Real Mom: Mary Lauer

“There is no balance between work and family—you must give 100 percent to both. We decided early on that we were going to raise our kids ourselves and do what we had to do to be with them.”

Faced with difficulty in finding clothing for her twins’ sensitive skin, Mary Lauer took it into her own hands and began making outfits herself. Demand for her gentle-on-the-skin and easy-on-the-eyes clothing rose, and after years of carting both twins and clothing to art fairs, Lauer and her husband Tom are now the successful owners of children’s clothing store, Oh Baby! located in Edina’s Galleria and interior design store Que Sera, in Excelsior.

What kind of challenges do you have designing and selling children’s clothing?

Sometimes we face the challenge of “perceived value” when it comes to children’s clothing. Just because a shirt is sized for a two-year-old, it is not worth 1/10th of what a 20-year-old might spend on her clothing. The cost of designing and the difficulty of sewing children’s clothing is as much or more than adult clothing. There is also a perception that it would be better to just buy cheap clothing for kids, because they outgrow it so fast. I think the opposite is true. It is better to buy a few really great pieces that wear well, wash well, and look great.

Many of the products in your stores are locally made. Can you talk about why this is important for you and your customers?

My clothing line, Oh Baby!, is designed by me and handmade by the same sewers that have been with me from the beginning. The entire line is made right here in the Twin Cities. It’s important to my customers to know that they are purchasing clothing for their children that has been handmade one at a time, not mass-produced 

What’s your philosophy on preserving balance between family and work?

There is no balance between work and family—you must give 100 percent to both. We decided early on that we were going to raise our kids ourselves and do what we had to do to be with them. When we started our first store, my mom or sister stayed with the kids, while I manned the store; Tom picked them up after his day at the office and brought them to the MOA, handed them off… and I took them home for dinner while he closed the store. Our kids always thought that everyone’s family had a store—it was just a part of our family life.

It’s no secret that running a business with a spouse can be challenging. Care to comment?

We are fortunate to actually enjoy spending time together, and we have the same investment in the business—the same determination to make it successful. We also have divided the workload to match our strengths. I’m the designer, the salesperson, the merchandiser, the lead buyer—more of the whole-picture visionary with a sometime manic drive. Tom brings a more measured approach to the business. He’s a recovering attorney with a background in advising small businesses and solving other people’s problems.

oh baby! Wayzata Storefront