Dovetail Workwear is a relatively young brand, but it’s been making an impression in the industry by filling an untapped need, including with outdoor specialty stores such as Backcountry North. We caught up with co-founder and Head of Product Sara DeLuca to talk about the company’s growth, the lessons she’s learned in the past six years, and what the future holds for Dovetail.
The women-focused workwear brand is based in Portland, Oregon, and has 20 employees.
How and when did the brand get started?
Dovetail Workwear co-founder and Head of Product Sara DeLuca: The company started in 2018 when two landscapers, Kate Day and Kyle Marie Summers, who experienced the lack of women’s workwear options in the market, began collaborating with me. I had worked for The Gap, Alex Mill, and other major apparel and textile brands. The connection was serendipitous, because I also had a dream of building a women’s workwear revolution, so the three of us began designing and building functional, fashionable, and durable gear that supports women in trade, outdoor, transportation, and beyond.

Dovetail Workwear co-founder and Head of Product, Sara DeLuca. Photo courtesy of Dovetail Workwear
Today, the brand is run by myself and Day in conjunction with Dovetail Workwear President Sean Beers, formerly of Columbia Sportswear and Korkers Footwear. The brand’s mission is to empower women to thrive in their work, and we envision the future as all women fulfilling their personal potential and strengthening their communities.
We design and market Dovetail products to fit and perform with the demands of a woman’s body – including inclusive sizing from 000 up to 24 and multiple pant inseam options across styles – but also partner with mills, fabric partners, manufacturers, and partner organizations that support women’s leadership and success across business sectors. We work with suppliers and factories that adhere to the company’s values for human rights, labor standards, the environment, and anti-corruption to ensure full transparency across their sustainability efforts. We’ve also committed to following the UN Global Compact for holistic apparel manufacturing.
What are your key products?Â
Sara DeLuca: We are known for our best-selling Freshley Overall, our flagship product designed with 15 pockets, flex suspenders, a crotch gusset to move when bending and kneeling, front pocket Twine Hole (an eyelet to thread fine-gauge wire or twine), reinforced knees, tough cuffs, and just enough stretch in the fabric to move easily. It’s offered in a variety of fabric and weights, including canvas, ripstop, denim, and thermal denim.
Another notable product is our new Shop Pant, a stylish, higher waist design with ten pockets and a panel-free leg face for women who prefer a pant without reinforced front panels. The pant integrates CiCLO nylon fibers woven into the cotton to create a durable and long-lasting garment with materials that will reabsorb back into the environment post-consumer use. The durability and added strength of CiCLO-infused nylon in the warp yarns also eliminates the need for panels and rivets.
Our new ultra lightweight fabric options have been a critical add for women working and recreating in warmer climates. In Spring ’24, we launched the Anna Ultra Light Trail Pant. The 5-ounce cotton ripstop fabric is both UPF 50 and water and stain resistant. It uses plant-based water repellency technology that is PFAS-free and blusign approved. Another great lightweight addition has been the Pac Jac in Ultralight Ripstop, which is the working women’s take on a traditional windbreaker.

Dovetail Workwear’s Freshley overall. Photo courtesy of Dovetail.
How has the brand expanded its product range over the years?
Sara DeLuca: It started with one really well designed and great fitting pair of pants, the Maven, and now the brand has expanded into pants, overalls, coveralls, work shirts, outerwear, and accessories. Some product specializations include FR pants, thermal denim that is 40% warmer than regular denim without being overly heavy or bulky, ultralight pant and outwear options, maternity options, and our use of environmentally conscious yet durable fabrics across our collections.
What is the growth strategy for Dovetail? Are there any new initiatives in the future?
Sara DeLuca: We continues to problem solve and innovate the best possible workwear for women, in all stages of their lives, including new and better maternity options and fabrics and constructions that offer versatility for women as they enter menopause. We also add functional details like drop seats and thigh guards that solve age-old challenges women face in their gear.
Fundamentally, our mission is about cultural change. We make workwear as a way to recognize and validate the skills of today’s women on the job site. But we still have a long way to go until women are seen equally, paid equally and valued equally. So until that time, we’ll keep pushing our mission of a women’s workwear revolution.

Photo courtesy of Dovetail Workwear.
What does the brand’s distribution look like? How many wholesale accounts, and what kind of stores carry the brand?Â
Sara DeLuca: Our products are available in more than 500 stores in North America and are carried in specialty outdoor, and mid-size regional farm and ranch stores. We are still under-represented in certain markets and are actively working to expand our business.
Is the company self-funded so far or has it taken outside investment?Â
Sara DeLuca: Dovetail is self-funded. We have taken on no venture capital, private equity or public money.
What are some key lessons you and your partners have learned since starting the business?Â
Sara DeLuca: We’ve really experienced the power of specializing – being the absolute best at one thing. In our case, that’s making the best-fitting women’s workwear and really creating a category where none existed. We’ve also seen how doing the hard work of building a solid business foundation provides a competitive advantage because it’s not enough to have an idea for an amazing product, you have to have the infrastructure in place to make sure you can effectively and reliably make it, deliver it, market it, and support your retail partners.
How has the current climate in the outdoor industry impacted Dovetail, i.e., inventory issues in the marketplace, cautious retailers, etc.?
Sara DeLuca: Despite a challenging business climate, we have maintained a steady wholesale business and enjoyed strong sell-through with our retail partners. We’ve built a resilient infrastructure for our business including a strong supply chain so we’ve actually seen business growth even during an industry downturn.