FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

02-04-11 355PM

With an increasing number of women unemployed and looking for work, dressbarn’s annual Send One Suit Weekend program supplies women seeking a job an absolute necessity: the proper outfit to wear for the job interview.

The ninth annual clothing donation program runs Feb. 24-27 and provides drop-off sites at more than 825 dressbarn (NASDAQ: ASNA) locations across the country, including dressbarn stores in the Brentwood area. The national apparel retailer, geared toward the working woman, has teamed up with Dress for Success, the international nonprofit organization that supports female economic independence, to collect articles of professional attire and donate them to women looking to gain a job or who are trying to re-enter the workforce.

“This program provides the initial, yet vital, step of supporting women with the proper attire, building their confidence to succeed in getting a job,” said dressbarn EVP and Chief Marketing Officer Vivian Behrens. “Send One Suit weekend encourages our customers to donate a suit or any professional clothing that can be used by someone less fortunate who is working to better her life. The last thing a woman should have to worry about during a job search is whether her wardrobe will prevent her from being seriously considered for employment.”

Last year, dressbarn’s Send One Suit Weekend clothing drive yielded more than 43,000 professional items of clothing in four days. The collected items were distributed to more than 70 Dress for Success affiliates throughout the United States. This year, the company is looking to attract in excess of 50,000 items of gently worn professional attire.

“For nearly 50 years, dressbarn has been dedicated to the needs of the working woman,” said Behrens. “This charity drive allows us to further that ideal, as we champion efforts with local communities and nonprofit organizations nationwide to give women in need a renewed sense of self and the confidence to re-enter or join the workforce.”

According to Joi Gordon, CEO of Dress for Success Worldwide, “This is our ninth year partnering with dressbarn for Send One Suit Weekend, and we couldn’t be more thrilled. Every day we witness the transformative power professional attire has over the lives of women and their families, and with these donations, women can walk into an interview suited, brimming with confidence – the first and most fundamental step to professional and personal success.”

dressbarn stores in the Brentwood area, along with all dressbarn locations nationwide, will serve as a drop-off sites for gently used suits, dresses, skirts, slacks, blouses, belts and shoes for low-income women looking for employment. Additionally, in gratitude for their generosity, dressbarn will offer donors an additional savings of 15 percent off a total purchase. For a complete list of locations and acceptable items, visit www.dressbarn.com.

For more information on dressbarn in the Brentwood area, call the dressbarn at Slatten Ranch in Antioch at 925-754-7217 or the dressbarn at Park West Place in Stockton at 209-473-1497.

dressbarn, a division of Ascena Retail Group Inc. (NASDAQ – ASNA), is a leading national women’s specialty apparel retailer offering quality casual, career and special occasion fashions. dressbarn stores carry styles in sizes 4 to 24, as well as shoes and accessories. As of December, 2010, Ascena retail group Inc.’s three brands operated more than 830 dressbarn stores in 47 states, more than 750 Maurice’s stores in 44 states, and more than 900 Justice stores in 46 states, Puerto Rico, Russia and the Middle East. For more information regarding dressbarn stores, visit dressbarn.com.

Dress for Success is an international nonprofit organization that promotes the economic independence of disadvantaged women by providing professional attire, a network of support and the career development tools to help women thrive in work and in life. Since starting operations in 1997, Dress for Success has expanded to more than 100 cities in the United States, Australia, Canada, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland, the UK and the West Indies. To date, Dress for Success has helped more than 500,000 women work toward self-sufficiency. Visit www.dressforsuccess.org to learn more.

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