Our Story

“If necessity is the mother of invention,
conflict is its father.”- Kenneth Kaye

Lila had worn a dress, under protest, for her Kindergarten graduation. After that battle, I promised that I would honor her wish to wear pants, as long as she was appropriately dressed for a special occasion. But no matter where I searched, were no cute pant suits for girls. Boys’ suits were stiff and uninspiring in their limited colors. Weddings, holidays, funerals and parties made me sweat.

Meanwhile, in her sister’s closet, there were probably a dozen special occasion dresses that Georgia wore once and promptly outgrew. The contradiction was not lost on me. Eventually, we stumbled upon a single flowered suit, albeit at a steep price. Exhausted and frustrated, I clicked Add to Cart. It turned out to be the best investment ever! Lila felt like a million bucks in that suit, and it made all of the hassle worth it. She was a celebrity when she wore it, and she wore it to every holiday and special occasion until she outgrew it. But two years later, we had to find a new suit. Ugh.

At that point, I knew that the suit we were looking for didn’t exist. I had spoken to dozens of parents who were in the same situation, and the conversation always ended with, “If you find a cute suit, let me know!” People wanted suits as badly as we did. The market existed but was totally ignored by the fashion industry. And if you want something done right…do it yourself.

Lila, Georgia, Matt and I started LilaPants in May of 2020. In the darkest days of the pandemic, dreaming of fun parties kept us going when it looked like we were never leaving the house again. Our pint-sized business partners have come up with some fantastic ideas and have learned right beside us as we figure this fashion business thing out. Thank goodness for Google.

When you have active kids, a suit can’t be precious. It should be machine washable, and come out of the dryer looking perfect. It needs to have stretch. It needs real pockets and a hidden stretch waistband. And it needs to make the wearer feel comfortable and confident. We have worked for years to create the suit we wanted so badly to buy. We hope you love it as much as we do. Welcome to LilaPants. Wear it well!

- Jenny, Lila and Georgia’s mom and administrative assistant, and Matt’s wife

What makes LilaPants' suits so unique?

  • We Can Take You Anywhere

    Your suit can suit any occasion or vibe. Our versatile lapel lets you reinvent your suit every time you wear it.

  • Real Pockets

    Pockets! Full pockets in the pants and a generous jacket pocket make a purse totally optional.

  • Comfort = Confidence

    Your comfort is our priority. Stretch fabric, forgiving waistband, soft satin jacket lining and no itchy tags.

The Future of LilaPants.

At LilaPants, we want to offer a choice when it comes to dressing up. As we evolve, we will bring you new colorways and designs. We want your feedback! Some of the things we are considering are:

  • Expanding our sizing to be more inclusive.
  • Mommy and me for the kids’ sizes.
  • Coordinating items for friends/ family such as dresses, pocket squares, ties, hair accessories and shorts.
  • Additional choices of what to wear under the suit.

We welcome any ideas you may have! Email us at hello@lilapants.com

LilaPants is pleased to donate a portion of our profits to Dartmouth Health’s Gastrointestinal (GI) Behavioral Health Program.

This innovative program strives to connect people who suffer from chronic GI conditions with a team of specialized psychologists.  Dartmouth is on the cutting edge of research on improving access to whole-person care.  They have dedicated considerable resources to develop and sustain a comprehensive program that supports patients and their mental health as they navigate the challenges and unpredictability of GI disease.This is a cause near and dear to our family, because Matt has struggled with GI issues since he was 10 years old. We know first-hand how debilitating and isolating GI disease can be, and how difficult it is to cope with chronic illness. For more information, go to https://www.dartmouth-hitchcock.org/gi/gi-behavioral-health