For busy mothers, trying to juggle a school run, fussy toddlers and daily errands can be a clumsy, frustrating and downright challenging experience.
But for one Sunshine Coast mother, it was a typical kindergarten run just like this that led to her ‘light bulb’ moment.
Janneke Williamson, the founder of Mumsie, came up with the idea for a comfy overalls with a built-in baby carrier after noticing a gap in the market for clothing for mums that were stylish yet functional.
Janneke Williamson (pictured) came up with the idea to create a pair of overalls that double as a baby carrier
The Mumsie overalls include a removable sling which you can detach for the times when you don’t need to carry your baby.
The inspiration for her unique design came after looking down at a pair of overalls she was wearing during kindergarten drop-off thinking ‘how great it would be’ if she could pop her baby in them so she could free up her hands.
‘One day I had my hands full juggling a four-year-old at kindy drop off, with a newborn, lunch boxes, school bags, hats, shoes, handbag, phone, dummy, sanity… and I was wearing a pair of cool vintage overalls,’ she wrote on her site.
‘As I mumbled and fumbled with my baby carrier trying to get it on, trying to clip it behind my neck, I looked down at the bib of my overalls and thought “Hey I wish I could just pop angel tot in here for a few minutes… how easy would that be?!”‘
Ms Williamson (pictured) revealed inspiration for her unique design came after looking down at a pair of overalls she was wearing at the time
A Google search showed there wasn’t anything on the market that matched her idea which led her to think about the possibility there may be a gap in the market.
‘When I discovered there was a hole in the market I thought maybe I could develop something. I’ve always been creative and a bit of a problem solver,’ she told Sunshine Coast Daily.
After a trip to Spotlight to buy some denim, she began working on the prototype.
The Mumsie range was launched a month ago and so far the response has been overwhelmingly positive
Once she honed the basic design, she took this to a seamstress and pattern-maker who helped her develop the final product.
Just like an ordinary pair of overalls, there is the bib section that clips at the top. But the Mumsie also includes a removable sling which you can detach for the times when you don’t need to carry your baby.
The handy overalls come in six different styles, including the classic pants overalls, a skinny leg version, one with side pockets and some very funky skirt versions and they range from $148 to $165.
The handy overalls come in six different styles, including the classic pants overalls, a skinny leg version, one with side pockets and some very funky skirt versions
Ms Wilkinson launched the Mumsie website a month ago and said feedback to her innovative idea had been largely positive.
‘I was unsure whether people would love it or they would think it was a crazy idea, but the online response has been overwhelming,’ she told the publication.
While she admitted taking the risk to launch her own clothing line had put her on a steep learning curve, she has revelled in the challenge.
Now, Ms Wilkinson said her focus is making sure she strikes a balance between parenting and the demands of her new business.
‘It’s just about getting the balance right and my advice for anyone in the same position is just to stick with it and take each step as it comes.’