The London Mummy meets Dotty Dungarees (12 January 2017)
The London Mummy meets Dotty Dungarees
We started Dotty Dungarees in December 2014 when my friend/business partner Georgie and I had two tiny tots - a boy and girl called Otto and Dolly (hence the name). We were both raised in dungarees but couldn’t find any we liked for our own children, so we set about designing the perfect pair.
Dotty Dungarees: The Otto stripe dungarees (a classic butcher stripe) is our bestseller all year round and has been right from the start. The cord range, in ochre especially, is also hugely popular. And for summer, the dotty and stripes always sell really well too.
Who is your target market?
We sell a lot to mums, who love the practicality of the design. As mothers, we really pride ourselves on ensuring that the clothes fit perfectly and are easy to put on, take off and adjust, at each age. We also prioritise fabrics which are super soft and which children love wearing. There are enough areas of potential drama with small children already, and nobody needs an extra battle to get them into clothes they don’t find comfortable! We also sell a lot as gifts because each pair comes in a free, child-sized drawstring rucksack, so they make adorable presents. Grandparents especially love giving them to their grandchildren! I think it brings back memories…
And what about trade show? What is your favourite aspect of exhibiting at an event like Bubble?
Meeting buyers is hugely rewarding. Not having a physical shop means that we don’t get face to face interaction with our customers most of the time and it’s so lovely to hear all their comments and the wonderful feedback they get from their own customers. We have a huge number of repeat buyers (I’d say as much as 80% or 90% come back season after season), so we have got to know some of them really well!
What is your favourite blog?
We love following bloggers. Apart from the London Mummy - I love MyBaba for advice and Hurrah for Gin for light relief from it all and to know we are not alone!! The Dad Network is also fantastic for a different perspective.
What's in store for Dotty Dungarees in 2017?
Lots! We continue to produce our classic dungarees in a selection of new fabrics and colours, as well as branching out into new products to expand our range. We are also introducing a collection for babies called ‘Diddy Dotty’ made of the softest cotton fabrics only. And we have an exciting collaboration in the pipeline too… Watch this space!
