The Yarn
Welcome to The Yarn - April 26, 2024
The journey begins with Regenerative Organic Certified® cotton grown in the Odisha region of India by the Chetna group. ROC™ is a farm level certification that prioritizes soil health, animal welfare, and social fairness. The base requirement for ROC™ is to be GOTS Certified.
The harvested cotton is processed to remove short fibers, field trash, and seeds. The gin only processes organic fibers, ensuring our cotton isn’t contaminated by pesticides.
During the spinning process, cotton bales are transformed into thin rope-like strands in a process called carding, then spun into yarn.
In Kolkata, India, our organic yarn is expertly knit into fabric using circular knitting machines. We collaborate closely with our knitters to ensure each style has the perfect stretch and recovery.
At a third-generation family-owned, zero-waste mill in Noida, India, the Classic Crew Neck Tee takes shape. We work closely with the cut and sew team to maximize efficiency when developing patterns to keep prices and waste low.
Welcome to The Yarn - April 10, 2024
Introducing Maggie’s Classics
We’re thrilled to introduce Maggie’s Classics, a collection of wearable soft basics crafted from Regenerative Organic Certified® cotton. Embracing a neutral palette, these wardrobe staples promise durability and style. This line of flattering essentials is made of buttery jersey, cozy mid-weight fleece, and sumptuous terry pieces – each at least 90% ROC™ cotton.
What is Regenerative Organic Certified®?
ROC™ is a holistic farm level certification that focuses on healthy soil, ethical and humane treatment of animals, and fairness for farmers & workers. It emphasizes techniques like cover crops, crop rotation, and agroforestry that help to regenerate, revitalize, and protect our precious soil. ROC™ was created by the Regenerative Organic Alliance to address the climate crisis, soil degradation, biodiversity loss, factory farming, and fractured rural economies globally. Only about a dozen textile brands so far have committed to making ROC™ products, and we are proud to be among them.
Elizabeth Whitlow, Executive Director of The Regenerative Organic Alliance, describes the essence of Maggie’s in her reflection:
Since I began shopping at natural food co-ops in the early 1990s, I've seen Maggie's as a true expression of Organic as a holistic, socially just, and ecological farming system. It speaks volumes that the clothing business was born out of a commitment to crop rotation - a foundational practice for soil health and crop resilience. Clearly, they were ahead of their time! Meanwhile their ongoing study of challenges in the cotton supply web has led them to the regenerative organic movement, and we are thrilled to see them bring ROC™ cotton to market in an exciting array of new styles.
Elizabeth highlights our foundational commitment to sustainability we have upheld since our start. Our decision to expand beyond the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) certification to include Regenerative Organic Certified® is part of our Real Fair Trade pledge – our promise to always try to do the right thing for people and planet.
Maggie’s is working to make it easier to say no to fast fashion and greenwashing without sacrificing style.
Welcome to The Yarn - March 1, 2024
Celebrating One Year of Employee Ownership at Maggie’s
February 2024 marks a significant milestone for Maggie’s – one year of Employee Ownership. It's been an incredible journey of growth and collaboration as we continue to uphold our Real Fair Trade commitment of trying to always do the right thing for people and planet. As we reflect, we want to express our heartfelt gratitude to you, our loyal customers, for your support.
To commemorate this special occasion, we've been sharing insights from our team of Employee Owners throughout the month on Instagram. Each week, we've had the privilege of introducing you to some of the incredible individuals who make Maggie’s what it is today.
Allison, Ecommerce Specialist
“I started at Maggie's in October 2023 as the Ecommerce Specialist. I manage and update our website, run our online wholesale platform, and help with social media. I like being an Employee Owner because we all work together to make sure Maggie's is the best it can be, and we really try to make sure everyone knows our story. The team was so welcoming when I joined, and the socks are so cozy!"
Favorite Maggie’s Products: Ragg Socks, Reversible Fleece Crew.
Cathy, Product Manager
“We've got a great team at Maggie's and I'm super excited to see how we embrace the challenges and opportunities the next few years will bring... When a new product is released, I really love reading comments from our customers about what they like and dislike in their Maggie’s apparel, and what they hope to see in the future. We have such a loyal customer base and it’s great to feel their love.”
Favorite Maggie’s Products: Sateen Sheet Set, Cotton Recovery Socks
Amanda, HR/Office Manager
“I love that I get to help carry on the legacy of Maggie’s by teaching and engaging future generations. My favorite thing about my job is spreading cheer throughout the company. Whether it’s decorating for a holiday or planning a small celebration in honor of anniversaries or achievements. I truly admire the people that I work with and enjoy appreciating them.”
Favorite Maggie’s Products: Fleece Leggings, Raglan Rib Cowl Dress
Tom, Warehouse Manager
“What I like about being an Employee Owner is really what I like about working at Maggie’s. Everyone who works here takes it seriously. When we’re facing a challenge, it feels good to be surrounded by people who care and are equally invested in the outcome. I like what I do and the people I work with.”
Favorite Maggie’s Products: Classic Crew, Sport Crew
Each member of our team brings unique perspectives and talents to the table, supporting our commitment to Real Fair Trade. As we celebrate one year of Employee Ownership at Maggie’s, we are thankful for each other.
It is difficult for most small business owners in the United States to find successors. In many cases businesses fail to make a transition. We employees have each been able to step into an ownership role and are working to ensure that Maggie’s is around for generations to come.
We couldn’t do it without you. Thank you for being part of our journey and for supporting Maggie’s as we strive to make a positive impact in the world.
Stay tuned on our Instagram page for more stories and updates from Maggie’s Employee Owners. Together, we’re honoring the threads that connect us all.
Welcome to the Yarn - February 16
Since our founding in 1992, Maggie’s has been driven by a simple yet profound belief: producing textiles doesn’t have to be extractive to the environment and that all people can be treated with dignity and respect. From the farmers who grow our cotton, to the Maggie’s employee owners fulfilling your orders, to you - our loyal customers, we are all interconnected. We take this seriously, and it has become our mission to honor and strengthen the threads that connect us all.
We do our best each day to live out this mission, measuring our work by the most rigorous industry standards and our own additional high standards where those fall short. We call this way of working Real Fair Trade™: our commitment to total transparency, total sustainability, and true ethical practices from farm to finish.
As we continue to grow, many people are meeting Maggie’s for the first time. They are drawn to Maggie’s by our exceptional products and our authentic story. We see an opportunity to bring newcomers deeper into our work, so they can understand the intricacies behind Real Fair Trade™. We hope by building empathy and mutual understanding, we will strengthen ties between the people who buy our clothing and the people who make it, and all of us working day-to-day to connect the two.
Our latest offering, the Blockprint Duvet Cover and Sham Set, crafted in collaboration with artisans from Seen Unseen in Jaipur, India embodies our commitment to sustainability and creativity. This set combines our soft organic cotton fabric liner with repurposed hand-printed cotton fabric scraps sewn together in unique designs. These scraps were left over from previous projects and rather than ending up in a landfill, they have been transformed into truly one-of-a-kind pieces of artwork. Despite obstacles, such as once in a generation fog disrupting the dyeing process, the artisans embraced the project wholeheartedly.
Seen Unseen exists to empower artisans from diverse backgrounds, providing skill development and employment opportunities that enhance their lives and communities. We are grateful for the opportunity to work alongside them.
As we invite you into The Yarn, our space for sharing the real stories behind our products, some of our stories may seem implausible. But they are the real stories of what is involved in trying to do right by people and planet in the apparel industry—no matter how hard. We look forward to sharing them with you.
If you haven’t already, we encourage you to sign up for our newsletter to receive these stories and stay updated on our latest creations.
