Suited for Success

Photograph by Chris Casaburi, for The Chronicle

If clothes make the man, then a nonprofit group in New York has the right formula for helping thousands of men who are down on their luck and looking for new jobs.

Career Gear, started in 1998, operates on the premise that a job seeker can greatly enhance his chances of landing a job if he is well groomed and wearing a proper business suit and tie. The organization follows on the heels of Dress for Success, a program started in 1996 that now suits up women in search of work in more than 60 cities here and abroad.

From its warehouse and showroom space in midtown Manhattan — donated by a realty company — Career Gear gives low-income men the clothes they need for interviews and jobs. The men are referred to Career Gear by about 65 job-training organizations that certify that the participants have completed an eight-week job-readiness program and have a scheduled employment interview.

Last year, Career Gear suited up about 800 men, and with a budget of about $200,000 this year — major cash contributors so far have been the Echoing Green Foundation, in New York, and Polo Ralph Lauren — it is hoping to outfit more than 1,000.

The group this month plans to start an alumni program that will offer seminars on topics such as time management and family finances, and include perks such as discounts at local barbershops and free checking accounts.

Gary L. Field, Career Gear’s co-founder, says he knows what men need to get back on their feet. Once addicted to drugs and alcohol, Mr. Field joined a job-training program, bought a suit for $50 at a thrift shop, got a job, and went on to earn a master’s degree in social work.

Says Mr. Field: “When I wear a suit, my stride is a little different. I stand up a little straighter. I feel more successful and powerful. If you go into a job interview feeling better about yourself, it’s going to show through.”

Here, New Yorker Gary Session tries on a new suit at Career Gear’s showroom.