DeKALB | Although Calvin Klein and Brooks Brothers clothes don’t usually have a place in a college kid’s closet, students have the chance to see what they can expect to wear when they enter the workforce at the Dress For Success Fashion Show at 6 p.m.

The show is free of charge and is being put on by NIU’s College of Business, the Business Careers House, Career Services and NIU’s Fashion Industries Organization, with sponsorship from Chicago Premium Outlets, an outlet mall in Aurora, said Carol Gorman, a career counselor for Career Services.

The goal of the show is to give students an idea of what they should be wearing when they have a career. Gorman said most advice is geared toward what to wear for an interview, but students also need to know what to buy when they get the job.

“When we contacted Deborah Brooks from the mall, she was thrilled,” Gorman said. “She had just done a fashion show and was really interested.”

The clothes will all be from stores located in the outlet mall, like Perry Ellis and Liz Claiborne.

For those on a strict budget, the show also will have business-appropriate outfits from the Salvation Army, as well as a pamphlet available to the audience with a list of outlet, resale and consignment shops in the DeKalb and Chicagoland area.

“We’re happy to give ideas to everyone, regardless of their budget,” said Gorman.

There will be three categories of clothes featured — interview apparel, everyday office apparel and casual Friday apparel.

“So everything is covered,” Gorman said.

The 21 models are all NIU business students, chosen by Jennifer Zajda, ambassador of the Business Careers House, and Ellen Anderson, assistant director of Career Services. In addition to coordinating the models, Zajda also helped advertise the show in the residence halls.

The show will feature both male and female models who were accompanied to the stores by a member of the Fashion Industries Organization to help choose their outfits.

Lauren Stott is a Campus Reporter for the

Northern Star.