Modest Fashion Brands Rethink Headscarf Displays in Malls
Translated & summarized from Srugim by baba
Modest fashion brands expanding into mainstream malls face a challenge in attracting secular customers. Expert Tzipi Postavsky suggests that prominently displaying religious items like headscarves can deter non-religious shoppers. She advises brands to strategically adjust their storefronts and potentially omit headscarves from mall displays to broaden their appeal. This approach aims to make stores more welcoming to a diverse customer base, differentiating mall branches from those in strictly religious areas.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Modest fashion brands entering malls must adapt their displays to attract secular customers.
- Prominent display of headscarves can deter non-religious shoppers, according to expert Tzipi Postavsky.
- Brands may strategically omit headscarves from mall store displays to increase accessibility.
- Storefront presentation is crucial for making secular customers feel comfortable entering modest fashion shops.
- Mall branches may have different product mixes than stores in strictly religious neighborhoods.
Modest fashion, once confined to religious communities, has increasingly entered mainstream retail, with long dresses and closed-cut garments appearing in major chains. Simultaneously, brands traditionally associated with the religious public are expanding into shopping malls to reach a broader audience. This expansion presents a commercial dilemma: how to maintain brand identity while attracting customers who are not strictly religious.
Tzipi Postavsky, owner of the ZIPO brand and an expert in commercial positioning strategy, discussed this challenge in an interview with Srugim, referencing the entry of the modest fashion chain Shira Chadasha into a mall in Petah Tikva. She argued that a store in a mall cannot look identical to a branch operating in a strictly Haredi area.
Postavsky explained that when a brand enters a mall, it must consider secular and traditional customers passing by. If the storefront prominently displays items strongly identified with the religious public, such as headscarves, some potential customers might bypass the store without exploring its offerings. "If it's marketed smartly and doesn't put the 'hardcore religious' elements upfront, the secular customer is less intimidated and buys," she stated. "But if a headscarf is placed at the front, the secular customer might pass by the store and say, 'This isn't for me, it's for someone religious.'"
In this context, the headscarf becomes more than just a fashion item; it acts as a signal defining the store's intended audience. Even if the store sells dresses and skirts suitable for any woman, a prominent headscarf can immediately create a sectoral identification. Postavsky suggested that to attract more customers, a brand might even consider not displaying headscarves in mall branches at all, opting for a different product mix than stores in religious neighborhoods. This strategic decision aims to make more women feel comfortable entering the store, not because headscarves are unsuitable for malls, but as a commercial tactic. This is Postavsky's professional assessment, not an official statement from Shira Chadasha.