Company Story

Little Jacob in the original Baby Chaleco prototype

Inspiration for Baby Chaleco struck in 2006. Founder and company president Carol Schiller had just given birth to her third child, Jacob, who turned out to be a champ in the drool and spit-up department. The laundry began to pile up and despite purchasing dozens of bibs of every kind, she could find nothing that would stay on and keep him dry.

After consulting other parents, Carol discovered she was not alone in her dissatisfaction.
“I remember I used to have a huge pile of bibs,” one friend, Cindy, recalled. “Maybe 30 or 40. The laundry was crazy!”

Another typical response came from her friend Deanne, “My son wore a bib for two years,” she recalled with chagrin. “It really ruins the outfit.”

Carol had worked in the fashion industry before having kids, and she knew there had to be a better way. The idea for Baby Chaleco was born.

She set about designing a garment that would fit her criteria: It had to stay on, stay put, stay dry (underneath), and look nice enough to be worn as part of an all-day wardrobe for babies who needed it. As the designs were created, little Jacob, along with many of her friend’s babies, were the initial test and fit models.

As a full-time mom to three kids, it was a big challenge. There were many late nights of research after the kids went to bed. But after months of trial, error and testing, the line finally came together.

Today Baby Chaleco offers six basic designs, all manufactured in the United States, just miles from the company’s offices in Bellevue, WA.