Fast-forward a decade or two. Finding a long-sleeve T-shirt is no longer a treasure hunt. Our local stores are bursting with options

Ever wondered about the making of the stylish and modest clothing that fill rack after rack in hundreds of frum clothing stores? In honor of the pre-Pesach shopping rush, one of the busiest shopping seasons, Teen Pages went behind the scenes to get the backstory!

Then & Now

Back in the dark ages when your mother (or maybe even your sister who’s 15 years older than you) was a teen, the frum clothing industry was vastly different. Before camp, teens shopped in malls, combing racks to find that elusive long-sleeve tee. Bonus points if the neckline worked! Long skirts found in the department stores were real treasures! There were modest options in the Jewish stores, but the selection was nothing like there is today.

Fast-forward a decade or two. Finding a long-sleeve T-shirt is no longer a treasure hunt. Our local stores are bursting with options.

Alisa Mendlowitz, co-owner of Brenda’s, has been working in the clothing industry for 42 years. Alisa’s mother, Brenda, began selling “dry goods” (socks, towels, and other basics) but shifted toward women’s clothing because that’s where she felt the need was. (She had four girls, so it worked out well.) She opened one of the first women’s designer clothing stores in the frum world. Today, her daughters have taken over.

“I attended BYA High School because it was across the street from the store,” says Alisa. (Yes, she chose a high school based on its proximity to Brenda’s!) “I began working in the store when I was 12. I worked there after school every day, on Sundays and Fridays, often helping my teachers shop!”

From her viewpoint of four decades in the industry, Alisa shares how the business has changed.

“So many frum clothing companies have opened over the last ten years,” says Alisa. “There’s a lot of competition. Right now the consumer is in the driver’s seat; they are able to get good prices and good selection. Today it’s easier than ever to look refined and put-together. You can find clothing that is tzniyus, trendy, and flattering. The selection is fantastic.”

“It used to be that there were only a handful of manufacturers,” adds Esther, the owner of Brooklyn Southwest in Lakewood. “And now there are lots of companies with all different price points.”

Aside from the niche frum clothing companies, other companies have also been catering more to the frum clientele.

“These companies recognize that frum Jews, especially in New York, are a big part of the market. In the secular world it’s all about leisure; especially since Covid, people aren’t going out as much. They’re wearing sweatsuits and sneakers. How often do they dress up? Hardly ever. Frum Jews, on the other hand, are dressing up for Shabbos, Yom Tov, and simchahs. Many of the better companies are making dresses with different lengths and providing extra fabric for the frum consumers. The company Theory, for example, makes some of their skirts with longer lengths.”

“It also helps that over the past few years midi skirts are in style even in the non-Jewish world, so that makes it so much easier to find fashion with our non-Jewish manufacturers,” adds Esther.

How have the shoppers changed over the years?

“The world became more affluent over the years, and the fashion industry took off in the frum world,” says Alisa. “Since there’s a lot available, people started becoming ‘shoppers.’ Baruch Hashem, there are many large families today, and simchah wear is more in demand.”