2015 Bay Street Suit Challenge

Supporters gather to celebrate the success of the 2015 Bay Street Suit Challenge

2015 Bay Street Suit Challenge


What: 2015 Bay Street Suit Challenge Wrap Party
Where: Irish Embassy Pub & Grill
When: June 16, 2015


Dress for Success, a non-profit that provides professional attire to low-income women looking for employment, held a wrap party last month for the winners of its annual suit drive.

This year, the Bay Street Suit Challenge collected a record-breaking number of garments  — more than 11,800 — which beats last year’s total by nearly 2,500.

Awards were presented in three categories, based on company size. The winners were:

  • Small Business Category (fewer than 400 employees)
    • Property Divas (Sutton Group Signature Realty) with 622 garments
  • Medium Business Category (400 to 799 employees)
    • McCarthy Tétrault LLP with 808 garments (followed by Torys LLP with 442 garments and Miller Thomson LLP with 328 garments)
  • Large Business Category (800+ employees)
    • Scotiabank with 4,141 garments

“This competition is a win-win for over 2,000 people from impoverished families living in Toronto,” says Debbie Lupton, executive director of Dress for Success. “The clothing collected will provide our clients with a complete wardrobe for interviews and employment.”

The Bay Street Suit Challenge also raised more than $45,000 for Dress for Success.

“The donations and proceeds collected will transform lives,” says Lupton. “It will allow clients to achieve economic independence through our pre- and post-employment support programs.”


Dress for Success Toronto provides clients from low-income families a complete wardrobe for interviews and employment, as well as ongoing post-employment support. To find out more about Dress for Success, please visit their website.