As part of our We Love Skipton campaign, launched to support and promote independent businesses in the North Yorkshire market town, we’ve been talking to a number of independent business owners. This week, we’ve been talking to Lynsey Selvey – a creative and incredibly talented mum who has launched her own brand of ethical clothing for babies and toddlers. By combining her sewing skills with her excellent eye for design, she now sells a beautiful range of handmade rompers, joggers, bibs and more.
Launched back in 2017 with an Etsy store, Oh! Baby Babywear products are now stocked in one of Skipton’s favourite independent shops – Out of the ORDinary. This excellent little shop is run on a cooperative model to support local crafters and makers and enable them to make a worthwhile profit from their creative talents. Lynsey’s range of brightly coloured clothing is located on the left as you enter the Craven Court shop and with her eclectic choice of fabrics and cute designs, they’re really hard to miss.
Here’s what Lynsey had to say when we asked her about Oh! Baby Babywear and reasons for creating her very own brand of baby clothes…
Lynsey, what inspired you to launch your own brand of baby and toddler clothing?
My daughter Marnie was born in January 2016, and in October of the same year I started to sew for her. I was so uninspired by the clothes available on the high street and the lack of fun prints for babies, so I launched my business in June 2017.
All your products are handmade by you. What materials do you use and what age to they go up to?
I use the best quality jersey fabrics and love bright and quirky prints. I currently make for ages newborn to 3 years.
Your clothes are wonderfully bright and colourful. What led you to use such colours rather than the usual pastel shades?
I wanted to offer more choice – move away from the typical pink and blue options for babies and create gender neutral clothes which are bold, bright and fun. I’m an advocate of the campaign ‘Let Clothes Be Clothes’ and I’m listed as one of their approved retailers.
What do you feel are the benefits of ordering products directly from independent makers and crafters?
That’s a good question! Buying handmade rather than mass-produced is more ethical. You can feel good about buying handmade and you can get a custom experience that big chains can’t provide. Handmade clothes may be more expensive, but they have a lot of hard work put into them – something that people don’t always realise. My clothes are well made and durable, meaning you can pass them on. This reduces waste so therefore it’s better for the environment!
If you can’t make it over to Out of the ORDinary in Skipton’s Craven Court Shopping Centre, Lynsey’s products are also available to order online and to purchase at The Craft Hutch in Grassington. There’s also a gift voucher for Oh! Baby Babywear up for grabs as part of our Skipton hamper competition – ENTER HERE for a chance of winning over £200 worth of goodies from Skipton independents.
