Bath charity helps women dress to impress at interview

Dr Jane Ellis-Brush wants to help level up the job-hunting arena for women in need by enhancing the first impressions they make

A charity is seeking to help women into employment by providing them with high quality workwear and interview advice.

The donated clothes will be used by women attending interviews and for outfits in the early days of a new job.

Dr Jane Ellis-Brush, from the University of Bath's School of Management, set up First Impressions to help women feel confident and prepared.

She said: "The right outfit can be transformative in terms of confidence and self-belief."

The project will first focus on giving women access to clothes and accessories, and later match women with a mentor to discuss their goals and help them prepare for interview.

The charity was set up after Dr Ellis-Brush moved to Bath earlier this year after living abroad.

Having worked in financial services for a global bank, she realised she had an "extensive corporate wardrobe", most of which she no longer needed.

"I suddenly thought how great it would be if others, who have less opportunity, could access a range of outfits for interview," she said.

The charity is working with other local organisations, including 3SG Bath, Bath Women’s Fund, Mercy in Action and St John's

Dr Ellis-Brush said the charity is in its early days and she has taken advice from Smart Works, which has eight centres across the UK and has helped more than 20,000 women into employment over the last eight years.

She added First Impressions is working with local organisations and hopes to put on pop-up events every three to four months, creating a library of clothes.

She says this will help the charity to remain sustainable, with women able to keep the clothes if they want to, but also be able to return them so that others can benefit.

"The pop-up events will hopefully be a nice experience for them where they can choose their outfits and get some good advice about interview skills," she added.

The charity will offer a tailored service, with the use of mentors, to focus on building inner confidence through wardrobe selection and interview coaching.

The charity is now looking for a low-cost venue where they can store donations as well as locations for the pop-up events.