Style is substance at Soroptimist conference for girls

In a world of academic and career competition, it would seem that ideals of morality, kindness and intelligence should reign over something as frivolous as clothing. Style, one might think, should hardly be a priority.

Yet the Soroptimist Live Your Dream Conference on March 7 challenged this claim. The annual event, attended this year by 221 middle school girls from Modesto City Schools, strove to raise fashion awareness and stress the role of personal style in achieving success. Girls learned how fashion and self-care promote confidence and help prepare them for careers.

Held at Johanson High School, the “Dress for Success” event featured motivational speakers, workshops and a fashion show hosted by the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising and Valley Charter High School.

“Our mission is to improve the lives of women and girls,” said Lynne Meredith, co-chairwoman of Soroptimist International of Modesto. “The Soroptimist conference (this year) will help to build the girls’ self-esteem and teach them about fashion for their jobs and their future. You have to be able to present yourself. It’s not necessarily what you wear but how you wear it.”

The event, sponsored by Soroptimist International of Modesto, Soroptimist International of Modesto North and Modesto City Schools, has been held the past nine years.

“It’s like that ‘It takes a village’ saying,” Meredith said. “I honestly believe that if you can improve the lives of women and girls, then they’ll improve the lives of those around them. The whole purpose of this conference is to empower women.”

The morning kicked off with a few guest speakers who greeted the tables of girls with wide smiles and inspirational words. The first was Julie Swift, head of Valley Charter’s Dress for Success Club. She emphasized the close relationship between style and self-assurance.

“Fashion is important because it gives a girl confidence. Fashion isn’t just looking cute,” Swift stated. “If you walk into a job interview and you’re competing against other people, first impression matters. We want to help you girls understand how dressing for success can help you go far in life. In any field, you have to dress for success to be taken seriously.”

Swift then asked the girls about their job aspirations. An aspiring veterinarian, Kylee Zador, agreed that “clothes are definitely important in achieving your career.” A seventh-grader from Roosevelt Middle School, Zador concurred that style goes hand in hand with career success. “If you were to wear something unprofessional to a job interview, you might not get the job.”

Nancy McDonald, a guest speaker from FIDM in San Francisco, spoke next. “Basic fashion education can help you get any dream job you want,” she said, receiving enthusiastic applause from the girls.

The girls were then dismissed to attend three workshops, choosing from 10 offerings. All classes incorporated the theme of “dressing for success” or tips on job etiquette and developing career plans.

One workshop highlighted fashion accessorizing and was taught by professional designer Darlene Rodriguez-Silva. In a demonstration of teamwork and self-expression, the girls were put in groups and instructed to restyle mannequins placed around the classroom. “It’s the concept of design,” Rodriguez-Silva noted. “Design inspires others to use their creativity and keeps people excited about the world.”

Another seminar, titled “Food for Better Health,” was led by Veronica Plaugher, a representative from the Stanislaus County Health Services Agency. Plaugher shared with the class her teenage junk food consumption and how better eating improved her mood and confidence. She advised the girls to drink more water rather than sugar-loaded beverages that have little to no nutritional value. Plaugher also recommended filling up on “everyday foods” such as fruits, vegetables and protein, and reserving less nutritious treats as “sometimes foods.”

“When I eat healthier, I feel better about myself. I want these girls to feel that feeling as well,” she said.

In another workshop, Cathy Mendoza from The First Tee of Central Valley suggested the girls take baby steps to break down a seemingly insurmountable dream. “Goals have to be important to you,” she told them. “They can’t be something to satisfy someone else. They have to be for you.

“Writing down a goal and developing a plan of action greatly increases your chance of success. That’s why a ladder, in which each rung represents a successful step to your goal, can be a useful tool.”

A hip-hop class left the girls glowing and with a light bounce to their steps. Assisting instructor Fabian De Leon from Turlock Dance Academy were Sara Nickerson and Christina Geraldes, both students from Dutcher Middle School in Turlock.

Nickerson, a seventh-grader and avid dancer, shared her passion for the art. “I love to dance because it makes my whole attitude positive, and I always feel better afterward.”

In other rooms, skin care and hair workshops informed the girls on how to properly take care of themselves. “Knowing your hair looks good makes you confident. You stand up taller,” said Lucy De La Torre, a hairstylist from Stone Fox Salon in Modesto. “When you take care of yourself, you feel better about yourself.”

Other classes included origami, poetry writing, money management, and lessons on body posture and poise.

During lunch, the girls visited booths on topics ranging from arts and crafts to general information.

Tiffany Ruggiero, a senior at Valley Charter School in Modesto, was there to inform the girls about the Early College program at the school, which helps students earn college credit while still in high school.

Another booth was set up by the Downey High School S Club. As the only one in Modesto City Schools, the S Club serves as the high school version of Soroptomist International and aims to help boys and girls in the community.

Other booths included recruiters from Johanson High, FIDM, Girls Scouts, Modesto Sound, and a make-your-own-bookmark table set up by the Soroptimists.

As the last of the sandwiches were being finished and empty water bottles tossed into a nearby recycling bin, the fashion show part of the conference already was underway. Briefly stepping away to talk, co-director Nancy McDonald said of fashion: “It’s about being smart, professional, and confident. More than that, fashion is a tool to tell the world about yourself. It affects everyone. It shares your mood, your culture, your environment. Fashion is a way of life.

“Some might perceive fashion as fake and superficial. But people have to change the definition of that because it’s not frivolous in any aspect. Why do you think men wear power suits? It’s because they’re power suits. They show leadership. So what about women?”

This story was originally published March 23, 2015 at 12:17 PM with the headline "Style is substance at Soroptimist conference for girls."