Tall order: How an Aussie Mum Launched an Australian-made Clothing Brand with no Experience

Standing at 184cm (6’1”), Penni had experienced a life of ill-fitting clothes that were too short in every department, and her entrepreneurial mindset quickly saw an opportunity to beautifully dress not only herself but all tall Australian women.

She knew the Australian market for tall women was utterly undersupplied, and the few options available were poorly designed and made, with the hassle of returning garments to a faceless international was not worth the effort.

When Penni Lamprey heard the news that the world's largest tall women's clothing retailer was potentially closing in 2019, she and other women of height around the country panickedwhere would they shop now?

“Society considers us to have unconventionally tall physiques - it does present dressing and lifestyle problems. For example, if you were to look at your blazer or shirt cuff, they should be sitting comfortably between your wrist and thumb joint. For me, and many other tall women, that’s difficult to find," Penni says.

“Clothes cut into the abdomen and require a ‘jig or three’ to completely readjust each time we sit or stand. The mental energy used to dress each day can negatively add up.”

Penni goes on to explain that the psychological wellbeing gained from wearing clothes that fit your silhouette cannot be underestimated.

“When your clothes fit, you stand without fidgeting, you sit without discomfort and you stop making excuses for your appearance by comparison with others,” she says.

Penni says her lack of experience in the fashion and design industries was only a minor hurdle, with the ability to build relationships and maintain a clear purpose much more important factors.

“The fashion and textile industries have taken a hammering from offshore manufacturing, cheap imports, and loss of skilled machinists so they want to support a label that enables the industry to rebuild while contributing to better clothing options for people of diverse sizes and shapes.

“I don't need to know how to make a pattern, rather, I use my business operations and project management skills to engage specialist pattern makers who know exactly what beautifully fitting garments can do for an individual: Skilled professionals who can turn my drawings and bold ideas into beautiful clothing for the tall.

From the outset, Penni applied sustainable development goals to establish responsible consumption and production, gender equality, work and economic growth, and sustainable cities targets. The label’s Victorian pattern makers and manufacturers are all Ethical Clothing Australia accredited which protects the wages and working conditions of staff.

“Ensuring the clothes were all made in Australia was absolutely essential for me, and I couldn’t be happier with that decision,” says Penni.

This Tasmanian said the immediate interest and support buoyed her. Penni received messages from tall women from around the country, expressing their desire for a sustainable, fashionable, Australian, tall specific women’s clothing label. missgandme.com.au

While Penni has known the struggle to find clothes that fit throughout her life, she hopes the story will be different for her daughter - the label’s ‘Miss G’ - who, at 11 years old, already seems destined to pass both her parents in height.

The sky's the limit for this tall entrepreneur.