ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY, Md. — Dressing up for special events can be fun, getting the hair and makeup done and throwing on a pair of heels. But when it comes to clothing, not everyone is on board with putting on a dress.
Two sisters in 9th and 7th grade in Anne Arundel County started a company that sells suits for girls and teens who don't like dresses called Lila Pants.
It's dress clothes without the dress. Lila Pants is an alternative formal wear option because, let's face it, not everyone wants to throw on the traditional dress with heels when there's a time to be fancy.
"I feel like they should have the option to wear whatever they want, and we're trying to provide that option for everybody so they feel comfortable in what they are wearing and they feel the best self they can be,” said Lila Knoefple, who started Lila Pants.
It started at a young age. Lila was in kindergarten and was not into traditional dress-up.
"When I was little, I didn't like to wear dresses and my mom said, well ok that's fine, but we have to find alternatives for fancy occasions,” said Lila.
But finding that option for kids wasn't easy.
"I had every intention of letting her wear a suit, we just thought I’ll just buy a suit, and when we looked and looked, we couldn't find anything that was appropriate,” said Jenny Knoepfle, Lila's mom.
Then, the idea for Lila Pants came in 2020 during COVID-19.
"We wanted to develop a suit that a kid was happy to wear. It's comfortable, stretches, there are no itchy tags, it goes right in the wash, it's got pockets, it's just a very comfortable thing, and they feel good in it," said Jenny.
Jenny said it was planning, with trials and errors, that became a family business launched in September 2023. They create a design and collaborate with a consultant in New York. The suits are made overseas and shipped to their home business.
With options to dress it up or down, depending on where you are going.
"You can wear it to a fancy occasion, but if you want to wear it more casually, you can take off the lapel and wear it without it,” said Lila.
Color options vary along with a floral print. With children sized six to twelve and teens small, medium, and large.
Suits can be ordered online at Lilapants.com. Then it's tucked in a garment bag with nice packaging and shipped to your house, a crucial part of the process for Lila’s sister Georgia.
“I think that it's a really big deal. Especially with suits since there's such a gap in the market that when they open it they're like wow I’m very excited to try this on, and it's just like the first look,” said Georgia Knoepfle, Lila's sister.
They're coming out with dress shorts to match the suits in the spring for a warmer look.
