At the University of Michigan’s Clothes Closet, students pore over racks of business attire, preparing for interviews and internships, looking to define what “professional” means for them.
The free resource, housed within the University Career Center (UCC) on Central Campus, allows students to select up to three items per semester and appointments can book out two to three weeks in advance — a testament to the demand that’s only grown since the closet first opened in early 2016.
“The need is there for the [Clothes] Closet. It always has been. I think it’s debunking the perception that [all students at] Michigan have a lot of access and privilege,” says Joelle Fundaro Randall, the assistant director of student success and career engagement at UCC.
The Clothes Closet was originally piloted with a U-M scholarship program before expanding to the broader student community with appointments and periodic events.
The Clothes Closet relies on donations, and Fundaro Randall says an additional benefit of the closet is keeping items out of landfills. Some retiring U-M faculty donate business attire they no longer need, or alums who used the resource as students return to give back.
During their appointments, student coordinators help educate fellow students on different industry norms and what attire is considered business formal or casual — for example, “a nonprofit and a startup might have a very different brand,” Fundaro Randall says.
But equally important is the Clothes Closet’s long-standing mission to teach students how to build their own brand. While many students may think of career services as offering only job search or resume help, Fundaro Randall wanted to help students build an identity that is showcased in how they dress, how they present themselves on paper, and how they present themselves in an interview.
“When you feel confident in that interview, whether it’s based on what you’re saying or wearing, you’re more likely to feel happy and satisfied in that interview, and that will come through. Confidence goes a long way,” Fundaro Randall says.
Isabella Marks used University Career Center resources as a first-year student, so she was familiar with the Clothes Closet when looking for a job on campus where she could also give back to the community. Now a junior majoring in public policy, Marks helps build that confidence in others.
“A lot of people ask me my opinion on something, and I tell them as long as you’re meeting the standard of being professional, beyond that, it’s just what you think you look good in and what you feel comfortable in. I’m explaining that the more confident you are in yourself and what you’re wearing, the better you’re going to come off in your interview,” she says.
After nearly a decade of helping students build their brand and feel confident in what they’re wearing, Fundaro Randall says the UCC Clothes Closet’s impact is best measured in moments, like the time a student came in for an emergency appointment on the day of the Job & Internship Fair, and went on to land her dream internship after connecting with a recruiter that same day.
“To see students shift their confidence within a 30-minute conversation and experience — priceless.”
The University Career Center Clothes Closet Week of Giving is April 20-24, 2026, and the 10th Birthday Party will be held from 12-2 p.m. on April 22 at the University Career Center.
Katherine Fiorillo is the senior editor of Michigan Alum.
