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Students at Texas Christian University’s Neeley School of Business can apply for a need-based program that provides them with custom-tailored suits.
Texas Christian University
Students often need professional dress for presentations, competitions or conferences, but professional clothing can be expensive, and students struggling day to day are unlikely to have the funds to purchase a suit. Federal data on basic needs insecurity found 12.2 percent of graduate students experience food insecurity and 4.6 percent experience homelessness.
In spring 2021, Texas Christian University’s Neeley School of Business, supported by philanthropy, launched a program to address a need among its master of business administration students, offering one custom outfit for any student who met need-based criteria.
This year, TCU partnered with Reveal Suits to give students specially made garb featuring the university’s colors and students’ names. Since the program’s launch, 80 students have received business attire, about half of which have come from Reveal Suits.
Holes in the closet: Through focus groups with a variety of students, leaders at Neeley identified professional clothing as a barrier to participation for some.
Many colleges and universities offer a career closet where students can shop for business attire for free, in some cases to loan for a professional event and in others to keep.
TCU’s initiative, Suit Up–Lead On, goes a step farther, creating a custom-made TCU-branded suit for any student who meets eligibility requirements.
Suiting up: Students apply online, providing their ID number and major, along with a brief statement on their financial need as well as career and academic goals that professional attire can help them achieve, among other information.
The selection committee evaluates a student’s financial need (as confirmed by the financial aid department) and GPA, and looks at whether or not they’ve received or applied for a suit in a prior term.
If selected, the student receives a custom-tailored suit lined with TCU purple. The logo and the students’ first and last names are stitched into the lining.
The suits, available for men or women, typically cost $650 with the special TCU lining without tailoring and $950 in a custom set, according to the Reveal website. TCU does not get a special rate for its partnership. Students receive the suit, plus shoes and a shirt and tie if needed, for free.
TCU also has a guide for students looking to dress their best, the Suit Up–Lead On Look Book, helping them match fabric and fit to style and colors.
Stitching it together: Carlton Dixon was a former University of Texas athlete and high school athletic director and basketball coach before founding Reveal.
One of his goals with Reveal is to help people in building confidence and empowering them, in the same way he could with young athletes. Dixon has also designed jackets for the Basketball Hall of Fame class of 2023.
Finishing touches: Donor funding has made the TCU program possible, according to TCU Neeley. Over 150 students have applied since the program launch, 80 of whom have received suits.
“There is clearly a demonstrated need for the program,” says Ann J. Tasby, director of the office of inclusive excellence in the Neeley School of Business. “Right now the program is dependent upon discrete donations from our generous donors and corporate partners. To drive sustainability, we would ideally like to have the program endowed at a level that will provide operational funding.”
Students who received suits have said the experience made them feel more confident, and they appreciated Dixon’s thoughtfulness during the process. One recipient wore his suit during a social impact competition and placed second at the event.
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