Rummaging through the racks, hanger after hanger offers style at a price you can’t beat—free. Here on the third floor of the Law School, the Faculty Conference Room has been transformed into a makeshift storefront. Dresses, suits, dress shirts, sweaters, and more hang from three racks of donated clothing. Each piece already has its own history, but thanks to the generosity of faculty, staff, alumni, and even friends, law students have the opportunity to create their own in donated designer threads.
The Career Services Office Boutique is an annual event that matches clothing some no longer need to students who do.
“When I lived in Washington, D.C., my friends and I would have a clothing swap every year,” said Dean of Students Anne McFadden. “It was an Earth-friendly way of passing things along, and for 15 years we loved doing it. So when I came to the Law School I thought the idea would translate well for our students.”
And it has. Each spring the CSO collects new and gently used clothing, sets it all up on the third floor, and invites students to come take anything they may need to jumpstart—or enhance—their professional wardrobe.
The Boutique is one of several things the CSO does to help students dress for success. The Law School partners with My Sister’s Closet, a second-hand Bloomington apparel staple, for a women’s suiting event where students learn about fits and styles from the store’s resident fashionistas. The CSO also keeps loaner items for students who may find themselves in need of professional attire with little notice.
“We have students who forgot they have a Zoom interview and need to borrow a blazer at the last minute,” McFadden said. “We try to have enough apparel on hand so they can look the part.”
The Boutique has rehomed hundreds of items since it began six years ago (with a pause during the pandemic) and has been a remarkable success.
“The need is more common than you might think,” McFadden said. “We have many students who come from limited means or who come from academic backgrounds or nonprofessional careers where a suit wasn’t necessary. The Boutique is one way we can help.”
The Boutique has become so popular that now people from outside of the Law School community—even as far as D.C.—have contributed items to donate.
Within the first 90 minutes of the Boutique’s opening this week, more than 50 items had already been claimed. Whatever is left at the end of the Boutique’s run is then donated to local thrift and consignment stores.
“Our students are so grateful to have this opportunity,” McFadden said. “This helps seed their professional wardrobe.”
If you’re interested in donating new or gently used professional clothing to a future CSO Boutique, contact Dean McFadden at anmcfadd@iu.edu.