Our mission is to provide female motorcycle riders with a fun and sexy way to get noticed while out on the road....
Hello!
My name is Michelle and I am the designer and creator behind Yankee Babe Apparel! I have always crocheted and crafted, but it wasn't until 2020 before I found myself delving into Motorcycle Apparel for women!
My story is quite funny and (at least I think) entertaining! While recovering from injuries of a car accident, I found crocheting and crafting to help me regain my fine motor skills...and I crocheted A-LOT! Mainly little things, like Christmas stockings and pot holders.
My grown children became the recipients of many crocheted items because, like I said I crocheted A-Lot. One day, when asking my youngest what she would like me to make her next, She boldly said to me "Mom!! No More! I have way to many crocheted items - please do not make anymore for me as I do not know what to do with it all!"
I understood her point. However, I still desperately needed something to crochet! While perusing the internet for ideas, I came across some cute little halter tops. I began crocheting some of the patterns and was instantly "hooked". (pun intended).
The patterns available were pretty fun to create, but I found them to be too bulky and as time progressed, started creating my own designs with a much finer yarn and tighter stitch. This technique was super helpful for my fine motor skills, but took a long time to create a piece.
I decided to stick with creating smaller sizes to use as samples for custom fit orders! Needing a model for these tiny sample halter tops (and not knowing of anyone that tiny), I decided to purchase a mannequin!
meet Yankee Babe
Yankee Babe was born out of a necessity to act as a model for my oh, so tiny halter top sample designs. As a custom designer, it didn't really make much sense to make them any larger. My local biker community loved this concept, as they could pretty much create their own custom fit, custom color and custom designed halter top!
Meanwhile, the mannequin would grow in popularity and the locals, would start calling her "Yankee Babe". A fitting name, since the motorcycle repair shop where I sell my designs, is called Yankee Dave's Motorsports!
Yankee Babe has been featured on some pretty well known local band pages, has had her picture taken numerous times with fans throughout social media and has even been proposed to!
The mannequin, weirdly has become the spokes person (ehem..mannequin) for my business and is still the preferred model for all of my clothing and helmet apparel designs. I mean hey, She doesn't talk back and never bitches about her size.
Oh and lastly, The company name itself - Yankee Babe Apparel, was named by the public also and quite honestly, I LOVE IT!