Mon, 15 Dec 2008 14:55

Part of being safe, productive and successful while in employment is often about having the correct corporate wear. This may be in terms of work coats and high vis jackets in manual positions or long sleeves shirts and ladies suits in an office environment. Whatever the constitution of corporate wear, it's essential to get the right apparel. In this regard, a specialist Canadian charity recently held a fashion show aimed at helping disadvantaged people to get the correct corporate wear for the job.

The Dress for Success (DFS) charity aims to provide adequate workwear items for women of low socio-economic status. This is so that they can either advance in a particular company or profession, or actually get back into employment. Founded in New York in 1997, the organisation offers long sleeve blouses and short sleeve shirts on loan, which the women can then return after a job interview. The organisation has since helped over 450,000 women around the world to advance their career or return to work.

According to the Epoch Times, the Dress Me For Success annual fashion event went ahead last month in Vancouver, Canada. This event aims to raise money to assist the charity with its valuable work and includes a fashion show, a raffle and an auction. The show also worked towards getting more companies involved in social responsibility via a special competition.

Representatives from firms such as Ernst & Young and PricewaterhouseCoopers participated in a specialist scavenger hunt. Contestants had to locate various items of corporate clothing, such as short sleeve v-neck and long sleeve shirts, which were hidden around the Pacific Palisades Hotel. Participants then had to reorganise these items of corporate wear into a business-suitable outfit to be assessed by the judging panel. The winner was judged on their assembled outfit as well as their level of fund raising work.

Vancouver-based recruitment firm MacNeil Nakamoto eventually proved victorious and founder Cheryl Nakamoto said that the company is keen to support disadvantaged women.

"I learned through doing charity work that you don't force people to do anything, they have to want to do it," said Nakamoto told the Epoch Times. "It's not that when you do something for charity you want something back."

"[Corporations] should really look for organisations where they align themselves [with] what they are passionate about," she added. "It has to come from their heart... they can talk about what charity means a lot to them, where they feel a connection, and then from there they can make a contribution and they can reach out."

Debra Twocock, executive director of Vancouver's DFS chapter, also told the newspaper that she welcomes the corporate support but also called for more.

"We're looking at times where people are constantly looking for good help and don't seem to understand why they can't find it. Well we can tell them!" she explained. "We're really working to get the message out that there's a lot more to us than the clothing part - that a woman who is supported and can become productive will just take things and run. I'm sure that every single one of the ladies has learned to appreciate the value of supporting one another and I'm sure that they pay it forward in many, many aspects of their lives."

According to recruitment service Monster, the best way to make a good impression at a job interview is with the correct corporate wear. Candidates are advised "to dress one level up" from how they would expect to look if they actually got the job. This means casual clothes should be avoided in favour of long sleeve shirts and ladies suits. As long as candidates opt for well-fitted, neutral corporate wear then they will give themselves the best possible chance of a successful interview.