FROM A DAY DREAM TO LATE NIGHT DREAMERS

“I told my sister, Taylor, at the end of 2023, it’s now or never. Let’s just do this,” says Alex Peck.

By this, Peck was referring to the pajama company she and her older sister Taylor Boardman had been discussing since 2020. With five kids between the two of them—three for Peck and two for Boardman—they loved the idea of starting a business that was inspired by and inclusive of their chil- dren. “Part of the fun in starting this business was launch- ing it when our kids could still be a part of it and enjoy it,” says Peck.

Self-proclaimed pajama afficionados, the sisters knew what they liked. They were both well-versed in soft, tight- fitting children’s pajamas made in sweet silhouettes and colorful prints.

With the name for their new company set—“Late Night Dreamers”—Peck went to work building time- lines, production schedules, and coordinating an overseas manufacturer for the company. “If I had really thought all of this through and understood everything I was going to have to learn along the way, I for sure wouldn’t have done it,” Peck says with a laugh. “But I’m glad I did it anyway.”

As Peck focused on operations, Boardman took the lead on market- ing and bringing their visions for pajama prints to life. She turned to childhood friend, Laura Jilizian, for help.

“I love how many personal connections came into play to launch Late Night Dreamers,” Boardman says. “Laura and I went to middle school and the University of Oregon together. She now has four chil- dren of her own, lives in California, and is working as a graphic de- signer. Her illustrations are inspired from things Alex and I have shared that our children love. Every single one of our prints has been hand drawn by Laura.”

Late Night Dreamers is a nearly all e-commerce business with Peck and Boardman hosting occasional pop-ups, including weekly appear- ances last summer at the Lake Bluff Farmer’s Market. They offer styles in sizes from preemie to 12/14, each style named after one of their chil- dren. “We love when our customers have a chance to feel the product,” says Peck. “It’s softer than you can imagine, being made of 95 percent bamboo and 5 percent spandex. It feels very different than other brands that have this same makeup because of how it’s printed, manufactured, and produced. Additionally, after working for a year straight on perfect- ing the sizing of tight-fitting pajamas, I can honestly stand by ours as being one of the top, gold-standard pajama brands on the market.”

While the sisters may divide many of the daily tasks involved in the day-to-day running of their company, they come together in filling their orders in the office they share above Lake Bluff Brewing Company.

“I take a few days a week to pack orders, and my sister takes the others,” Peck says. “I was just telling my mom this morning on the phone that if I’m ever having a day when I’m feeling overwhelmed, Taylor just steps in. Or vice versa, I will do the same for her. We just do it. There are unspoken words between sisters about having each other’s back. I’m not sure it would be the same with a business partner or even a very good friend.”

When asked if their parents had any idea that one day their daughters would be running a company together, the sisters say they weren’t surprised.

“Our parents are the most supportive parents any child could have,” Peck adds. “Every launch, our mom goes online and buys a bunch of our products at full price. We tell her she doesn’t have to do that, but she wouldn’t have it any other way. She really is the heart of this business.”

As Peck and Boardman approach year two of their business, they look forward to offering more seasonal lines, as well as making their prints available across all of their silhouettes for families who like to have their children wear matching pajamas. They also hope to continue building collaborative relationships with the many creative business owners in Lake Bluff. Boardman and Peck are quick to thank Toned Yoga Studio owner Maddie Zonino and photographer Alison Shelton for their invaluable advice and support.

“Everything has happened exactly as it’s supposed to,” Boardman says reflecting on the past year of Late Night Dreamers. “Maybe this isn’t the way it’s supposed to be—flying by the seat of our pants. But it’s how we have to run things right now, with our top priority being moms. As chaotic as this all sounds, our goal for Late Night Dreamers was for it to be a place where we could work creatively and collaboratively with our kids along for the ride. That’s exactly what Late Night Dreamers is.”

To learn more about Late Night Dreamers, visit latenightdreamers.com or follow @latenight_dreamers on Instagram.