Nonprofit Dress for Success opens downtown Casper boutique location

CASPER, Wyo. – An international charitable organization is raising its Casper profile barely two years after establishing a local branch.

Dress for Success Casper – a nonprofit that offers clothing and coaching for unemployed or underemployed women – has opened a storefront in the space next door to Fashion Crossroads at 216 East Second Street in downtown Casper. The space is on the ground floor of the historic Tribune Building, and had been used as Fashion Crossroads’s outlet store for about 25 years.

Kyleen Stevenson-Braxton, who owns Fashion Crossroads and sits on the board of Dress for Success Casper, helped to facilitate the move.

“I decided to consolidate that store into [Fashion Crossroads], and because I was on the board, I was able to let them know that the space was becoming available before it was on the market, and they jumped on it,” she said. The organization was already using part of the Fashion Crossroads building as a warehouse, adding a logistical benefit as well.

Dress for Success operates internationally, but Casper’s branch was opened in 2023 thanks to Executive Director Amy White, who had worked for the staffing agency Adecco. It was there where she witnessed people trying to get into the workforce who couldn’t afford professional clothing.

“While I was at Adecco, we found that there were often times when the people that we served just did not have clothing for work; either appropriate clothing for the job they were taking, or interview clothing,” she said in a previous interview.

Kyleen said the organization is there to help women not only get jobs, but to also advance in a career.

“If they need an interview outfit, they can come in and get a free interview outfit,” she said, “and if they get the job, then they can come back and get a free week’s worth of clothing, which includes handbags, coats, necklaces, you name it.”

Dress for Success has partnered with most of the nonprofits in town who send referrals, she said. “So the mission, the prison, all of these various organizations are sending referrals for women who could use these services, but you can also self-refer,” she said.

The term they like to use is “suited,” she said. “They’ve ‘suited’ a couple of Casper College students, who had just graduated and were going into the workforce with nothing but jeans and sweatshirts,” said Kyleen.

Many clients haven’t had the experience or training to dress appropriately for work, so Dress for Success offers them a boutique setting with experienced fashion guidance. “They get personalized help to put outfits together that are work appropriate,” she said.

After being suited, clients are then given opportunities for professional development and coaching, including tips on how to act during job interviews, and how to manage money.

“It’s really good for our community,” said Kyleen.

A ribbon cutting event is scheduled for Wednesday, April 16, at 4 p.m.. in front of their new storefront at 216 East Second Street in downtown Casper. More information on their event can be found here.

Suitings are done by appointment. Dress for Success Casper can be reached at 307-333-3892, or by email at casper@dressforsuccess.org. They can also be reached at their website and on social media.