Fight February's cold snap by dressing your little ones in fun, functional clothing from an enterprising Suffolk mum.

Fight February's cold snap by dressing your little ones in fun, functional clothing from an enterprising Suffolk mum. By Katy Evans.

WITH winter's winds still whistling through the East Anglian countryside, cosy clothing is a must for all ages, especially little ones.

Children can wrap up warm in snazzy outfits from a Suffolk store, which is now selling its wares online.

Sarah Maddever, a farmer's wife from Whepstead, near Bury St Edmunds, launched Jazzy Juniors just before Christmas. The web-based store stocks children's wear for newborns up to 12 years of age.

Herself a mother of two - Henry, five, and Phoebe, three - Sarah first set up a clothing company five years ago under the name of The Suffolk Rocking Horse, selling goods at local fairs and trade shows.

“I found it difficult to find good quality children's clothing, which was hard wearing, machine washable and sensibly priced,” says Sarah, which was why she decided to set up the business.

All garments are sourced from a huge buyers fair at the NEC in Birmingham, which she visits four times per year.

“It's often quite difficult as there is so much to chose from; I have to be very focused,” says Sarah.

The range includes jumpers and roll necks from Inside Out, accessories and gifts from Tatari, plus pyjamas, Shetland jackets and gilets, waterproofs, fleeces, ponchos, Wellington boots and rugby shirts, all of which can be machine washed.

Originally from Hopton, near Diss, Sarah, a former grain trader for Muntons Plc in Stowmarket, was no stranger to dealing with the public and began by selling items at various fairs around the region. These days, she attends around four fairs a week, mainly at stately homes and schools, selling on average 200 items each time.

Having done well at such fairs, Sarah moved on to selling at private coffee mornings.

“Mothers will come with their children so they can try things on; it's a lot more relaxed and stress-free than having to go into town to shop,” she says.

And now, with the launch of the Jazzy Juniors website, things will be even easier as customers can order around the clock.

“I wanted to set up a year-round service so people can order from the comfort of their own homes at any time of day. We are often too busy to go out shopping and I hope this will make things easier for parents.”

The name Jazzy Juniors was chosen to replace The Suffolk Rocking Horse because Sarah thought it might be misleading to future customers.

“I did get quite a few people asking if I sold rocking horses,” she laughs.

And the new name certainly seems to reflect the bright, fun clothing on offer, with plenty of vibrant pinks for the girls and snazzy blue outfits for the boys.

Motifs include sheep, ponies and tractors - perfect for children of farmer's wives, as well as any other animal-loving youngsters.

“Phoebe absolutely adores her sheep gilet and Henry is very attached to his tractor coat; they're my little models,” says Sarah, who adds that the tractor and pony coats are some of her best selling items.

Jazzy Juniors also stocks a funky range of 'goody bag' treats, such as whistles, toy recorders, hair bands, and key rings.

“These make excellent gifts for party bags and stocking fillers,” says Sarah, who will make up party bags to order.

So if you're stuck for what to buy your niece or nephew, grandson or granddaughter for their next birthday, an outfit from Jazzy Juniors would be sure to go down a treat.

- If you are interested in hosting a coffee morning, Sarah can offer the host 10% of all sales made on the day.

- Readers of the East Anglian Daily Times can get 10% off their first order online. Simply quote EADT in the Notes to Seller box when placing your order.

Jazzy Juniors website