Madeline Owens
Lantern Staff
On Sunday, Sept. 8, JCPenney offered a suit-up event designed for college students in the Wichita area. The discount event took place at both the Towne East and Towne West Square malls’ JCPenney stores.
The event began promptly at 6 p.m. and lasted until 9 p.m. Since the doors were all locked except for one entrance, only students and their families were allowed to be checked into the store during the event.
As coordinator for the event through Butler, Callie Johnson, a Financial Aid counselor, encouraged students to come and try on clothes. With the 30 percent off coupon, she believed students would be pleased with the clothing options to choose from.
“The best deals were the business casual outfits with the coupon that was provided,” Johnson said.
There were no student volunteers. Only a few volunteer faculty members at each mall location helped check-in students and answer any questions about the sale. The suit-up event was a way to give students a discount on professional work clothes for career growth events such as job interviews.
The goal behind the event is to help students feel confident through their attire as they face the future workforce.
Students who brought their Butler ID were able to receive a 30 percent discount on select clothes, shoes and accessories through JCPenney.
Aside from the deals, employees of JCPenney offered assistance to students by providing measurements and proper fitting for business attire. Several male participants were encouraged to get sized for suits and dress pants.
Besides getting a wardrobe update, students were also encouraged to look into getting professional headshots for job resumes provided by the photography services in stores.
In addition, the Sephora inside JCPenney was offering free samples and makeup consultations for students interested in a makeover.
With all these services that JCPenney provided, students felt they were in a common place of wanting to be successful.
