Chicago Woman Starts Non-Profit To Build Teen Girls' Self-Esteem

CHICAGO (CBS) -- Building a young woman's self-esteem can be one hardest parts of growing up.

That's why a Chicago woman took lessons from her teenage years to start a non-profit to do just that.

CBS 2's Marissa Bailey introduces us to the woman using clothes and confidence to inspire teen girls.

Once a week, Jacqueline Perlman of Chicago hauls bags and boxes of clothing to an inner city Chicago high school. She says it started as a side project.

Perlman says she struggled with self-esteem as a teen and wants to help young women find it easier than she did.

"I know when I put on an outfit that makes me feel good…I wanna go out and I want to meet new people and I want to talk to people more," she said.

So she took her love of giving back and fashion and started the non-profit "My Favorite Outfit" last April. She collects donations, stores them in her parents' basement and then sets up what she calls a "pop-up boutique" at local high schools.

30 girls are selected based on good attendance and grades. First an ice breaker, then team building and finally, the girls get to shop for items from the boutique free of charge.

"You're able to pick out what you want, like what suits you," said DaShane Goodwin, a senior at Collins Academy.

"It's like helping me with my communication skills cause like I'm talking to people more," Shayona Powell, a sophomore at Collins Academy.

John Thuet, assistant principal at Collins, says "They're craving it. They need it and it's going to help them in the long run that there's another world out there."

A world where if you work hard, you'll be rewarded.

"I think that's the best way to learn self-esteem is proving it to yourself," Perlman said.

My Favorite Outfit has no office, no employees, no storage space and no annual funders. Jacqueline does it all by herself with the help of a handful of volunteers.

For more information, visit www.myfavoriteoutfit.org.