Gift of Innovation – Dresscode to Partner with Dress For Success and Big Brothers Big Sisters to Offer STEM Education to Both Organizations

DRESSCODE TECH, BIG BROTHERS BIG SISTERS OF METROPOLITAN CHICAGO, AND DRESS FOR SUCCESS WORLDWIDED LAUNCH ‘GIFT OF INNOVATION’ PROGRAM FOR WOMEN AND GIRLS.

Dresscode Tech to Gift Coding Lessons to Underprivileged Women and Girls Through Partnership With Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metropolitan Chicago and Dress For Success.

CHICAGO (September 12, 2018) — Dresscode Tech, a Chicago-based start-up merging fashion and technology to educate and excite women and girls about computer science, joined Big Brothers Big Sisters Of Metropolitan Chicago and Dress for Success Worldwide-Central today to announce the launch of the Gift of Innovation, a new program that will expose, empower, and inspire thousands of women and girls to pursue a career in coding and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math).

“As a company, we partnered with organizations that focus on the positive development of teen girls as well as professional development for women in need,” said Dresscode Tech CEO Kayte Malik. “At Dresscode, we believe that there is beauty in technology and innovation, but also that exposure and community are the two key factors in getting women of all ages excited about Technology. That’s why both Big Brothers Big Sisters and Dress For Success are prefect organizations to partner with to launch the Gift of Innovation Program.”

The program will work on a one-for-one model. When a customer buys a Dresscode coding bracelet it unlocks a coding lesson. With the ‘Gift of Innovation,’ Dresscode will also gift a lesson to impoverished populations of women and girls who want to learn to code. To expand its offerings, Dresscode will partner with and supply Big Brothers Big Sisters and Dress for Success with online coding lessons in HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. Additionally, to launch the program, Dresscode will be giving away 1000 coding lessons to the partner organizations. Going forward, upon purchasing a Dresscode coding bracelet, a coding lesson will be gifted to one of the two partner organizations.

“At Big Brothers Big Sisters, more and more girls are expressing interest in STEM activities and enrichment opportunities, yet do not have access to resources or women in the field,” said Paul Lewis, Senior Manager of Site Based Programs, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metro Chicago. “Our one-to-one mentoring programs help to highlight both academic and social skills, encouraging the development of interests and hobbies as well. We are grateful that Dresscode Tech can enhance our programming with further tools enabling our youth to achieve their full potential.”

“Together Dress for Success Worldwide and Dresscode Tech are impacting the lives of countless women and through the power of technology and collaboration we will continue to extend our reach so that more women will have access to the tools and resources necessary to achieve self-defined success. It is with absolute gratitude and appreciation that Dress for Success and Dresscode Tech enthusiastically jump the information technology divide which will significantly impact the economic empowerment of women.” – Wendy Wilkins, Director – Dress for Success Worldwide-Central

With the “Gift of Innovation” program, Dresscode aims to host 10,000 coding lessons for women and girls by the end of the year through their Fashiontech enabled coding platform and 10x that number in 2019.

 

 

About Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metropolitan Chicago:
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metropolitan Chicago provides children facing adversity with strong and enduring, professionally supported one-to-one relationships that change their lives for the better, forever, helping them succeed and thrive in life. As Metro Chicago and Northwest Indiana’s largest donor and volunteer supported mentoring network, BBBSMC makes meaningful, monitored matches between adult volunteers (“Bigs”) and children (“Littles”), to develop positive relationships that have a direct and lasting effect on Metro Chicago youth and the communities in which they live. Visit http://bbbschgo.org to learn more.

 

 

About Dress for Success Worldwide

Dress for Success is an international not-for-profit organization that empowers women to achieve economic independence by providing a network of support, professional attire and the development tools to help women thrive in work and in life. Since starting operations in 1997, Dress for Success has expanded to nearly 150 cities in 23 countries. To date, Dress for Success has helped more than 1,000,000 women work towards self-sufficiency. Visit www.dressforsuccess.org to learn more. 

About Dresscode Tech

Dresscode Tech is an 1871 Chicago- WiSTEM company and fashion-technology brand that believes that there is beauty in innovation and technology.  They merge fashion and tech to educate and excited women and girl about coding, computer science and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math). Since launching in July of 2017 they have exposed over 2000 women and girls to coding through their online platform and events. Visit www.DresscodeTech.com to learn more.

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If you would like more information about this topic, please email Contact@DresscodeTech.com or visit www.GiftOfInnovation.com

 

Hashtag: #GiftOfInnovation

 

Social Handles:

• @DresscodeTech
• @Dressforsucess
• @BBBSChi

 

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Tech Reaches (and Improves) High Heels + Direct-to-Consumer Quality Shoes

Old Approach With New Technology

Making custom shoes for optimal fit isn’t a new concept, but making it happen en mass because of 3D technology is. Linja Shoes are reinventing the wheel utilizing a 3D app to help customers select the best fit.  The result are shoes the brand calls ‘the most comfortable and inclusive high heel brand in the world.’ Classic lines and clean shapes are the backbone of the company and what they get right is the feminine silhouette most of us crave for dressing up. While most comfortable heels focus on stacked heels for more even weight distribution (i.e. less pain), Linja Shoes focuses on fit and construction. This is what determines how weight is distributed, even for a stiletto-style heel. The result are gorgeous shoes that utilize the best of classic cobbling to innovative means to create the staple shoe every woman needs. These handmade shoes get the right fit every time thanks to 3D tech that measures each client’s foot and zeroes in on the best of 17 sizes the brand offers shoppers. Choose from four black leather finishes that are sure to be in your arsenal for years to come or snag the label’s limited edition colors and materials that are available seasonally.

Fit Matters

Fit is the biggest hurdle for finding comfortable shoes. This is the case for everything from heeled boots to running shoes. Now you can get the best fit for your feet, regardless of any prior experience with a brand when shopping online thanks to the folks at Sols. Footwear brands and shoppers alike are excited to use this site to see how a pair of shoes will fit before the customer buys. Buying shoes online is tricky since brands vary on sizing and even within the same collection, a shoe may be wider or more constricting simply based on materials and the shoe style. Skip the hassle of the online return by checking your shoes on Sols first. Brands participating with Sols commit to their universal sizing strategy, which means a shopper can find their Sols size in a variety of footwear labels, creating the opportunity for the best fit without trying on in-store.

Handmade Shoes at a Nice Price

Like many direct-to-consumer brands, Quero has taken the hefty price tag out of high quality goods. Handmade shoes are accessible and at a very nice price thanks to the brand’s operations that have the shoes handmade in Spain and delivered to customers at $300 and under per pair. Think loafers and mules in neutral tones with the flexibility and ease to endure the run to make a flight or exploring a new city packed with museums. The custom design studio allows shoppers to customize some of the brand’s most popular styles like the Essex (women’s classic ankle boots) or the Hudson (men’s monkstraps) with a variety of leather and suede options.

Published in partnership with www.janinejust.com

 

Dresscoder Profile – Catlin

Each week Dresscode will be publishing a Dresscoder Profile. These are features of Dresscoders that inspire us.

Week of July 30, 2018

Catlin

Location: South Bend, IN

Role: Startup Ecosystem and Communications Manager

I wanted to try Dresscode for multiple reasons. I believe in the mission, there is beauty in innovation. I also believe in supporting and empowering the people and companies who are here to make a positive change!

I love how a meaningful conversation can start about the importance of computer science, STEM and coding by simply wearing a bracelet. Dresscode has taught me that coding isn’t as hard as I thought it would be!

It is important for others to know Dresscode isn’t only an amazing product with an even more amazing mission, their customer service is EXTRAORDINARY!

Want to be a featured Dresscoder fill our this form – Note you must be a current Dresscode customer to be consider.

What can Apps and Augmented Reality do for Fashion?

The real question should be what can’t they do?

In recent years, many businesses have been relying on new technology to keep up with our changing world. Apps are programs that are designed for mobile devices which a lot of us use in our everyday life. Augmented reality makes a computer generated image for the user to see in real time. Many of these programs have been used to make selfie filters, do marketing, and even help with shopping. This week, we’ve been chatting about these apps and programs that are taking fashion tech to new levels. These include DV closet, Facecake, and Glamscout.  

DV closet:

© DV Closet

DV closet is an app that was made to enhance the way fashionistas communicate with each other online. London based fashion and tech enthusiast, Danae Varangis came up with the idea for this app so everyone could have an affordable way to communicate with stylists at anytime. What separates DV closet from other apps is that it helps you reach out to fashion professionals where you can receive advice over the phone, or exchange the latest news instantly. This is very useful for anyone who is trying to keep up with the latest trends.

Facecake:

(Instagram)

On the other side of fashion tech, we have AR apps. While many of us tend to take them for granted on social media platforms such as Snapchat, FaceCake wants to use AR to change the way we shop. FaceCake is an online retail platform that applies patented tech to interact with users. With their innovations in AR tech, FaceCake has created several apps that allow us to try on products in real time. This provides an excellent solution to online shopping since we can try on products anywhere at any time. One of of favorite apps is, Dangle which allows you to try on earrings, virtually. Swivel is also very fascinating since it’s AR tech allows you to try on clothes and handbags from the comfort of your home. Best of all, if you like what you see, you have the option to buy them through the apps.
Glam Scout:

(Instagram)

Of course AR tech has even made an impact in cosmetics as well. Even though there are many apps on the market for cosmetics, FaceCake has made GlamScout. Just like most AR programs, GlamScout allows you to try on makeup instantly, but the app also allows you to try on looks from magazines, social media posts, and other pictures. What truly makes GlamScout unique is that it recommends cosmetics to you and even offers cheaper alternatives. This is very innovative for millions of makeup lovers on a budget.

Apps and augmented reality are rapidly changing the landscape of fashion, and as tech becomes more and more accessible it is becoming easier for larger audiences to get a quality fashion and beauty experience.

 

Published in partnership with www.janinejust.com

Dresscoder Profile – Alana

Each week Dresscode will be publishing a Dresscoder Profile. These are features of Dresscoders that inspire us.

Week of July 16, 2018

Alana

Location: Chicago, IL

Role: Digital Growth Leader

I wanted to try Dresscode because I believe this is such an important space for women….and I wanted to learn to code.  I love how it’s forging a new path in fashion technology.  Dresscode has taught me not to be intimidated by learning something new.

Alana has worked as an advisor to Dresscode for the last year.

Want to be a featured Dresscoder fill our this form – Note you must be a current Dresscode customer to be consider.

Dresscoder Profile – Emily

Each week Dresscode will be publishing a Dresscoder Profile. These are features of Dresscoders that inspire us.

Week of July 9, 2018

Emily

Location: Odenton, MD

Role: Leadership consultant and freelance visual analytics

I Love I get to make a statement about my support for women and girls in tech. Dresscode continuously reminds me it is important to support women in tech initiatives.

With Dresscode’s coding bracelets I get to support a small, woman-owned business, make a statement about my support for women in tech and have a nice piece of jewelry that starts conversations.  I wanted to try Dresscode because it gives me skills and jewelry.

Emily is involved with local women in tech initiatives in Maryland and organizes STEAM festival for kids.

 

Want to be a featured Dresscoder fill our this form – Note you must be a current Dresscode customer to be consider.

Dresscoder Profile – Lisa Mae

Each week Dresscode will be publishing a Dresscoder Profile. These are features of Dresscoders that inspire us.

Week of June 25, 2018

Lisa Mae

Location: Long Beach, CA,

Role: Founder and Chief Visionary of Wonder Women Tech

Wonder Women Tech (WWT) strives to ‘disrupt the conference model’ and create a shift in diversity and inclusion, Dresscode can help.  I love the mission of the brand to achieve unique results of authenticity, credibility, and self-confidence. Dresscode gives us the tools to be our authentic selves while navigating the markets communication codes.

Dresscode and Wonder Women Tech have partnered in the past on a limited edition “I am Equal” coding bracelet.  $5 from each bracelet sold is donated back to WWT.

 

Want to be a featured Dresscoder fill our this form – Note you must be a current Dresscode customer to be consider.

Dresscoder Profile – Minjoo

Each week Dresscode will be publishing a Dresscoder Profile. These are features of Dresscoders that inspire us.

Week of June 18, 2018

Minjoo

Location: Chicago, IL

Role: Consultant

I wanted to try Dresscode because I loved the creativity behind encouraging women to code. I like that the lessons that are easy to follow and the bracelets are unique. Dresscode has taught me it’s never too late to learn new skills.

Minjoo has supported Dresscode in the past as an ambassador for the brand.

Want to be a featured Dresscoder fill our this form – Note you must be a current Dresscode customer to be consider.

Dresscoder Profile – Michelle

Each week Dresscode will be publishing a Dresscoder Profile. These are features of Dresscoders that inspire us.

Week of June 10, 2018

Michelle

Location: Libertyville, IL

Role:  Student, University of Michigan Sophomore

I wanted to try Dresscode because I knew that coding can open up endless doors, so I wanted to try it out myself!

Dresscode was so straightforward and accessible that it alleviated my fear of programming and made me feel comfortable. By the end of the lessons, I felt like I had truly accomplished something and my completed website was a great way to show off what I had learned. Now that I’ve tried Dresscode, I’m itching to get more involved in coding and programming!

I love that Dresscode makes coding fun! Instead of watching a boring tutorial or reading from a textbook, Dresscode’s platform is engaging and made me genuinely excited to progress through each lesson. And of course, I love that Dresscode empowers women and girls to get involved in STEM, since we are so often in the minority and overlooked in this space.

Dresscode has taught me. that I have the power and the ability to do great things in the STEM, coding, and programming spaces. Dresscode has allowed me to become part of the network of women and girls who share an interest in coding, and it is empowering to know that there are so many people out there with my interests. Every time I look down at my Dresscode bracelet it is a reminder that “I am Smart,” and that is something I think every girl out there should remember.

Michelle worked as a summer growth intern for Dresscode.

Want to be a featured Dresscoder fill our this form – Note you must be a current Dresscode customer to be consider.