Photograph by Howard Levenson
In 2023, retired educator Irma Levenson, looking to brighten the spirits of teachers in her community, organized a fashion show with classroom-appropriate outfits. To achieve it, she gathered clothes from her neighbors. “Within days, I had bags of clothing, a lot new with tags,” she says. The fashion show sparked an idea for the College Park resident. Levenson took the clothing to a nearby school and provided the teachers there with a free pop-up boutique to shop for outfits. The event was so successful that she created a nonprofit organization, the Teacher’s Closet, to keep it going.
The former Montessori teacher, who is from St. Lucia but moved to Atlanta with her American husband 10 years ago, launched Teacher’s Closet to help teachers who want new clothes but don’t have the funds or time to get them. “Each teacher gets three completely free outfits that are new with tags or very gently used, including shoes, bags, jewelry; we even have suits,” says Levenson. Teacher’s Closet stocks items from Brooks Brothers, Le Suit, and Chico’s; some brands, including Cabi and Holly Shae, have even directly donated past-season clothing.
It’s been a surprise for Levenson and her fellow teacher and cofounder, Dawn Hudson, to see how many educators show up—one weekend, she says close to 100 people waited patiently in line—with some coming from as far as Gwinnett County. The only requirement to participate is a teacher ID.
A recent conversation with a teacher sticks out in her mind. “I asked her, ‘How does it make you feel, wearing an outfit you’ve gotten?’” Levenson recalls. “And she told me that it feels amazing that she doesn’t need to take the money she earns, which we all know is very little, to buy clothing. She said, ‘It’s changed my whole life.’”
After subleasing space in Hapeville for a few years, Levenson recently found a new home near Grove Park, which she hopes will provide space for her bigger ideas, including a community area where teachers can exchange ideas and providing more gratis items, such as school supplies and personal products. “We want to be a one-stop shop where they can come and get what they need,” she says.
Teacher’s Closet is funded by grants, corporate donations, and individual contributions from the community, often people Levenson knows. She regularly receives clothing donations of all sizes and styles. “We have it all—if you want to go to a wedding, you can come here and pick out an outfit,” she says, gesturing at three sequined gowns. “We want teachers to have nice things. We want them to feel good.”
This article appears in our November 2025 issue.
