Stitching a Brighter Future: The Social Outfit Empowers Refugee Women Through Ethical Fashion
- yanabijoor
- Jul 17, 2025
- 2 min read
The Problem
Refugee and new migrant women in Australia face significant barriers to employment, including limited English proficiency, lack of local work experience, cultural challenges, and lack of social networks. Only 20% of women from refugee backgrounds are employed in the Australian workforce. Additionally, Australia’s fashion and textile industries have declined, with local production limited by offshore manufacturing and the rise of fast fashion. This creates a need for ethical, sustainable alternatives that prioritize social impact.
The Social Outfit’s Solution
The Social Outfit, a Sydney-based non-profit and social enterprise, addresses these challenges by providing training, employment, and career pathways for refugee and new migrant women in the fashion industry. Through community sewing classes hosted by House of Welcome, a nine-week industrial sewing course, and the paid Earn and Learn program, women develop skills in sewing, financial literacy, and repair techniques. The organization also offers a retail training program that provides customer service and retail training. By employing these women to create ethical, locally made clothing using donated fabrics from Australian brands, The Social Outfit fosters a circular fashion model that supports both social and environmental sustainability.
Impact Achieved
Since its founding in 2012, The Social Outfit has trained over 1,000 refugees and new migrants, employing more than 100, with 86% transitioning to further employment and 82% securing their first Australian job through the organization. Success stories include Kobra, now a community coordinator, Fezeh, a sewing class tutor, and Xiuyan Han, a senior sewing technician who crafted a suit for Australia's Governor-General Sam Mostyn’s swearing-in ceremony in July 2025. Partnerships with brands like Epson and events like the Wear the Change fundraiser during Refugee Week have amplified its reach, supporting social well-being, skill development, and financial independence.
Why It’s Innovative
The Social Outfit’s model is innovative because it combines ethical fashion with social impact, addressing both employment barriers for refugee women and the environmental toll of fast fashion. Its circular approach—reusing donated fabrics and prioritizing local production—sets it apart in an industry dominated by offshore manufacturing. The organization’s multi-tiered programs, from community sewing classes to paid work experience and retail training, create tailored pathways for women at different stages of their career journeys.
Areas for Improvement
Despite its success, The Social Outfit faces challenges in scaling its impact. Limited capacity and funding restrict its ability to employ all program graduates, with some women unable to secure ongoing roles within the organization. While efforts are underway to transition participants to external employment, this process is not always successful, highlighting the need for stronger industry partnerships to create more job opportunities. The waitlist for community sewing classes indicates high demand, suggesting a need for expanded resources and facilities. Additionally, increasing awareness of The Social Outfit’s mission and products could further drive commercial growth, ensuring long-term sustainability and broader social impact.
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