How and why I started Sid and Tumble

In the not so distant past, my working life was centred around my role in a senior position in the corporate world. I worked long hours and achieved great results. I reached my career goals and spent time working with great people. 

 

Then when our son, Alex, came into the world, my outlook on life changed dramatically. Within a few months the long office hours were at loggerheads with spending quality time with my family and following my dream of running my own business. I wanted to cherish the time watching Alex develop and grow. I didn’t want to return to the corporate rat race and miss these precious moments. 

 

I wasn’t comfortable just being at home. Having a busy brain overflowing with creative ideas, plus the practical skills to put my ideas into place, gave me the perfect combination to fulfil my dream and ambition to set up my own childrenswear business. I chose the name ‘Sid and Tumble’ using part of my own name and then added connotations with childhood play, bringing my company, Sid and Tumble, to life. 

 

I’m very much a people person and the idea that I could create a product of my own and share it with my family, friends and customers really appealed to me. I could put the business skills I’d learned and honed over the years to good use. I could use my eye and passion for design to make and create the products I could see so clearly in my mind. 

 

When Alex was growing up I found it increasingly hard to find good quality kids clothing Made in Britain which offered style, finesse, fun and fitted well and offered a solution to that one challenge every parent faced - just let me buy an entire outfit in one shop that works well together in just one click. Yes we could all pop down to John Lewis or Boden but I was looking for something unique and made with love here in the UK. 

 

While spending time with Alex, I sketched and refined the designs of my clothing range for children up to five years old. I researched what it would take for outfits to hang well and to feel great on the skin and quite soon it became apparent that the quality of material is as important as the designs themselves. I made prototypes of the clothes I envisioned and gave them real-world testing to make sure the clothes were hard-wearing and long-lasting as well as being fashionable and comfortable. 

 

Throughout all my life I have placed great emphasis on how clothes work together. Then with three uniquely designed items of clothing tried and tested I had my first line of products ready for children to wear. With a little more testing and refining, I felt I had the perfect design with attractive features and attention to even the smallest of details. Sid and Tumble was ready to launch into the world. The three items (top, leggings and dungarees) allow that transition from being relaxed and being at home to going out for the day whilst maintaining the same look and feel. 

 

I was especially looking for quality and value for money. The designs needed to be eye-catching, stylish and practical. The clothes needed to “wear well and wash well”. Through hard work and perseverance, I have achieved the ‘Made in Britain’ registered collective mark to show the products I’ve designed and produced are guaranteed to have been made by a British company. 

 

To help bring my designs to life I worked with the amazing team at Makers HQ who are a community interest company just down the road from me in Plymouth who are regenerating the fashion and textile industry in our local area. We were a match made in heaven! 

 

Ultimately my aim is to bring British made designer clothing into the lives of as many children as possible. Using the best quality materials and vibrant designs, I have created a range of luxury clothes for boys and girls to enjoy wearing in the all-important first years of their lives. 

 

I hope that you love the designs as much as I do. Take a look here to see the full collection: https://www.sidandtumble.co.uk