OUR STORY

Whale of a time clothing was started in 2016 by its owner and founder Ellie Wales. We design statement casual clothing for young people who love the British outdoors.
Whale Of A Time Clothing owner, Ellie Wales, packing an order using our plastic free packaging

Where it Started.

Our story starts in September 2016 when Ellie was in her final year of sixth form. Having been brought up living a rural Norfolk lifestyle she saw a gap in the market for fun but practical casual clothing that is kinder to the planet. With her love of art and textiles she designed three sweatshirt styles, got a small batch manufactured, and started selling them to her friends & family.

Big Ambitions.

Selling out of her sweatshirt range almost instantly, Ellie got to work ordering a restock and designing other pieces to compliment the range. With big ambitions for her new brand, she set up the Whale Of A Time website so like-minded people across Britain could shop the new casual wear must haves.

As the brand grew in popularity and stock no longer fit into the small office in Ellie’s family home, it was time to relocate to a bigger HQ in West Acre, nestled in the heart of the Norfolk countryside.

With a growing range of clothes and a big space to fill, Ellie started to build a team of people to help her take the brand to the next level including a Marketing Manager, Customer Service & Warehouse Assistant, and partnering with a PR Agency. Together, with a marketing strategy in place, the team established a large following on social media including some faces you might know!

Ellie Wales in her new headquarters in West Acre, organising stock into the racks.

Reducing Waste - Every Step of the Way.

We’re a brand with a passion for reducing waste. We have a strict no plastic policy; every single piece of our packaging is recyclable; the majority of our clothes are made in the UK and the pieces that can’t be manufactured here are driven – rather than flown – from the factory in Portugal & Turkey, where they’re ethically and consciously crafted. Nothing ever goes to waste, so if a piece of fabric is ever left over, it’s made into another piece of clothing. When we say nothing goes to waste – we even sell clothes with slight discrepancies with our partner Preloved Country Clothing to keep our waste levels as low as possible.

Our Sustainability Promise

On Tour.

Since the brand's inception Ellie has attended various shows & events across the country to get the brand name as much exposure as she could. From Hunstanton Tennis Week to Burghley Horse Trials, these shows have been, and still are, an integral part of the Whale Of A Time journey. Being able to meet our customers face-to-face is one of the highlights of the year!

From the two sweatshirt designs that started Whale Of A Time, the range has grown to over eighty designs across fourteen product types. Our most notable being the quarter zip sweatshirt which has become an iconic wardrobe staple for anyone living a rural life. 

With Ellie still spearheading the brand and a strong team of professional women at her side, Whale Of A Time continues to go from strength-to-strength with big ambitions for the future.