Chantzi and Sury know what looks good and feels good for women who want to be comfortable at home yet still be stylish. That’s the essence of the clothing at the Robe Gallery in Brook Haven Mall, Passaic, and at the Monsey Mall, in Monsey. Chantzi is the retail maven, overseeing both stores and keeping customers happy. Sury designs many of the collections in the Robe Gallery and oversees manufacturing. She is also distributing her designs to stores in Brooklyn, upstate New York, Baltimore, England and Israel.
The Robe Gallery was started in Monsey by their mother, Shaindy Rabinowitz, who has become something of a legend with her uncanny ability to give customers the perfect fit. The foundation of the store, literally, is an extensive undergarments department. Chantzi and Sury grew up working in the store and absorbed their mother’s talent for fashion and fitting. Both have become expert fitters in their own right. They tell customers who ask for their mother that they have been doing this for over 10 years and their mother trained them well. Shaindy is still in the Monsey store every day and will be adding days in Passaic, but she assures customers they are in good hands with her daughters. “It’s my dream come true that my children are fulfilling my vision, helping me run the business,” she tells them.
Make an appointment for a fitting and see how much better you feel and your clothes look with the correct undergarments. If you have a special occasion coming up, bring the dress to your fitting. To join their group for updates on fitting schedules, text ADD ME to 973/412-3840.
The Robe Gallery has a large collection of loungewear and lingerie, with a special group for kallahs. The top brand names are here including Wacoal, Vabien, Dominique, Rago and Gemsli shapers, Chantell, the Israeli brand You and Natori.
Shaindy founded the store with Shabbos robes but today, robes have transitioned to maxi dresses. The objective is the same, but the style is different. Today’s maxis at the Robe Gallery are fashionable long dresses or skirts, designed to be comfortable and allow for ease of movement, especially on relaxing Shabbos evenings and afternoons. The styles are up to date, with exquisite detail. So while you’re comfortable at home, you can entertain guests or go for a walk outside without missing a beat. Brands include well-known names like Pashmina and their own line, Pause, designed by Sury.
Maxis come in all different styles. “Some customers like the satin ones, which are so dressy and so beautiful, because they like to be more dressed by the meals,” said Chantzi. “Others like those comfy cozy fabrics you can also nap in. We have spaghetti strap jumper styles with matching cardigans, and we also have styles good for nursing moms.”
With cooler weather around the corner, the Robe Gallery is bringing in richly colored velvets. “People just love the colors, and they’re home anyway.” said Chantzi. “Where are we going when it’s freezing or snowing?” Navy, burgundy and olive are popular colors. And black is still very popular, sometimes with a pop of color or a design to add interest. Satin is in demand, often as a maxi skirt with a coordinating cardigan.
The Robe Gallery has a large collection of tops—cardigans, sweaters, shrugs and knits. Put one over a maxi dress or skirt. Mix and match to create several different outfits. “People are very artsy today and like to coordinate their own ideas. Like someone will grab an olive green chunky knit top with black and white and wear it over a burgundy satin skirt and it looks fabulous,” said Chantzi.
Those great tops can be matched with a Robe Gallery floral or geometric print skirt, or basic black skirt. Chantzi and Sury collaborated on producing a black skirt that is much more than basic—The Pause A-line skirt is the ultimate in fit and comfort, and comes in a variety of lengths. “It’s a soft fabric and doesn’t need a slip,” said Chantzi. It’s just so lightweight and breezy.”
Swimwear is a large category at the Robe Gallery, with swim skirts, tops and dresses. Skirts with leggings are a best seller and swim dresses are becoming more popular. Chantzi said teens like tops known as rash guards and pair them with a coordinating black skirt or shorts.
Shaindy developed a strategic approach to the Robe Gallery’s own designs. “We basically look to create what’s missing out there,” she said. “We don’t want to be just another company. Whatever we see is not available for the next season, we make ourselves. We’re great creators. We have friends at stores in different areas who say whatever you make for yourself, I want.”
Chantzi and Sury work hand in hand in designing and producing their own collections. “We tell Sury what we want and she does the sketching,” said Chantzi. “She does all the drawings. She’s back and forth with the factories. She shops for the fabrics and tests all those fabrics. So the crazy work is on her. The fun part is on me.”
For Sury, designing is the fun part. I met her at the Robe Gallery in Brook Haven Mall, where she works many days, and she showed me all the collections in the store.
The Robe Gallery was born at about the same time as Sury. “My mother opened the store when I was three months old,” said Sury. “I was raised with it. I always loved fashion, always loved fabric. I went to all the fashion shows with my mother,” Sury began designing after she married and had children. Clothes weren’t fitting as well as they used to, so she decided to design her own. “We went to vendors we worked with for the store and decided to design with them,” she said. From there she reached out to agents and manufacturers. She does all the designing, oversees manufacturing and handles distribution. She designs collections for dresses, sets, sleepwear, swimwear and camp clothing before summer. Stores are reaching out to carry her lines.
Visit the Robe Gallery at BrookHaven Mall in Passaic, or in the Monsey Mall, 100 NY-59, Monsey, for stylish, comfy fashions, whether you’re having guests, relaxing on the couch, going for a swim or going to sleep. The Robe Gallery has you covered.
