Bridal loungewear label Pomme was born out of Melbourne co-founder Emily Ventura’s own search for “non-floral, non-shiny but affordable getting-ready shirts” for her wedding. “I couldn’t find anything that wasn’t really expensive. [It] adds up when you have a few bridesmaids and have already gone over budget on the florist,” she says. “Everything was too girly or ‘bridal’ for me … I didn’t want ‘bride’ [written] across the back in diamantes.”
At the time, she was doing the marketing and PR for womenswear label Interval, owned by Kara Lui (a former Alexander Wang intern), who’s also the co-founder of Pomme.
“Kara had a simple pinstripe cotton shirt dress in her collection, which suited my more minimalist style, so I chose that for my bridesmaids,” says Ventura. “The amount of questions we both received from posting pictures of my wedding on Instagram triggered the thought that maybe others out there were struggling to find something as I did.”
“Brides are putting more effort into making [the pre-wedding ritual] as picture-perfect as the rest of the celebrations,” she adds.
And so Pomme launched at the beginning of 2018.
With every design, Ventura and Lui aim to answer three questions: “What will make [someone] feel comfortable and confident on the day? What will [flatter the] whole bridal party and their various body shapes? What looks beautiful now that will also stand the test of time 10, 20 years later?” Lui says. Pomme’s understated garments are designed to last beyond the wedding day – the timeless shirting looks just as good with a pair of jeans; the classic robes are ideal for lounging at home.
Shirt dresses and shirt sets are 100 per cent cotton with a structured boyfriend-shirt look – but they’re soft to touch, too. The robes and camisole sets are made from linen-cotton blends and are less prone to wrinkling compared to 100 per cent linen. “Important for wedding day photos,” Lui says.
Collection 2 – the label’s latest shirting range, which launched in October – is inspired by summer light and air, and comes in warm and sandy hues, with a touch of muted green. Hero pieces include the polka-dot shirt dress, which comes in a relaxed boyfriend fit with an open collar. The option of having your initials embroidered on the chest or across the sleeve is also available.
The Solange robe is made from a premium linen-cotton blend in a washed grass green. It has a detachable wide waist tie, internal buttons and back-hanger loop. “I’m getting married next year and will be dressing myself and [my] bridesmaids in this style,” says Lui.
Prices range from $38 to $98. The second installment of Collection 2 will launch in the coming weeks, and will include a travel-friendly, wrinkle-resistant shirt dress and shirt set.
Stephanie Vigilante 
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