Designed in the wild West of Ireland and best known for its unisex children’s tights, Slugs & Snails exhibited at INDX Kids in January – its first UK trade show in nine years – to reconnect with buyers and showcase its growing offer. Founder Kathleen Redmond provides a recap on the brand’s origins and how the collection has expanded over the years.

 

Slugs & Snails began life in 2008 when founder Kathleen Redmond’s first son Noah was born and there was a big freeze. Redmond had some pink tights her mum had bought from M&S to put under Noah’s trousers to keep him warm, and she soon realised how great tights were for babies. No pulling off socks, they expanded with his nappy and belly, and nothing showed those chunky baby leg rolls quite as well as tights.

Redmond Googled boys’ tights and found a Mumsnet forum with countless other parents wanting the same. She decided there and then that she was going to design and produce some tights exclusively for boys and the brand would be called Slugs & Snails.

 

 

“There were three basic design ideas I felt I had to have,” explains Redmond, when discussing the initial concept. “Anti-slip soles, an embroidered logo on a wide gusset, and a design beyond the hemline to the waistband. Back in 2008, these three things were unheard of on tights, and no one could do all the things we needed.

“The anti-slip process wasn’t set up for tights, it was only really used on socks, which narrowed down our choice of factory massively. Embroidering onto tights, we were told, was also impossible. All the factories produced ‘girls’ tights,’ which meant they were designed for wearing under dresses and skirts, so the design ended where the hem started. Another obstacle. It took three years to eventually find somewhere that could do all these things and do them ethically and with a minimum Oeko-Tex 100 standard.

“When we launched in November 2011, no one was doing what we were doing, and our brand turned a profit from the end of the first month. People either loved or hated what we did, but those who didn’t understand soon got the concept when they tried our products and felt our quality. We genuinely discovered how to make tights that were much more robust, softer and longer lasting than any other tights on the market.

“Our launch designs were stereotypically ‘boyish,’ and we did this for one reason – so people didn’t need to be persuaded that tights were a wardrobe staple for all kids. Our goal was for a functional and comfortable legwear alternative for little kids to feel freedom, which was also affordable and practical for parents. As parents ourselves, we knew what that involved and we are proud that our brand still produces high-quality, unisex tights that are now GOTS-certified, made in Europe and exquisitely soft.”

 

 

Slugs & Snails was one of the first UK/Irish brands to produce organic cotton kids’ clothes and was in the first batch of brands to produce unisex products, selling only by size and not by gender.

It also shunned traditional seasonal production, instead running its designs all year around, adding new pieces once or twice a year. This means that when retailers purchase from Slugs & Snails, they don’t need to worry about flash selling at the end of each season, they can simply keep their stock and know that it will maintain its value.

Having started amongst the Scandi brands, Slugs & Snails has always drawn on bold, retro prints as part of its design inspiration. While this remains a core element, the brand has evolved over the years to include a vast range spanning bold prints in rainbow colours to muted earth tones. Another core element of Slugs & Snails is functionality, with everything it produces being tried and tested in Redmond’s own home before it’s released.

 

 

“We consider ourselves a versatile core brand that stores can carry all year, every year, providing good value, ethical products that are multifunctional and high-quality,” confirms Redmond. “We always take feedback seriously. For example, flat seams, printed labels and placement of washing tags have all been developed so people with sensory issues can comfortably wear our products.

“We moved from tights to footless tights as our Australian market grew and people wanted our tights for warmer days but with the benefit of a bare foot. We were then asked by our nephew who used to wear AFO leg splints to produce some knee socks. He wanted something long and thin to wear under his splints but all he could find were ski socks, and living in Brisbane meant he was uncomfortable all the time.

“We designed a knee sock with a soft but stay-up elastic cuff, seamless toes, and heals. As parents with kids who live in the countryside, these also doubled up as great welly socks, and we continue to only produce knee socks to this day because we have perfected them and find them so much more functional than crew socks.”

The brand’s tights range in sizes: its prints run from 0-6 months up to 5-6 years, with some in adult sizes S/M and M/L. The block colour tights run from 12-18 months up to a generous 7-8 years for kids, with M/L for adults. All of the kids’ tights also come with eco anti-slip soles, while the adults’ block colour tights have contrast name detail on the sole. Socks come in sizes 12-18 months up to adult shoe size 11.

However, there’s more to the collection than legwear.

 

 

The long-term goal for Slugs & Snails was to become a basics brand for families that could also be a core brand for retailers. And so, during the lockdowns when people weren’t buying tights, Slugs & Snails ventured into a new line. “As a child, I had always longed for a pair of American-style waffle cotton pyjamas, just like Elliott wears on ET,” says Redmond. “It’s a totally underused fabric outside of the States, but it’s so versatile and feels wonderful to wear.

“We planned to take this American staple and give it a European flare: bright, bold colours that can be mixed and matched with anything else in our collection, worn on its own or as nightwear, loungewear and base layers. Our candy stripe set this Christmas brought us our best-ever winter season and we are excited to bring it back again for 2024 along with a black and white stripe set for autumn.”

The first run of waffles comprised six colours. Today, there are almost 30 to choose from. Due to the range’s popularity, Slugs & Snails has increased its size run to include adults. The waffles start at age 1-2 years up to Junior (pre-teen/teen), with the adult waffles coming in three sizes: Medium, Large and Extra Large.

 

 

The UK is very much on Slugs & Snails’ radar for the foreseeable, with Redmond keen to rebuild what used to be her largest wholesale market.

“It was great to be back in the UK with our brand, showcasing our new lines and having such a big collection compared to the last time we exhibited,” she concludes. “The UK was our largest wholesale market, but Brexit and then Covid had a huge effect on our independent UK retailers, we are lucky that we have a great export market around the world. The UK is now one of our smallest regions, but we are excited to get back home and rebuild our brand. INDX Kids was positive for us and great for meeting new retailers – we hope that we can get the UK back as our core wholesale region.”