“My personal style is actually very similar to the style of the shop,” shared Amber Sepulveda of small shop Millie + Roo. “I identify very closely with what I create for the kiddos. I wear a lot of basics that almost have a capsule wardrobe feel to them. I like being able to pair anything I own with anything else. This is exactly why we created the ‘Mama Tanks.’ That is my style 100%. A cute racerback tank, pair of jeans, Birkenstocks and some cute jewelry.” Sepulveda just described the contents of my closet.
I found Millie + Roo by happy accident. A friend passed on a pair of outgrown shorts for my youngest and the inner label identified the maker as “Mama Sew Happy,” which, according to my investigative digging, did not exist anymore. This led me to stumble upon Sepulveda and Millie + Roo. “I first opened shop in January 2014 as ‘Mama Sew Happy,’” she recalled. “I received a sewing machine that Christmas and my son was six months old. He was teething hard core and a slobbery, wet mess. I didn’t like the look of the traditional bib, so I created the ‘bibdana.’ I had never seen any on the market at the time. I went through quite a few prototypes and finally nailed it down to the right fit, absorbency and style I liked.” Sepulveda later created an Instagram account and then an Etsy shop and the shop’s popularity grew. “I went to a fabric store and spent $100 on fun fabrics. After a couple months on Etsy, I realized it was time to create my own website and the rest is history.” After her daughter was born in 2016, Sepulveda transitioned to Millie + Roo and expanded her shop offerings. “I was primarily known as a ‘boys shop’ and wanted to start including more girly options as well. The name stems from both of my children’s nicknames. We call our daughter ‘Millie’ and our son ‘Roo,’” she explained. “It is very special to me because they are the main inspiration for the line and it only seemed fitting.”
Operating as Millie + Roo, the shop now features trendy harem shorts and pants, hooded tank tops, hoodies, bloomers, twirl dresses, and my personal favorite, the racerback Mama Tanks, in coordinating fabrics. The apparel items are staples for any wardrobe. Think weathered camo, monochrome stripes, splattered black prints, and the extremely popular peacock blue color for spring. With the tanks, I appreciate that Millie + Roo gives moms the revolutionary option to match their daughters and sons. “My background is interior design and I have always loved the design process,” she said. “There is something so rewarding about starting with a vision and seeing it come to life.” Each piece is handmade in San Francisco, which is important to Sepulveda. “With growth, comes change. But, I am not willing to sacrifice the quality,” she professed. “I now work with a local team that does all the cutting and sewing. I also work with an amazing patternmaker who helps me with all the patterns for the new items. This gives me time to focus on the backend of the business. I am so excited to see this brand continue to grow. It has been such an amazing and rewarding experience. The quality of our products is unparalleled to any other and we stand behind everything Millie + Roo sells.”
Keep an eye out for new collections coming soon. “We have quite a few things up our sleeve for this coming year! I don’t want to spoil the surprise just yet,” Sepulveda teased. The newest Millie + Roo designs are available now on the shop’s website and Sepulveda shares photos of upcoming releases in her VIP Facebook group here. Use the code “smallshopdrop” to save during the next drop. Thank you, Amber!
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