Tuckerman & Co.: A ‘Dirt To Shirt’ Tale At Yale
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Tuckerman & Co. is a New England tale.
Amanda Rinderle and Jonas Clark grew up in rural Massachusetts enjoying the idyllic outdoors. They met through friends one summer in Williamstown. They left their careers in the nonprofit sector in Boston and moved to New Haven to attend the Yale School of Management.
While at Yale, they decided to launch a mission-driven company to make and sell high-quality, organic cotton men’s dress shirts with a socially responsible commitment. Their “dirt to shirt” story continued with naming the company after their favorite “Tuckerman” hiking trial in New Hampshire.
At Yale, the couple participated in the Yale Entrepreneurial Institute to develop their ideas, worked with mentors from YEI and SOM, and launched a Kickstarter campaign that raised $30,000 in seed money. They also won Social Enterprise Challenge and reSET awards in Hartford, as well as a Sobotka Grant from Yale. Their support grew at Yale, in New Haven and throughout Connecticut and New England.
Earlier this year, the company went into production just as the couple was graduating from Yale and starting to plan their wedding. They drove from New Haven to the Massachusetts factory and waited for the first bolts of fabric to arrive.
The shirt fabric is Egyptian organic cotton woven in Italy. It is shipped to Massachusetts, where it is cut and sewn by multi-generational garment makers. The shirts are single-line hand stitched, the buttons are all natural Corozo, also known as “vegetable ivory,” and the collars have bamboo stays to retain their shape.
The shirts, which are priced at $145 each on the website, are offered in a tailored or classic cut. The core collection includes blue poplin, white twill and blue gingham, but there are seasonal and limited edition colors as well. The shirts are designed for machine cold wash, line dry and quick iron, but can be dry-cleaned.
Part of Tuckerman & Co.’s mission is minimal environmental and social harm. “Our commitment is to only conduct business with companies with fair labor practices and safe work environments,” said Clark.
Our shirts are available only online to maintain direct relationships with our customers,” added Rinderle. The company will soon offer casual and women’s shirts.
The company began accepting fall orders in mid-July.
