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All Dressed Up
The local Dress for Success shop has become more important to residents in need since Hurricane Katrina
Nestled inside a trendy little storefront, a young woman with a referral from a local assistance agency can get job interview fashion tips, access to a computer to fill out an on line application, or advice on how to approach an interview.
Hope Encalade, the director of Dress for Success in New Orleans, gives women more than a suit. She gives them hope for a better tomorrow by teaching them to focus on personal development today.
Betty Johnson, a former Dress for Success client, now volunteers at the store. She recalls receiving special care and attention when she first turned to the program for help.
“When I first came to Dress for Success, I felt like I was meeting with an old friend. Now I volunteer because it allows me to help other women,” she says. “Every lady that comes in, I try to make feel on top of the world. We laugh and cry together, our families are scattered all over since the storms and this is a place where we can be ourselves and feel cared for.”
It was that philosophy that drove Encalade to work with the Dress for Success. As a newly divorced woman in the 1990s, Encalade found herself with nowhere to turn as she faced the very same issues her clients now face. She was a woman in transition with no support system. She recalls being penalized by state agencies for having a bank account and owning a vehicle. She worried about whether she would have to give up her home to receive assistance. She had to look for a job and she did not want to look shabby. Encalade knew that so many other women were in the same situation. She wanted to help low income women help themselves. The concept seemed simple enough to her. She took a small job as an image consultant, and then went into recruiting for a local hotel. It was in the human resources office where she clearly saw the need as she observed women coming in to search for jobs inappropriately dressed.
She began to help women out of the trunk of her car. She visited women in local housing developments. She let women try on skirts and suit jackets in public restrooms. She knew this was her calling.
It has been many years since then. Today, Encalade sits confidently at her desk at Dress for Success. The store is painted a luscious chocolate brown and bubblegum pink. She is wearing a smart beige suit and her makeup is perfectly applied.
“Women don’t want to struggle, they want to be independent,” she says. “We want to break the cycle of welfare and food stamps and show these young ladies how to go out and not just get a job, but pursue a career. We teach our clients not to flip flop from one job to the next, and we focus on the personal development of our clients.”
The individuals that seek assistance from Dress for Success come from all walks of life. The people who were donating goods before hurricane Katrina now need assistance themselves. The boutique serves a diverse group of women including grandmothers raising grandchildren and professionals who have been impacted by hard economic times.
“When a client comes and they have been rejected over and over, they lose something,” Encalade says. “My staff and I try to give them back their dignity, when they leave here I want them to feel transformed and confident.”
To build the confidence of these women, each client is fitted with a suit to wear to an initial job interview. The suit is theirs to keep. A second suit can be obtained to start a new job. The relationship does not end when the client receives a job offer. There is a monthly support group where women can network and share career tips.
Encalade says that this mentoring group is a great way to track clients’ success. However, for every success story there are countless bleak stories. There are homeless people who show up at the boutique seeking resources. There was the woman looking for clothes to wear to a funeral, as well as a young lady seeking clothing appropriate for a court date. Encalade says more men are coming by as well seeking clothing for their job interviews.
“I don’t believe in sending people on a goose chase, there must be over 30 agencies in this city and yet they are coming (here) seeking resources, whether it is a haircut or the use of the telephone to make an appointment. People are down on their luck, and they are hurting. It is not about me or a suit. (It’s about) helping people transition into the workplace and become independent. “
Dress for Success accepts donations of new or gently-worn suits, solid color blouses, new hosiery, unopened cosmetics as well as shoes and professional accessories. Monetary gifts are also accepted. Dress for Success is located at 509 Baronne St. and open from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. Monday through Friday.
