Get to Know Parallel Apparel, Your New Favorite Brand For Sexy Basics

Parallel Apparel is not just another influencer brand saturating the fashion market. Designed to offer "sexy and elite basics for modern creatives" of all sizes and identities, this collection is going to take up a lot of closet space in the future!

The first launch consisted of 15 black and white pieces designed by co-founders Alisha Marie and Ashley Nichole. You may know the sisters from their YouTube channels, wildly successful podcasts Pretty Basic and Unsolicited Advice, or other areas of the social media influencer sphere. They were inspired to create this brand together after seeing how their styles have evolved from "polar opposites" to "parallel." While Alisha's style gives off "insta-baddie" vibes and is heavily influenced by streetwear, Ashley's style tends to be more bohemian and minimalistic, yet they both share staple pieces that perfectly complement their differences and align their styles. Thus, Parallel Apparel aims to provide consumers with these luxury basics suitable for both a workday at home and a night out with friends.

Another key aspect of the brand is its dedication to inclusivity. In a video announcing Parallel's creation, Alisha explained her frustration with society and Hollywood always promoting a singular body type as beautiful and shared how this negatively affected her self-esteem: "I would be in fittings for a show or a movie, [and] I couldn't fit in a lot of the clothes because they only had double zero sizes for the actors . . . . I used to take that personal and think that there was something wrong with me instead of realizing there was something wrong with the clothes," she said. During the design process, the sisters collaborated with curve model Lexi Donato (@lexidonato), as well as various members of their team, to get feedback on fit and sizing. In the end, each piece was created in sizes XS to XXXL and was specifically cut to flatter as many body types as possible. The hope is that Parallel will be a small step in changing society's beauty standards, making more people feel #SexyAsIs.

Inclusivity was not limited to sizing, as the brand was also conscious of the relationship between sustainability, accessibility, and pricing. According to their website, the "entire collection is ethically sourced, locally made in Los Angeles, and always sweatshop free." Alisha also answered frequently asked questions on her vlog channel and explained that each item is cut and sewn, all clothing scraps are recycled, and the poly mailers used to ship pieces are 100 percent recyclable. Currently, prices range from $35-$118, and while "affordable" is an extremely relative term, the brand stands by their decision given the quality of their clothing.

As Parallel Apparel continues to expand, the sisters have a few key goals in mind: make shipping available worldwide, collaborate with investors to launch in stores like Nordstrom, and continue to find more ways to be sustainable. Follow Alisha (@alisha), Ashley (@ashnichole), and Parallel Apparel (@parallelapparel) on Instagram to let them know what you want to see next and to stay up to date on all future launches!

Now, if you're just as interested in Parallel as I am, keep reading to check it out!