On Oct. 2 the Instagram page for the Iris Closet, @mciriscloset, announced that it was open. The Iris Closet, according to it’s
Instagram page, is a “resource for all students to update their casual, business, or formal event wear.” The Iris Closet has clothes for students to borrow that must be washed before being returned and clothing that students are allowed to take and keep. Students can have three of each type at a time, and students can donate their clothing to the closet.
Mia Russell, ‘24, is the Iris Closet’s current student manager. According to Russell, the closet used to be known as the “dress closet” and was only intended for formal wear. Shenoted that “last year the name was changed to the Iris Closet” and it now “[includes] different kinds of clothes including formal/semi-formal dresses, work-appropriate clothing and even some casual clothes.” Russell shared that as a Service Scholar, she chose the closet as her senior project because she “wanted to make it more accessible to all.” Russell posts promotional videos whenever events are coming up on the Iris Closet’s instagram. Russell also said that “Donation is one of our most important factors!”
If students would like to donate their clothing to the closet, donations can be made to the Office of Student Leadership and Service (SLS) on the second floor of the Cate Center. The Iris Closet presents a way for students on a budget to be able to fully participate in some of Meredith’s traditions. Rather than feeling obligated to purchase a dress for events, students can borrow one from the closet if they so choose. The closet also allows students to find suitable clothing for interviews or jobs if they are not able to purchase their own prior. There is the additional bonus of a use for dresses and formalwear bought for formal and semi-formal events, as if a student no longer feels they need them, they can donate them for another student to use. The same goes for any clothing students no longer require, and rather than drive to a consignment or thrift store, students also now have the option to donate to their fellow Angels.
By Lola Mestas, Copy Editor
Photo by Lola Mestas, Copy Editor