dressbarn Partners With Dress for Success to Provide Professional Attire for Women Seeking Employment

SUFFERN, N.Y., Feb. 1, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- With an increasing number of women unemployed and looking for work, dressbarn's annual "Send One Suit Weekend" program aims to remove a fundamental hurdle for those women in need seeking a job: having the proper outfit to wear for the job interview.

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The ninth annual clothing donation program will run from February 24-27, with drop-off sites at over 825 dressbarn (Nasdaq: ASNA) locations across the country.  The national apparel retailer, geared towards the working woman, has teamed up with Dress for Success, the international non-profit organization that supports female economic independence to collect articles of professional attire, which in turn will be donated to women looking to gain a job or who are trying to re-entering the workforce.

"This program provides the initial, yet vital, step of supporting women with the proper attire building their confidence to succeed in getting a job," said Vivian Behrens, EVP and Chief Marketing Officer at dressbarn.  "'Send One Suit' weekend encourages our customers to donate a suit or any professional clothing that can be used by someone less fortunate who is working to better her life.  The last thing a woman should have to worry about during a job search is whether her wardrobe will prevent her from being seriously considered for employment."

Last year, dressbarn's "Send One Suit Weekend" clothing drive yielded more than 43,000 professional items of clothing in four days.  The collected items were distributed to more than 70 Dress for Success affiliates throughout the U.S.  This year, the company is looking to attract in excess of 50,000 items of gently-worn professional attire.

"For nearly 50 years, dressbarn has been dedicated to the needs of the working woman," said Ms. Behrens.  "This charity drive allows us to further that ideal, as we champion efforts with local communities and non-profit organizations nationwide to give women in-need a renewed sense of self and the confidence to re-enter or join the workforce."

"This is our ninth year partnering with dressbarn for 'Send One Suit Weekend' and we couldn't be more thrilled," said Joi Gordon, CEO of Dress for Success Worldwide. "Every day we witness the transformative power professional attire has over the lives of women and their families, and with these donations, women can walk into an interview suited, brimming with confidence—the first and most fundamental step to professional and personal success."

All dressbarn locations nationwide will serve as drop-off sites for gently used suits, dresses, skirts, slacks, blouses, belts and shoes that will be used to benefit low-income women who are looking for employment.  Additionally, dressbarn stores will offer donors an additional savings of 15% off  a total purchase in gratitude for their generosity. For a complete list of locations and acceptable items, please visit dressbarn.com.

About dressbarn

dressbarn, a division of Ascena Retail Group Inc. (Nasdaq: ASNA), is a leading national women's specialty apparel retailer offering quality casual, career and special occasion fashions dressbarn stores carry styles in sizes 4 to 24, as well as shoes and accessories. As of December 2010, Ascena retail group Inc's three brands operated over 830 dressbarn stores in 47 states, over 750 Maurice's stores in 44 states, and over 900 Justice stores in 46 states, Puerto Rico, Russia and the Middle East. For more information regarding dressbarn stores, please visit dressbarn.com.

About Dress for Success

Dress for Success is an international not-for-profit organization that promotes the economic independence of disadvantaged women by providing professional attire, a network of support and the career development tools to help women thrive in work and in life. Since starting operations in 1997, Dress for Success has expanded to more than 100 cities in the U.S., Australia, Canada, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland, the UK and the West Indies. To date, Dress for Success has helped more than 500,000 women work towards self-sufficiency. Visit www.dressforsuccess.org to learn more.

SOURCE dressbarn