Thrifting interview outfits Students getting more creative in how they find professional clothing

Thrift stores and homemade clothing alterations are becoming a more popular source for students wanting to improve their selection of professional clothing due to tight budget constraints.

Jane Cronin, a volunteer with HOB Thrift Boutique, said, “a recent graduate from university with her first job came in, she got a whole wardrobe here for a hundred dollars.” Cronin’s co-worker, Irene Regin, added, “I think it’s appealing because of the price point.”

Langara student Elize Sonsini, prefers to shop secondhand, said, “I really find good stuff like good things for a good price in a very good condition.”

However, some, like Langara student Deep Kur, disagree. “I wouldn’t consider going to a thrift store to get my interview clothing, because I find that all of these stores don’t have good quality.” Kur added she prefers to buy new, shopping for professional attire at H&M and Banana Republic.

Heather Workman, the chair of the co-op and career development center at Langara, said that thrift stores are fine to shop at, but it depends on the workplace you’re applying for.

“As an individual that’s interviewing, you’re trying to understand what the workplace looks like and how people interact,” Workman said.

According to Workman, it’s best to prepare what you’re going to wear a few days ahead of time to reduce the stress of meeting a prospective employer for the first time.

ABOVE: The collared shirts rack in a thrift store. Vintage collared shirts can add personality to professional attire.

BELOW: A large part of the appeal of thrift stores to young people is the price tag.

BOTTOM CENTER: A man learning how to repair and alter clothing at the Stitch Up workshop hosted by UBC Sustainability and Frameworq.

MIDDLE CENTER: Two women work together while repairing clothes at the Stitch Up workshop. Frameworq runs these workshops to divert clothing waste from entering the landfill.

“You don’t want that as an additional panic for you the morning of an interview,” she said.

Additionally, more college students are learning how to make alterations to their clothes before an interview. Frameworq is an organization that runs workshops dedicated to teaching people how to make alterations and upcycle clothing to reduce the amount of clothes that go in the garbage. Irina Mckenzie, the founder of Frameworq, said, “[Making alterations] helps with the wallet and that’s really fantastic because that just means somebody doesn’t have to buy new stuff all the time. They can just use a little bit of creativity and some skill to make something new.”

However, making alterations isn’t necessarily a skill all young people have. “It’s something that can be considered an old people activity, and you know what? No, it’s just a life skill really,” McKenzie said.

Amy Robichaud, executive director of Dress for Success Vancouver, an organization that provides free interview clothing to women, agrees. “The ability to make or do modest alterations yourself can make a huge difference to your wardrobe. With YouTube and a plethora of online tutorials being able to do really modest and basic alterations can make a huge difference to your wardrobe,” Robichaud said, adding, “price, value, sensibility, and professional appearance has much more to do with how our clothes fit and not necessarily how expensive they are. If you can do that yourself you can stretch your dollars really really far.”

A tie: COURTESY OF PNGIMG.COM

LEFT: Display mannequins at a thrift store. When selecting what to wear to an interview it is important to consider the culture of the workplace; choosing to dress too formal is just as bad as choosing to dress too casual.

ABOVE: Frameworq founder, Irina Mckenzie (left), instructing a woman (right) attending the Stitch Up event. Mckenzie said knowing how to make basic alterations and repair clothing is a life skill that saves people money.

BOTTOM RIGHT: Rows of clothes for sale in a thrift store. When shopping for professional attire one of the most important aspects to consider is the clothing's fit. If an article of clothing is loose, alterations can easily be made.