WORDS Carly Marriott | IMAGES Feathers & Lace Photography
If you look at the quintessential Australian work shirt, worn with pride by those who live on the land, you get the distinct impression it was designed for men.
Jes Panov, mother of four from the Atherton Tablelands in Far North Queensland, had a good hard look at her choice of shirt during the pandemic. And she wasn’t particularly impressed by it.
“I spent the last ten years having babies, breastfeeding and going through a rollercoaster of body fluctuations. I’ve always thought work shirts were bloody impractical for women. It’s a masculine shape worn by women,” said Jes.
Like all good ideas, Mumma Bear Western was born out of pure frustration, because a woman in the bush needed a work shirt that could keep up with her.
Her ‘Mumma Yakka’ breastfeeding shirt, that Jes describes as a ‘game-changer’ has been in hot demand amongst rural mums since its creation in 2022. However, like motherhood, it hasn’t been smooth sailing but Jes kept her eyes on the horizon.
“I was raised in Wollondilly and jumped on a plane when I was young and headed to the Isa where I rode horses and chased cows for a while before doing a stint in the Territory. I’ve worked in tourism and done all sorts of odd jobs, designing clothes is a new venture for me,” said Jes.
With no experience in the fashion, design or manufacturing industries, Jes turned to YouTube to figure out how to design clothes and start a clothing brand.
“It wasn’t easy bringing the shirts and the website to life, but it’s been worth it. I made every mistake possible. I wasted a lot of money, but it got me to a place where I’m more knowledgeable now. I had no contacts, so I had to show up and go the long way round, but I got there,” said Jes.
To get there, this industrious Mumma happened to connect with a kindred spirit in Astie Greenwood from Astie Design Studio based in Cairns, who picked up the branding and website design and ran with it.
“We mutually respected each other from the get-go which has turned into a beautiful support for our respective businesses,” said Jes.
Any woman who’s ever dared to dream while simultaneously raising young ones will know the dark art of starting work when the kids go to bed.
When OAK spoke to Jes, she had two kids at school, one napping and the other waiting for the bread to defrost on the kitchen bench.
“I’m still making lunches and yelling at kids and picking stuff up off the floor and this whole business is ticking along in the background,” says Jes.
This honesty and authenticity that Jes possesses has shown up in the inclusion of three cleverly thought-out garment features across her range of clothes including breastfeeding friendly, bump friendly and body fluctuating friendly.
And for the record, Jes stresses that your bump could be from a big pasta lunch.
“There’s nothing more certain about being a woman; our bodies change and our clothes need to work for our changing bodies, at any stage of life."
To provide women with clothing that will, according to the Mumma Bear Western website, ‘get you from the paddock to the playground comfortably', Jes committed to bringing common sense and practicality back to a staple piece of clothing for many rural women.
“I ripped the work shirt design apart in my mind! I have breasts, I can’t use pockets on my chest, so I want side pockets, that’s where my phone can go. I have a back-end and a belly, so I need length to cover these areas.
“And it annoys me when I’m mowing the lawn and the collar never stands up, so I extended the collar."
This design is resonating with women across Australia with sales of the Mumma Yakka (breastfeeding) and Yakka (non-breastfeeding) shirt soaring; and it all boils down to Jes’s tenacious spirit.
“Never once did I think I’d give up on this idea and trust me, there were plenty of times when I could have."
In 12 months Jes managed to source materials, liaise with manufactures, overcome customs paperwork issues, recover lost deliveries and finalise her designs.
“It’s surreal. I had this idea in my head and then I had it in my hands,” says Jes.
Trouble shooting from the hip seems to come naturally to Jes who, with boxes of female friendly workshirts in Far North Queensland, delved into learning how to market and deliver her product.
“I don’t know social media, but I just put myself out there. I either take selfies of me wearing the clothes or I get the older kids to take the photos. It’s a rockshow, there’s a tripod, it’s usually late afternoon and I’m modelling while talking to the kids on the trampoline."
"My kids are watching me hustle, witnessing first-hand the dedication it takes to build something meaningful all whilst staying attuned to their needs too."
The concept of Mumma Bear Western was born just three years ago and Jes - entrepreneur, fashion designer and Yakka creator - confirmed that like motherhood, it has all been worth it.
"I’m not just building a business, I’m shaping a legacy, teaching my children the beauty of perseverance, hard work and the power needed to bring your dreams to reality."