Mom knows best

Renee West opened Wild Child in 1981 as a young mother who wanted to provide cotton clothing for children like her own toddler at the time.

She never could have guessed her maternal instincts would spawn a children's clothing line that has become a multigenerational family business and a Madison institution.

"I don't want to put this icky feeling stuff on my baby," Renee West remembers thinking about the clothing choices at the time. "That's how it started."

Now 26 years later, Renee and her husband, Bill, are continuing to coddle the business while looking to the future when one or more of their three sons might take over.

Renee West, who apparently got her entrepreneurial spirit from her father, who owned a service station in the Chicago area among other pursuits, opened the business in the 900 block of East Johnson Street. It was a tiny storefront where rent was under $200 a month.

At first, about half of what Renee West sold was used cotton clothing from the 1950s because it was difficult to find new cotton clothing in an age when "wash and wear" 50/50 -- half polyester and half cotton -- was all the rage.

Trademark apparel

Not long after the store opened, Wild Child started selling what would become its trademark clothing -- apparel purchased white and then dyed brilliant hues -- a process done in the washer and dryer of the home rented by the Wests.

Eventually more sources for new cotton clothing also were found as the idea started to catch on.

Bill West, who was an English teacher at East High School, became increasingly involved in the store, first switching to teaching night classes and then leaving East altogether.

Today both Renee and Bill West both work in the store, which moved to 1813 Monroe St. in 1986.

Renee West, who took fiber arts classes in college and is the company president, is the idea person who does the ordering and book work.

Bill West -- a natural at working with customers -- handles all of the dyeing and deals with Wild Child stores in Evanston and Algonquin in Illinois and Indianapolis, Ind., which are licensed to sell the clothes trademarked in 1988.

Three sons

The Wests' first "wild child," Jonah, was about two when the store opened. Later came Dante and then Jules.

Jonah West, now 28 and living in Madison, does Web design. He hasn't worked much in the store but he created and maintains an elaborate Web site and handles the orders that come from it.

Now there is discussion about Jonah West becoming more involved and perhaps he and his partner, Tracy Schumacher, who already works at the store, could eventually run it with Jules West.

The two younger boys worked in the store while in high school, putting on tags to get the stock ready to display in the store.

Learned by listening

Gradually, Jules and Dante West started working with their parents in the front of the store and learning by listening to them talk about the store's merchandise. As they each graduated from high school they started working more and eventually took on managerial roles.

Dante West, now 25 and living in Madison, has since moved to jobs at REI and UPS where he is a manager and has aspirations of becoming an attorney.

Jules West is taking on a greater role in the store, partly because his parents purchased a second home in Bayfield and spend some time there.

Christine Albert, who paints designs on some shirts, also has worked at Wild Child for some 15 years.

'Full immersion'

"I never really planned out I would work here for so long," said Jules West, now 22, who became more interested in the store once he saw a future for himself there.

At one point, he was just looking for more hours. But his parents asked him to try out the business with a "full immersion," pretending like it was his place. They wanted to make sure he knew what he was getting into and whether it would be a good fit.

Easing into the business has been rather painless for Jules West. He's learning everything about the store from his parents who have patience for their apprentice and he's stepping into a well-established business. His parents are flexible, still allowing him to work from November to April at a ski resort in Utah.

"They're great bosses," Jules West said of his parents. "It's really cool. We're able to talk about stuff and I'm able to present my ideas."

Bill West recalled one day when his youngest son called him out because he automatically put some purchased merchandise in a bag before asking if the customer wanted one.

Jules West thought his father wasn't following the store's philosophy and family's values and felt a consistent policy needed to be set.

Other times his ideas aren't followed, Jules West said, but he occasionally fights till the end before conceding to his parents -- knowing they have much more experience.

Debates get lively

Jules West grew up hearing his parents disagreeing at home about some aspect of the business.

"They would just go on and on and on," said Jules West, who grew to appreciate what his parents have and hopes to find someone who would want to share a life and work.

While Renee West has the ultimate say, she does find that sometimes she gets talked into things.

"We know how to have lively debates at our house," Bill West said.

After the Wests purchased a home with a mother-in-law suite, several washers and dryers were eventually installed there to handle the dyed clothing portion of the business, which had grown.

Jules West has many memories of yelling a question out to his dad while he was dyeing clothing and not being able to understand his response because of the mask on his face. Piles of dyed clothes also were a common sight.

"I never thought that was odd or anything," Jules West said.

Owning the business is very much like adopting a child because it's always a part of your life, Bill West said.

But now he and Renee West are starting to look forward to taking on the role of "grandparents" who could help out when needed.

Bill West would be happy if the family, which prides itself on being resourceful and self-sufficient, could extend that idea to providing a livelihood for its members.

"There is something that feels really good about that," he said.

Pamela Cotant is a freelance writer.