Crimson Closet

History

Aleea Perry originally had the idea for a professional clothing closet during an internship experience in college. She didn’t have a lot of formal clothes or adult clothes, only casual clothes. She went thrifting for dress clothes to try to build a wardrobe over the summer. She wasn’t able to afford many business clothes in college and didn’t want others to feel the same way she did.

Perry began working at IUP in fall 2016. In fall 2017, a colleague and her took students to Washington, DC. There was a formal event that required nice business attire, and there were students who needed professional clothes for it.

After returning from the trip, Perry sought permission from university leadership to start a professional clothing closet at IUP. The idea was approved, and it started out in Jane Leonard Hall, although the idea did not yet have a name. It was much smaller than it is now. Perry bought the clothing racks herself and donated many of her own clothes, trying to expand the closet and help out students as much as possible. She wanted to find a bigger, more permanent place by spring 2020, but then COVID hit.

Eventually, the closet moved to the basement of Delaney Hall in a computer lab, about a third of the size of the closet now. While in Delaney, Perry ran the closet by herself until the Career and Professional Development Center offered to help.

Vision

Perry wants every student who needs clothes, whether for casual or business wear, to know that this resource exists and to use it. She doesn’t want students to feel like they don’t know what to wear, especially in a formal setting.