Dive Brief:

• Belk on Monday announced that it launched a private label womenswear brand, Wonderly, according to information sent to Retail Dive. The new brand replaces the company's New Directions private label. 
• The line offers apparel like tops, bottoms and dresses in sizes 4 to 26 and select petite styles in sizes 4 to 16. The entire assortment will be available at over 100 Belk stores and on the retailer's website.
• The Wonderly denim offering is the largest private label denim line for the retailer. The collection also features an athleisure collection, dubbed Wonderly Studio.

Dive Insight:

Belk is ready to entice people to get out of the pajamas they have been wearing during the pandemic.

"After spending extended time at home, people are eager to ditch their lived-in loungewear and are looking for new clothing options that combine both on-trend fashion and comfort," the company said in a press release.

The Wonderly collection, which aims to provide those clothing options, features apparel in earth tones, textured fabrics and patterns. A key wardrobe piece, though, is found in the brand's denim products which come in a variety of leg shapes and washes. And, with about 40% of the population wearing a different size jean than they were a year ago, according to The NPD Group, that collection is on-trend in a year where people are experimenting with different denim styles.

"Wonderly is an effortless style for the modern woman," Chris Kolbe, chief merchandising officer at Belk, said in a statement. "The brand is designed to be versatile, everyday wear with endless possibilities. Wonderly lets our customers create unique looks by pairing our flattering denim with beautiful breezy tops, dresses, and sweaters."

Earlier this year, the department store went through a Chapter 11 bankruptcy and emerged from it a day after filing. A restructuring agreement gave the retailer $225 million in new capital, extended maturities on its term loans and allowed it to shed about $450 million in debt. In a statement following the bankruptcy exit, the company said that it would use the infusion of cash to focus on growth, including bolstering its omnichannel offerings and expanding product categories.