No cost, no questions: Bobcat Boutique opens at OHIO Southern

A new boutique in the Academic Building at Ohio University Southern looks a lot like a shop you might wander into downtown. Mannequins model business casual and business professional looks. Outfits hang neatly by size and style. There is a changing area in back, a mirror on the way and a corner stocked with books and toys so parents can shop while their children stay busy.

What sets it apart is the price. Everything at the Bobcat Boutique is free.

The space, now open in Room 120, is the work of Dr. Joy Shytle, associate professor of social work, who set out to remove one of the quieter barriers that can stand between a person and a job.

“I wanted to make sure that something as simple as clothing wasn’t the obstacle to getting a job, especially when we’ve already given people access to education,” Shytle said. “But this is for anybody.”

The idea grew out of her years teaching field education.

Students heading into placements and interviews need to look professional, and Shytle saw that not all of them had access to affordable clothing to make that happen. The need came into sharper focus closer to home. Her daughter, a mechanical engineering major at the University of Kentucky, spent $400 to $500 outfitting herself for internships that required flame-resistant pants and specialized shoes.

“How do you get started if you can’t afford to get started?” Shytle said.

So she built the Bobcat Boutique around the things people rarely get handed. Alongside interview-ready outfits, the closet stocks scrubs and is working to add steel-toed boots and flame-resistant clothing, the kind of job-specific gear that can be out of reach for someone trying to land a first paycheck. When a size is not on the rack, Shytle does her best to track it down.

Just as important to her is how the space feels. She didn’t want it to resemble a yard sale.

“I wanted it to have a little bit of class, so people feel like they’re being treated with respect when they walk in,” she said.

Students have helped shape the Bobcat Boutique. Natalie Pratt, a social work major entering her senior year, helped sort donations, check every piece for stains and tears, and style the outfits now displayed on the mannequins.

“I think this place really embodies social work as a whole,” Pratt said. “Everyone deserves to have a nice pair of pants and a nice shirt for interviews. I don’t think money has anything to do with success, so anywhere I could help, I wanted to.”

Shytle is quick to credit the students who made it possible.

“I have the best students on campus,” she said. “They’re social workers, and they’re service oriented.”

The community has answered the call as well, with local businesses and donors contributing clothing and guidance. Grants from the Foundation for the Tri-State Community and Foundation for Appalachian Ohio provided the funding that turned the idea into a finished space.

“We have the best community when it comes to giving and support,” Shytle said.

The Bobcat Boutique currently has open hours from 8 a.m. to noon on Mondays and 2 to 5 p.m. on Tuesdays in the Academic Building, Room 120, and is also available by appointment. To schedule an appointment or learn more, call the office of Student Services at 740-533-4600 or email Shytle.

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