How it all started for Dungarees Online?
Dungaree’s? They’re for Hillbillies, pregnant women surely?
Not so, says Cheshire-based business-owner, Paul Clapham.
Its May 2006, Clapham is in the shower one morning, when suddenly a light-bulb comes on in his head.
After years slogging away as a respected manager in the retail denim trade, it suddenly occurred to the Leeds-born businessman just how often customers had asked, down the years, unsuccessfully for dungarees.
From that moment, an idea was born. Initially laughed at by his peers, scoffed at by his friends, in trueblood Yorkshire fashion, Paul persevered – and in 2007, launched niche website dungarees-online.com.
Fast forwarding to 2010, dungarees-online.com has successfully launched online stores in France, Italy, Spain, Denmark, Netherlands, Germany & Ireland. In March 2010 they recorded a best ever month on sales and the business now represents a full time job for the 38 year old father of two.
Initially working from home, Paul and his wife Claire expanded their operation to premises in Hale village, and now employ three other people to help cope with additional demands from their ever-increasing expansion into Europe and the rest of the World.
Often derided, the controversial clothes item has a niche market, and this year, have re-emerged on the catwalks of Ralph Lauren, Jean Paul Gaultier and Peter Jensen.
Paul and Claire source their ranges from The States and Europe, and, as Paul explains – dungarees are not simply the chosen reserve of hillbillies and the heavily pregnant.
“Pregnant women are actually the smallest part of our client base,” explains Paul. “We sell to craftsmen including boat-builders, stone-masons & joiners as well as drama schools, dance schools, TV & theatre companies – people with physical disabilities are also regular customers because dungarees are hugely functional as a clothes item.”
Originally a rather utilitarian item of clothing for workmen in depression-era America, more recent famous advocates include Sarah Jessica Parker, Felicity Kendal, Julia Roberts, Janet Jackson, Kim Basinger, Kylie Minogue and recently Anna Friel.
With their recent re-introduction onto Milanese and Parisian catwalks, and subsequent features in the likes of the Telegraph and the The Guardian, dungarees could also be making one of their occasional splashes back into the main stream.
“That can only be a good thing,” smiles Paul. “We have a product range of styles that matches both product requirements and budgets – covering everything from kids ranges to adult sizes in both sexes.”
Whether or not dungarees’ recent re-entry into the highs street fashion stakes is little more than a passing fad, Paul sees as not relevant to the future of his business, “Dungarees are a niche item – whether in fashion or not, they will always have a loyal following – and one that seems to be growing all the time,” he commented.
So, a eureka moment that simply strolled out of his subconscious some five years previously, combined with five years of hard work, finally seems to have paid-off handsomely for the amiable entrepreneur and his family.
“I would have never have imagined I would be doing this,” laughs Paul. “If you had told me a few years back that I’d be making a living from dungarees – I would have laughed you out of the building!”