Bombelle brings new take on women's t-shirts

T-shirts are an easy go-to for many people just trying to throw on a casual piece for the day. However, so many t-shirts just never quite flatter a woman's shape, or come off as too boxy. For the fashion conscience girl who wants something easy to wear but still be stylish, t-shirts can be a challenge for her. However, that's where Bombelle comes in.

The line was started by industry veteran Barbara Dolak, who began working on it a year ago. The line strictly t-shirts because according to here "there was a void in the market for high-end feminine graphic t-shirts."

Dolak launched the line in March, and rather than following the traditional seasonal calendar of doing a fall/winter and spring/summer collection, every six weeks or so she will introduce a new piece. Dolak came from a background in sweaters, which are very seasonal, so her goal was to do something that is year round. Each season she adds a few new pieces and builds off the original twenty she started with.

One of her main focuses in creating the line was making an original silhouette. She feels the women's t-shirt market is oversaturated with v-necks, wide boatnecks, and loud, overbearing graphic t-shirts. Her graphics are very creative, but make just the right amount of statement. In addition to the graphics, her t-shirts also include inspirational quotes on the side to coordinate with the graphics. All the quotes are part of her personal journey to getting to where she is in her career.

While Dolak has been in the fashion industry for a while, this venture was completely unplanned. "I'm all in now," Dolak says regarding how committed she has become to her business.

Dolak is also part of the crop of designers who can proudly boast they are fully made in the U.S.A. The actual t-shirts are made in California, but all the printing for the quotes and graphics is done in Brooklyn.

While the majority of Dolak's sales come from her e-commerce shop online, she had a pop-up shop in the Hamptons this summer, as well as a few boutiques out there who carried her t-shirts.

Dolaks's approach to brick-and-mortar retail is primarily pop-up stores. Currently, she has no interest in taking a wholesale approach model.

"A big part of why I want to keep doing the pop-up shops is because I want to keep the line exclusive," Dolak says. "I also like having that direct-to-consumer approach. This way, I can see how customers are really reacting to things myself."

In terms of where she sees her t-shirt line going next, she is currently looking at relaunching her website. She's also exploring pop-up and boutique partnerships down south in states like Florida.

Bombelle t-shirts are available on bombelle.com and retail between 85 dollars and 160 dollars.

photos courtesy of designer Barbara Dolak