Since 2022, Cardinal Closet has been providing community members of the Catholic University of America with a free alternative to thrifting or clothes shopping. Every week, students can visit its on-campus location to browse and take home a wide variety of items without having to deal with the hassle of searching for clothing online or off-campus.
What Is Cardinal Closet?
Cardinal Closet was started in May 2022 by Juliana Walsh (‘24), with the idea behind it being to provide Catholic students with a sustainable option for fashion. It has been operating continuously since the Fall 2022 semester, open on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays from 11 AM to 2 PM. It currently operates out of McMahon Hall B02, having been previously located in Gibbons Hall B17. Cardinal Closet services around 300 individual students every semester, and encourages donations. The location may be small, but Cardinal Closet offers a very large variety of clothing items. Among its offerings are shoes, sweaters, t-shirts, button-ups, scrubs, socks, ties, and more. The room is very easy to navigate, with multiple aisles neatly organized. Clothes are displayed presentably, folded on shelves or hanging on racks. The quality of the clothing is incredibly high, as all donations are scrutinized for stains, rips, and other imperfections prior to being accepted.
Getting Dressed for Success
Cardinal Closet is your go-to spot for high-quality clothing if you’re in a pinch. It’s an incredibly important resource if you’re preparing for interviews, internships, events, and jobs. For instance, if you’re going to a job interview, it’s important to dress well, but it can be a challenge to prepare in DC. The Catholic University frequently hosts CEO lectures, but students may not have clothes appropriate for attending them, which could discourage them from attending. For instance, a Men’s Wearhouse clearance suit – which is supposed to be priced affordably – can still cost as much as $100. A blazer from Walmart could set you back $70. For many students, money is tight, and there is also not a guarantee that items seen on a website will be at the store. Whether it’s a quick turnaround or the requisite clothing being too expensive, getting prepared can seem daunting. Scenarios like these make Cardinal Closet a lifesaver. It’s got a large selection of workplace-friendly clothing, both casual and professional. Furthermore, visitors are allowed to try clothing on to see how it looks or ensure it fits, so you won’t be forced to end up taking away something you don’t like.
Visit Cardinal Closet and Attend Our Pop-Up Shop!
Cardinal Closet is open to everyone at the Catholic University of America – undergraduates, international students, graduate students, and faculty. Furthermore, from March 17th to March 23rd, it will be hosting a clothing drive; we strongly encourage donations!
From 11 AM to 2 PM on March 27th, we will be hosting a pop-up shop in the Maloney Pavilion where we’ll be giving clothes collected in the clothing drive to anyone who needs them. As previously emphasized, they’re being distributed for free! We strongly encourage students who are preparing for networking, interviews, and the like to stop by.
To stay updated, you can follow Cardinal Closet on Instagram at @cardinalclosetcua. We’re really excited to see you at the pop-up shop!