Exploring Life & Business with Vicky & Charisse Pasche of Dapper Boi

Today we’d like to introduce you to Vicky & Charisse Pasche.

Charisse: Thank you so much for interviewing us! We owe so much to the San Diego community that encouraged our success! I was born and raised here, and I’m honored to be a co-founder of our company, Dapper Boi, with my handsome wife, Vicky. Some of your readers may remember a SD Voyager feature on Vicky last summer, but SO much has changed since then. From a jam-packed Shark Tank appearance last Spring to an upcoming documentary movie highlighting our journey from pandemic scarcity to securing a game-changing investor that fully believes in our mission. Plus, (let me brag about my wife real quick!) Vicky was named a 2023 LGBTQ+ Trailblazer by a respected national outlet. We could not be more proud to represent the San Diego business community on the national stage!

Vicky: Absolutely. And we’re just getting started! For those less familiar, Dapper Boi is a San Diego-based body-inclusive e-commerce apparel line for people of all genders that my beautiful wife, Charisse, and I co-founded back in 2015. Our clothes and brand are all about welcoming EVERYONE to enjoy handsomely styled, everyday clothing, with our signature fit.

I have always believed that so many of us do not fit into today’s binary norms in the retail world. Personally, as a woman with curves that’s more masculine in my personality, it took me a while to feel comfortable to dress like myself. Before I was the CEO of a gender-neutral and body-positive clothing company and the public face of the brand, I was afraid to cut my hair short and struggled to find clothes that fit my body and that felt authentic. Most people do not know, but I have ZERO experience in fashion! But I do have over a decade of marketing experience and I’ve always had an entrepreneurial spirit. These days we like to say that we are partners in business and life, and we manage to raise our twin preschool daughters without going (completely) gray…

Charisse: Juggling both definitely keeps us on our toes! At its heart, before it became a business, Dapper Boi was the solution Vicky and so many others needed when searching for clothes. I saw how frustrated Vicky was searching for clothing options for ANYONE with curves and how uncomfortable she was sometimes made to feel shopping in stores in the men’s section, and even with me in the women’s section, because of how she looks. I think a lot of people feel self-conscious shopping for clothes. But this isn’t just a matter of preference or comfort. Imagine all the places you can’t go if the only clothes that fit you, your personality and your body, are sweats! Personally, I love all things fashion and dressing feminine. But there are so many who don’t. And sometimes, no matter your identity or how you express yourself, don’t we all enjoy wearing something a little more relaxed and down to earth?

Vicky: That’s why we made Dapper Boi clothes for everyone and every-body! In a poetic twist (you just can’t make up), the vision for Dapper Boi was actually conceived on our honeymoon. With my hard working wife’s loving support, I felt emboldened to take the entrepreneurial leap to make Dapper Boi a reality. Now, as our Chief Operating Officer, she’s been vital to our continued growth and success!

Charisse: I always joke that I now juggle two full-time jobs: being “Head B!tch In Charge” of the Pasche household and Chief Operating Officer of the Dapper Boi. As COO, I oversee marketing, social media, and operations. Previous to Dapper Boi, I had several years of sales and management experience in the cellular phone industry and higher education. Because of my love for all things fashion and witnessing Vicky’s journey to authenticity, I knew how important clothing was in positively affecting one’s self-confidence. This is how and why Dapper Boi was born.

I am a first-generation Filipino American. Initially, my parents struggled to accept the news when I came out to them. It wasn’t until they saw how my life was changed for the better after I started dating Vicky that I personally experienced full acceptance. Beyond raising our beautiful family, we both have found a greater purpose in serving our thousands of grateful customers – from everyday men with meat on their bones, women of all sizes rocking a masculine look, and people of every gender identity who are hungry for options not available in stores. We even have fans happy with their options in stores, who heard about us through one of our viral videos or on Shark Tank and are eager to support our mission. Even if the Dapper Boi clothes aren’t your everyday style, you probably know someone who would like it! Besides, our comfy sweatshirts and hats look super cute on everyone!

Vicky: I believe that Dapper Boi offers an industry-disrupting commitment to inclusion, affirmation, and quality. We went from a crowdfunded passion project on Kickstarter that went viral to a seven-figure company in five years, and the large majority of our customers shop with us more than once! Now, with our Shark Tank experience being broadcast last spring – plus our journey to securing a game-changing investment being featured in an upcoming documentary film, Show Her The Money, highlighting women investors championing women founders – fans are embracing our story, our clothes, digital content, and our mission with open arms all over the country! We love uniting people together like that. And we hope to be part of building a better world, where we ALL can authentically FIT.

Charisse: The statistics are discouraging, and we’ve lived them! Less than 2% of VC money goes to women, with even less going to openly LGBTQ+ founders, while less than 2% of women-owned businesses generate over $1M in annual revenue. Although the pandemic created major setbacks, in addition to the struggles and the stressors of being a female-led startup, we are both determined to persist to be a role model to our daughters and because of the thousands of customers testifying to the power of Dapper Boi’s clothing to enhance their lives.

And as any working mother will tell you, work-life balance isn’t easy! Behind the scenes, we also experienced a difficult IVF and pregnancy journey, sold our dream home to save the business before we moved beyond crowdfunding, all while raising twins together and navigating parenting with a neurodiverse child. But we do our best to bring love and laughter to the home and office (especially when we have to bring our kids to the office with us)!

Vicky: Yup, being parents is more than a blessing. It has made us both better leaders and business women. As creative as we sometimes have to get to keep the twins busy in the office (turns out, preschoolers LOVE playing with shipping boxes), that practice in everyday imaginative play and necessary patience has probably helped us to find hidden-in-plain-sight solutions and the right attitude to succeed.

We’re proud to say that Dapper Boi continues to defy all odds: Over the last eight years, we have generated $4M in sales with a customer base of over 30,000 people from all genders, sizes, and body types and with an unheard-of repeat customer rate of 71%. We are in the top .5% of the 2.2 million Shopify stores and have been featured in countless media, publications, and podcast appearances, a documentary film, and even events to support our queer and transgender community: like Unleashed LGBTQ – the first-of-its-kind business conference and entertainment festival for LGBTQ+ professionals and affirming brands, in Dallas this September. Oh, and did we mention Shark Tank?! We are so proud of where we have arrived today, and how we continue to push past any hurdles we have come across.

Charisse: Dapper Boi is redefining fashion with everyday, stylish, body-inclusive clothes that both empower and unite us all across our differences. Our mission is to inspire confidence and authenticity through clothing. We love hearing stories from our customers about how we have been able to change their lives. The beauty of our clothes is that they are made to be loved by anyone, no matter your identity. Our clothes go from a 26 waist to a 4XL shirt! Our inclusive sizes help a wide range of bodies fit in, but our clothes stand out most to customers because of some innovations not found elsewhere.

Vicky: Women’s jeans are not built for functionality. I’m always ranting about the pockets! ALL of our jackets and pants have functional pockets that fit your cell phone. We were one of the first clothing companies to intentionally offer this to more than just men. And have you ever worn a button up that fits a little too tight in the chest and suddenly your skin is visible between the buttons? Everyone has! Ours come with hidden snap buttons so that NEVER happens! Our hoodies and jackets are roomy enough up top for anyone to wear, whether or not you were blessed (or cursed) with a larger chest.

Charisse: Those are just some of the highlights that set us apart. Customers usually come for the mission, and stay because everyone can feel welcome wearing Dapper Boi. It’s the future we all deserve. And we can’t wait to release more designs to fit even more styles, body types, and occasions!

Vicky: We have also just released a mobile app for Dapper Boi to make shopping easier for our loyal customers, and soon we will be announcing a tech partnership that will REVOLUTIONIZE the online shopping experience to deliver the PERFECT FIT, on your first order. Stay tuned!

Vicky: Connecting early and often with other entrepreneurs and people within your industry is essential for growth. Sometimes being an entrepreneur can be a lonely and very bumpy road. Charisse and I learned along the way that we don’t need to be perfect or know all the answers. There are so many people going through the same growing pains, and it is important to support one another. By putting yourself out there, you’ll gain amazing connections, tools, and resources to propel both yourself and your business. We’ve even highlighted some of our fellow gender-neutral brands in our blogs!

Charisse: For women entrepreneurs in particular, and all those who come from marginalized communities, we encourage you to specifically seek out business communities, networking events, online communities, and relationships with others farther down the path who have already been through the same struggles and with allies who recognize their privileges enough to share their timeless lessons and their networks.

Vicky: You’d be surprised how many people out there want you to succeed! Personally, we can’t wait to offer the same to the next generation of underrepresented entrepreneurs. When you make space for others to succeed and benefit from your own success, we all win in the end.