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San Diego veterans get fresh start with Operation Dress Code

San Diego Union-Tribune - 11/5/2022

For 20 years, Lanny Bonafilia's job was to keep U.S. naval ships safe. As an operations specialist chief, she was the eyes and ears of the ship, monitoring radars and looking out for any incoming aircraft.

But after she retired in July and started getting rid of her uniforms, she realized she needed new clothes for life's next chapter.

"My closet became super slim and I have just T-shirts and yoga pants," said Bonafilia, who wants to start a photography business with her husband.

That's what brought her to the University of San Diego on Saturday to browse racks of professional clothing at a free pop-up boutique hosted by Operation Dress Code.

The annual event gives U.S. veterans and active-duty women the opportunity to work with a personal shopper, get their hair and make-up done and access job resources like professional headshots and a resume workshop.

The transition from military life is still fresh for Bonafilia, who was among about 200 veteran participants. While getting her hair curled and in a new purple blazer with the tags still on, she said it feels gratifying to be recognized for her time in the service.

"It's very humbling that there's a community that cares about us," she said.

Marcey Brightwell founded Operation Dress Code in 2014 as a way to give back to women veterans and help them transition to the civilian workforce. The group started hosting the pop-up boutique in Sacramento. This marks the sixth annual event in San Diego.

"It really is about building confidence," she said. "We absolutely want (these veterans) to be able to go out feeling their best, looking their best with the confidence they deserve, and feeling the respect they've earned."

Brightwell noted that the entire event is supported by volunteers and made possible by donations from the community.

Clothing racks and tables covered with jewelry, scarves, handbags and shoes filled the Hahn University Center.

Brightwell said the boutique draws many veterans in, but the additional services make it a one-stop shop for career resources. Partner organizations such as CalVet, Wounded Warrior Project, Courage to Call and many others had tables lining the entrance.

RanDee McLain, a San Diego-based Navy veteran and co-founder of Operation Dress Code said she wishes this was something she had when she left the military.

"I didn't really know how to transition," she said. "You wear a uniform for so long, you don't know how to dress for success."

She noted that some of the unique challenges for women veterans include balancing family life and finding a purpose while adapting to a new rhythm.

Despite having higher rates of education, female veterans experience higher rates of unemployment compared to their male counterparts, according to an annual survey by the nonprofit Wounded Warrior Project.

Jessica Wood — who is attending her second Operation Dress Code event — said, from her experience, it can be difficult for women veterans to accept help after being immersed in a male-dominated field.

"It's a man's world. They don't ask for help. You don't ask for help," Wood said of the military. She added that she's working on asking for help more often when she needs it.

Wood, who served for 13 years in the Navy and Army, works as a caregiver making $15 per hour. After she earns her bachelor's degree in a few weeks, she wants to pursue a higher paying job that matches her skills and her passion to help other veterans.

These clothes and free services will help her get there, she said. Tears filled her eyes as she gestured to the racks of clothes and buzzing volunteers.

"It's amazing. It's a gift that I can never repay," she said.

This story originally appeared in San Diego Union-Tribune.

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