Gilded Garment announces community outreach project

The Gilded Garment, an online clothing store based out of Hoover, announced its inaugural holiday community outreach project: a shopping spree for a woman in need. 

The project, which is spearheaded by store founder Erin Poe, is a mission to help a woman in the metro-Birmingham area regain control of her life through fashion. One applicant will receive a $500 shopping spree each month from now through January. 

Poe said there are no stipulations for who is eligible for the outreach project. 

“I really don’t have any specifics on who can qualify,” Poe said, “whether it’s a divorcee, someone who has lost their job, or a victim of domestic violence or someone looking to get back in the work force, I feel that there’s not a limit on what I’m looking for.” 

Poe said the winner would be selected by a panel of five women from cities surrounding Birmingham. 

“My hope and prayer is to help someone who deserves this,” Poe said. 

The winner would also have an opportunity to spend two hours with Poe trying on clothes and putting together different looks to ensure that she walks away with “exactly what she needs.” 

“Women do so much and it goes so unnoticed,” Poe said. “I want them to feel noticed for once. I just want to make a woman feel like she’s important.” 

The deadline to apply for December’s shopping spree is Nov. 20. The application can be found on The Gilded Garment’s website at thegildedgarment.com.

“The application is due a full month ahead of time, because if I don’t have [the winner’s] sizes, I want to be able to get them,” Poe said. “If I don’t have what they need, I want to be able to get it and have exactly what they’re looking for.”