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The backstory – Dotty Dungarees
A sustainable and simply adorable UK-based children’s clothing label
It was 2013 when Alice Goldsmith and Georgie Parr set Dotty Dungarees off on a magical adventure. Founded out of their love for the humble dungaree, and its name a combination of their children’s names, Dolly and Otto, today Dotty Dungarees is loved by parents – and the kids who wear them – the world over. Some might say they’re absolutely dotty about them – however, getting to this point wasn’t easy.
The founding duo had zero experience in children’s fashion and retailing, but what they did have was the passion, determination, and a solid friendship to make their vision a reality.
Playing together, working together
Baby Alice and Baby Georgie lived in dungarees. They had humble and carefree upbringings, exploring the great outdoors together – as best friends.
That special friendship and appreciation for childhood nostalgia led them to create their very own, perfect pair of dungarees.
Alice tells us they’d always worked together (after those initial playdate years) and had shared a desk for eight years across two jobs. Their lunch breaks were spent dreaming up business ideas, but the golden idea didn’t surface until they had children of their own. That moment in time was the lightbulb moment they were holding out for.
Dotty Dungarees was in motion.
Next up, sourcing manufacturers
For Alice and Georgie, who had no expertise in this area, this was a steep learning curve. So, they made it their duty to scour the world to find the very best, and ethically-minded, manufacturers.
It was a little bit of trial and error if I’m honest, but we’re so happy and proud to be working with our current partners in China. We visit regularly and they’re incredibly meticulous when it comes to ethical and environmental standards.
Alice Goldsmith, Co-founder, Dotty Dungarees
Dungarees reimagined
Dotty Dungarees do one thing and one thing only – so they do it right.
The intricate details and features of the dungarees have been led by stupendous amounts of research and customer feedback. You’ll find bespoke buttons and buckles, adjustable straps, turn-ups for extra room to grow, and handy zip access for easy nappy changes. Plus, they’re super soft to the touch.
Alice tells us the most unique thing about their dungarees is that they’re designed to grow with your child. As parents themselves, Alice and Georgie were simply fed up with rushing out to buy new clothes for the kids every few months. These are made to last – and are the ideal hand-me-downs.
After perfecting the design and manufacture of their dungarees, in 2016, Alice and Georgie received an influx of requests from retailers across the UK asking to stock their products. At the same time, they were winning all kinds of awards for their designs. Things were really starting to gain pace and the brand was becoming fast-recognised.
It was amazing that so many UK stockists wanted to take a chance on a little British brand selling dungarees.
Alice Goldsmith, Co-founder, Dotty Dungarees
A place to call HQ
Four years after launching the brand, Alice and Georgie moved into their new Dotty HQ – a little wooden shed with a bright red floor (see cute image). From this little shed, with a super helpful intern, they picked and packed all of their customers’ orders by hand – while it was still manageable.
Soon enough though, they’d see those orders skyrocket and would outgrow the little shed. So, they built a second shed and opened up their Dotty office – just in time for global Dotty domination!
Dotty heads to the U.S of A
In 2018, parents of County Cork, Lake Como, Edinburgh, Milan and Milwaukee were flocking to the shops to stock up on dungarees. Dotty’s became a global brand in no time and is now stocked from the East to the West side of America.
And so, the adventure really begins…
With Dotty Dungarees growing organically (they’re seeing 40-70% growth every year), the brand’s future adventures are set to be nothing short of boring. Consumers from across the world are heading in-store and shopping online, sharing fantastic feedback and becoming loyal for life. Alice shares that we’ll see new printed cords for winter, more adventurous patterns, good vibe mottos, capsule collections, and more exciting collaborations on both sides of the pond (like this one with Nicky Hilton).
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