Messenger - Vol. 1, No. 2, Page 20 Winter 1992 Alumni Profile; Flipping over Flapdoodles fashions What is Flapdoodles? A dictionary definition is "nonsense," but for millions of children across the United States and Canada, Flapdoodles means soft, loose-fitting, brightly colored, everyday clothes. Started six years ago by Marc Ham, Delaware '85, and Carole Bieber, Delaware '76, Flapdoodles has rapidly developed into a leading manufacturer of children's clothing, as kids and parents seem to like the relaxed design and colorful prints. And, the catchy name of the Newark, Del., company even attracted the attention of artist Johnny Hart, who defined flapdoodle in his BC comic strip as "the little logo on the seat of your designer Dr. Dentons." Bieber and Ham first met in March 1985 and officially started Flapdoodles during the summer of that year. Bieber, who was recovering from self-proclaimed "teacher burnout," had left her elementary teaching job in Maine. Ham was wondering what he could do just months after his graduation from the University. In a small apartment, the couple decided to launch their own line of children's clothes, based on the premise that kids need "everyday, fun, functional clothing." At first, they placed Bieber's designs on ready-made clothing and dyed solid color cottons in their washing machine. After about five months, Bieber and Ham decided the quality of ready-made garments was so bad that "we had to start making our own things." Today, the couple controls the manufacture, design and marketing of a line sold in more than 800 stores. Flapdoodles clothes range in size from infant to size 14. During the company's first year, some University of Delaware students earned extra money helping the couple fold their creations for shipping. By 1987, Flapdoodles hired its first full-time employee and moved to a space above a restaurant on North College Avenue. Tom Carr, Delaware '87, who began folding clothes with Flapdoodles during this time, now works as the company's credit manager. Today, Flapdoodles employs 18 University of Delaware graduates, several of whom started out folding clothes. Last November, Ham and Bieber bought a 67,000-square-foot building in the Delaware Industrial Park. The popularity of Flapdoodles has also forced the couple to formalize what had been the family-like atmosphere of a smaller company, although they still try to keep an open-door policy for their 130 employees. Bieber, who is the vice president, now has a merchandiser as well as assistants who suggest design possibilities. Ham, the president, is in charge of what he calls the "day-to-day operations" in the production, sales and accounting departments. Despite the company's rapid growth, Bieber and Ham recently found out that Flapdoodles is still small enough to run from one telephone. About a year ago, a violent storm knocked out the power and phone lines in their Newark office-all the phones, that is, except for a gag gift telephone designed like a shoe. The whole company ran on a shoe until the power was restored. Flapdoodles styles are simple. The colors are brilliant. Each Flapdoodle line, based upon 17 different colors and two prints, consists of soft cotton pants, dresses, jackets, shirts and headbands. The dresses are tailored to fit without restricting and have the same prints as the boys' corduroy pants. Flapdoodles prints-the unisex geometric designs and uncomplicated plaids-are designed and marketed with extreme care because Bieber and Ham view the prints as integral to the success of the line. The prints "aren't just silly lollipops," Bieber says. Ham says the children's fashion industry dictates a need for more than juvenile patterns. Bieber has firm notions about how Flapdoodles clothing should look. Although she says that she now can attempt more daring designs because of the financial security and the solid reputation of the company, she hesitates to call herself a clothes designer. "It's hard to say 'Oh, I'm a designer' when I consider it personal taste," she says. "I put things together personally that I would like to wear. If that's a designer, then I guess I am one." The pair has now started to produce a Flapdoodles line for adults. Ham says that the expansion in the clothing line is for "older kids-kids who have grown out of the Flapdoodles line, or the parents of kids who buy Flapdoodles." Since mid-July, Bieber and Ham have been shipping adult Flapdoodles to the boutiques and the major department stores (such as Saks Fifth Avenue and Bloomingdale's) that previously only offered Flapdoodles for children. Now adults, as well as children, can flaunt a Flapdoodle logo on their designer clothes. -Marceline A. Bunzey, Delaware '92M