Fashion forward Ball State students added some new threads to their closets.
Thanks to the volunteer efforts of Cardinal Closet, an on-campus clothing donation organization created by Ball State Housing and Residence Life’s (HRL) Student Action Team, and a team of fashion students, attendees were able to create professional outfits from donated clothing at no cost to the students. Attendees made appointments ahead of time and were given one-on-one style consultations from student stylists at the Cardinal Closet styling event, which ran for four hours Feb. 8.
Junior fashion industry studies major Johnna Dedina, who volunteered for the event after hearing about it at a Fashion Merchandising Association meeting, said finding good professional attire can be a big confidence booster for anyone entering the professional world.
“I think that fashion and art can be everyone's different opinion, but I think it could be a good representation of yourself and your characteristics,” Dedina said. “If you feel confident about the [outfit] that you're wearing, you're definitely going to be more confident in the interview.”
With plenty of options to choose from hidden in the four racks of clothing available to the attendees, having fashion majors on hand helped keep the outfits cohesive and stylish.
Dedina said finding the right style for a person is more about feel than the look of the clothes. The one-on-one aspect of the styling process is more than just a way to gauge how an outfit looks — it helps the stylist find what feels right for the personality of attendees, Dedina said.
“You definitely have to get more than just their size,” she said. “You have to kind of get what their personality is, what their boundaries are. Some people want to dress more colorful, some are more down to dress with skirts [or] pants. You have to kind of get more about them.”
Sean Sheptoski, HRL assistant director for student leadership, said setting up an event like this before the Cardinal Job Fair can help student applicants understand their expectations for the professional world’s dress code and standards.
“Every industry has different standards and expectations for new employees, so I think it can be complicated for new students looking for jobs or internships,” Sheptoski said. “It's all about first impressions and making a good first impression. Anything we can do to help our students enter the workforce, that's what we're here for.”
Given the success of the professional styling event, organizers like India Potter, Career Center communications and publicity coordinator, said the Career Center is looking to bring the event back each semester close to the Cardinal Job Fair after this initial trial run.
With 137 employers and around 2,000 students participating in the Cardinal Job Fair this semester, the right attire for the occasion was in high demand. However, Potter said this was answered by clothing donors in the weeks leading up to Cardinal Closet’s debut styling event.
“We really pushed clothing donations for the two weeks prior to this [event] and a lot of faculty and staff and community members outside of Ball State came and dropped off so much [clothing],” Potter said. “That was very heartening — that people wanted to donate or help Ball State students.”
Contact John Lynch with comments at jplynch@bsu.edu or on Twitter @WritesLynch.
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