Gator Career Closet to open online database for wardrobe

By the end of Spring, UF students will be able to search for clothes from the Gator Career Closet using an online database.

The closet, which opened in July 2016 on the third floor of Peabody Hall, provides clothes for UF students to borrow for professional interviews, said Ambre Hobson, an assistant director for student success. The new database will allow students to search and reserve clothes for free before stepping into the on-campus closet.

An exact date for the opening of the online database has not been set, but it’s in the final development stage, Hobson said.

“They’re going to love it,” Hobson said. “I think it will make it much easier to use the service.”

The website will have photos of every item in the closet, which can be searched by color, size and style. The service is free for students, but they’ll have to pick up clothes at the on-campus location.

Although the closet has had about 1,200 donations, small, masculine-style clothes are still needed. Money donations are the most useful so the closet can buy in-demand clothes, Hobson said.

About 847 items have been borrowed since the closet opened, she said.

“It’s something I haven’t expected,” Hobson said.

Lindsay Culbertson, 20, said that while she’s never heard of the Gator Career Closet before, she thinks it’s a great resource for UF students.

“With this age, we have a lot of interviews and headshots and stuff like that that you need nice clothing for,” the UF marine sciences junior said.

She believes more students will use the closet once it’s online and more accessible.

“I think that’s a better option, that way people don’t waste their time coming in, and they can see what options they have,” Culbertson said. “Now that I know about it, I’ll be using it.”

Items that can be borrowed at the Gator Career Closet

• Shirts

• Jackets

• Pants

• Shoes

• Belts

• Dresses

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Jasmine Adudu, a 20-year-old African-American studies sophomore, looks for a blazer in the Gator Career Closet in Peabody Hall for an upcoming job interview. Adudu said she heard about the free service that lends professional clothing and accessories from a friend. “There’s actually a big selection,” she said. “More than I expected.”