Dress for Success Toronto, the local chapter of an international organization which helps women achieve economic independence through not only career advice, but also providing them with work-appropriate attire (often from clothing drives) for the interview and for them to start once they successfully get a job, will be holding its third A Heel of a Good Time fundraiser on Wednesday, November 13, 2013.  This year’s event will be held at The Fifth Social Club and will be honouring long time supporter and fashion icon, Jeanne Beker.  In addition, it will feature an “interactive” fashion show, where models will walk amongst the attendees and discuss their outfits with them rather than  down a traditional runway.  I recently had the chance to speak with the Toronto chapter’s executive director, Paige Souter where we discussed the organization as well as the event itself.

Paige on the event itself:

The event targets young professionals in their 20s, 30s and 40s who have a love of fashion and good food.  The event typically draws between 300-400 people and will feature a silent auction as well as a fashion show!

…on the tribute to television and fashion personality, Jeanne Beker at this year’s event:

Jeanne has been a supporter of Dress for Success Toronto for a long time.  In fact, select pieces from her line, EDIT, go towards our organization.  She understands what we do and we want to thank her personally for that.

…on what Dress for Success looks for when it comes to clothing donations and what they DON’T want:

We are looking for business attire – blouses, blazers, dress pants, skirts, as well as accessories such as scarves, bags and of course, shoes.  Our clients have two suiting appointments and are prepared with two suits.  After they successfully get a job, they come back for additional pieces that are often slightly more casual.  When seeking out pieces from donors, not only should the pieces be in good condition, but also “current” and no older than three years.  In other words, if you are not going to wear it to an interview yourself, don’t expect our clients to, either.  We also advise our clients on what is considered “appropriate” – many younger women don’t understand that mini skirts and flipflops are not appropriate corporate attire. 

…on the FIVE key pieces that every woman should have if they work in an office:

Everyone should have a suit (with a jacket), either with a skirt or pants.  Nice office-appropriate shoes with heels that are no higher than two or three inches.  These shoes should be professional-looking and not spiky.  Initial layers such as a blouse or sweater, accessories or simple jewellery and a good bag.  Denim is not recommended unless it is normal in the office – creative jobs, for example – but even then, distressed should not be worn.

…on what sizes they’re looking for:

All sizes!  However, we are often struggling to find sizes in the small (0-4) and larger (16+) of the spectrum, especially for shorter women. 

…on their volunteer program:

There are currently around 300 people helping out, from running the boutique to stylists, people running the job search program and more.  The Dress for Success Toronto website has plenty of information on how one can become involved!  We also run volunteer information sessions on a monthly basis.

Tickets are $90 and are still available for A Heel of a Good Time and can be purchased online.