Each selected candidate will receive free clothing loans and complimentary campaign trail styling from M.M. LaFleur’s in-house stylists
NEW YORK, Jan. 25, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Today, M.M.LaFleur – a womenswear brand founded on the belief that when women succeed, the world becomes a better place – announced the relaunch of its ‘Ready to Run’ clothing loan program to support women running for public office.
M.M.LaFleur debuted the ‘Ready to Run’ program in 2020 to play a small role in supporting female candidates. The brand had no idea what impact the gesture would have. Over 1,000 women applied to the program, and M.M.LaFleur successfully lent clothes to over 275 women who ran for various positions, from City Council to Congress. From those participants, a remarkable 183 of the 275 ‘Ready to Run’ candidates got their names on the ballots on November 3rd.
“When we first launched ‘Ready to Run,’ I was shocked to hear from candidates just how hard it is to get ready for the campaign trail,” said Sarah LaFleur, CEO and Founder of M.M.LaFleur. “We had a woman who was a firefighter and a mom of four share with us, ‘I can’t even begin to tell you how stressful the ‘how to dress’ piece of running for office has been.’ Our goal is to take the guesswork out of getting dressed when running for office so that candidates can focus on what actually matters: getting their message across.”
Women held 29% of statewide elective offices1 in the U.S. when the ‘Ready to Run’ program launched in 2020. While progress has been made, today, women still only hold 31% of statewide elective offices2 throughout the United States. With the relaunch of ‘Ready to Run,’ the brand’s mission remains to support the success of women. While clothing alone won’t move the needle, M.M.LaFleur believes that access to high-quality professional clothing shouldn’t be a barrier to better representation of women in public office and is committed to making polished yet comfortable clothing more accessible.
This year, M.M.LaFleur is debuting the Style Strategists program alongside ‘Ready to Run’ to provide even more personalized support. When candidates submit their campaign trail schedule, they’ll be matched with a Style Strategist to help plan ensembles for their engagements and events. Based on data from the last program, the Style Strategists will also be curating a special ‘Ready to Run’ assortment, including the machine-washable Moreland Jacket and Colby Pant, as well as pieces in the brand’s best-selling OrigamiTech and washable silk fabrics.
Female candidates apply on the brand’s website https://mmlafleur.com/pages/ready-to-run-2024; once their credentials have been approved, they’ll receive three clothing items. After the election, candidates are encouraged to donate the items of clothing to Bottomless Closet, a nonprofit that empowers New York City women in need to enter the workforce and achieve success.
About M.M.LaFleur:
M.M.LaFleur is a New York-based fashion brand celebrating women through thoughtfully designed clothing, personal styling, and our 100,000+ community of purposeful women. Founded in 2013 by Sarah LaFleur, a former management consultant, and Miyako Nakamura, the former head designer of Zac Posen, M.M. is known for introducing the concept of Power Casual™—clothing that takes you seamlessly from work to life. M.M.LaFleur is a proud sponsor of the WNBA team The New York Liberty. M.M.LaFleur also donates 10% of its profits every year to organizations focused on gender equality, such as Bottomless Closet, The Girl Scouts, and The International Rescue Committee. At the heart of the company is the belief that when women succeed, the world becomes a better place.
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1 Center for American Women and Politics (n.d.). Women in Elective Office 2019. Rutgers. https://cawp.rutgers.edu/facts/current-numbers/women-elective-office-2019
2 Center for American Women and Politics (n.d.). Current Numbers 2024. Rutgers. https://cawp.rutgers.edu/facts/current-numbers
SOURCE M.M.LaFleur
Originally published at https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/ahead-of-the-2024-elections-mmlafleur-announces-the-return-of-their-ready-to-run-program-to-dress-even-more-women-running-for-office-302044001.html
Some images courtesy of https://pixabay.com
