Starts BayCo Apparel after having sons and being frustrated by lack of style, options
Little boys can now ditch some of their dinosaur-themed duds (well, their parents can) and dress in contemporary clothing like their dads. In fact, boys and their dads can even wear fashionable and functional matching outfits.
Clothing designer Lauren O’Sullivan has created a trendy yet affordable clothing line for boy toddlers that makes a contemporary fashion statement. Her styles for toddlers exude a subtle “cool” vibe, versus cutesy.
The Ocean City High School alum sells most of her clothing online through her company, BayCo Apparel. Clothing can be purchased at shopbayco.com.
The name of O’Sullivan’s company reflects her local roots. She played soccer as a member of the Ocean City soccer team on the fields by the bay off Tennessee Avenue. She makes it a point to participate as a vendor in the city’s two annual block party events.
“I’ve built an annual following of returning customers who are loyal to my brand,” she said.
Her clothing line is also sold in boutiques around the country. She’s looking to expand this summer to shops on the island.
In the near future, she plans to establish a shop near her home. She envisions selling her clothing alongside children’s books, coaches and strollers.
O’Sullivan believes there’s more to boys fashion than zoo animals, brash colors, dinosaur patterns and the ubiquitous superhero T-shirts found in most box stores.
The mother of two boys — Cole, 3, and Jack, 6 months — she came up with the idea for her clothing line while shopping for her oldest and becoming frustrated with the lack of selection.
“The amount of clothing for boys was about one-quarter of that for young girls, and there was a lack of variety,” O’Sullivan said. “I couldn’t find edgier or contemporary clothes in stores.”
She said the styles she sells range from an edgy skater vibe to baby “athleisure” wear.
“I focus on designing high-quality pieces that are super-functional and easy for kids to wear, but on trend with the adult market — just mini. Girls clothing has always emulated women’s fashion,” O’Sullivan said.
That hasn’t been the case with boys clothing.
“Wearing my clothes, kids can look like their dads in mini form complete with accessories such as water-resistant hats and sunglasses,” she said.
O’Sullivan adds that her clothes are sensory-friendly with no rough tags and some have magnetic closures instead of zippers.
“They are super-comfy,” she said.
Her primary customers are boy toddlers 12 to 18 months old, but she sells clothing for infants up to age 6.
Her matching designs for toddlers and parents are a rapidly growing market. While a new item, matching swim shorts for fathers and sons are making a big splash, and she’s offered flannel shirts for boys with matching jackets for moms as part of her line for some time.
Notably, customers don’t have to pay boutique prices for her boys clothing.
“While prices exceed big box store pricing, I provide contemporary apparel that’s not absurdly priced,” O’Sullivan said.
Born in Las Vegas, she could be regarded as a born entrepreneur. She credits her grandfather, Bob Pellegrini — who played for the Philadelphia Eagles and Washington Redskins and later became vice president of marketing for Donald Trump’s casinos — with giving her a financial education at a young age and instilling a strong work ethic.
“He’d pay me to vacuum his car or do 100 basketball dribbles,” O’Sullivan said.
Her father, Don Freas, a general sales manager at various car dealerships, inspired her to go into business.
“He had an amazing natural ability for sales and customer service,” she said.
O’Sullivan’s family moved to Galloway Township when she was 1, and then Seaville when she was 5. She attended Ocean City High School, where she developed her marketing skills.
As a Red Raider, she joined DECA, an association for marketing students.
“In DECA, you compete in various business categories and get case studies on the spot and present to judges how you would handle the business scenarios,” O’Sullivan said. “In my junior and senior years, I placed at the state’s highest level, and I went to DECA’s International Career Conference, where I competed against the best marketing students in the country.”
She moved to North Carolina, where she earned a degree in marketing. She married her husband Max, a Navy nurse, and moved to the suburbs of Baltimore.
That’s when the lightbulb went off to start her own company as she shopped for Cole.
“I started a small graphic tee shop out of our home in the spring of 2021,” she said.
Her company took off, though, when she got rid of her T-shirt iron and started her clothing line. She said her growing company brought in six figures in its second year. Admittedly, she said, “I was shocked when my company took off. I’m in my happy space now where I can use my creativity. There’s a lot of copying in this market. I aim to set the trends.”
One of her first forays into the toddler market was offering surfer wear.
“Growing up in Ocean City, I knew the surf style. I wanted my son to look like a little surfer dude,” O’Sullivan said. “Over the past two years, I’ve switched to manufacturing what customers want. I’ve found they don’t want the loud graphics. They want high-quality neutrals — tan, black and white outfits that they can complement with jackets and accessories with bolder patterns.”
Some of her styles are classic and retro, such as checkered tops and bottoms reminiscent of the 1990s and, in some cases, the 1970s.
“I pride myself in separating myself from the mass market with unique garments,” she said.
O’Sullivan has designed innovative clothing such as hybrid shorts, a best-selling item. Essentially they’re chino-like shorts made out of swimsuit material, lined with spandex briefs that have kid-approved designs. Kids can go from church to the beach wearing these shorts.
With multi-functionality in mind, she sells jackets and flannels with removable hoods for a more formal look.
Upcoming are luxe sets made of wetsuit material. The sets consist of a pullover quarter-zip sweatshirt with cargo pants and shorts.
What’s next on the horizon?
“Gender-neutral clothing. I can see that happening,” O’Sullivan said, noting she plans to launch an Ocean City inspired lifeguard-themed collection in the spring. Styling will be retro featuring reds and whites.
Recently, O’Sullivan has had a full schedule.
“I went full circle,” she said. “I took what I learned in high school and created a successful business. The DECA club shaped my future. I advise DECA now and teach marketing at a local high school in addition to running my business.”
She credits her family with helping her business thrive. Her mom, Pam, helps her market and handles fulfillment out of the basement of her home in Egg Harbor Township, Atlantic County. She’s been named chief operating officer. Her two aunts and her cousins help with events.
Who says yea or nay about designs? Her most influential adviser is her son, Cole. He likes to dress himself, and he shares his opinions.
What’s he have to say about his chino shorts with patterned briefs?
“I love this.”
By ALICE URBANSKI/Special to the Sentinel