The look that got me hired
Before I ever worked in the nonprofit sector, I got my first job the old-fashioned way. I was a teenager with a passion for fashion, so I printed resumes and walked into every clothing store at the mall. My mom drove me there, I had a closet full of clothing to wear, and the adults in my life encouraged me to be confident and ask for the manager. A few days later, I landed a job at a local retail outlet.
Months afterward, my manager told me why she hired me: she knew I’d be a good fit based on my “look.” Whenever another young woman handed in a resume, she’d ask the same question: did she have “the look”? She wasn’t trying to be unfair. She was doing, out loud, what most hiring managers do quietly: reading appearance as a proxy for readiness. It’s uncomfortable to admit, but it shapes who gets a chance, which is why my colleagues and I run a nonprofit built around that exact gap.
What confidence actually costs
A blazer, a decent pair of shoes, a stick of deodorant, all for an interview that may or may not lead anywhere. None of it shows up on a resume, and none of it is optional for a strong first impression. For a lot of the women we work with, it’s also out of reach.
That’s where Dress for Success Ottawa starts, but it isn’t where we stop. We empower women to achieve economic independence through workplace attire, career and life skills, financial education, and an ongoing support network.
I had the tools to make that first job happen; not everyone does. What’s often missing is what I got for free: someone in your corner telling you that you’re ready, and helping you look the part before you walk in the door.
A problem bigger than one blazer
For many women who come through our doors, the gap is wider than the business sector realizes. Some are choosing between groceries and bus fare, let alone a new dress. Ottawa’s unemployment rate has recently climbed past 6 per cent, and unemployment among newcomers has long remained well above average. The city’s housing data shows the unhoused population downtown has been rising for years, disproportionately affecting women and gender-diverse people fleeing precarious housing or violence.
Ottawa’s labour market is increasingly competitive, and employers often screen out capable people for reasons that have nothing to do with capability. Every woman turned away because she didn’t have “the look” or the confidence to enter a room, is a candidate Ottawa never got the chance to hire, and the whole city feels that strain.
Fifteen years, and an invitation
This year, Dress for Success Ottawa marks fifteen years of providing women with this access. Since 2011, we’ve provided more than 6,000 styling appointments, and in 2025 alone supported more than 1,000 women. We’re celebrating that milestone with Stepping Forward: A Toast to Fifteen Years of Style, our anniversary gala at the Hellenic Event Centre on October 15. Every ticket sold is what lets us say yes to a woman in need instead of turning her away.
I got my first job because someone helped me look like I belonged in the room, and because a manager took a chance on a teenager with no real experience, simply based on her confidence and “look.” Fifteen years of Dress for Success Ottawa has been about making sure that chance isn’t a matter of luck.
Every ticket sold for October 15 is one more woman who gets to walk into her interview already knowing she’s capable of building her career. At Dress for Success Ottawa, we ignite careers and transform futures. At Stepping Forward, so can you.
Tickets for Stepping Forward are available now at Eventbrite.
About the author
Mallory Theoret is Senior Development Coordinator at Dress for Success Ottawa, where she leads fundraising, events and communications. Her background spans costume and fashion design, along with event management, giving her a firsthand understanding of how presentation shapes opportunity.
Learn more about Dress for Success Ottawa at ottawa.dressforsuccess.org.
