Nipper Legacy Collection

Nipper Legacy Collection Archival catalogue collection
Digital pattern releases pending
Est. 1980 North Laines

With Memory Lane U.K – I just got recognised as one of their top fans! 🎉
27/06/2026

With Memory Lane U.K – I just got recognised as one of their top fans! 🎉

I did say there were clips & sliders too… 😊These vintage brace clips and sliders became one of Nipper’s signature trims....
27/06/2026

I did say there were clips & sliders too… 😊

These vintage brace clips and sliders became one of Nipper’s signature trims. We used thousands of them throughout our trading years 1980 - 1999, on our iconic Baby Baggies and many other designs.

They weren’t just practical – they became part of the Nipper look.

After more than 40 years, I still have a stock of these original trims, and they’re now available in my Etsy shop for anyone restoring vintage garments, making children’s clothes, or adding an authentic finishing touch to a new project.

It’s rather lovely to think they’ll be starting a whole new journey. 💙💛

If you’d like a set, you’ll find them waiting in my Etsy shop. 💙

https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/4339463739/brace-clips-sliders-vintage-nickel?ref=share_ios_native_control

For 27 years I’ve been carrying these beautiful Nipper buttons. What was once everyday trim is now a little piece of Nip...
25/06/2026

For 27 years I’ve been carrying these beautiful Nipper buttons. What was once everyday trim is now a little piece of Nipper history.

They’re vintage, in perfect condition, and ready for a new project.

If you’d like a set, you’ll find them in my Etsy shop 😊

There are also some Nipper clips and sliders available. 💙💛

https://someofthethingsimake.etsy.com/listing/4369840626

AUTUMN/WINTER 1983–84 🍂By 1983 our catalogues had grown from simple mailers into these wonderful folded broadsheets — pr...
20/06/2026

AUTUMN/WINTER 1983–84 🍂

By 1983 our catalogues had grown from simple mailers into these wonderful folded broadsheets — printed as an A3 poster, folded in half and then concertina folded down to a letter-sized leaflet that could be posted to customers around the country.

Looking through this one today, I was delighted to spot Style 15, our French Terry two piece, envelope neck top & tights.

The inspiration may have come from much closer to home than I realised at the time! 💙

Here is baby Max in 1979 sporting this very practical French Terry 2 piece made by me 😊 — although in a decidedly non-baby colour! Four years later, it reappears in the catalogue, transformed footless & into fun, bright primary colours and very much part of the Nipper look.

As always, I love seeing Julia’s illustrations, the hand-cut colour swatches, and the evidence of how everything was created long before computers arrived in the studio.

A little piece of Nipper history… and perhaps a little piece of family history too. 😊 sadly not the best photo! We just didn’t have the ability to take & retake photos unlike today… 📱

NipperKids FrenchTerry CatalogueDesign 1980sFashion

https://heyzine.com/flip-book/f428d76ff0.html

SS 1984 ☀️By Spring/Summer 1984, Nipper was growing up!As our little customers grew, we introduced a new size range alon...
13/06/2026

SS 1984 ☀️

By Spring/Summer 1984, Nipper was growing up!

As our little customers grew, we introduced a new size range alongside many fresh new styles and prints.

Looking through this catalogue now, I can see so many of the ingredients that became classic Nipper — denim, Aertex shirts, bold stripes, playful prints and practical clothes designed for real children to wear, play and explore in.

I also love seeing the machine-cut fabric swatches from the cutting table, carefully cut by Dave, our cutter, and then hand-stuck onto the catalogue pages alongside Julia’s beautiful illustrations.

Dave was a much-loved member of the Nipper team and is sadly no longer with us.

Long before computers, every catalogue page was created by hand, making each one a little work of art in its own right.

Looking back, these were exciting times for our small Brighton company as the Nipper story continued to unfold. 💙💛

1980sFashion Nipper1984

https://heyzine.com/flip-book/02b09d629a.html

After sharing so much of the Stuffed Baby story recently (and there’s still more to come!), I thought it was time to ret...
10/06/2026

After sharing so much of the Stuffed Baby story recently (and there’s still more to come!), I thought it was time to return to the real reason this archive exists…

Nipper.

Looking back to 1979, Julia and I were incredibly brave — perhaps a little naïve too!

Neither of us came from a children’s wear background. We were womenswear designers stepping into a completely new world.

At the time, the independent baby boutiques seemed to be dominated by beautiful French and Italian children’s fashion labels. There was even a lovely shop in Brighton’s North Laine that showcased many of these designer brands.

But we felt there was room for something different.

Something British.

Something fun.

Something practical.

Something children could actually play in.

For me, becoming a new mum changed everything. I saw children’s clothing through fresh eyes and wanted clothes that were comfortable, colourful and full of character.

Julia brought her wonderful illustrations, creativity and eye for storytelling.

Together, we took a leap into the unknown.

These early sketches, featured in one of our very first catalogues, contain some of the first ideas that would become the Nipper fingerprint — the beginning of a style and identity that stayed with us throughout the years.

The beginning of a journey neither of us could have imagined. 💙💛

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Browse the full catalogue here:

https://heyzine.com/flip-book/517d753fee.html

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Where did the first Nipper logo come from? 💙💛I’ve been thinking this week about our very first Nipper logo and how it ca...
06/06/2026

Where did the first Nipper logo come from? 💙💛

I’ve been thinking this week about our very first Nipper logo and how it came about.

I believe it grew from this hand-drawn lettering on the early Nipper garment patterns. The soft, bouncy shapes felt childlike, playful and fun 😊

Somehow that little pattern font evolved into our first logo — and everyone seemed to love it.

Back in 1979, branding didn’t feel quite as important as it does today. We were much more focused on designing and making the clothes! But looking back, I think it worked beautifully.

The logo appeared on our labels, shop window, carrier bags and catalogues, it became part of the Nipper story for many years.

I’m officially calling it “The Nipper Font.” 😊💙💛

brightonbusiness vintagechildrenswear 1980sfashion madeinengland.

Not bad for a few letters sketched onto pattern pieces back in 1979. 😊💙💛

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Brighton And Hove

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