Durango’s Outfitters Help Students Look and Feel Their Best

At the plaza in front of the Health and Kinesiology Building, it feels more like an open-air market than a typical day on campus. Volunteers neatly organize and fold clothes on tables and racks while students study their new fits in front of mirrors. There is a little something for everyone at the pop-up.

But this isn’t just about dressing for success — it’s about finding the fit to feel like your best self.

Durango’s Outfitters is a student organization at the University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) dedicated to providing free clothing to students. The organization launched in 2023 after education major Isa Manhart saw how their peers needed business attire for their new positions as student teachers.

Since then, it has grown into one of UNO’s most visible student groups, offering monthly pop-up closets (check out their Instagram page or MavSYNC page for upcoming dates, including their Oct. 28 event during Homecoming Week) that serve hundreds of students each semester and giving out thousands of pieces of clothing since its inception.

Several closets like Durango’s Outfitters exist on campus, including the College of Business Administration’s Career Outfitters and the UNO Alumni Association Career Closet. But Durango’s Outfitters stands apart by offering not just professional attire but clothes for all purposes, as well as some accessories.

Leilou Guerrero, Durango Outfitter’s vice president, said that variety sets them apart. “We try to provide for everyone,” she said. “We’ve had students come in looking for winter coats, or scrubs for their clinicals, and we want to make sure they can find what they need.”

Many members see the org as a passion project, whether it’s about promoting sustainability in clothing or giving back to the campus. To some, it’s based on personal experiences.

Ella Lucey, the club’s president and a pre-dental student, remembers the costs of buying office-appropriate clothes that she needed to job shadow at dental offices.

“When you’re in a setting like a dental office, the dress code is pretty formal, and that can be expensive,” she said. “Having access to free clothing took away some of that financial stress.”

For Guerrero, this work is something of a family tradition. As a child, she watched her mother organize clothing drives in the area, and she wanted to bring that same spirit of community service to UNO.

“I’ve always had a passion for helping people,” she said. “Seeing students leave with a bag of clothes and knowing they don’t have to worry about that expense: it’s incredibly rewarding.”

Each event is designed to be as accessible as possible. There are no requirements of membership or limits on how many items a student can take. Students sign in with their MavCARD, are let loose to shop, and leave with what they need. Everything is free of course, providing students with a resource to refresh their wardrobe throughout the academic year.

“We don’t put up barriers,” Lucey said. “If someone takes something and walks out, that’s fine. The point is to make it easy and welcoming.”

Along with removing a financial strain, Lucey and Guerrero point out that an accessible closet also improves self-confidence for students.

“When students come in, you can see the relief,” Lucey said. “Having the right clothes helps you feel like you belong in that space, even if it’s just to go to class.”

Durango’s Outfitters continues to grow, with students frequently returning as volunteers after their first time attending. “We see a lot of students who come to get clothes and then come back to help,” Guerrero said. “That’s how we know we’re making a difference.”