Dressed for Success

Elizabeth Nelson

“C an one black dress worn for five short days create awareness about issues that affect others for a lifetime?” The little black dress is an iconic and versatile wardrobe staple for women globally — first introduced by designer Coco Chanel and made famous over the decades by style icons like Audrey Hepburn, Princess Diana, and Beyoncé. Today, this dress has become a key piece in the professional wardrobes of women across the globe.

In 2014, the Junior League of London decided to harness the power of the little black dress to create a poverty awareness campaign: the Little Black Dress Initiative (LBDI). Since then, more than 80 leagues have replicated the LBDI, including the Junior League of Washington (JLW).

PARTNERING TO DONATE PROFESSIONAL WEAR To kick off its second year participating in the campaign, JLW partnered with A Wider Circle (AWC) to bring the LBDI closer to the Washington, DC area community and support AWC’s holistic approach to ending poverty.

One of AWC’s larger efforts is the Professional Development Center, which provides free professional clothing for job seekers to wear while interviewing and on the job. From blazers to dresses to shoes and accessories, AWC’s team of personal shoppers help ensure each patron coming through is dressed for success and ready to make a great first impression. Coupled with the support of JLW, and the tremendous fundraising and advocacy work from League members, AWC is hitting the mark by serving more than 3,000 individuals each year with a showroom it deems to be, “better than Bloomingdales and nicer than Nordstrom!”

Through coordination with AWC, this year JLW was able to open the Loughborough House as a donation center, with League members volunteering their time to collect, sort, and organize pick up for the professional wear donations.

However, the work doesn’t just stop with little black dresses. Yearround, JLW members are committed to working alongside the compassionate individuals at AWC to further fuel their positive impact on our community and move closer toward ending poverty.

LBDI IN A PANDEMIC A key part of the initiative is wearing the same little black dress for five days in a row, often with a pin reading “Ask me about my dress” to spark a conversation and open a dialogue among colleagues, friends, and strangers. However, in a world that has become increasingly digital, it has made some of these face-to-face interactions difficult and taken away some of the opportunity for spontaneous advocacy.

Through tenacity and social media savviness, JLW was able to successfully pull off the event and advocate for those stricken by poverty in the community raising nearly $25,000 in just five days. For Marcela Aguirre, JLW member, “Participating in the Little Black Dress Initiative was a great way to not only bring awareness to those in my network about poverty and its effects on women but also raise money to support JLW’s community grants. It was encouraging to have my friends and family get involved in these efforts — whether by contributing money or asking questions about the LBDI or the stats I shared on social media and email. It was a great experience, and I hope other JLW members get involved in this initiative in the future.” •

JLW' s Little Black Dress Initiative

What is the Little Black Dress Initiative?

LBDI volunteers, called advocates, wear the same black dress or outfit for five consecutive days to serve as a visual symbol of the restrictions poverty places on individuals and families. These volunteers engage with friends, family, and their social media audiences to raise money and awareness.

Impact By The Numbers

WHEN? October 18-22, 2021

WHO? 57 Participants

WHAT? $25,220.52 Raised

Where do the funds go?

All donations raised through the LBDI go towards the Community Assistance Fund (CAF) and JLW programming and initiatives designed to support the Washington, DC Community.

Want to learn more?

Visit: https://www.jlw.org/little-black-dress/

Email: littleblackdress@jlw.org