Local city-based firm Meyer Vandenberg Lawyers is kicking off their fundraising efforts for the year hosting a second-hand corporate clothing sale. All money raised will be donated to their chosen charity Bosom Buddies. The Canberra-based charity supports people diagnosed with breast cancer and their families through their diverse programs including psychosocial support, social events, information sessions, partnering newly diagnosed people with those that have experienced breast cancer, specialist breast care nurses and post-surgery aids.
The idea to host a clothing sale was suggested by Kirsty Easdale, Chair of MV Lawyers’ Community Engagement Committee and embraced by the firm and legal community. “The firm has run a variety of external fundraising events in the past, including a trivia night, but the decision was made this year to change things up! I actually came up with the idea for a second-hand corporate clothing sale while sorting and clearing out my own cupboard. I was lamenting my online shopping habit and started planning how I could on-sell some of the nicer work clothes (that had hardly been worn). I always found that when I went to second-hand clothes sales it was always difficult to find my size or to find items easily. Something that I thought might turn into a small side hustle for me, turned out to be put to much better use in raising money for a much worthier cause,” she said.
“We called for donations from staff, the legal community and colleagues in other sectors. We have been touched by the generosity of not only the legal profession but the broader Canberra community. Donations have been received from not only staff but Members of the Legislative Assembly, barristers, Courts staff, people that work in our building, government departments, friends and long-time supporters of Bosom Buddies.”
“We have been inundated with donations, including a lot of designer clothes. We have Oroton handbags, Fendi shoes, and Dianne von Furstenburg blazers to name but a few. I think we have also been extremely lucky that Marie Kondo’s reality series “Tidying Up” aired on Netflix when it did.”
After the donations were collected, Kirsty shared the process of organising the items chosen for the sale, saying: “We have painstakingly sorted through every item donated, binned any torn or stained clothing, and then organised everything by size. We wanted people to arrive and be able to go straight to a rack and be able to see everything that they could purchase.”
Wanting to maximise sales and money raised for Bosom Buddies, a price list was set as below to ensure everyone attending would be able to bag a bargain:
- Shirts: $20
- Suit sets: $40
- Suit Pants: $20
- Suit Jacket: $30
- Dresses: $30
- Skirts: $20
- Handbags: $15
- Ties: $10
- Outwear: $40
- Jewellery: $5
- Shoes: $15
For those who love designer labels and quirky items, Kirsty said, “We have also set aside the designer clothing items, which will be sold as marked (but still for a complete bargain). Items here include Armani, Hugo Boss, Lisa Ho, Missoni, David Lawrence, Veronika Maine, Jigsaw, and Ralph Lauren. Other standout items include several long winter wool jackets (including one made from Llama wool). Some of the stranger items received have included a wedding dress, a Hard Rock Café leather jacket, and a vast amount of braces and a formal dress.”
It will be first in best dressed, so the advice is to get in there as soon as it opens.
MV Lawyers second-hand corporate clothing sale:
Event Date: 14 & 15 February noon till 2 pm and 4 till 6 pm
Address: Level 2, 121 Marcus Clarke Street, Canberra City ACT 2601
For further information visit the MV Lawyers Facebook page