Danielle Strickland has a few things going on. For one thing, she has a toddler. For another, she’s pregnant with baby number two. And in between all this baby business, she’s actually running a business.
Polka Dot Pop only popped up (not even sorry about that pun) in November last year, but since then this online maternity and breastfeeding-friendly fashion boutique has gone gangbusters.
Stocking brands like popular activewear label Cadenshae, Soon Maternity, Ripe Maternity and Imanimo Maternity, it offers a mix of local and international fashion-forward lines. As fast as Danielle gets her stock in, she’s packing it up an sending it out again, to Toowoomba and all around Australia from WA to Victoria to Tassie.
Maybe that’s because Danielle, who has years of retail experience and a serious love of fashion, has curated a collection that’s not only stylish but super functional as well.
“It’s not typical maternity, it looks like your every day clothes that you wear,” she says. “If you’re going to spend the money on maternity wear you want to get longevity out of it. Most of my clothes convert to breastfeeding to cover that ‘fourth trimester’ and we stock certain staples that will easily assimilate with your non-maternity wardrobe.”
Two Polka Dot Pop bestsellers, the Chantilly Cross Your Heart dress and the Busy Mummy Polka Dot dress
Or maybe it’s because Danielle uses real women – her Polka Dotties – to show off her range.
“When you shop online for maternity you see the same thing everywhere – models with bumps,” she says. “They’re going to look gorgeous no matter what they wear. When you’re pregnant everything grows – your hips, your butt, your bust. You want to see clothes on real women.
“That’s why we use our Polka Dotties. We create a pamper day for them with lunch and a photoshoot. They can bring their babies; we have a change station and chairs for nursing so they’re comfortable. And they can take home a piece of clothing and have a lifetime discount to Polka Dot Pop.
“It’s like a support network. Not one pregnancy is the same but we’re all sharing the same insecurities and we don’t want to look frumpy. One great dress can make a huge difference in a pregnant woman’s day – it’s so nice to be able to make my customers’ day.”
Find dresses, tops, bottoms and active wear at Polka Dot Pop
So after almost 12 months of trading what’s next for Polka Dot Pop? Well, first it’s getting in many maxis and shorts for summer (hint: the colour midnight is going to be big). Followed by a few markets – catch them at the Mummy Tree Markets at Sanctuary Cove tomorrow – and getting some new suppliers, like Bae the Label in stock.
In the future, we could be seeing a bricks and mortar version of the store. But we can’t tell you too much about that now or it would ruin the surprise. For now, you can find stylish maternity at polkadotpop.com.au and follow them Facebook and on Instagram.
Polka Dot Pop’s price range generally runs from $45 to $150 and depending on brands, stocks extra small to XXXL. Danielle will also do her best to order specific pieces or sizes if you’ve seen something you like.
To apply to be a Polka Dottie for summer’s range fill out the application form you can find here, or email Danielle for more info at polkadotpop.maternity@gmail.com
