December 19, 2022

Season of Giving

Donations of career-ready attire turn Rocky’s Closet green

Student in winter cap peruses rack of dresses — Navrose Bajwa, graduate coordinator with the Office for Social Justice and Diversity, sorts dresses in Rocky’s Closet.

Navrose Bajwa, a graduate student in Industrial and Organizational Psychology, was busy sorting through racks of recycled red dresses, black slacks and white dress shirts inside the Montclair State University boutique known as Rocky’s Closet. New clothes were arriving on this December morning, thanks to a clothes drive by the African American Caucus, which was encouraging donations of professional clothes to make a difference in a student’s life, and in turn, making sustainability chic.

Run by the Office for Social Justice and Diversity, Rocky’s Closet offers free clothing to students to help them dress for success at job interviews, formal affairs or graduation. “We’ve all heard the sayings, ‘clothes make the man or the woman,’ and ‘you are what you wear.’ All of that means you get special inspiration,” says Justice Studies Associate Professor Reginia Judge, acting president of the African American Caucus. “You get that oomph. When you’re dressed well, you feel confident.”

Judge was on hand to help give the career clothes, donated by Montclair staffers, a second life. Rocky’s Closet accepts new or slightly used professional clothing, shoes and accessories for business settings, including gender-neutral/inclusive clothing options. All donated clothes are dry-cleaned and ready to wear.

“We have students and people who work on campus who are in need. Sometimes it’s hard to ask for help,” Judge says. “But with a central location where you can find something to make a good first impression, to make you feel good about interviewing, to make you feel good while you’re doing a presentation, it’s important that Montclair makes that available. We are a public serving institution and this is a great example of the services available on campus that help us help one another.”

Rocky’s Closet is located on the fourth floor of Alice Paul Hall in The Village, 45 Clove Road, Little Falls. It is open three days a week by appointment by emailing rockyscloset@montclair.edu.

Want to contribute? Email rockyscloset@montclair.edu to learn how to donate clothing or cash, or make a purchase from this Amazon Wish List.

Photo Gallery

Navrose Bajwa, graduate coordinator at Rocky’s Closet, left, and Justice Studies Associate Professor Reginia Judge, collect donated clothing in Alice Paul Hall. “This closet has some awesome clothing,” Judge says.

Navrose Bajwa, an international student from India studying for a master’s degree in Industrial and Organizational Psychology, moves a rack of men’s slacks at Rocky’s Closet.

close-up view of a rack with color-coded hangers and colorful suit jackets — Students can select from a colorful collection of women’s business jackets. Rocky’s Closet is in need of small and extra-small sizes.

Add a finishing touch from a wide selection of neckties.

Photos by University Photographer Mike Peters.