At a brief press conference today, Irvine Mayor Sukhee Kang, Fountain Valley Mayor Guy Corrozzo and other community leaders will talk about stripping out of their suits.
No, this is not to honor randy Ted Kennedy. It's the official launch of the second annual Men's Wearhouse National Suit Drive, which continues through Sept. 30.
For years, Fountain Valley-based nonprofit Working Wardrobes has collected ladies business attire and donated it to women in need of sharp outfits as they interview to re-enter the workforce. With so many at-risk men out of work or under employed, Working Wardrobes and Men's Wearhouse have joined forces to do the same for the guys. The goal is to collect more than 100,000 suits throughout Southern California.
“Proper professional attire complement the career development we give our clients to bring out their extraordinary potential,” explains Jerri Rosen, the Working Wardrobes founder and CEO, in a press statement. “With the finishing touch of a fine suit, clients feel confident and empowered going into the interview.”
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Most donations will be distributed at Working Wardrobes' 13th annual Men's Day of Self-Esteem Oct. 25 at Los Amigos High School in Fountain Valley. More than 125 men from area shelters and rehabilitation programs will be celebrating their completition of six-week career success workshops. At the daylong event, they will also benefit from an on-site career fair with potential employers, personal grooming services and the help of professional shoppers who will wade through the donations to match suits for them.
Men's Wearhouse is tossing in a free tie for every suit donated. (George Zimmer guarantees it!) For drop-off locations, visit NationalSuitDrive.com.
OC Weekly Editor-in-Chief Matt Coker has been engaging, enraging and entertaining readers of newspapers, magazines and websites for decades. He spent the first 13 years of his career in journalism at daily newspapers before “graduating” to OC Weekly in 1995 as the alternative newsweekly’s first calendar editor.