Clothes make the (wo)man
Bennatta West is turning personal resilience and a love of fashion into a growing business and a new chapter at VCU.
By Susie Burtch
This is the story of Bennatta West (B.S. ’27), a fashion-loving, intensely focused young entrepreneur who worked with the Internal Revenue Service while running her own clothing business. And that was before she returned to school to earn a college degree and complete the Veteran Institute Procurement START program. Through it all, her love of style is paramount; she often speaks in the language of fashion.
Picture West wearing her favorite color-block pants. That would be the quintessential item sold today at Miss Classy, LLC. West launched the online store in 2020 as Miss Classy’s Closet. Now she has two physical locations, but the mission hasn’t changed: to promote self-awareness and boost self-esteem among women.
“I wanted to promote self-expression through clothes,” she explains. “We don’t need to get attention by uncovering ourselves. On the other hand, we don’t have to dress boring to be in the corporate world. We can still express our personality, still work as professionals.”
As a novice in business, West was distressed to see jealousy among groups of women. “There’s no time to be jealous of somebody else if you are busy focusing on yourself,” she said. “Instead, let’s come together and support each other. I sell clothes everyone wears—ages 18 and up, sizes S through 3X—yet every piece is distinctive. You can choose what best expresses your personality.”
Now imagine a metaphorical West donning a fedora. “That would be me, having to put on my thinking cap” she said with a grin. After she was injured during Navy basic training and ultimately diagnosed with fibromyalgia, West was unable to go back into service. “But I believe in purpose over pain,” she says. “I had to keep moving.”
Fast-forward to West, now in her mid-30s, working full time and running the online boutique she started at the height of COVID-19.
“That was when I first heard of the VIP START program, which helps veteran-owned businesses win government contracts. But I had so much going on back then, I couldn’t pursue it further,” she says.
In 2022, she enrolled at VCU, beginning what turned out to be a challenging first attempt at earning her bachelor’s degree. Because of her health issues and work demands, she decided to pause her studies. She resigned from the IRS and, in fall of 2024, began the re-enrollment process for VCU. West credits her academic adviser and VA counselor for giving her the motivation she needed to pursue her goals.
But luck intervened again: the START training program began the same as her first class. “I told myself, ‘I can do this,’” she recalls. “It’s a way for my business to expand and still show I am an advocate for self-esteem. Before, I wasn’t thinking outside the box. I needed to take my own advice and just get certified. I ended up graduating from the program with a new mindset.”
Conjure up medical scrubs, perhaps made by West some day. Miss Classy doesn’t sell uniforms, at least not yet. “I went from women’s clothing to extensive research,” said West. “Now I need to prove myself to the government. I am learning a lot about local, state and federal contracts.” It’s a tall order. “It takes time to sort it all out, but I will make it work,” she adds. “Faith moves mountains. And I have my family, friends, church family and daughter always rooting for me.”
Right now, West is focused on synthesizing what she has learned about law, accounting, insurance, human resources, marketing and proposals and applying it all to pitching government contracts. Her VCU degree in business administration will help, as will her concentration in marketing. And if indeed “how we dress shows how we feel,” it’s a good bet West will look—and feel—both professional and distinctive as she grows her business.
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