Image by Ed Brennen
Business major Maria Mottin looks at a blouse that she received from Manning Career Closet, a new donor-funded program that provides Manning School of Business students with free access to profession attire.
When junior business major Maria Mottin stepped on stage at Virginia Tech recently to present her research at a national higher education conference, she was wearing something she has never owned before: a tailored suit set.
“I was never able to afford them,” says Mottin, a marketing student in the Manning School of Business.
Mottin ordered the outfit through the new Manning Career Closet, a donor-funded initiative that provides Manning undergraduates with access to free professional attire for interviews, conferences, career fairs and other career-connected experiences.
Launched this semester, the program is designed to remove a common barrier to career readiness, says Rist Family Endowed Dean of Business Bertie Greer.
“We want students to have what they need to be prepared externally for interviews, case competitions or any situation where they need to be professionally dressed,” Greer says.
Associate Director of Development Lindsey McCaughey ’18, ’25 says the school recognized the demand after hosting professional attire pop-up events in recent years where students could select donated items for free.
Image by courtesy
Members of the Real Estate Network Association used the Manning Career Closet to order matching business attire for the recent CRE Finance Council conference in Miami.
Funded entirely through alumni donor support, the Manning Career Closet program partners with MyCareerCloset, a company that works with more than 65 colleges and universities across the country, including Boston University, Georgetown and the University of Miami.
Students request a voucher from the Manning School, create an online profile and schedule a virtual consultation with a professional stylist. Using AI body-scanning technology and a one-on-one conversation, stylists confirm measurements, discuss fit preferences and learn more about the student’s event. A student interviewing at a global financial firm may receive a different look than someone presenting at a startup or attending a networking reception.
“It’s very customized,” says McCaughey, who notes that many students, particularly those who are first generation or new to professional environments, may not know what is expected in certain industries.
“A lot of times, they don’t know what to wear,” she says. “This removes that uncertainty.”
Each shipment includes two complete outfits and accessories (except for shoes), all professionally cleaned and ready to wear. Students can keep the items for up to one month. At the end of the rental period, they can either return everything using a prepaid shipping label or purchase pieces they want to keep at a significant discount, up to 60 percent off the retail price.
Image by Ed Brennen
Business students who order outfits through the Manning Career Closet can keep the clothes for one month, then either return them using a prepaid shipping label or purchase the items at a discounted price.
“We wanted to look unified. It was almost like a uniform for UMass Lowell,” says RENA president Tucker Norton, who found the ordering process to be seamless.
After completing the AI body scan on his phone and meeting virtually with a stylist, Norton received a box containing a blazer, a pair of pants, two dress shirts, two ties, a belt and a Versace cologne sample in less than a week.
“The suit that they sent me fit better than the suits that I own,” says Norton, who wore the outfit to several events on campus before the Miami trip.
Norton says the tailored outfits helped the group feel prepared walking into networking sessions and employer conversations.
“The worst thing for me is not being comfortable in what I’m wearing in a professional setting,” he says. “Since we were able to dress well, we were able to feel good. We didn’t feel like we were being judged by other people at the conference based on how we looked.”
For Mottin, that same sense of confidence started long before she stepped onto the conference stage in Virginia, where she presented a marketing AI research project that she conducted while she was a student at Miami Dade College.
“I dress up every day to go to school. It changes how I feel throughout the day,” says Mottin, who transferred to UMass Lowell last spring.
“If I’m wearing something that I don’t feel comfortable in, it affects my performance overall,” she says. “You want to feel confident when you’re networking with people. You are your own brand.”