Whether you’re a Californian who didn’t expect the ever-changing nature of Idaho weather, want a sustainable option for a greek life dress-coded event or anything in between, the campus closet located in the Gender Equity Center in the Student Union Building is your one-stop shop.
Megan Carter, business operations supervisor for the Gender Equity Center and Student Equity Center, was excited to let Boise State students know about this new on-campus resource.
“We just officially launched on Aug. 23, and it’s a new resource for any student for whatever reason,” Carter said. “You don’t need to be in any particular need, … whether it is to fit different body sizes, personal styles, gender-affirming clothing, etc.”
For students who are attending classes in the summer, the closet will still be open to serve all your clothing needs.
“When we’re open (the university), it’s open,” Carter said. “The best way for folks to make sure that it’s available is to schedule in advance. We’ll be piloting some open hours for general shopping.”
Making appointments through the Equity Center’s website is the best way to ensure the closet will be ready to peruse. The closet itself is the product of three organizations that understand the importance of having resources available to students.
“[In] Feb. 2022 the Inclusive Excellence Student Council, Pride Alliance and Transgender Alliance each individually came in with this idea of what it would look like to have a clothing resource on campus,” Carter said. “It turned into a coalition of folks that evaluated what is currently here [and] what students need, and they discovered there was an opportunity for filling in some places.”
Carter discussed the Atkins Law Career Closet, located in the Micron Business and Economics Building, and how these two resources support one another.
“The Atkins Law closet is fantastic and we’ve done a lot of partnership with them,” Carter said. “They provide a ton of great resources and it is all interview business professional type of attire so if you’re going to a conference and you need an outfit they are that resource for that. We’re the more casual kind of part.”
For those who want to get involved further, the closet offers volunteer hours through Engage.
“We currently have three-hour sessions every other Friday,” Carter said. “We’re looking at adding in more options that are shorter time blocks to meet more schedules. We have received so many donations, it’s been amazing.”
Carter emphasized that the organization attempts to cater to a wide variety of styles and body types.
“We want to see the biggest range of sizes and styles that we possibly can,” Carter said.
If you don’t have anything to donate currently or know a family member back home who would like to get involved, the closet offers a fully online donation experience through their Amazon wishlist located on their website.
“When you don’t have to worry about basic core needs, you can focus on life,” Carter said. “You can focus on your classes, your homework and social engagements. [The campus closet is] removing that barrier of what am I going to wear and how am I going to afford what I’m going to wear, it’s a lot of mental labor.”
With so many ways to donate and an expanding inventory, the campus closet is an incredibly positive new addition to Boise State. Stop by the Gender Equity Center located in the Student Union Building for all your clothing needs.
