Life is often serendipitous. Allison Moore, who co-founded Royal Highnies, a luxury line of boxers, pajamas, and loungewear, spoke with Marietta Talks about how she and Leigh Ann Yates started their business in 2005.
The fairytale started with an excess of fabric.
“Our family is in the textile finishing business. We had this fabric since early 2000. We just had this overrun, and we were all playing with it. We started making the boxers out of this fabric for about 20 years,” said Moore, who lives in Flintstone, GA, at the foot of Lookout Mountain (about 2 miles from the state of TN).
“We had an overrun of fabric. For one reason or another, the customer didn’t like the finish of the fabric from the textile mill that our family has. The customer who had requested the finishing of the Pima cotton didn’t like it. It was an accident the way it got finished. That’s why we had so much,” Moore said.
The ladies began their quest to create the perfect boxers. “It took awhile to figure where they messed up in the finishing process to get the fabric as soft as it is. It was a happy accident for us,” Moore said.
The duo contacted an acquaintance that has a manufacturing company in Dayton, TN.
“Their specialty is making boxer shorts. That’s when they started making some just for fun. Everyone loved them. All our friends and family loved them. That’s how we got the idea to start selling them. We thought we could make a business out of it. We started with boxers. That’s all we had for a while. Out of the white, soft fabric,” Moore said.
Eventually, Royal Highnies expanded their line. “We added lounge pants along the way and a pajama top. Then we discovered more women liked the men’s pajama top, so we morphed into a ladies’ line and somewhere in there added some children’s boxer shorts,” Moore said.
Royal Highnies are ultra-soft and handmade with finest 400-count Pima cotton. “They’re just so comfortable. We have kept it small. Kept it simple. The feel is different when you dye it, so we’ve stuck with white products. It’s just been wonderful. The fabric is so light and airy and gets softer the longer you wear it,” Moore said.
Royall Highnies can be found in 500 small boutiques across the country like Square Threads on the Marietta Square, H Stockton near Cumberland Mall, FJ Lancaster in East Cobb, and other specialty stores in Atlanta.
Learn more or order at royalhighnies.com. Free mask with purchase.
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