The Reid Family Career Closet inside Youngkin Success Center. Credit: Curtesy of Madi Barnes.
Professional clothing can be a major stressor for college students looking to make a positive impression as they enter the workforce. The Reid Family Career Closet gives Ohio State students access to free professional clothing to help them feel prepared for job interviews, career fairs and other professional opportunities.
Hosted by the Monda Student Resource Center, the Reid Family Career Closet pop-up will be open Tuesday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Great Hall Meeting Room of the Ohio Union, according to the website. Volunteers will be present to help students put together business-professional outfits at no cost.
The pop-up will be hosted prior to Ohio State’s University-Wide Career and Internship Fair, running Wednesday through Thursday, according to the website. The resource center aims to expand the career closet’s reach and bring professional resources directly to students, said program coordinator Madi Barnes.?
“If you have an outfit that you feel comfortable in, it makes you feel more confident as you’re approaching your professional endeavor,” Barnes said.
For both undergraduate and graduate students, building a professional wardrobe can be costly. The career closet helps students manage those expenses by providing free business attire, Barnes said.
“I think it’s really important that resources like the Reid Family Career Closet exist to help students as they’re managing their finances, often for the first time on their own,” Barnes said.
Volunteers at the pop-up help students learn how to put together professional outfits by explaining the difference between business-casual and business-professional attire and helping students select pieces that work for their needs.
“We hope that students come away with an outfit or a couple of outfits that they feel really happy about and excited about,” Barnes said. “I’m ready to tackle their professional goals.”
Ohio State’s Fashion Retail Studies Department created a style guide for the career closet’s pop-up for students to reference when choosing professional clothing, Barnes said.?
Women’s and men’s suits are among the most popular items at the career closet, however, it also offers a variety of? button-down shirts, blouses, dresses, skirts, shoes, scrubs and winter apparel, said Morgan Vibbert, associate director for the Student Wellness Center, which offers career wellness resources, according to the website.
The clothing offered is meant to serve students entering a variety of fields in the workforce, Vibbert said, including medical, office and agricultural careers.
Vibbert said in the summer of 2026, one student visited the career closet looking for a full suit, tie, shirt and shoes to wear to an out-of-state conference.
“[The student] came back after their conference and actually showed us a picture of them presenting, [wearing] what they took from the Reid Family Career Closet,” Vibbert said. “It was a really nice full circle moment to see the impact.”?
Vibbert said providing easy access to professional clothing can help students feel prepared to enter the workforce while also giving them the opportunity to develop their own professional style.
The career closet originally operated as a pop-up, founded in April 2025, before becoming a permanent resource at the Monda Student Resource Center with support from the Reid Family — donors to the program. Vibbert said the permanent location was created as a result of the demand for continued access to professional clothing.
The permanent location can be found in the Youngkin Success Center at 1640 Neil Ave. The closet is open Monday through Friday, with hours varying by day. Students can make 20-minute appointments to shop the closet’s selection, Barnes said.
Barnes said this is the first time the Reid Family Career Closet is hosting a pop-up since opening its permanent location.?
For Vibbert, one of the most rewarding parts of the career closet is seeing students use resources through the Monda Student Resource Center, graduate as Buckeyes and eventually begin their careers as Ohio State alumni.?
“We’re open to every Buckeye on all of our campuses,” Vibbert said. “We have student volunteers, so Buckeyes are helping Buckeyes, and I think that reduces some of the stigma as well.”?
