JONAH LAGRANGE/THE CREIGHTONIAN
On Sept. 23-24, Creighton University’s Heider Business Senate, in conjunction with the university’s Career Center, hosted their 2026 Billy’s Business Closet, offering free business attire to all.
From Wednesday, Sept. 23, to Thursday, Sept. 24, Creighton University’s Heider Business Senate, in collaboration with the university’s career center, hosted their annual Billy’s Business Closet in the Mike and Josie Harper Center. Aimed at providing free business attire, this pop-up was done in conjunction with the annual 2026 Creighton College Career Fair on Friday, Sept. 25.
“The reason why I founded this [closet] [was because in my freshman year, during symposium time and career fair time, there were so many freshmen that I remember that would show up in khakis and a dress shirt and not [in] a suit and a blazer. Not necessarily because they couldn’t afford it, but because they didn’t also have the education to know what to wear to a professional event like that,” Heider College of Business and member of the Heider Business Senate senior Chaarvi Kone said. “It’s not really from a standpoint of like, ‘Oh, if you can’t afford it, you can grab it.’ This is for everyone. If you can afford a suit, that’s awesome. But if you want another one, there’s something for free. So, we really are trying to cater toward all Creighton students, all grades.”
This year, the closet had a record-breaking attendance of nearly 55 visitors, with a high volume of freshmen and sophomores, browsing its selection. In addition, according to Kone, a Heider College of Business student on the pre-dental track, the closet is meant to be a resource to all Creighton students, since the Career Fair holds opportunities for all Creighton colleges. So, emails advertising the event were also sent to the undergraduates in the College of Arts and Sciences and the College of Nursing.
“I think [the College of] Arts and Sciences students don’t know [about the closet] because they’re not in those kinds of classes where you’d need that kind of stuff every day. Your average med student is in scrubs every day, but still, [to] get that job, you need a business professional outfit,” Kone said.
JONAH LAGRANGE/THE CREIGHTONIAN
Billy’s Business Closet reports a record-breaking attendance of 55 students, mainly underclassmen, who browsed through the large selection of donated men’s and women’s business attire.
Adjacent to Kone’s taking notice of an absence in education on business attire, according to the career advisor for the College of Arts and Sciences and the College of Nursing, Kara Dieke, the need for Billy’s Business Closet also stemmed from an old partnership the university had with a department store, which eventually fell through due to climbing prices.
“The idea for a professional clothing closet had been around for a few years before Billy’s Business Closet opened. Previously, there had been a partnership with a department store to offer students discounted professional clothing. However, that department store progressively reduced the discount to a point where it wasn’t any cheaper than other clothing options,” Dieke said via email.
In connection to the climbing prices, College of Business senior and president of the Heider Business Senate, Max Olson, saw that accessibility to these types of clothing was decreasing for students on campus.
“I think Billy’s Business Closet serves as a foundation for equal opportunity on campus. For many, having business professional clothing that we like can be taken for granted. Unfortunately, there are many students who don’t have business professional clothing that they feel comfortable in,” Olson said via email. “As many say, ‘if you look good, you feel good, you play good.’ Throughout the creation of this event, I saw my fellow senators identify that many students didn’t have access to the clothing they needed. Since then, I’ve watched and supported students like Chaarvi who took initiative to provide fellow Bluejays with access to comfortable, fashionable and sharp business professional clothing.”
The closet itself also addressed the need for more affordable options in women’s business attire as well.
“I also think women’s clothing attire is more expensive than it should be. Like any suit blazer these days is going to run you $500 at least, I think, for the whole set. So, to be able to provide these clothing items for free is a really great opportunity for these students, especially women who don’t have a car and are able to try things on in the heart of campus and just makes it really convenient and affordable,” Kone said.
Through various advertisements posted in the weeks prior to the closet’s launch, Creighton parents, alumnus, professors and students all chipped in used articles of clothing to stalk the racks with a multitude of styles, colors and sizes.
“There can be many barriers to accessing affordable professional clothing. For those without a car, it can be difficult to travel to stores with professional attire. Even if students do have access to transportation, high-quality pieces can be cost prohibitive,” Dieke said via email. “Utilizing the career center and Heider Business Senate’s connections to source clothing from employers, faculty, staff and community members allows us to address these barriers. Beyond accessibility, it also contributes to Creighton’s mission of sustainability by allowing these clothes to have a second life.”
At the drive’s conclusion, remaining business pieces were given to the Creighton Sustainability Club and the Siena Francis House. According to Kone, this is not only to ensure that more individuals can benefit from the drive, but also to promote sustainability by allowing professional clothes to be made accessible to the Creighton body and the Omaha community.
“People who are experiencing homelessness might be looking for jobs and they can’t afford a suit to wear. So now they have an avenue, at least, to look slightly more professional. And it’s for free, which … it’s really fulfilling to see them be so happy about something as simple as clothing,” Kone said. “You really don’t know how much a difference it makes, but you put clothes on [your] body every day, and it’s just a regular old day. But for them, it really means so much more. And now they can find other avenues and find other jobs and get opportunities that they didn’t have before. So, I think that’s really our main goal; we want to support everyone in the Omaha community, Creighton students and everyone in Omaha.”
With the flow of sustainable practices running through the university and into its surrounding community through the recycling of donated business attire, Chaarvi emphasized that the closet itself provided more than just a space for anyone in need, but a break from the academics while also preparing oneself for the future.
“It’s fun because I see all these girls that come in and they’re trying on this clothing and it kind of becomes like a shopping mall experience for them, which is fun to see. The other day on Wednesday, … four girls came in, and they were in there for an hour just trying on different things. And it was so fun as a girlhood moment, kind of like a sisterhood vibe,” Kone said.
