Work chic gives hand up

Volunteer Liz Lyons looks for a colour match. Photo / Doug Sherring

Cutthroat competition in the contracting job market has ramped up pressure on Dress for Success, a charity helping low-income women into the workforce by providing interview-appropriate clothing.

It has seen a significant increase in client numbers this year as women face fierce competition for jobs.

It is outfitting around nine women a day, many of whom have never worn a suit. "You are what you wear - when you're a woman it really matters," executive manager Sue Lewis-O'Halloran says. "You never get a second chance to make a first impression."

Now in its 10th year in New Zealand, Dress for Success has dressed 7000 women, more than 60 per cent of whom have got jobs.

Women in need who are entering or returning to the workforce and have a job interview booked are referred by organisations such as Work and Income and the Citizens Advice Bureau. They are dressed for the interview, and if they get the job, they return to Dress for Success for further outfitting.

The high quality clothing is donated by working women and is more valuable than Dress for Success clients could afford.

When the Herald on Sunday called in to its Mt Eden premises, designer clothing by Adrienne Winkelman and Karen Walker among others awaited clients.

All stock is cleaned and immaculately presented by volunteer "dressers" - women who give their time to outfit the charity's visiting clients.

Lewis-O'Halloran recalls a client they dressed in Versace with a Prada bag. "She couldn't get over it." As well as providing free workwear, the organisation gives women a confidence boost, which is as important as presentation when seeking work.

Fifty-six per cent of the clients are Maori or Pacific Island women and the assistance they receive can be a step in helping them turn their lives around. Achieving financial independence sometimes enables them to own a home for the first time and raise their children with higher expectations than they were given themselves.

Lewis-O'Halloran says the wave of redundancies has boosted volunteer numbers as women suddenly out of work look for ways to stay connected to the business community and maintain confidence while job hunting.

"The number of women being made redundant is a much higher percentage than men," says Lewis-O'Halloran, who attended the government's jobs' summit. They are more vulnerable, as they tend to take part-time shift work to raise families.

"Maori and Pacific Islanders are vulnerable, we know that statistically. Young people are vulnerable and a lot of them don't have the skills to do another job.

"The reality is, if you save a woman, you save a family - that's a huge motivation for the work we do here."

Dress for Success has five affiliates in New Zealand's main centres and is preparing for its annual Celebrity Waiters Dinner on May 15. Funds raised cover operating costs.

It also relies on corporate giving programmes from sponsors such as Genesis Energy - but with corporate money diminishing in the downturn, Dress for Success is increasingly relying on support from small businesses and individuals.

SELF-BELIEF BOOSTED AND NOW SHE'S THE BOSS

Twenty-six-year-old Toni Lee Hayward lost self-confidence after being at home with two daughters. A Work and Income New Zealand case manager helped her line up a job interview with community organisation He Waka Matauranga, an adult literacy provider. Sensing Hayward's apprehension, she referred her to Dress for Success.

After having her second baby, Toni had gained weight and felt she had nothing good enough to wear for the interview. "Obviously, I put my children first so, with money being tight, I bought clothing for them rather than myself," she says.

Hayward got the job as a Maori literacy worker initially part time, but volunteered more of her time to extend her skills. That was six years ago. Now she manages the organisation, which helps around 150 clients every year.

Hayward credits Dress for Success for boosting her self-belief at a time when she needed a lift. "Dress for Success helps women realise their potential and feel good about themselves," she says.