Just saw a commercial for Men’s Wearhouse, and they are running a National Suit Drive to have men turn in used suits which they will then distribute to unemployed men looking for work to wear for interviews. There has been a program for women called Dress for Success for years, but I had never heard of a similar program for men.
At any rate, I’ve always thought these were great ideas and examples of really being able to do a lot of good by asking very little of people. All you have to do is drop off some clothes you no longer wear, a pretty painless thing, but it can make all the difference in the world for someone else.
AhabTRuler
There are jobs left in America that one wears a suit to the interview? I thought we were all ditch diggers now.
kevin
Remember the freak out when conservatives saw homeless people with cell phones? Imagine when they see the unemployed in nice suits. They’ll demand an end to all welfare “If he can afford a suit, he doesn’t need the governments help”.
And I’m being 100% serious right now.
JackieBinAZ
I think this is the principle behind the Republican health care plan.
someguy
Yeah, but why is it after all these years of supposed equality, women only wear 79% as much business clothing as men? Everywhere you look, they can get away with showing some cleavage, or a little leg. I demand that women be forced to cover just as much skin as men, immediately.
Otherwise I want to be allowed to wear my manpris to work. And an open collared bowling shirt.
SGEW
Good for Men’s Wearhouse (very strange to see myself typing that).
AhabTRuler
@someguy: Yeah, but the 21% decrease in area coverage leds to 150% increase in time and effort to prepare, so I’ll take that trade-off. I can go bed to door in 30 mins. or less, or you get $2 off your pizza!
Ian
I actually had to buy a suit for a recent job interview (my first suit). I got the job, so it was worth it. My grades and experience are great, but I’m pretty sure the suit helped them take me seriously
The program actually seems like one of the best charitable ideas out there. You are helping people who are trying to help themselves. Conservatives should love the shit out of this idea.
Punchy
I just employed Men’s Whorehouse to supply the tuxes for my hitching day. Quality peeps and solid prices.
Sloth
Dude. Shut up.
But yeah, I’m all for men being allowed to wear what they want, within reason. I could sort of do without the man cleavage.
AhabTRuler
You work in IT?
r€nato
I wish I had known about this 24 hours ago, last night I dropped off a bunch of unwanted clothing including a couple old suits at Goodwill…
Das Internetkommissariat
@AhabTRuler:
Plumbing
C Nelson Reilly
My old suit couldn’t possibly help anyone get a job
SGEW
@C Nelson Reilly: Not even as a ditch digger?
arguingwithsignposts
Give a man a suit, and he’ll interview for a job. Give a man GOP talking points, and he’ll be set for life on wingnut welfare.
Ian
@SGEW:
Unfortunately, it is a gorilla suit.
aimai
Yes, the various women’s programs have been great. Its hard to grasp, when you are working and have a shower and access to laundry, just how fast a person can fall out of the “acceptable applicant” column. The various women’s shelters all try to offer computer services for creating and updating resumes, hair care (occasionally) and clothing for interviews. Its not that homeless or unemployed women are applying for vp jobs–its just that you can’t even get seen if you don’t look pretty cleaned up and pulled together. Something that a person who has been forced to live in their car simply can’t manage. In the case of a lot of women if you left the working world to do the mommy at home thing you literally don’t have any clothes that aren’t spit up on, or out of shape, or too old, or frayed because you withdrew from the public world in which those things were frowned on.
aimai
AhabTRuler
@Ian: I was afraid you were going to say a wetsuit.
Demo Woman
@r€nato: GoodWill does sell suits at an affordable price. Many local charities sell suits at a low price and several will give suits to those who need them.
If you have a local charity in town, try to support the organization. Where I volunteer, there are paid positions for social workers and managers, but most of the workforce is made up of volunteers and community service workers.
The Other Steve
Jos. A. Bank does something like this as well. Like bring in a suit and get half off a new suit.
Granted all their prices are so high that half off just brings it down to a regular price. :-)
Rosali
Yesterday I saw a man wearing a suit standing at an intersection with a sign that said “College Graduate. Need a Job”. I hope he got some calls or job leads.
asiangrrlMN
@arguingwithsignposts: Man, you are on a fucking roll these days. How you feeling?
I think this is a great idea. If I were a man and I had a suit, I would definitely donate. I think I will see if I have anything suitable to donate to the women’s equivalent agencies (thanks, aimai for reminding me).
Ian
@Rosali:
I have a Master’s, and it took me nearly a year to land my job. As bad as things are out there, it seems they are doubly so for recent grads. Student loans don’t take nearly so long to go into repayment, of course.
Max
@ John Cole – I like the positive nature of your two posts this am (suit drive and Little Bitsy).
I think today should be a positive posts Thursday. Only posts that remind us that there are still good people and good stuff out there.
But, its early here and I haven’t yet had my coffee, so maybe there’s no market for that sort of thing.
DZ
After my wife died, and when I was finally able to deal with her clothing, I gave all of her business clothing to Dress for Success. To my surprise, a woman called me at work about 3 months later and thanked me for helping her get a job. Apparently, my wife had one of my business cards in an inside pocket. She had received my wife’s Jill Sander suit.
The Moar You Know
Damn, I just gave a bunch of dress shirts to Goodwill a few weeks back. I may have a suit that no longer fits; I’ll have to check when I get home.
Just as important; shave and a haircut. Even if you’re a longhaired guy, as I was for many years (musician) keeping the hair looking good matters. If you are clean-shaven, SHAVE. If you have a beard, trim that shit up.
What you look like matters.
These days, now that I’ve made the transition to the corporate world, let me let you in on a secret, guys and girls:
Tattoos = career failure.
Come in with one visible and you won’t get hired.
Flash some in front of your co-workers and, well, I hope you like your job, because you’ll never get promoted again.
I guarantee you, having watched this happen more times than I care to count, that the day that your management gets wind of your sleeves or your back full of ink, your days of advancement are done. You may be very smart. You may be very good at your job. In fact, both of these things are almost always true.
But none of those things count, because once management sees that ink the thought is inevitable: “If he’s done something to himself that cost 50 bucks to put on but five grand to remove, then what are we to make of his decision-making process, or his priorities?” Tattoos are still thought of as lower class, even if they’ve been mainstreamed by some aspects of current culture.
Your future with ANY mainstream company, if you’re sporting a body full on ink, is nil. You won’t get fired, but you will see positions you wanted going to people with less experience and the same education, but with no tatts.
It is as bad with women in these same companies. One tramp stamp visible on Casual Friday and you’ll never make manager. You’ll stay sales rep or admin until you choose to leave or get married.
If you’re college educated and degreed, ink visible at the company picnic is a career coma. You’ll wake up ten years from now and realizing you are doing the same thing as today.
There are resources, albeit very few, to get them removed. If you’ve done something REALLY stupid like get your neck, head, or face tattooed, you are in deep shit. Time to start looking around to see how to get that stuff off. Hopefully you have a lot of money. If not, hopefully you live in an area with a lot of gangs (I’m serious) as there are some outreach/rehab programs that subsidize tattoo removal.
PurpleGirl
Groups like “Dress for Success” or “Bottomless Closet” also give workshops to their clients on how to wear the clothes, do appropriate make-up, pick accessories like jewelry and interpersonal skills. For a woman who’s been on welfare and never worked in an office or worked low end jobs it’s more than just clothes — they need help learning about how to present themselves as work-ready and able to fit into an office setting. These organizations all have local affiliates. They need woman’s clothes in large sizes as their clients are not usually size 3. I’ve donated business clothes in the past.
donovong
“I think today should be a positive posts Thursday. Only posts that remind us that there are still good people and good stuff out there.”
I second the motion. The Wingnuts are driving me toward the edge.
DZ
@The Moar you know:
I do hear what you are saying about tats, but my experience and that of my wife is quite different. In the normal course of things, you can’t see them – upper arms on both sides. But, when I travel, I run on the hotel treadmills and I swim. My bosses and colleague have seen them. I am an SVP at one of the giant banks. Private tats like that just aren’t a problem with my employer.
Max
@The Moar You Know: I disagree with you to a point. I have a couple of tattoos… wrist, ankle, toe, and I am a senior level manager and the boss of my location. My nearest supervisor is in Arizona. I’m in the Bay Area.
If an important corporate person is in town, I wear long sleeves and pants, but I’ve worn skirts and open toe shoes when caught with surprise visitors with no problem. I’ve been promoted within my company and won awards for top performer.
I will agree that its a fine line, and obviously your tattoos can’t be funky or obscene, but you’re not limited to a life slinging hash just because you’ve got some ink. Granted my tats are small and girly… butterfly and cherry blossoms.
aimai
PurpleGirl makes a very good point. The tiny sizes that most upper class women wear don’t work for the majority of lower middle class or working class or underemployed women. Its good to donate but if you think your stuff is actually too fancy or too small send it to a consignment store and donate the proceeds to the shelters. They can use the money for the other trainings, hair care, or ancillary stuff.
Of course, I never worked in a business environment, am not a size three or even an eight, and never had to use make up so I’m totally useless for these donations. But there’s a good thing called “Cradles to Crayons” that does similar stuff with kids outgrown stuff.
aimai
Chad N Freude
Adding to the healthy competition for clothing contributions, there is also “Clothes the Deal” in Southern California.
JHF
I have a suit I wore to my father-in-law’s funeral. The only one I’ve ever bought or worn in the last 40 years (I think I had one as a teenager).
Would love to give it away, but someone else will surely die.
AhabTRuler
@The Moar You Know: You may be right (although from my personal experience, you are wrong when it comes to career gov’t. service), but such idiotic judgments go directly to what is so wrong with the corporate business world.
I mean, anyone who is going to make those sorts of decisions based on something as meaningless as a tattoo is probably going to be impressed by an employee who can keep up appearances without having the underlying skills to actually do the job well.
You know, like corporate suits who respond positively to brown-nosers and yes-men.
Ivan Ivanovich Renko
@DZ: It’s not quite as life-changing as passing on a heart or corneas… but that HAS to have felt phenomenal. Good on ya.
DZ
I know how much high-end suits cost, because that’s what I wear, but I have no idea what a suit would go for at Men’s Wearhouse. Does anyone know?
Xanthippas
I think this is a great idea, and I sent it to a bunch of lawyers I know who probably have old (but halfway decent) suits laying around. Men’s Wearhouse is also accepting “gently used” dress clothes, which I’m sure all of us guys have laying around somewhere.
Let’s not get carried away here. As much as I appreciate this post, I don’t visit this blog to read John Cole saying nice things about people/animals.
Xanthippas
In case you’re being serious…I bought a suit at Men’s Wearhouse about four years ago for $350, and am quite happy with it and the service I received.
John T
@26, What city do you live in? My brother is a restaurant chef and he was thinking about moving to Portland (where I live), and I told him he wouldn’t get taken seriously as a chef unless he got at least one of his arms covered in a tattoo sleeve. On the west coast tattoos aren’t that big of a deal for most jobs, unless they’re on the neck or hands.
Carol
@AhabTRuler:
To be fair though, most govt jobs aren’t PR jobs where you greet the public. Tattoos are fine in jobs where the general public never really sees you, and it’s not as if the people can boycott the IRS or the INS if they don’t like the way one of it’s representatives look. But there are still dress rules-some have to do with safety and hygiene, others have to do with what fellow workers can put up with working alongside you.
DZ
@John T:
I also live in Portland, and at least half of all women have tats – from all walks of life and socio-economic status. And, yes, the chefs here have major tats.
DZ
@Xanthippas:
Yes, I was serious and thank you.
Max
@The Moar You Know: I disagree with you to a point. I have a couple of tattoos… wrist, ankle, toe, and I am a senior level manager and the boss of my location. My nearest supervisor is in Arizona. I’m in the Bay Area.
If an important corporate person is in town, I wear long sleeves and pants, but I’ve worn skirts and open toe shoes when caught with surprise visitors with no problem. I’ve been promoted within my company and won awards for top performer.
I will agree that its a fine line, and obviously your tattoos can’t be funky or obscene, but you’re not limited to a life slinging hash just because you’ve got some ink. Granted my tats are small and girly… butterfly and cherry blossoms.
P.S. reprinted because I got stuck in moderation
Sloth
Definitely not true in my industry (software.) Tats are common. Hell, our CFO has a tramp stamp.
YellowJournalism
A long time ago, in the mythical time known as the 1990’s, a friend of the family who was on welfare was given vouchers to purchase interview clothing at Wal-Mart. I think this was during the big welfare reform push during the Gingrich years. I thought it was a good idea until she showed some people what she bought. Let’s just say they should have included some shopping guidelines with the vouchers.
I think programs like “Dress for Success” and this Men’s Wearhouse one are a better idea. One local beauty college in our town recently donated their time to a homeless shelter giving haircuts, shaves, and manicures to people who were going for job interviews. I think things like a shave and a manicure are often overlooked, especially the manicure, becuase it’s seen as frivilous. But it really does make a difference.
AhabTRuler
The same could be said about corporate jobs. Indeed, the differences between private and public sector jobs is somewhat overrated as all that. Having lived and worked in Washington, DC my whole life, I can say that there are plenty of tattoo’s and elitist, culture-bound functional incompetents.
I mean, the Bush administration put a premium on public appearances over competency, and that worked out really well for us all.
The Moar You Know
@AhabTRuler: I’m just reporting the situation, I don’t make the rules. I expect the mindset to change somewhat as the oldsters who have a real problem with it die – although frankly, if I were in a position to decide such things, I wouldn’t hire someone who has tattooed their face.
That just shows an utter lack of concern for consequences.
Betsy
Yay for happy thoughts. :) And since so many unemployed men are looking for office-type jobs right now, the suits thing is a great idea.
As someone who spent a year living/working in a homeless shelter, could I also offer some donation tips?
1. Most homeless men tend to be looking for blue-collar work – often what they need are clean, sturdy, non-ripped blue jeans or work pants and work shirts, rather than suits. For fancier clothing (suits, silk blouses, etc.) it’s probably more useful to donate to a program like the one described above or to Goodwill/Salvation Army.
2. Things that my shelter always desperately needed:
*new socks and underwear. You wouldn’t believe how important clean socks are when you’re walking outside all day/working construction/day labor etc.
*Warm clothes for winter – coats, jackets, sweaters for men and women
*Blankets, sleeping bags, pillows
*sturdy, undamaged shoes.
*toiletries (travel sized or otherwise)
3. When donating to a shelter, please consider that the staff and residents usually don’t have the time, resources, or skills to do repairs. Wash or clean whatever you’re donating, and if it’s torn badly, it’s probably not worth donating. If it’s stained but otherwise intact, it’s probably worth donating, but if you have clothing that is clean and intact, that is ideal. Homeless people suffer so many indignities already, having to wear badly stained clothing is even more demoralizing (though of course it’s better than nothing).
Please please please donate if you can! It can make such a difference in people’s lives.
Betsy
Oh crap, I mentioned footwear and ended up in the mod queue. Here’s that post, minus the part about sh0es.
Yay for happy thoughts. :) And since so many unemployed men are looking for office-type jobs right now, the suits thing is a great idea.
As someone who spent a year living/working in a homeless shelter, could I also offer some donation tips?
1. Most homeless men tend to be looking for blue-collar work – often what they need are clean, sturdy, non-ripped blue jeans or work pants and work shirts, rather than suits. For fancier clothing (suits, silk blouses, etc.) it’s probably more useful to donate to a program like the one described above or to Goodwill/Salvation Army.
2. Things that my shelter always desperately needed:
*new socks and underwear. You wouldn’t believe how important clean socks are when you’re walking outside all day/working construction/day labor etc.
*Warm clothes for winter – coats, jackets, sweaters for men and women
*Blankets, sleeping bags, pillows
*sturdy, undamaged f00twear. (spelled funny to thwart the evil mod-bot)
*toiletries (travel sized or otherwise)
3. When donating to a shelter, please consider that the staff and residents usually don’t have the time, resources, or skills to do repairs. Wash or clean whatever you’re donating, and if it’s torn badly, it’s probably not worth donating. If it’s stained but otherwise intact, it’s probably worth donating, but if you have clothing that is clean and intact, that is ideal. Homeless people suffer so many indignities already, having to wear badly stained clothing is even more demoralizing (though of course it’s better than nothing).
Please please please donate if you can! It can make such a difference in people’s lives.
AhabTRuler
If the past few years have shown us anything, the lack of tattoos on the face isn’t really a solid indicator in that regard. It seems of late we have had a number of well-dressed, well-educated, and tattoo free executives who have had an almost sociopathic disregard for consequences.
arguingwithsignposts
@asiangrrlMN:
Feeling okay at the moment. My snark gland is back in high gear, perhaps teh stupid that occurred during the August recess just pushed some buttons back into shape. that and I’m back at work keeping occupied.
Update re: kittehs. Still haven’t been able to talk to landlord, and prob. won’t happen this month for financial reasons.
arguingwithsignposts
@AhabTRuler:
This, exactly. There’s probably not a veep at Goldman Sucks that has a tattoo. And look at all the good that did for us.
Betsy
Sorry for the double post, and thanks for the soapbox!
DZ
@arguingwithsignposts:
You would definitely be wrong about execs at Goldman.
AhabTRuler
And I think that it is important that as a joyless corporate drone, you should occasionally turn to your corporate masters (after offering the proper obeisances) and say “Mom, with all time you are spending worrying about the cleanliness of my underwear, your are probably forgetting to account for something that actually matters. Y’know, like an audit. Oh, and your 2:00 with Mr. Madoff has been canceled. Something about an indictment. “
RedKitten
People definitely need to be given guidance along with the clothing, however.
We had a job opening at my work a couple of years ago, and one of the candidates came in a half-hour late, wearing sweatpants and chewing gum. And she later mentioned that she was having a really hard time finding work. Gee, I wonder why? I referred her to our local career resource centre, hoping that they would shake some sense into her, but she said she’d already been to see them.
A program like Dress for Success is fantastic for those people who already know HOW to make a good impression, but just lack the means. Unfortunately, there seems to be no equivalent “Common Sense for Success” program, for those people who couldn’t interview their way out of a wet paper bag.
D. Sidhe
There’s some good advice here, and hopefully someone may have an answer for me, so let me ask here. I’ve got odd allergy issues, so I end up buying an awful lot of makeup and shampoo and stuff that I use once and when I break out in a rash or the smell gives me a migraine or whatever, I can’t use it anymore. It seems a shame to throw it out, so I end up with drawers full of stuff that it seems like women in shelters could really use.
Any suggestions on how I get this stuff to people who need it? Or do open bottles of shampoo and foundation seem like a hygiene issue? It’s not like I have a contagious skin disease or wear lipstick, and I really hate to see so much of it go to waste and I could use my drawers back.
Joe Max
Actually, George Zimmer is well known around the Bay Area as a lifelong Democrat and a contributor to charitable causes.
And he’s a capitalist! Go figure.
I guarantee it!
The Moar You Know
@AhabTRuler: Thereby causing a need for new underwear, driving the economy.
I like it. “Stimulus through fear.”
The Moar You Know
@Joe Max: VERY pro-legalization as well – massively contributed to our medical marijuana initiative.
YellowJournalism
@D. Sidhe: I don’t think anyone will accept opened toiletries. Even if you don’t have a skin disease or anything contagious, your personal bacteria and germs have already infected the product and are multiplying by the minute, which is why they recommend getting rid of certain cosmetics after a period of time even if they’re mostly unused.
arguingwithsignposts
@DZ:
In what way? They have tattoos, or they are sociopaths?
EvolutionaryDesign
John, it’s nice to see blogs like yours championing causes that benefit the community. It’s amazing how little most of us have to do to make a diffence in somebody elses lives. It’s nice to see you motivating readers to give a little back.
OriGuy
There are also charities where girls and women can donate their formal dresses for girls to wear to the prom. I guess it can be a big blow to the self-esteem if you are asked to the prom but can’t afford a dress to wear. I wouldn’t know, I was too shy to ask anyone.
geg6
There is a storefront in my little town that is a Dress for Success store. They have it all set up like a high end boutique and it is run by an African Methodist church’s women’s group. I take clothes there all the time if my sister who is the same size doesn’t want them, especially business wear (she is a restaurant manager and doesn’t need the suits and such). The women who run the shop treat the women who come in for clothes like customers in a high end boutique, almost like they are personal shoppers for the women. The local vocational-technical school has volunteer students who come in to do hair, manicures, and pedicures once a week for the women. It really is a lovely place and no one could possibly feel that they are getting charity there. They make them feel beautiful. It’s a wonderful thing.
Comrade Darkness
@The Moar You Know: In short, what you are saying is, if you gots the mad skillz but also has the ink, start your own company and stop workin’ for the man.
If their hiring and promotion decisions are as lame as you say here, better to leave.
LanceThruster
This is great. Thanks for the link. There is just so much more that we can do with our discards. Don’t forget you can donate cell phones which are provided to battered women and others and old eyeglasses which are measured for corrective power and can be cut to be refitted in new frames.
Often items donated to thrifts stores get overpriced when they’re put back on the rack (my local Goodwill has the annoying habit of charging $1.99 for a broken knickknack that .$99 Store sells new) and what they don’t sell they ship overseas to merchants who buy it in bulk. That is why you see so many third-worlders in t-shirts an era or two out of fashion.
[Rod and Todd come out wearing tee shirts from the YMCA donation bin… Rod wearing one that says “I’m With Stupid” and Todd wearing one that says “Butthole Surfers”.]
Todd: Look Daddy, I’m a surfer!!
Rod: And look at ME, Dad! Todd’s stupid and I’m with him. (moving next to Maude) Now Mommy’s stupid!
shelley matheis
But isn’t this creeping Socialism?
Church Lady
Dress for Success is a cause dear to my heart and provides a wonderful service for those that need it. I don’t know how it works in other cities, but here a customer has to be referred by one of the social service agencies in town. It is not open to the public and customers are served by appointment. In addition to business appropriate clothing, shoes and even costume jewelry, customers also receive guidence on grooming and interviewing skills.
Someone above pointed out that larger sizes are always needed. That is so true. There always seems to be a shortage of size 12 and up clothing. Even if you don’t own “business type” clothing yourself, you probably know someone that does. Tell them about Dress for Success and ask them to donate.
If your city doesn’t have a Dress for Success program or a similar program, there are many thrift stores that sell this type of clothing for a very reasonable price and would greatly appreciate your donations. Our local Junior League thrift store sells both men’s and women’s suits for $10 ( and are half price on a lot of Fridays) and they are always in very good condition and usually fairly current in style. Blouses, dress shirts and ties typically go for $2 to $3.
I’m so glad to hear about this new Men’s Wearhouse program. I usually donate my husband’s stuff to the Junior League, but I’m going to force him to comb through his closet tonight (for some unknown reason, men HATE to get rid of stuff) and pull out anything he either can’t fit into anymore or hasn’t worn in a while. I’m pretty sure I can come up with a suit or two and some Sport Coats and dress slacks and a few ties.
tripletee
Why should I donate a suit that I paid for with MY hard-earned money if it’s just going to go to a lazy social1st freeloader?
If they really need a suit, they can work for it like everyone else. Or God will provide it, if they ask really nicely.
Maude
@Comrade Darkness:
Back when, Disney required men to wear suits for interviews. They wanted to get cheap scripts and so interviewed at my college. I borrowed a suit and went in. They had no sense of humor.
One thing is your hands. Keep them still at an interview. Any motions attracts attention and also makes the questioner think you are nervous and OMG, may be hiding something.
I have excellent jeans to donate.
Don’t donate anything you wouldn’t like to get for yourself. There are some women who will offer some rag or item that is real junk to a woman without money.
DZ
@arguingwithsignposts:
LOL. Well, the traders have already demonstrated beyond a reasonable doubt that they are sociopaths. My two friends there are senior IT guys and they have tats. So, both I guess.
Comrade Darkness
@Maude: Disney is the poster child for OCD/Control Freak/Psychological warfare against their employees company that I would be loathe to generalize from. They take all cakes if the measure is conformity.
Reminds me of this LA mag article about a guy playing Jack Sparrow at the disney park. It’s an entertaining read from many angles, if you haven’t seen it.
Susan Kitchens
@The Moar You Know:
Thank you for that report on the reality about tattoos removal. To earlier predictions about how the Men’s Warehouse good move will bring out the conservative clown shoes (wingnut dress for success), Do y’all remember the GOP! Outrage! about the tattoo removal program for former gang members in Los Angeles back in the stimulus package days? It was bad pork, that. Bad crime-prevention pork!
By the way, the charity that started the tattoo removal program, Homeboy Industries, has fallen on recession-induced hard times, but has been given a reprieve …. by the City of Los Angeles.
AhabTRuler
@Comrade Darkness: Hey, that’s corporate for ya: all the intelligence and imagination of a warmed-over sack of shit.
Seanly
@Ian:
If they were rational actors in this reality, yes, they would think it was a great program. Unfortunately, the conservatives will attack them as ungrateful looters and moochers.
I should see if they are doing this in my area. My fat a$$ is too big for my older suits, so they’re either going to sit in my closet or they can go to someone who’ll use them.
arguingwithsignposts
@DZ:
Well, I wasn’t counting IT guys, but the big suits who make the calls on sinking the economy. Those guys, I just don’t see as tat wearers, unless it’s the mark of the beast or something.
Clark
This is a good idea, John, but the first thing I thought of was that 30 Rock episode where Jack talks about how he donates tuxedos to the homeless to help them get into the mindset of a successful person.
Libertini
@Joe Max: What you said! George Zimmer is on my personal “most admired” list!
asiangrrlMN
@The Moar You Know: I have to disagree as well. My best friend has tats, one on her wrist, and she has had no problems with promotion. Of course, she works in the social services where actions count more than appearances, and she is now a director of programs at a school for high-risk youth. I have never had a problem with my tats, either, but I also mostly worked in the social services.
In short, corporations are all about appearances, but we knew that, right?
AhabTRuler
@asiangrrlMN: I thought social services was more about being willing to be ruthlessly overworked and underpaid?
Pangloss
If we support it, that means they must oppose it.
As a test, some liberal Democrat in congress should propose a constitutional amendment that ensures that breathing free air is a fundamental right. Some wingnut, somewhere, will oppose it. I’ll put the over-under at two hours before a thread appears on Free Republic condemning free air.
Stefan
There’s probably not a veep at Goldman Sucks that has a tattoo.
I know for a fact that this is not true.
PurpleGirl
Church Lady– That’s the model for all Dress for Success affiliates. The client is sent to them by a training program or other social service agency. Their “stores” aren’t open to the public.
RedKitten — DfS works with the client to teach them about dressing, and presentation/deportment, etc.
Maude’s point about donating only if you would wear the item is important for any clothing donations… a couple of decades ago when I was active in a Lutheran congregation, we sponsored a Vietnamese family for resettlement. We held a drive for clothes and household items. A lot of the clothes we received were totally inappropriate — either they were the wrong size or people used the opportunity to get rid of clothes that were decades old (Uncle Fred’s coat last worn in 1950) and the clothes were old, torn and dirty. (This is also why some groups will only take new or “gently used” items for winter warm clothes drives, etc. — some people use drives to get rid of just old, bad junk.)
Anne Laurie
Betsy, thanks for reminding me — I need to do another purge on the suit-suitable footwear. Most women who have to wear Business Pumps end up with the occasional pair that got bought because they were on deep discount, or they looked so cute in the catalog, or you had this one very exceptional outfit for a special event and normally you don’t even own anything fuchsia. So the footwear fits, kinda, probably, and you wear them once, but they’re just not… right. But it’s a scandal to throw away a perfectly good pair of pumps, especially if you’re an odd size and it’s hard to find them, so you shove them towards the back of the closet, just in case.
Last time I excavated, I admited to myself that I’ll never again wear a heel high than 1-1/2″, so the four remaining pairs of 2″ heels got donated. There are people here who can probably do the same with their 3″ versions, or the ones with the pointy toes now that ‘Morton’s neuroma’ is a personally meaningful term.
D. Sidhe
@YellowJournalism:
Okay, thanks. I’m disappointed, but I can understand it. I guess I should toss it, then, considering a lot of it is years old.
Echoes without Bunnies or Men
As a former Men’s Wearhouse employee I can say this is not the first time that the company has set up a program like this. In the past they have held similar events just using older store merchandise. I think it’s great they are expanding their effort and reaching out to the community at large to help.
conumbdrum
Actually, George Zimmer is well known around the Bay Area as a lifelong Democrat and a contributor to charitable causes.
We should probably keep this fact very hush-hush… imagine if the wingnut media tars Zimmer as the next George Soros. I read that many organizations won’t even accept donations from Soros anymore… the shitstorm of bad publicity and right-wing fury it brings down literally isn’t worth the funds.
Meanwhile Richard Mellon Scaife, who’s doled out something like half a billion dollars</i? to the wingiest of wingnut causes, continues blithely on as an ATM for the far right.
conumbdrum
Let’s try that again. (What, no more edit function?)
Actually, George Zimmer is well known around the Bay Area as a lifelong Democrat and a contributor to charitable causes.
We should probably keep this fact very hush-hush… imagine if the wingnut media tars Zimmer as the next George Soros. I read that many organizations won’t even accept donations from Soros anymore… the shitstorm of bad publicity and right-wing fury it brings down literally isn’t worth the funds.
Meanwhile Richard Mellon Scaife, who’s doled out something like half a billion dollars to the wingiest of wingnut causes, continues blithely on as an ATM for the far right.