How did we determine our products (long modest blouses with pockets)?

How did we determine our products (long modest blouses with pockets)?

When we started the brand in 2015, we wanted to tackle a gap in the modest fashion market and provide clothing for women (athletic, work, leisure, evening wear, etc). At the time, there were no readily available modeslty stylish clothes. 

I had already been designing pieces in each of these categories for myself. Each design was then being tested and I knew the flaws and what I wanted to fix. I looked at the market and determined (being a lawyer) that there is not one brand focused on providing modestly fashionable suits. So I started the designing process, but hit various personal and professional challenges that setback launching the brand. 

I reoriented myself and several years later came back again having watched the trend in the modest fashion market. I was drawn to producing high quality flexible fashionable evening wear. What does that mean? Well, the outfit allowed the individual to reveal or cover as much as she wanted. The designs were creative, one evening dress could be styled up to 4 different ways. Each time looking like a new outfit. 

We launched this venture in 2019, with anticipation to market launch in March 2020. Not sure, much more needs to be said as March 2020 brought us a surprise with the COVID-19 pandemic. Needless to say our supply chain stumbled and there was no need in the market for evening gowns. 

We struggled as the pandemic raged and we had invested in building the brand. We turned our attention to fashion masks and fashion accessories. In 2021, as the vaccine began to be rolled out the world began to slowly move again. We watched the market trends, shopping trends, and buying trends. If you follow us on social media, you will have seen that we also polled our followers and engaged with our potential customers. 

We identified 2 gaps in the women's clothing market. Blouses that cover below the waistline for a woman. We inquired with various manufacturers and designers to learn that a woman's top is typically made shorter in length than a man's shirt. This is probably not surprising to most of us, as we struggle with wearing a shirt and having our lower back at times exposed. 

The second gap is functional pockets! Women's clothing tend to not have pockets for a number of reasons, including the fear that it will interfere with the silhouette of a woman. Well, shouldn't this be a choice? 

Based on the above 2 gaps in the market, we began to plug forward with designing modestly fashionable, feminine, functional blouses for women. We ensure that each design has functional pockets, leaving a woman with the right to choose what works best for her. 

And with that we began designing a series of staple items for a modestly fashionable wardrobe. 

Follow us on Instagram @Shaklibrands to learn more about our #behindtheblouse process!