By Nichole Schleihauf
Arts & Entertainment Editor

This past weekend, the KU Career Center invited students, alumni, faculty and staff to receive up to 60 percent off formal wear at the JCPenney in the Lehigh Valley Mall. Items on sale included suits, dresses, dress pants and shirts, shoes, accessories, and more. 

After the mall closed, only those affiliated with KU were allowed in JCPenney for the exclusive sale. While most items were 30 percent off, with a KU ID, shoppers received an additional 30 percent off each item.

For example, four dress shirts, a tie, and a wool blend coat could have originally retailed for over $500, but most students don’t have that kind of money lying around. With the exclusive KU coupon, the total price would come to $210.72, a total savings of $304.28!

The sale ran from 6-9 p.m., ensuring maximum time to look around and make decisions. The fitting rooms were open for those looking to try on their items. For both the fitting rooms and the registers, lines remained rather short.

Other stores that have a wide selection of professional attire are Plato’s Closet and Style Encore. Plato’s Closet is just a few minutes down the road from Lehigh Valley Mall and sells mostly casual secondhand styles at a discounted price for males, females, juniors, and more. In comparison, Style Encore sells second-hand, designer branded business attire and accessories for females.

While this sale at JCPenney only ran for a short amount of time, those looking for more ways to expand their professional attire collection can check out TRIO’s career closet. Students are welcome to purchase items for $2 per piece. All proceeds benefit the TRIO SSSP student scholarship fund. Appointments are available through Handshake, Stratton 113, or by calling their office at 610-683-4067.