Dressing to impress can be costly for many working women.  But on Thursday, one organization spent the day helping woman load up on suits and shoes.  The best part was it was all at no cost.

The special event is called Suit Yourself.  The United Way partnered with Penmac, a Springfield employment agency, to give woman the boost they need to feel better on the job.  What better way do this than letting women do something most love?  They got to shop 'til they dropped.

If you wanted to walk a day in Elsie Grahn's shoes, you'd find out she's new to the area and looking for a job.  That's why Thursday's Suit Yourself couldn't come at better time.

"Especially, just moving here finding new clothes for new interviews and changing positions, it's been very helpful" says Grahn.

Grahn is like hundreds of woman sifting through more than 3,000 suits and 400 shoes, hoping to find that perfect fit.
    
"I think this is great.  It's wonderful.  How often does a single mother of two get the opportunity to get some work clothes that are really nice?" asks Joanne Mead.

Opportunities made possible because all of the clothing and accessories were donated by local department stores and members of the community.  There was no financial criteria to qualify, just the desire to look better at work.

"First appearances will make or break you.  So I think it's important you look very professional for a job interview." says Grahn.
    
Mead adds, "This will help me get a jump start when I get back to work."    

And it's not just about the the style, the woman could also get some job training, interview tips and information on filling out job applications.
    
Each woman got to walk away with three suits, a handbag and a little bling.  But more importantly, Elsie Grahn says she's now walking away not only in her new shoes, she's feeling a little taller.

The United Way says it still has many suits left over from Thursday and it hopes is to partner with Penmac and find a way to offer even more suits to woman more often rather than once a year.