Brighton Buys: Skinny Tees at Impulse

boutique in downtown Brighton is known for helping women of any age find the perfect pair of jeans. And to make them look even better in their new denim, customers are snapping up Michigan-based Skinny Tees.

Billed as "The Diet You Wear," the tanks and tees are designed to suck it all in, and they are proving to be a staple purchase at the trendy shop.

"Skinny Tees are incredible," said Impulse owner Gail Sherman. "Wear them and you will no longer have muffin top, believe me."

One wall of Impulse is devoted to neatly folded Skinny Tees in every color priced from $13 to $40, and they're selling fast, Sherman said.

Skinny Tees creator Linda Schlesinger said Impulse was an early supporter of Skinny Tees, and it sells "a ton of product" compared with shops nationwide. Schlesinger credits Sherman's approach.

"Gail is a retailer who cares about every customer that walks in the door," Schlesinger said as she visited the store recently to deliver an order. "Her personal attention is something every shop owner could learn from."

Schlesinger, of West Bloomfield, has worked in the fashion industry for 30 years, first as co-owner of Rainbow Lollipop, a high-end children's boutique at Somerset Mall in Troy, and later launching Annie’s Antics, a children’s knitwear company, and Annie M Designs, a women’s line.

Schlesinger founded Skinny Tees in 2009 when she noticed there was an untapped market for simple yet stylish body-conscious tanks and tees. The full line includes a range of products, and Impulse carries Skinny Tees bandeaus, tanks and long- and short-sleeve T-shirts.

When it comes to jeans, Impulse sells Diesel, Seven for all Mankind, True Religion, William Rast, Citizens for Humanity, Joe's Jeans, Paige Denim, Hudson, AG, Robin's Jean and a brand-new line called DL1961. It also carries a variety of tops and accessories.

Skinny Tees work as layering pieces with virtually anything, Sherman said, and at Impulse, they're always 15 percent off.

"I have women who buy one Skinny Tee, and then they come back to get one in every color," Sherman said.