-week period.
• Career Center: A fully equipped business office for clients to use on their own and/or to meet with HR and recruiting professionals for job search support and instruction including: résumé and cover-letter writing; Internet, email, and social media as job search tools; job placement software; mock interviews; and professional workshops on a wide variety of leadership and development topics designed specifically for women entering the workforce and advancing their careers.
• Computer Skills Training: Microsoft Office at beginner and advanced levels, including Word and Excel.
• Financial Education: A 10-week curriculum developed with the National Endowment for Financial Education providing education on: basic banking and budgeting, credit and debt management, investments and retirement planning, workplace benefits, taxes, and more.