Professional and work appropriate clothing is a necessary, yet expensive reality that all college students have to face eventually. Director of Career Development Michelle Shawgo came up with the idea mainly because she had a few nice things she wouldn’t wear again, but wasn’t entirely eager to give them up to charity just yet.

     "I had so many clothes from professional name brands like Banana Republic that are great to work in, but I couldn’t use them anymore."

     Shawgo said the state of the economy and student’s future place in the workforce also influenced the program.

     "I know how expensive it is to buy work appropriate clothes for interviews or presentations, so I wanted to give students an opportunity to build their wardrobe on a low budget," she said.

     Some students agree that a program like this is a good idea.

     "I was pricing pantsuits for an interview and you are lucky to find something around $100," said Amanda Murdock, a senior education major. "I think there would be many people at Monmouth that would be interested."

     Shawgo said the clothing had been donated from members of the Chamber of Commerce and young professionals from Monmouth and Galesburg and are of good quality.

     "There have been some interesting items like MC Hammer pants from the 90s, but we did sort through to make sure that what students buy is appropriate to work in," she said. "There are even some items that still have a price tag on."

     There are clothing items for both men and women. As of a week before the event there are many more items for men with many choices of suits. Sophomore Ian Smith, a classics and religious studies major, discovered the event through fliers.

     "I know that many of the male students in fraternities would be very excited for this," he said. "All the fraternities have days that they dress in professional attire, and I think giving them the option to buy professional clothing at low prices is very smart."

     Smith also said the program is likely to be successful because "the theater department draws a sizable crowd when they sell old props. I think a sale that sells suits and the like for the business world is an excellent idea."

     The goal for the program is to sell everything, but whatever is left over will be donated to a charity such as the Salvation Army. Proceeds will benefit Starting Point, an organization that provides guidance and mentoring as well as education and vocational directing.