St. Louis, MO — Kids love to play and Jen Shank loves word play.
Jen said, "One of my most favorite designs is 'Everything is Popsicle.'"
Jen is the creator of kids clothing line Swanky Shank, known for its whimsical twist on fabrics and colors as well as cute sayings.
"Some people say it's 'punspirational' cause we use a lot of puns," she said. "I really like the 'Aloe you.' I thinks that's super trendy right now with cacti that are popular and succulents."
Swanky Shank started in 2011.
"When my dad passed way 8 years ago I found it therapeutic to sew and retreat into my haven of grief mixed with creativity. Creativity has always been a source of therapy for me," she said.
Now Swanky Shank has grown to 25,000 followers on Instagram and as many as 8 employees depending on the time of year.
"We hand dye and hand cut each and every piece on every shirt. We are a huge proponent of the handmade mission from start to finish. We hand stamp every little letter," she said.
Swanky Shank clothing is sold on her website www.swankyshank.com, on Etsy, and in 40 boutiques around the country, including Bonboni in the Shaw Neighborhood.
"Look at it, it speaks for itself," a customer said.
It seems once customers start purchasing Swanky Shank, they can't stop. Another customer we spokes with owns 40 pieces of Swank Shank clothing.
Jen said, "I love being part of other people's stories. I feel like if I can give them a keepsake that they can keep forever, what greater joy is there than that. And being a mom is the number one job... but being able to do both, I'm insanely grateful."
FB & IG: swankyshank
