CM Almy is an American producer of

clerical clothing Clerical clothing is non- liturgical clothing worn exclusively by clergy. It is distinct from vestments in that it is not reserved specifically for use in the liturgy. Practices vary: clerical clothing is sometimes worn under vestments, and som ...

founded in 1892 that serves mainly

Episcopal Episcopal may refer to: *Of or relating to a bishop, an overseer in the Christian church *Episcopate, the see of a bishop – a diocese *Episcopal Church (disambiguation), any church with "Episcopal" in its name ** Episcopal Church (United State ...

Lutheran Lutheranism is one of the largest branches of Protestantism, identifying primarily with the theology of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German monk and Protestant Reformers, reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practice of the Cathol ...

, Presbyterian USA, and

Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a letter ...

ministries. Currently based in

Armonk, New York Armonk is a hamlet and census-designated place (CDP) in the town of North Castle, located in Westchester County, New York, United States. The corporate headquarters of IBM are located in Armonk. Geography and climate As of the 2010 census, A ...

, it is said to be the largest and one of the oldest producers of clerical clothing in the US. The current president of the family-run company is Stephen Fendler.

Cardinal Timothy Dolan Timothy Michael Dolan (born February 6, 1950) is an American cardinal of the Catholic Church. He is the tenth and current Archbishop of New York, having been appointed by Pope Benedict XVI in 2009. Dolan served as the president of the United St ...

and the St. Patrick's Cathedral priests are clients.

Corporate structure

Stephen Fendler is president, and his brother Michael is the vice president of the company, running the manufacturing for the company in

Maine Maine () is a U.S. state, state in the New England and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Provinces and territories of Canad ...

. It has a

showroom A plumbing fixture showroom, Canada, 1921 A showroom, also referred to as a gallery, is a large space used to display products, entertainment or visual arts. Marketing location A showroom is a large space used to display products for sale, suc ...

History

C. M. Almy & Son, Inc. was founded in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the U ...

in 1892 by English master tailor Clarence Mortimer Almy and his son James. In 1929 James's cousin Donald Fendler took over the firm and guided it through the Depression and

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

. After the war, Donald was joined by his sons Thomas and Ryan who moved the shop to the town of

Pittsfield, Maine Pittsfield is a town in Somerset County, Maine, United States. The population was 3,908 at the 2020 census. Pittsfield is home to the Maine Central Institute, a semi-private boarding school, and the annual Central Maine Egg Festival. History ...

. Today, CM Almy is led by Ryan's sons Michael and Stephen. In 2012, Fendler began researching into the needs of his female clients. He bought samples and looked at womenswear catalogs and hired a designer to sketch looks. He had the Rev. Anisa Cottrell in the Episcopal Diocese in

Lexington, Kentucky Lexington is a city in Kentucky, United States that is the county seat of Fayette County. By population, it is the second-largest city in Kentucky and 57th-largest city in the United States. By land area, it is the country's 28th-largest ...

advising. The result is that for fall 2013, he introduced a line of four new shirts made of stretchy knit for female clerics.

References

{{Reflist Clothing companies established in 1892 1892 establishments in New York (state) Clothing companies of the United States Companies based in New York (state) Religious clothing