2013

Karen and Richard Ellis – two people with deep roots and many years within the textile industry, along with a shared love of the British countryside – launched The Belvoir Rug Company. A boutique brand which made horse covers in Nylon Lycra, intrinsically high quality swimwear fabric. In its base form, covers for competition horses to ensure that they kept clean prior to competition. They were used by some of the worlds leading Show Pony competitors, and coincidently some of the worlds leading horse racing studs for horses going to the sales.

2014

The products were renowned by people that used them, however the Nylon Lycra used was so good that the covers did not fail and lasted well, making repeat orders more of a vanity purchase rather than a necessity. It was time to find a way to un-cover new sales channels

2015

Then came an unexpected request. A customer asked if they had ever considered making something similar for Dogs.

2016

A big project ensued, and an entry into the Canine market came in 2016. The product was great, however there were so many options in terms of sizes, colours and types of dog, the product became un-sustainable and difficult to manage in terms of production, the loyal UK based seamstresses were finding making Dog Covers problematic.

2017

What seemed like a small pivot, turned into a door opening moment. A local company closed its doors, and the owners offered Karen and Richard the opportunity to purchase their rolls of Tweed. The price was too good of an offer to turn down, so the Tweed was purchased. The idea to make Tweed Dog Rugs was met with delight by existing customers, and after a few months of sales at Country Shows and Point-to-Point meetings the same question continually popped up “Could you make something for me to match my dogs Tweed Coat”

2018

The Capes were officially launched at the London International Horse Show in December 2017, and were an instant success, the matching product crowd loved the matching Tweed Ponchos and Dog Covers. Cut with the same rigour as the rugs, finished with the same devotion to detail threw the business into a very frenetic early 2018. The response made a simple business decision very easy, this was no longer a side project, Grace & Dotty was a brand in its own right.

2021

The period of lockdown had demonstrated a defined need to the Grace & Dotty brand, with sales far more spectacular than ever anticipated. However the Dog Rug sales were diminishing, and something to support the Ponchos was needed to support the brand.

2022

A new chapter in the life of Grace & Dotty opened in January 2022 with the launch of the Pure New Wool Fedora Hat collection – each hat accompanied by individually handcrafted feather adornments, bespoke and opulent in every sense. No two the same, the collection stopped people in their tracks. In late 2022 a chance meeting with the CEO of a renowned UK racecourse opened up the opportunity for the brand to sell their products at a number of racecourses, this continues to this day.

Now

Pure New Wool Cowboys Hats, Summer Fedoras and Flat Caps have all become a staple part of Grace & Dotty with Wide Brimmed Fedora Hats joining the family in late 2025. The thread that is Grace & Dotty keeps unspooling – and the brand has no intention of stopping it.

Who We Are

Karen and Richard remain at the heart of everything that Grace & Dotty does. You’ll find one, or most likely both of them at the racecourse Pop Up Shops across the UK – not because they have to be, but because they simply love being there. They believe that the best products come from makers who are genuinely present; in the design process, in the workshop and in the lives of their customers.

The is a simple mission at Grace & Dotty, and it shapes every decision made – from the fabrics to the finishing touches and the brands refusal to cut corners

“To Create Exceptional Products That Are Truly Loved By Their Owners”

The Craft

Behind every Grace & Dotty piece is a team of seamstresses and makers whose combined experience spans nearly 2 centuries of British garment making.

Every garment we make is cut and finished by hand, on the same premises, using techniques refined over generations. With the exception of our Hats, we sit in a rare position that we make all of our other main products ourselves, in England. Our machinery is modern and state of the art, our approach is anything but. We still cut our patterns by hand, our finishing is done by eye and our Quality Control is done by people who take personal pride in every single stitch. If we make a product for you and you buy it online, you will always get a card in the package from the seamstress who made your product, that is our personal touch.