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Talk about a doting aunt. When Alexia Panza couldn’t find great clothes for her nephews, she started a clothing collection and named it after them. The New York City Laboratory Institute of Merchandising (LIM) student studied the market and determined her difficulty finding great boys’ wear pointed to a business void. She’s hired designers Sydney Hawes and Susan Trotiner and together the trio creates Tom & Drew, a clothing line that lets boys be boys, in style.
Tom & Drew, for sizes 2T-4T and 5-10, is focused on providing clothing both parents and boys love. Panza notes her line takes into account the little things that are important to both the buyer and the wearer. One example is the time mothers spend dealing with buttons. The collection’s sewn-through buttons and novelty “cufflinks make woven shirts incredibly easy to slip over a boy’s head,” explains Panza. Another “little thing” important to boys is fashion that’s not overpowering notes Panza as she points to a subtle but still funky treatment on her clothing like contrast stitching in neon.
Inspiration for the debut collection comes from the woods and camping. Tom & Drew carried out the rustic theme to the delight of Children’s Club Show buyers earlier this month. Panza decked out her trade show booth with garment racks made from real Aspen branches and incorporated moss on the floor. On the clothing, owls, deer, wolves, moose, pine trees, maple leaves and raccoons show up alongside the ubiquitous Bulldog logo.
Customers can expect to see the adorable bulldogs every season. Panza explains she, her parents and her siblings all have English Bulldogs so it was a natural mascot choice for the collection and tagline: "For the sake of boys and bulldogs.” The collection also features a stuffed bulldog made from recycled sweaters. Fifty percent of the proceeds from the sales of the stuffed dogs will benefit the Bulldog Rescue organization.
With a wholesale price range from $15-$42, the collection offers 25 pieces, ranging from denim and corduroy overalls, denim jeans and cargo pocket pants to hoodies, cardigan sweaters and woven shirts to outerwear. Tom & Drew delivers a bit of a ‘50s vibe with its dark denim and overalls perfect for cuffing, its varsity-style cardigans and the plaid and checked woven shirts boasting a hint of Western style. Not to be missed is the bulldog logo varsity jacket Panza describes as “completely hand done, down to the custom embroidery. They were manufactured by a lovely company in Ogden Utah. The company specializes in varsity jackets and could not have been more accommodating. I truly believe this piece pulls the whole line together and exemplifies childhood that parents resonate with and children can enjoy.”
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