Althea Simons

Full Bio

In early 2016,  Althea Simon's apartment building burned down and she lost all of her belongings. As she tried to get her life back together and replace her wardrobe, she realized the perfect garments for her life did not exist. She decided to create foundational elements of a modern minimalist wardrobe, starting with the perfect white shirt. 

The catalyst for starting GRAMMAR came out of misfortune. In early 2016, Althea’s apartment building burned down and she lost all of her belongings. The difficulty she felt trying to replace her wardrobe lead her to conclude that the perfect garments for her life did not yet exist. A fan of iconic wardrobe essentials, Althea decided to apply her eye for detail and nuance to the challenge of creating the perfect white shirt. She was inspired by The Elements of Style by William Strunk, Jr. & E.B. White., and started GRAMMAR to create foundational elements of a modern minimalist wardrobe. 

Each garment she makes serves a distinct purpose and has a unique personality. And they are designed with an appreciation for a woman's form and the functionality required of a garment for her every day, so that she can pursue her life with ease and purpose. 

Althea prioritizes conscious practice and design through every stage of her product lifecycle. Her pieces are comfortable and elegant, allowing your inner beauty to shine through. Grammar’s shirts are made from 100% organic cotton sourced from an ethical producer in India. Althea chooses organic cotton because it is produced without the user of pesticides and other toxic chemicals that can be absorbed through the skin and are known to harm the natural environment and cause illness and death in textile workers. 

Grammar also supports the excellent local artisans and craftspeople and women-and minority- owned businesses in New York City. There is nothing more rewarding than seeing our garments come together at the hands of our friends and collaborators. By producing locally in small batches, Althea is able to minimize the impact of her supply chain and ensure that her extremely high quality standards are met on each and every garment. When sourcing our organic cotton fabric, Grammar requires GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard) certification, which ensures compliance with the strictest standards of sustainability and labor rights from seed to finished fabric.