Work Your Image! Expands to 25 Free Business Clothing Programs

 WASHINGTON, D.C. – October 29, 2001 -- Work Your Image!, the national program of the Cosmetic, Toiletry, and Fragrance Association (CTFA) and Women Work!, designed to help women create a professional appearance to get and keep a job, is expanding and now reaches 25 grassroots programs around the country that provide free professional attire and related services to low-income women seeking employment. Work Your Image! has developed a personal tip sheet that will reach 30,000 women who receive free professional attire from members of The Women’s Alliance, a member of the Women Work! network. The Work Your Image! tip sheet provides concise information on the use of cosmetics, personal care products and job savvy geared to helping women present a professional appearance at employment interviews and on the job.

Irene Malbin, CTFA vice president - public affairs, recently addressed the national meeting of The Women’s Alliance where the Work Your Image! personal tip sheet and partnership with the Women’s Alliance was launched. Malbin said, “We are very happy that Work Your Image! through Women Work! is now a partner with The Women’s Alliance. Our goal is to provide basic professional appearance information to women when they get their free business wardrobes.” She continued, “And in these difficult times with unemployment increasing, Work Your Image! and the free business clothing given by the members of  The Women’s Alliance are needed now more than ever.”

“The Work Your Image! Program has been a great success for women in transition and Women Work!,” said Women Work! Executive Director Jill Miller. “With this new partnership, women will get much more than a new interview suit. They’ll learn how to enhance their skills and training and receive the advice they need to succeed in the workplace.”

The Work Your Image! personal tip sheet will be put in shopping bags of women when they select their free interview wardrobes. In those cities where The Women’s Alliance members have professional and personal development programs in addition to free business clothing, the full Work Your Image! program will be offered. Lisa Woll, The Women’s Alliance president, said, “Collaboration with other national organizations like CTFA and Women Work! allow all of us to better respond to the needs of low-income women, and provide clients of The Women’s Alliance with valuable resources.”

The Work Your Image! program disseminates guides and worksheets on the importance of appearance to the more than 1,400 education, training and employment programs that are part of the Women Work! network.  These programs provide career counseling, life skills development, support groups, and job training to help women move into and up in the workplace.

CTFA is a national trade association representing the cosmetic, toiletry, and fragrance industry.  Founded in 1894, CTFA has an active membership of approximately 300 companies that manufacture or distribute the vast majority of finished personal care products marketed in the United States.  CTFA also includes approximately 300 associate member companies, including manufacturers of raw materials, trade and consumer magazines, and other related materials. Information on Work Your Image! can be found on CTFA’s website www.ctfa.org .

Women Work! The National Network for Women's Employment is dedicated to empowering women from diverse backgrounds and helping them achieve self-sufficiency through job readiness, education, training and employment. Information  on Work Your Image! can be found on their website www.womenwork.org.

The Women’s Alliance is a national organization of independent community-based members who provide professional attire, career skills training and related services to low-income women seeking employment. They are a member of the Women Work! network and can be reached at 305-762-6400 www.thewomensalliance.org.

###