A Fashionable Step Toward Mental Health and Sustainability
Altair Global team members focused on prioritizing their mental health by taking action against their own closets.
The influence of clothing spans greater than what we wear; it dives deeper into how we feel about ourselves. Clothes wield the power to affect well-being, work dynamics, and even first impressions.
With roughly 70-90% of all communication being non-verbal, and 55% of first impressions based on visual cues within 5-10 seconds, it’s clear that what we wear can significantly influence our mental state.
Workshop Unveils Wardrobe’s Mental Health Connection
During Mental Health Awareness month in May, Altair’s TMRGs (Team Member Resource Groups) POWER (Promoting Opportunities for Women to Excel and Rise) and ALMA (Altair for Latin American Memories and Ancestry) took an innovative step to raise awareness about mental health through fashion by organizing a “Mental Health and Your Wardrobe” workshop led by Elisa Ellis, Wardrobe Stylist at Turnkey Style, ahead of a companywide clothing drive to support local communities.
According to Ellis, the key to putting your best self forward is being authentic, on brand, and confident with how you dress.
In her interactive in-person and virtual session, Ellis stressed to team members how wardrobe confidence can better mental health, emphasize strengths, help achieve goals, encourage risk-taking, better self-image, and ultimately contribute to overall success.
Out with the Old, In with Sustainable Change
Altair team members went beyond theory and opted for action. They recognized that, instead of holding on to old clothes, it’s better to let go.
With a kickoff on June 5 in the spirit of World Environment Day through early July, Altair’s Asia Pacific and EMEA teams began the effort to reduce, reuse, and recycle their clothing with individual, local initiatives in their respective regions. The Americas offices joined the endeavor, having already discussed the mental health implications on one’s wardrobe through their May workshop.
Empowering Communities through Donations
Altair’s headquarters in Frisco, TX held a resale shop set up by TMRGs POWER, ALMA, and LIFE (Lean In For The Environment) to promote the idea of donating clothes that aren’t being worn anymore but also encouraged team members to sustainably shop secondhand for the clothing that Ellis recommended to help build confidence.
Our team members raised $350 and donated 512 articles of clothing and shoes to Dress for Success—a global non-profit organization that provides women with a network of support, professional attire, and development tools to thrive in work and in life, as well as 602 pieces for Goodwill.
Embracing Mindful Change and Community Involvement
Altair team members emphasized the importance of taking part in these global efforts by recycling clothing, and in doing so, all who donated were able to give back to their communities and be sustainable, while keeping their mental health in mind in updating their wardrobes.
