Another New Year is upon us and the anticipation and festivities surrounding America’s 250th! are in full swing. In the summer of 1776, representatives from the American colonies came together to sign and distribute The Declaration of the Thirteen United States of America- claiming themselves as independent, sovereign states and no longer colonies of Britain.
We know as historians, this declaration was limited in its freedoms and it would be many, many years before freedom for all rang across America. But it was a beginning. And if we don’t begin somewhere, change is guaranteed to never come.
Each year, I write a New Year’s blog post recapping the highlights of the previous year and I then set forth a list of goals and changes for the new year ahead. I have spoken about pivots and relevancy, and staying the course when facing challenges. But let’s be real here. Nothing prepared me for the year that was 2025. Holy smokes Batman! What a wizzbanger of a year.
Economic instability? Government shutdowns? The rise of AI? Hustle culture? Burnout! I don’t think I want to rehash it. It’s everything that was and wasn’t in 2025. Let’s make it simple. The framework from years past are no longer working. Times are a changing and so must we. So here we are 2026! Somehow we made it! Now let’s get to it. Let’s talk about some REAL PIVOTS happening here at Maggie May Clothing. Beginning… now!
What’s New in 2026?
-> New designs coming! Look for an increase in our ready made/ready to ship garment collections. We’ve been talking about this for a while now. And NOW is the time to make it to happen. Here’s what to expect-
- The garment you see photographed in the collection is the garment you will receive. Garments in the collection are available in fabrics as shown. You no longer need to select a custom fabric from our fabric catalog and purchase it separately.
- A handful of garments in the ready made/ready to ship collections are also available in custom sizing. This is denoted in the drop down menu with the word CUSTOM. If the garment shown in the catalog is not the size you need, you have the option to purchase a CUSTOM sized garment in the fabric as shown. Please submit the custom measurement form with these purchases.
-> Expanded Fashion & History resources! including hands on activities and DIYS in conjunction with America’s 250th Anniversary! We are excited to bring you more fascinating historical stories, vignettes, and historical proiects to celebrate!
What’s Changing in 2026?
-> No custom design services in 2026. Our custom design service is where you send us a photograph or sketch and ask us to build it. This is the part of our business where we design and construct garments not part of our regular clothing collections.
-> Custom order garments are going away. We are discontinuing the part of our business where you order one of our designs in your choice of custom fabrics. Due to changing market demands, we are shifting away from on demand sewing and moving to a ready made/ready to ship clothing collection.
-> We do not anticipate adding large seasonal fabric collections to the catalog this year. Look for a few new prints here and there but no large collections as in the past.
A follow up regarding DRESS PATTERNS-
I set this one in motion about 2 years ago and announced it last year. I was very excited! And I know you were too! I surveyed you, I digitized patterns, I found an experienced pattern grading professional to partner with. I was almost ready to launch! And then things changed. The Indie home sewing pattern market began and is still evolving at a rapid pace. It’s becoming more and more challenging to protect creative work. Because of this, I have decided to put a hard pause on the launch of my home sewing dress patterns in 2026. I do hope to revisit this endeavor in the future.
As always, we look forward to another year of history and fashion! I hope you do too! Happy 2026!
