Looking For A Hassle-Free Way To Dress Your Kids? Meet The Moms Behind Primary, Working To Make It Easy
What’s better than a kick ass company? A kick ass company owned by women, of course!
Here at Scary Mommy, we’re big fans of the children’s clothing brand, Primary.
Primary, founded by Galyn Bernard and Christina Carbonell, offers kids clothes with “simplicity, quality, and price points all under $25.” That means no garish logos, no annoying sayings and no freaking glitter; just adorable, quality kids’ clothes that are perfect for mixing and matching. What’s not to love about that?!
We sat down with Galyn and Christina to learn a little more about their company and vision.
Q: Your clothes offer “no SpongeBobs, no princesses.” What’s your beef with graphics and characters?
Ha. No beef, actually. We can all appreciate a cool graphic tee, and our kids have had their obsessions with Elsa and Anna too. We were just surprised that it was hard to find simple, well-made clothes in beautiful colors.
We saw an opportunity to create a go-to destination dedicated to delivering just that: awesome clothes that every kid needs—whether to pair with a favorite print or for head-to-toe colorful simplicity. Not all clothes need to have logos, slogans, and characters.
Q: How might a drawer full of solid colors simplify my life?
A drawer full of beautiful solid colors is a drawer full of can’t-go-wrong. Everything goes together. So kids can dress themselves confidently, and parents don’t need to worry about them picking out crazy outfits of animal prints and stripes and butterflies and huge logos (which are funny once in a while, but we would prefer not every day!).
That’s a win for parents and a win for kids developing their own identities.
Q: How do you get a business off the ground while raising your own kids?
As moms running our own business, we work incredibly hard, but we do it on our own terms, and flexibility is everything. We get home in time to see our kids in the evening and work after they go to sleep. And we work from home when someone is sick or has a recital!
It forces us to be very focused and efficient at work, and very mindful of the precious quality time we have with our families. As partners and as a team, we support and encourage each other in making it work. Balance is something to be proud of, not to feel self-conscious about.
Q: Why buy clothes from Primary vs. a brand like Target or Old Navy that may offer lower prices?
Our goal with Primary wasn’t to offer the lowest prices anywhere, but rather to offer unmatched quality at affordable prices. We have invested in high quality fabrics that are super soft yet durable. Our styles are simple but modern (designed by a wonderful designer named Patrick Robinson), and we offer a wide range of vibrant colors.
All of our clothes are below $25 because we don’t want to pay more than that ourselves for clothes that our kids outgrow when we blink (and that end up with ice cream all over them).
Q: What advice do you give to other moms out there who would love to launch a business?
First of all, being a mom is great preparation for starting a business. As moms, we see the world the way a lot of consumers do—we are the customer. The best businesses come from a place of personal experience and passion, so start with something you really want for yourself. That’s how we felt about Primary.
And then just start. It doesn’t have to be perfect (it never will be). Just take a step and then another. And seek help from trusted advisors if you can. The people who really believed in us were tremendously helpful in opening doors and providing much needed advice and encouragement along the way. Make sure you have cheerleaders!
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