Angelica Taylor, who was promoted to president of Darn Tough Vermont’s parent company Cabot Hosiery Mills (CHM) in February, talked with SGB Executive about Darn Tough’s history, the brand’s recent success, its commitment to U.S. production, and sock trends.
Taylor succeeded Ric Cabot, scion of the founding Cabot family, who remains as company CEO. She is the first non-family member to hold the position of company president. Cabot Hosier also owns Wide Open, a sock brand launched in 2023 designed to stretch to fit wide feet, ankles and calves.
SGB: Can you tell us about the history of Cabot Hosiery Mills and the origins of Darn Tough?
Angelica Taylor: Beginning our rich, long history of Vermont manufacturing, Cabot Hosiery Mills was founded in 1978 by Marc Cabot. Marc began knitting for big-label brands like Gold Toe and other popular brands of the time. In 1989, Ric Cabot left his publishing job to join his father at Cabot Hosiery Mills in Northfield, VT. In the early 2000s, as hosiery production moved offshore, the company faced significant challenges and was struggling. We were down to 35 employees and a handful of machines, but we were determined to survive and committed to staying here in Vermont.
In 2004, driven by that determination and a bit of stubbornness, Ric Cabot launched Darn Tough Vermont. He decided to double down on manufacturing in Vermont, producing premium, longer-lasting socks right here, all backed by the industry’s first and still only lifetime guarantee. We developed a product we are proud of, that satisfies consumers and is not easy to copy. We continue to do so. We knit each pair of these made-in-the-USA socks in Vermont. We use the highest-quality yarns sourced from America and around the world. Today, we have over 450 employees and hundreds of machines running seven days a week.
SGB: What has been Darn Tough’s differential among all the other sock brands on the market?
Angelica Taylor: High-density knitting, low bulk, true seamless toe, domestically made, hands-on approach, fine microns, and fine-count merino wool. Merino wool is a superior fiber compared to other fibers on the market. Our socks are simply the best. When it comes to comfort, durability and fit — there’s no competition. We also offer an unconditional lifetime guarantee. We will replace your socks, no questions asked, if they wear out. While other brands impose restrictions on their warranty programs, we proudly stand behind our product with full confidence.
SGB: Darn Tough competes across many categories. What are you best known for?
Angelica Taylor: In 2004, Darn Tough began as a running brand. At the launch, we gave away 3,500 pairs of socks at the Vermont Marathon. The response was phenomenal. We introduced high-density knitting without bulk, something our competitors have yet to realize. We are known for producing the best premium, category-specific socks on the market, with outsized growth planned for Hike, Run, Lifestyle, and Work.
SGB: Cabot Hosiery Mills is one of the few sock manufacturers committed to 100 percent U.S. production. Do you see the benefit?
Angelica Taylor: We see significant benefits from 100 percent U.S. production because we make them. We ARE the mill. We are that close to the consumer. We are fully committed to 100 percent U.S. manufacturing using the finest raw materials available. Manufacturing in the U.S. presents its challenges, especially in Vermont, a state with a population of only 600,000, six months of cold winter, and a high cost of living. However, the benefit is unequivocally the quality of our products. Ric often states, and we have it displayed on the wall of our mill, that “no one ever outsourced anything for quality.” Every sock is knit, handled and inspected by Vermonters with the utmost care and attention to detail. Our employees take pride in our growth, our brand and the quality of our products.
SGB: Have the challenges lessened over the years?
Angelica Taylor: The challenges of manufacturing in the U.S. will persist as costs rise and the labor pool shrinks, but we remain committed to staying here and providing good jobs for our community. We don’t just have a great story; we are a great story, and we will continue to build on that.
SGB: Has the tariff situation affected you positively or negatively?
Angelica Taylor: Because we knit our socks with the finest raw materials available, we have to source both domestic and international materials. As a result, tariffs have increased our raw material costs for a portion of our yarn, but we chose not to pass those costs on to our consumers.
SGB: Can you identify some of the innovations coming from Darn Tough that you are excited about?
Angelica Taylor: Currently, we define innovation as improving/enhancing comfort, durability and fit. We use consumer data to innovate in real time because we manufacture right here in Vermont and are committed to continuously improving our socks. We collect the information, test, sample, and test again, so the consumers are always getting our best. Part of the key to our success is our lifetime guarantee and our ability to analyze warranty socks to focus on improvements. We are obsessive about comfort, durability and fit. We are rigorous about testing and refinement to ensure we always hit the mark. Like our customers, we have high expectations, and the business holds itself accountable to those standards every hour of every day. Socks for us are 24/7.
SGB: Can you tell us the reason behind the launch of Wide Open?
Angelica Taylor: Wide Open launched to address the needs of a market that was not only underserved but also unserved. Bodies come in all shapes and sizes, and socks should too. Wide Open is a premium lifestyle sock engineered with Wide Flex Stretch in the cuff, leg, ankle, and foot, which means easy on/easy off, and an overall great fit. We use consumer data to continually improve the fit, ensuring we delight our customers with comfort, durability and fun designs. Our Wide Open consumers often say, “Finally, a sock made for me!”
SGB: Are there any broader trends that are elevating the sock category?
Angelica Taylor: We don’t chase trends, and we know our consumer does not either. We focus on maintaining consistency in comfort, durability and fit — the three most important things to our consumers. Premium, long-lasting, category-specific socks are what we are about.
Current sock trends you may see in the market include Alpaca fibers and left- and right-handed socks. Neither of these trends will be in the CHM’s line because they do not add to comfort, durability or fit. There are a lot of sock names that masquerade as brands that chase trends. I don’t consider them brands. We make a promise to our consumer and back our product. We are a brand, and they can chase us if they want. Nobody ever outsources for quality.
SGB: How is the leadership transition going? Is Ric Cabot still involved at the same level in the business?
Angelica Taylor: With three solid months behind me, I can confidently say that the transition is going well. Ric remains actively involved in the business as CEO, and we work effectively together, complementing each other’s strengths.
SGB: How is Cabot Hosiery Mills performing these days? Did the company ride out the pandemic smoothly?
Angelica Taylor: Yes, we smoothly rode out the pandemic because we make the socks right here in Vermont. We saw demand spike during the pandemic, and we continue to grow both topline sales and pairs sold year over year. 2025 was our best year for both topline performance and bottom-line profits. We have healthy growth planned for 2026, and I am confident our team will hit the targets.
In addition to my role, we’ve strengthened the senior leadership team with a new VP of Sales and a new VP of Product Development and Innovation. The senior leadership team is very strong, set up for success and focused on the future.
SGB: What’s your sense of how the run and outdoor space is faring these days?
Angelica Taylor: Our retailers are upbeat about business, and we continue to work closely with them and provide them with the best-in-class, category-specific products. Our direct-to-consumer website continues to grow each year and attracts new consumers. We invest in telling our story, which enhances sell-in and ultimately drives sell-through. Because we make the product and we manufacture in Vermont, that affords us the ultimate flexibility. Our customers order as they need. There are no small customers. The fact that we make the socks and don’t have to wait for them to come from across the ocean enhances the relationship with the customer. Every customer is important to us, and we treat them that way.
SGB: Can you share any key goals or priorities ready to roll out over the next few years?
Angelica Taylor: We have ambitious growth targets for the next three years, and when we succeed, we will expand and need another manufacturing site in Vermont. We are investing in both Darn Tough and Wide Open, and in expanding beyond the outdoor market with a strategy focused on Hike, Run, Lifestyle, and Work.
Image courtesy Darn Tough Vermont
