College of Business initiative helps students dress for success

Nicholls State University College of Business inaugurated their Business Closet Program at the beginning of the semester to help students look their best in the professional world.

“We had a soft opening last semester, pretty much word of mouth among College of Business students, and we had maybe a dozen or so students requesting to be outfitted,” Krisandra Guidry, assistant dean of the College of Business Administration, said. “We decided to open wide this semester because I think that we have a nice stock of clothing for both men and women.”

The Business Closet is a program implemented to ensure students who are on a budget can look professional from day one of their job search to when they enter the professional world.

“College students have to be well dressed, especially in the business world,” Guidry said. “When they go to an interview, when they start a new job, even when they make presentations in class, they are asked to dress a certain way.”

The program is open to College of Business students only. Students who are currently enrolled and majoring in accounting, finance, management, marketing, Computer Information Systems or business administration, can choose one complete outfit per academic year.

“If [a student] starts [choosing an outfit] as a freshmen, by the time they graduate, they will have four complete outfits,” Guidry said.

The students will be able to choose from new and gently used business and business casual attire appropriate for interviews, career fairs, presentations, internships or employment, free of charge. The student is not required to return the outfits.
In the closet, students will find business attire such as men’s and women’s suits, pants and shoes, men’s sport coats, dress shirts and ties, women’s dresses, blouses and skirts.

To have access to the closet, a student has to fill out a request form that can be found in the College of Business Dean’s Office at 106 White Hall. After filling the form, the student can request an appointment to visit the closet and take a look at the inventory.

Once the appointment is confirmed via email, the student will meet with a College of Business stylist at 306 Powell Hall, who will assist the student throughout the process. Appointments are available from Monday through Thursday in the afternoon.

Marketing seniors Page Garcia, from Metairie, and Hannah Kidder, from Franklin, visited the closet on Tuesday afternoon. According to Kidder, having access to business attire for free is a good thing since they are about to graduate in May.

The Business Closet is ADA compliant. Students with disabilities can be provided with a virtual tour of the closet, and stylists can bring items from the inventory to the first floor of White or Powell halls upon student request.

The entire inventory is composed of donation from faculty and staff. The clothing sizes and styles available vary as students visit the closet and new donations come in.

“I started collecting clothes from family and friends last fall. So far we are fully stocked and our program is open,” Guidry said. “I had several alumni and people on campus donate clothes to the cause. I think that we have a wide selection of different sizes.”

Students who didn’t find their correct sizes or something that appeals to them are welcomed to make another appointment to check out new arrivals.

Donations from faculty, staff, students and alumni are encouraged. The Business Closet accepts business attire of good or excellent quality that has been cleaned prior to donations. Hangers and clothing racks and monetary donations are also welcomed. Donations can be dropped off at 106 White Hall.