Career Closet: Where Fashion Meets Opportunity

Housed in the South Oxford Center, the Career Closet offers students the chance to create a complete professional outfit ahead of a job interview, career fair or professional opportunity. And the best part is that the outfit – including a jacket, blouse or shirt, pants, belt and other accessories, depending on availability – is completely free.

"We know some students may not necessarily have the means to purchase professional attire, nor do they always know what constitutes it," said Toni Avant, director of the UM Career Center. "We can help them select wardrobe items and provide overall advice on imaging and things that will boost their confidence to make sure that they present themselves well in front of employers."

The closet opened in the fall of 2023 on the third floor of Martindale Hall and has served more than 750 students, providing them with some 1,600 articles of professional attire.

Career Center officials hosted a ribbon-cutting for the new location on Wednesday (Feb. 12) to give faculty, staff and donors a chance to acquaint themselves with the resource.

Professional attire can be a critical factor in helping students launch a career, said Noel Wilkin, provost and executive vice chancellor for academic affairs.

"If someone is not provided with an opportunity or lacks the confidence to pursue a lead to a job in their field, based on what they have or don't have to wear to an interview, this room is a gateway to opportunities," he said.

Wilkin compares having the right clothes to matching the part, saying that this opportunity is the missing piece.

"Every single piece matters in a puzzle," he said. "With a missing piece, it is so clearly incomplete, and that hole is all you can see.

"The one that completes the picture is the most important one, it's is the one that people remember, and this closet can help ensure that one simple piece doesn't prevent our students from completing their puzzles and ensuring that their ability their talent, their knowledge and the things that they gained through working and living in our community of scholars will have the opportunity to land them a job."

The best part? The outfit is theirs to keep.

"They don't have to return anything and there's no fee involved," Avant said. "It's theirs to keep for as long as they need it."

The Career Closet is open all semester from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesdays-Thursdays. Students can book an appointment to visit through the Handshake website.

The Career Center accepts new or gently used business casual and professional clothing in all sizes at the South Oxford Center. If you're interested in donating, preferred items include:

• Suits, jackets, pants, skirts and dresses in neutral colors such as gray, black, navy or khaki
• Blouses, dress shirts and neutral-tone tops
• Belts, ties, accessories and new socks
• Gift cards to local clothing stores to help students find specific items.

Top: Toni Avant (right), director of the UM Career Center, talks with student members of the university's Columns Society in the center's Career Closet. The Columns Society members gave tours of the resource to faculty, staff and donors on Feb. 12. Photo by Hunt Mercier/Ole Miss Digital Imaging Services

 See more photos from the Career Closet Open House