The transition from a college student wardrobe to professional attire can be rough. For the last 10 years, Cal Poly Pomona students have been able to shop at the university's Clothes Closet for free professional clothing.

Last week the Clothes Closet celebrated its tenth anniversary with an open house. More than 540 students attended, with 322 students taking home almost 1,100 pieces of professional clothing, ties, accessories and shoes. Students are allowed six items per semester.

"The program helps students put their best foot forward for Interviews, networking events or the first week of work without having to worry about cost," explains Cheryl Love, a career counselor and coordinator of the Clothes Closet. "Many students struggle to pay for tuition, books, to keep a roof over their head and have enough food to eat. With the Closet, we give students one less thing to worry about as they work to make the transition from college to the world of work.

Since 2016, the Career Center has partnered with the Apparel Merchandising and Management (AMM) Department to bring student interns on board to manage inventory, help organize the clothing and serve as personal stylists. Students running the service are either taking the Retail Simulation course from the AMM Department or are Apparel and Merchandise Management majors completing their required internship hours as part of the Internship course, Love said.

The boutique accepts clothing items from the public, faculty, staff and employers who have a relationship with the university. Clothing should be professional, clean, and either new or gently used. For more information, visit https://www.cpp.edu/career/student/clothes-closet.shtml or call 909-869-2342.