Growing up in Israel, 32-year old Morani Jersey went to an all-girls school. Though her teachers were religious, they would always wear stylish modest clothing to work. When she saw them at the local beach, however, they would be wearing tee shirts and pants, which were not so fashionable.
“[This] affected me greatly,” Jersey said. “I couldn’t understand why such a respectful and elegant woman would not wear chic swimwear. [But] there were no other options available to them.”
When Jersey started working, she made it her mission to create a line of modest, but chic, swimwear for women. She had a background in business and had been sewing and interested in fashion as a child. Remembering her teachers, she created Moriè Swimwear.
This line, which is sold online, features swimwear tops, skirts, tights and sets in bright colors and trendy patterns like animal prints and palm trees, and offers options for women who are breastfeeding, as well as plus sizes up to 2XL.
“There are more options today for women who want better-coverage swimwear than five years ago.”–Morani Jersey
“There are more options today for women who want better-coverage swimwear than five years ago,” Jersey said. “However, there are fewer options for plus sizes and breastfeeding women, which Moriè Swimwear designs offer.”
Since starting Moriè, it has taken off and is being featured on The Reflective, a leading global website for modest fashion. And recently, Morié Swimwear received an invitation to participate in Dubai Fashion Week, making it the first Israeli company to present at this prestigious event.
“Our collection in Dubai Fashion week demonstrated the growing popularity of modest swimwear not only because of religious reasons, but also because more women are seeing the beauty of cover-ups and feel more comfortable wearing them,” said Jersey. “This proves to us that modest fashion is in demand in all religions.”
According to the mother of two, who is based in the south of Israel (Kiryat Gat, in the district of Ashkelon) but ships her swimsuits worldwide, modest swimsuits help women feel much more comfortable.
“They do not have to change their swimwear all the time and cover up with a towel to feel comfortable,” she said. “They can feel free to run with their kids on the beach or go to the beach with their partner without having to change their clothes.”
She continued, “The Torah gives Jewish women a special respected rule, which affects our clothing.”
Looking forward, along with growing the business and offering jobs to religious women, Jersey hopes to expand her business and provide even more options for her customers. Ultimately, that’s her goal: to make her customers feel comfortable in their skin while looking beautiful and upholding their values at the same time.
