FAQs

We provide either office work wear such as suits and shirts for job interviews or construction gear for work in the trades.

Stock depends on clothing donations and cash availability for purchases in the case of certain products, such as steel-toed boots, and is distributed on a first-come-first-serve basis.

Yes. We are happy to provide either formal wear, business casual wear or construction gear.

Every effort is made to find job appropriate clothing, although we cannot guarantee a complete outfit for everyone based upon their preferences in style, colour and other personal requirements.

To be eligible for an appointment, you must be a client with one of our approved referral agencies. Only these agencies can book an appointment. You can find a list of our referral agencies here.

When you arrive, one of our friendly volunteers will check you in, find out a little about you and what you are looking for, and then assist you with your clothing selection.

Depending on availability, we have different styles in multiple sizes to choose from. You can try items on in our fitting rooms to ensure everything fits. Each appointment lasts up to 30 minutes.

Not really – we are here to help you! Just make sure you’ve made an appointment through your referral agency. Think about what sort of clothing or gear you might need so we can assist you when you arrive.

You can make updates to your appointment through your referral agency.

Most clients use our services once to enable them to secure a job. We do allow clients to use our services again with a referral from the same booking agency if this helps them secure a job. We typically do not allow repeat visits after the first booking without an appointment. In certain instances, we may have limited stock and will encourage our clients to return at a time when we believe there will be more inventory.

No! While our organization has historically focused on serving men, we welcome all genders in need of work clothing or gear.

Please note, our construction gear will suit any gender, while our office attire focuses on suiting for a male form.

No. If you are employed, we ask you to use alternative services. The service we provide is predominantly for individuals who have begun to change their lives by undergoing some form of job search or skills training to enter the workforce. If you are unsure of your employment status, please ask.

We are always looking for individuals interested in volunteering with us, either on the Board or in our shop, working to clothe our clients, or at our fundraising events. Board and advisory positions also open up from time to time. Please contact info@WorkingGear.ca for more information.

We welcome new or gently used office attire and construction clothing by appointment on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Please ensure the clothing is in good repair and clean.

Please visit our Canada Helps donation page – thank you very much!

We would love to talk more about partnership opportunities! Whether it’s financial support or direct clothing donations, we work with many local business and are keen to build more of these connections. Please contact info@WorkingGear.ca for more information.

We would love to hear from you! Please contact info@WorkingGear.ca.

Working Gear relies on the generous support of individuals and the business community for both clothing and funding. Working Gear functions with a very modest overhead. Almost all of our donations go directly to program delivery and to purchase needed gear. We are the lucky recipients of the BC Gaming Grant and other small stipends, which have allowed us to bring on our first full-time staff member in 2021.

The majority of our business casual donations come from individuals and local businesses, while the majority of our construction gear comes from partnerships with organizations in the construction sector.

Almost all of our donations go directly to program delivery and to purchase needed gear.