Meet the Sharp Dressed Men of Baltimore, empowering others to improve their lives

Sharp Dressed Man is a recycled suit program that provides smart clothes, grooming and training for men who are looking to re-enter the workforce.

A change of clothes changes lives

Sharp Dressed Man is a not-for-profit program dedicated to empowering men to improve their lives through professional presentation. Father and son team of expert tailors, Christopher and Seth Schafer, along with a team of volunteers, provide recycled suits and presentation skills for job interviews to men actively engaged in a variety of workforce development agencies in the greater Baltimore, Maryland, area. They say they believe a change of clothes changes lives.

Program participants report a significant boost in their confidence and composure

On their website, Sharp Dressed Man say they are dedicated to empowering men to improve their lives through professional presentation. They provide recycled suits and presentation skills for job interviews to men actively engaged in a workforce development program with various organisations in the greater Baltimore area. Sharp Dressed Man was founded by a partnership between the Baltimore Fashion Alliance and the Living Classrooms Foundation in 2011 to support men re-entering the workforce.

They established an independent clothing boutique in downtown Baltimore in of December 2015, and since then have created connections with over a dozen agencies, instituting a referral process.

The building caught fire in March 2016, so they relocated and reopened in mid-April. They equip men who are ready for work with a measure-to-fit, one on one styling experience resulting in a hand selected suit and accessories to wear to interviews among other occasions. 

Often an appropriate, business-professional outfit can be the last obstacle standing between men who have completed work training and employment. This program closes the gap between being prepared with skills for a new job and "looking the part" to get in the door for an interview.

This is far more than simply a clothing closet — the volunteer team of stylists ensure every participant leaves looking and feeling their absolute best. 

Program participants report a significant boost in their confidence and composure, giving them the power to present their best selves to future employers and continue on the journey to success. 

Sharp Dressed Man believes a change of clothes changes lives.

Source: SharpDressedMan.org

Meanwhile, the women of Baltimore can Dress For Success too!

Dress for Success Baltimore is an affiliate of Dress for Success, an international, not-for-profit organisation that empowers women to achieve economic independence by providing a network of support, professional attire and the development tools to help women thrive in work and in life. Dress for Success now has over 150 affiliates in 20 countries.

Dress For Success say their purpose is to offer long-lasting solutions that enable women to break the cycle of poverty. Dress for Success is part of a global movement for change, empowering women to obtain safer and better futures.

They provide each client with professional attire to secure employment and, in common with Sharp Dressed Man, they are about much more than simply a new outfit. Besides physically equipping the client with apparel and accessories, their programs furnish her with a confidence that she carries forever and the knowledge that she can actively define her life, the direction she takes and what success means to her.

Source: DressForSuccessBaltimore