Earlier this week, a post surfaced on LinkedIn that immediately caught our attention, a kind of pause that swept through our offices before someone asked; 'wow, how much did this cost us?' It came from Cailin Rumpf and opened with a simple reference to The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants, before unfolding into a deeply human idea about access, confidence, and timing. And after numerous huddles and whispers we realised that it was in fact a real story about 'paying it forward' and it had absolutely 'no agenda' other than to make people feel confident and happy. No collaboration, no fuss, no negotiation, no invoice, no angle. At Imagemakers, we work with corporate clothing every day. We see how often it plays a quiet but powerful role in everyone's lives - especially in moments like first interviews, where appearance can become the deal breaker long before ability or potential are assessed. That’s why this story stuck with us, we shared it, we analysed it, some of us tried to find the marketing angle - but there wasn't one, to protect its authenticity and genuine selflessness we simply needed to 'disown it'. It wasn’t ours to claim, take or turn. It's existence and beauty lie in its purity and innocence.
An idea that arrived on its own
The post centres on a dress that had waited patiently in a wardrobe for years. Bought with intention by Cailin but never worn. She had chosen it for a future interview that never happened - not because the role didn't arrive, but because she created it herself (but that's a whole other story.
Instead of selling the dress or letting it fade into the background, she kept it as a reminder of who its owner said she would become. This week, it was taken out and given a new purpose.
Her idea? 'The Sisterhood of the Travelling Interview Outfit.'
Why this idea matters
Cailin describes sitting on interview panels over the years and noticing something most young candidates had in common - besides the nerves and sweats - these young candidates typically arrived after long journeys - taxis, walks from the rank, early starts - having done everything in their power to look good, be on time and be ready.
Their best outfit. Their best effort. But still not quite meeting the unspoken expectations of corporate politics and spaces.
That gap isn’t about talent or ambition. For Cailin it was about access.
In those moments, corporate uniforms and interview clothing aren't symbols of status - they become gatekeepers. You see in interview situations, clothing can decide who is taken seriously before anyone speaks. What if that stress could be taken away and the candidate could just be judged on merit alone, not what they could afford to buy for the interview?
Turning intention into action
Her response wasn't to design a programme or launch a campaign. It was to do something tangible and human.
Her idea is simple: people choose one professional item from their wardrobe - a dress, a suit, a shirt - something that once made them feel ready. They have finished with it and it's done its job. It's then passed on to a young person who needs a professional interview look. What a truly brilliant idea.
Each item travels with a handwritten note. In it, the donor shares a breakthrough moment - a lesson learned, a truth discovered, something they wish they'd known earlier. Another selfless act of paying it forward.
Because confidence is rarely just about what you wear. It's about knowing someone believes in you. There's a saying, 'first comes courage then comes confidence'. But courage can also be easier to access if one has a head start with a bit of confidence.
Why Imagemakers is involved
The first dress in this journey happens to be from Imagemakers - a piece of corporate wear designed for professional environments and interview settings. Cailin mentions us by name (thank you Cailin) but its role now is not to represent us, but to serve the idea it's moving through.
We're sharing this story because we understand how often company uniforms and professional clothing quietly shape people's experiences in rooms that matter. And when an idea surfaces that addresses that reality with care and dignity, it deserves support - not ownership.
Choosing to protect what matters
Some ideas don't need to be scaled, packaged, or optimised.
They need to be protected - from noise, from over-claiming, from being turned into something they were never meant to be.
Our role here is simple: to help this idea travel intact, centred on dignity and access, and led by the person who imagined it.
If this speaks to you - whether you want to donate, receive, or quietly help it move forward - Cailin has invited people to reach out to her directly here. Please do, it's an idea that deserves engagement.
