In a tight job market, every little detail counts. While a good resume sums up the candidate’s qualifications, how she looks may seal the deal. Many women, however, do not have the financial resources to outfit themselves head to toe in business clothing. That’s where the Bottomless Closet can help. Volunteers at this ten year-old non-profit make sure that each woman client looks terrific so she can nab the job. And if she is hired, she may return to the Bottomless Closet to select enough clothing to last through a full work week.

On January 5, the organization moved to a larger space in the Hotel Pennsylvania across from Penn Station. Bottomless Closet now has enough room to fully display in a boutique-like setting business clothing, including skirt and pants suits, dresses, blouses, sweaters, shoes, jewelry, scarves, and purses. When we visited, one client, Sarah, had just selected a silky light gray suit with a dark gray blouse accented with cranberry beads. “Its beautiful, gorgeous, and comfortable, too,” Sarah raved. She admitted that the new outfit would give her confidence when she went in for her job interview.

The Bottomless Closet philosophy is that clothes are the outward manifestation of inward change. When the women who visit as clients see how they can change on the outside, they know they can change on the inside.

In any given year, the Bottomless Closet assists around 1,600 women. Sheila Lambert, one of the original founders, estimated that in the past decade the organization has helped more than 10,000 women from all over the city. “We have to reach out more this year,” she said.

Because of the economic crisis, volunteers thought they would see a dramatic increase in the number of women passing through their doors. “We’ve seen the opposite,” said Kendall Farrell, executive director, pictured above in the boutique. “Because companies are having hiring freezes, we aren’t seeing as many women. So we are responding to the economic crisis and offering some of our programs during the day that target women who don’t have an interview scheduled.” There are workshops on how to do an online job search, how to network, and how to hone a resume for a specific job. A woman can earn two points for each workshop she attends and use those credits to “purchase” more clothing.

Farrell said that the group’s clients are diverse. About 70 percent are on public assistance. The majority have a high school degree, and 25 percent have a college degree or higher. “The stories of the women who come in are varied,” she said. “Some have been incarcerated, some the victims of domestic violence, some single mothers, and some have been out of the workforce for a long time.”

From Monday through Thursday, the organization sees women who have an interview scheduled and have been sent by one of the referral agencies around the city. The volunteer will review the client’s resume and go over what is likely to happen during the interview. Then the client will shop in the boutique for her two interview outfits. It’s not unusual for several volunteers to get involved in helping a client select her clothes. “We all get so excited,” said Lambert. “It’s like shopping at Loehmann’s where you try on clothes and get opinions from complete strangers.”

Although the Bottomless Closet gets donations of new business clothing from designers like Liz Claiborne, most of the clothing stocked comes from individuals. The group is constantly in need of “gently used” items that are in good condition. Larger sizes are in particular demand. The boutique will soon switch its offerings from fall-winter to spring-summer. The group hopes that as women change over their closets for the season, they will think of donating. Donations may be dropped off at the Bottomless Closet’s headquarters in the Hotel Pennsylvania, Monday through Thursday, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Lambert continues to be involved in the organization she helped to launch. And she believes Bottomless Closet has never been more relevant. “It really is what President Obama is talking about—giving back to the community,” she said. “Women who have succeeded in professional life are now looking behind them to help others.”

The Bottomless Closet
Hotel Pennsylvania
401 Seventh Avenue
Level B
212-563-2499
www.bottomlessclosetnyc.org