6 min readIn ELLE’s series Office Hours, we ask people in powerful positions to take us through their first jobs, worst jobs, and everything in between. This month, we sat down with Paige Lorenze, founder of Dairy Boy, the Americana-inspired lifestyle brand that has built a loyal community online and beyond. What began with an Instagram mood board and a nostalgic love of all things dairy has grown into a lifestyle empire built on authenticity and experiential storytelling. Now, with the launch of DB Sport on April 2 and the brand’s first retail store opening in Nantucket this summer, Lorenze is translating that world into new categories. Below, she shares why she prioritizes affordability in a luxury-obsessed market, why community will always be her greatest competitive advantage, and how sports inspires her next chapter.
My first job
Growing up, I was mucking stalls at the barn next to my house. I cleaned stalls in exchange for horseback riding lessons. So that was my first job, which I actually didn’t mind. I quite liked being a barn hand. My childhood has definitely influenced everything. I had such a unique, amazing, grounded childhood that has truly inspired me so much. I’m so grateful for that.
My worst job
My worst job was probably delivering cookies. I delivered Insomnia Cookies in college, and I quit after a week. No one tipped me. It was horrible.
How Dairy Boy was born
It originally started with just a mood board, an Instagram account, and a love for dairy products growing up in Vermont. I just really loved dairy. I felt like that was rebellious a few years ago, to be ordering whole milk in your coffee. And whenever I talked about that, it really resonated with people because I think that there’s something nostalgic about even a bowl of cereal or whole milk in general, for a lot of people. It sort of just happened, and I wasn’t expecting that to be the name, per se. That wasn’t a plan. It was honestly more like this conversation I was having with my audience, and then it was born. It’s really cool that the name came from my community as well. Because the name is Dairy Boy, we have fun with the milk component. Now, I think it represents something deeply nostalgic and reflective of a slower life, a life where clothes are made to be worn and lived in, where clothes can be affordable even though they’re special. It really does reflect the brand, but it has created a life outside of dairy, obviously. It signifies something slow, suburban, and American. The sense of home that I think we all long for, no matter if you live in the city or in the suburbs.
Why I’m launching DB Sport
I have a really robust design team now—it’s actually the largest team at my company—and I was finally in a place where I could create performance-inspired wear. I truly believe you’re only as good as the people around you. I don’t really consider us a fashion brand. I consider us a true lifestyle brand, because the world always comes first.
How skiing and tennis shaped the collection
I was a downhill ski racer. I went to a ski racing academy, and growing up as a serious competitive athlete, these are clothes that I’ve been wearing my whole life. One of my jobs in college [at The New School] was working at a ski shop that sold technical but fashionable outdoor wear.
Now tennis is a big part of my life with my fiancé [Tommy Paul] being a tennis player, and I found myself wearing even more activewear as an adult. But I always felt there was a gap in the market. I was constantly saving references from the 2000s—old Nike, old Adidas, even brands that don’t exist anymore, old tennis dresses. A lot of the time for tennis matches I’m buying things on eBay and getting them tailored and completely reworked. So I thought, I should be creating product in this category.
Paige Lorenze at the 2025 US Open.
All the images I loved were of people on the move—running errands, doing things. It’s not only going to the gym or Pilates. We even named one of the shorts “the errand” because people are wearing biker shorts to run errands, not just to work out. There are brands doing athleisure and brands doing performance, but there isn’t that lifestyle in between: comfortable performance with a built-in sports bra that you could wear to work or wear in life. That’s our brand. We’re filling a gap that’s nostalgic and comfortable but still has that hint of performance, which aligns with my life as a skier and now being around tennis.
It’s also what I’d want to wear to a tournament. I’m not playing, but I’m there, on the grounds. I’m honestly most proud of the DB Sport collection because I’m more of a sporty girl than a fashion girl. I love the effortless style around sport. Every brand references sport, but I think we have a very unique opportunity at Dairy Boy to do it.
On being engaged to a professional tennis player
Tennis and Tommy [Paul] have really impacted my life, especially just because I’m in warmer weather places now. I’m incredibly inspired by tennis. Even as a person, I feel like I’ve grown a lot through following tennis, and it’s such an intense individual sport. It’s impacted everything in my life for the better. We’re doing a little bridal-inspired collection around my wedding. I have a really fun collaboration coming out and a perfume coming out around my wedding, so definitely very inspired.
On personal style
When I am truly myself or truly following my own interests or my lived experiences, that is always received better. When I try other things that are not me or wear things that I’m not comfortable in, you can tell. I’m referencing life and real lived experiences. They tend to cycle back. Tennis fashion was huge in the ’90s, and now it’s coming back. I’m not reinventing the wheel, but I am being authentic to myself. And if it happens to align with what’s trending, then that’s amazing.
Why affordability matters to me
I’m more interested in dressing an entire generation of American girls than making as much money as possible off a smaller group of people. I believe our clothes should be for everyone. Part of the American Dream is feeling like you’re part of something and that it’s accessible if you save up for it. I always ask myself, Could I have afforded this in college? If the answer is no, why would I be doing it? And honestly, I think a lot of the industry has lost its mind with some prices. People are buying $300 sweatshirts without even trying them on. It’s insane. But that’s not us, and I’m happy it’s not.
Why community is everything
Everything that I’ve ever done has been building community. I think that is a hack. I would go so far as to say you can’t start a brand anymore that’s led through Instagram without building a community. I know what it’s like to follow a creator who makes you feel like they care. I know what it’s like to follow a brand that is owned by a person with a forward-facing founder. I’m almost being the friend that I want to be. That’s why I spend so much money on my pop-ups, because I know people will come and love it and support it. I’m creating experiences that I would want to experience, and I want to treat my customer because they take such good care of me.
Why we’re opening our first store in Nantucket
I grew up there. All of my best childhood memories are there. And personally, I’ve loved when brands start small and close to home. It almost feels like a little jewel box, like a little special place, and it feels the most authentic to us. I always say when we build stores in different locations, it’s almost like if Dairy Boy had a home. If Dairy Boy had a summer home, where would it be? And it would be on Nantucket, so that’s what we’re doing. We’re really excited to expand and open more retail [locations]. I’m excited for this world that I’ve built online to really have a permanent place for people to experience in person, even if they’re just curious about the brand. And I’m going to create really, really special stores. We’re excited about that next chapter for us.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.