Women’s fashion brand YAL New York started in 2014 with 20 styles. The spring 2022 collection being rolled out now has over 250.

YAL is a collaboration between husband and wife team Teddy and Ayala Kafif. It was Teddy who first saw the need for a brand of fashionable clothes for the modest woman. Ayala, an accountant by training, helped in the design process while developing her eye. Now head designer, she taught herself by following fashion trends and translating them into styles her customers would like. “I look at what’s in style in magazines and on the runway and make it kosher,” said Kafif. “I incorporate the colors of the season and really, whatever comes into my head.”

Kafif said that there are many communities of women who want modest fashion, and they have different tastes. She incorporates a lot of variety into the collection so there are choices for all. Her guiding principle is that an outfit has to look good without requiring a shirt underneath. It has to fit well and be modest at the same time.

The company began with knitwear; sweaters, tops and skirts are still the mainstay of the collection. But YAL is branching out, adding t-shirts and tie-dyed t-shirt sets, and new fabrics like denim and crepe-like cotton. There are always a few dresses in the collection.

Black is still popular with color in the details. This season, Kafif is doing many shades of tan and camel, also with pops of color, but no gray.

Pleated skirts have been a bestseller for years and people are still asking for them. In tops, she observes that customers are gravitating to a ruched sleeve (gathered at the top and bottom).

The company has been growing by word of mouth and Teddy Kafif’s success in heading sales. The company has corporate showrooms in New York and Israel. YAL New York fashions are sold through their website, www.yalnewyork.com, and a network of 1,500 boutiques around the country. Look for YAL fashions at Suede & Co in Teaneck, and Daniella’s and Pink Orchard in Passaic.