There are no costs, qualifications, or eligibility criteria to receive clothing.

Because of the high demand of our program, we are only able to offer up to four lifetime appointments to clients, no more than once every six months. For information about other services we offer, see our pages about Furniture and Career Support.

You do not need a referral to use our services. Individuals are welcome to contact us at 301-608-3504 or PDC@awidercircle.org for information. 

If you are working with a caseworker, they can make a professional clothing appointment for you. If you are a caseworker, please contact us at 301-608-3504 or PDC@awidercircle.org, and mention your agency’s name and the name of your client. 

Please note that we have a very high volume of calls and emails, and it may take up to a week before we are able to respond. We return calls in the order in which they are received. When we call you back, a member of our Essential Support Team will collect some information, schedule you for an appointment, and answer any questions you may have. 

Most clients are scheduled for professional clothing appointments within a few weeks of first reaching out to us.

You do not need to bring anything with you to your appointment. 

We request that you attend your appointment alone when possible, due to space restrictions. If a friend or family member would like to shop alongside you, we ask that they give us a call to schedule their own appointment.

Your professional clothing appointment will take place at our Silver Spring location, at 9159 Brookville Rd, Silver Spring, MD 20910, unless otherwise noted. We do offer pop-up shopping experiences in the community from time to time. If you use Google Maps, please enter in the full address rather than our organization’s name to ensure you are directed to the right place. We ask all clients to arrive on time for their appointment.

Coming From I-495: Take Exit 31 (Outer-loop) or Exit 31B (Inner-loop) for MD-97 S/Georgia Avenue towards Silver Spring. Turn right onto Seminary Pl, then left onto Brookville Rd. Proceed until you see our sign and building.

Coming from the District of Columbia: From northbound 16th St, turn left onto 2nd Ave, left onto Linden Ln, then left onto Brookville Rd. Proceed until you see our sign and building.

Via public transportation: You can use Metrorail and get off at the Silver Spring Metro station on the red line. From there, walk next door to the Paul Sarbanes transit center’s second level and get on bus routes #4 or #5 on the Ride On (Montgomery County bus). Both buses will take you to a stop at the corner of 2nd Avenue & Linden Lane in Silver Spring. From that stop, take a left on Linden Lane and then another left on Brookville Road. Walk until you see our sign and building on the left. It’s just over a quarter-mile walk from the bus stop.

When you arrive, please enter via our main entrance and check in for your appointment at the welcome desk.

Unfortunately, due to the high demand for our program, we cannot accommodate any visits outside the date and time of your appointment.

After you have arrived, please enter via our main entrance and check in for your appointment at the welcome desk. A member of our team will then bring you to our professional clothing area, review your information, and go over the appointment process. Your appointment will be scheduled for one hour.

You will then get a tour of all the items available, and can select items to try on in our changing rooms. Our team will happily help you select items and outfits – we’re happy to be your personal shoppers! 

We offer briefcases and suitcases to bring your items home in, if needed. Once you’ve selected your outfits, our team can help you pack your items up.

Available attire includes suits, dresses, blazers, dress shirts and blouses, ties, purses, jewelry, and shoes to ensure a complete look. We offer up to five outfits, with one pair of shoes and a professional briefcase or handbag if needed. We also are building our collection of clothing for other professions, such as nursing, restaurant, and construction trades. Feel free to inquire about this when you call.

All of the items we offer are donated to us by neighbors in the community, so most of the items are in gently-used condition (free of any rips, stains, or damage), and vary day by day. As we are inventory-based, we cannot promise we will have a wide variety of items in your color/style preference on the day of your appointment.

Our volunteer stylists and shopping assistants are trained to take your measurements (such as sleeve, inseam, leg, and neck) if you are interested in having this done while you are at A Wider Circle for your appointment. Measurements typically translate true to sizing in traditional menswear, but womenswear sizing is often less predictable. Some brands run close to your known size, while others run bigger or smaller. This means that trying items on will often ensure you get the best fit for your body and style.

If you are interested in taking your own measurements at home, please see this short video we produced.

To reschedule your appointment, call us at 301-608-3504 as early as possible before your appointment.

We have English and Spanish speaking staff members on site every day. We may be able to accommodate other spoken languages by getting another staff member or volunteer on the phone to provide interpretation, or using an app such as Google Translate. We always welcome clients providing their own interpreter, including ASL, if needed.

A Wider Circle wants you to look and feel your best. We seek to create a welcoming space for you, just as you are. It is not for us to tell you what you should or should not wear in terms of sizing, fit, gender style, culture, or anything else. In terms of gender expression specifically, we are here to help you build a wardrobe, whether you prefer to wear gender-typical or gender-neutral clothing, or a variety of items pulled from various sections of the showroom. Feel free to tell us during a phone call or when you arrive if you have any special concerns, expectations, or preferences for your appointment. Our staff and volunteers are trained to provide inclusive, client-centered service.

A Wider Circle offers a wide range of other services. This includes baby items appointments,  furniture appointments, a  Career Support program, the Partnership to Independence (P2I) program, and our  Ward 8 Hub.

If you have any additional questions, call us at 301-608-3504 and our Essential Support Team will get back to you as soon as possible. If your call is urgent, please indicate this when you call. 

Thank you in advance for your patience and understanding and we look forward to connecting with you!