Business to Business
August 18, 2015

Moving to the front of the class — with school uniforms

A third-generation family business in Portland, Oregon, takes pride in making uniforms for schools (and kids!) all across the U.S.

“When a student puts on a Dennis Uniform, they’re wearing something that’s been manufactured by hand by American employees and has been designed and finished and inspected by our team here in Portland.”

That’s how Dennis Uniform CEO Tom Shipley sums up the pride he feels in his company, which makes school uniforms in Oregon for students across the U.S.

He represents the third generation of his family that has headed up the business, which recently renovated a facility to bring together its factory workers and corporate staff in one location — with the help of Wells Fargo.

Dennis Uniform offers 150 different plaids. 25 percent of them are customized for individual schools’ colors.
School uniforms can be embroidered with logos in any color.
About 70 percent of the garments Dennis Uniform sells are hand-sewn at its factory in Portland.
Before it is shipped, each uniform is inspected and pressed.
Pleated skirts are baked in an oven to retain the pleats.
Dennis Uniform garments are sold online and in retail stores.
Dennis Uniform offers about 150 different plaids, and about 25 percent of them are customized for individual schools’ colors.
School uniforms can be customized with embroidered logos in any color.
Nearly all of Dennis Uniform’s signature styles are hand-sewn in the Portland, Oregon, factory.
Before it is shipped from the Portland factory, each uniform is inspected and pressed.
The classic uniform skirts are pleated and “baked” in an oven to retain the pleats.
Dennis Uniform garments are sold online and in 41 retail stores across the U.S.

Private schools have long embraced the tradition of school uniforms and make up the bulk of Dennis Uniform’s customers. But the number of charter and other public schools that require dress codes or uniforms has nearly doubled in the past decade and now makes up about 10 percent of Dennis Uniform’s client base.

Written by: Anne Oberlander
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