Clinton fan's 'Pantsuit Drive' for homeless job seekers

Mrs Clinton's pantsuits have been much feted by her supporters

Women who wore pantsuits in support of Hillary Clinton on US election day are now being urged to donate them to poor and homeless women.

The invitation-only Facebook group Pantsuit Nation, which has 3.7 million subscribers, is backing the "Pantsuit Drive" launched by Meena Harris.

The software company policy manager said she wanted to help tackle the pay gap faced by women of colour.

Libby Chamberlain, founder of Pantsuit Nation, is urging members to donate.

The page was named after Mrs Clinton's trademark trouser suits, which she was seen wearing throughout her campaign.

'Obvious privilege'

In an article for feminist newsletter Lenny Letter, Ms Harris said that the idea was born as she dropped off her dry cleaning near her San Francisco home.

The former Facebook employee, who studied at Stanford and Harvard, said she reflected on "what an obvious privilege it is to even own a pantsuit, let alone to buy a new one for a special occasion".

She added: "In 2016, too many women still struggle to raise their families. They are disproportionately minimum-wage workers who juggle multiple jobs to make ends meet, and they still don't earn equal pay. The pay gap for women of colour isn't just a gap, it's a canyon."

Pantsuit Nation: The secret Clinton Facebook group

She posted a picture of herself, along with her mother and young baby, sporting a blue pantsuit in homage to the Democratic candidate's trademark trouser suits on polling day.

Ms Chamberlain quoted a Pantsuit Nation member, now a Harvard Kennedy School graduate and communications and strategy consultant, who had been homeless at the age of 20.

Tanene Allison said she had been offered a job interview but could not afford the bus fare or any smart clothing.

"Job interviews can be hard enough, but they're outright terrifying when you're afraid you'll walk in looking like you live in a homeless shelter," she was quoted as saying.

A woman at the youth shelter where she was staying helped her put together an outfit from donated clothing, and she eventually got the job.

Ms Harris said the campaign, dubbed Pantsuits for Progress, was "a way of honouring Hillary's public service - while recognising the roads we still must travel".

She said the clothing would be donated to organisations that support poor and homeless women with job-interview preparation and employment opportunities.