Fusing Irish tradition, an innovative spirit and the enthusiasm of its founder, the Margaret O’Leary brand has been loved throughout and beyond the Bay Area for more than 30 years. The label, established by Margaret O’Leary in 1990, opened its first store in San Francisco’s Union Square and now has 13 locations across the country. Nonetheless, the brand stays true to its roots, carefully and independently crafting pieces in small batches from natural fibers. Everything, from their signature knitwear to silky dresses, is made masterfully, embodying classic charm, yet everlasting excitement.
O’Leary, one of 13 siblings born and raised in County Kerr, Ireland, grew up wearing traditional Irish sweaters, hand-knitted by her mother. “I was born with knitting needles in my hands,” she says with a laugh. Historically, the Aran knit sweaters worn by Irish fishers had unique patterns belonging to each family; O’Leary’s mother kept the practice alive, giving each sweater the same cable knit design. Interestingly enough, she admits she doesn’t have any of these sweaters from her childhood.
“I was the second oldest, so I would pass my sweater down to the next one, then the next one, then the next one,” says O’Leary. “By the time kid number five had my sweater, the elbows were all completely worn about. Then my mother would put patches in our sweaters. So nothing is left.”
Following the ways of O’Leary’s upbringing, the brand’s sweaters are made with the same long-lasting quality, intended to meld to families’ and generations’ worth of memories.
When O’Leary immigrated to California in her 20s, she began making sweaters for herself and her friends out of her San Francisco bedroom from a single handloom. What was initially a budget-conscious fashion hack became an outlet for the designer to play with her favorite textiles, patterns and colors. While the brand hones in on a classic and timeless aesthetic, O’Leary’s touch leaves each line nothing short of chic.
While the traditional sweaters of her childhood were wool-based, O’Leary has opted to refresh the design with a softer feel, integrating in cottons, yarns, and her favorite, cashmere. Unlike the sheep-colored originals, Margaret O’Leary pieces come in rare fuschias, kale greens, arrays of yellow and always more. “I love color . . . like I dream in color,” she says.
Traveling to Italy throughout the year to source yarns, and keeping a pantone color wheel handy, the designer expresses her love for fashion and understanding that people need wardrobes that spark excitement and confidence, even with classic fashion. Beyond simple sweaters, Margaret O’Leary carries a variety of silhouettes inspired by everything from leather jackets to slacks. She describes the designs as “always relevant, but not of the moment,” assuring timeless yet eye-catching appeal.
The Berkeley store on Fourth Street, O’Leary admits, is her favorite. While the designer resides in Marin, she visits Fourth Street every few months to greet customers. With gratitude for the East Bay community, she says, “A lot of them are collectors there. They have sweaters from 20 years ago because I’ve been doing this a long time.”
O’Leary adds, “The Berkeley people ask a lot of questions. They’re very thoughtful—they really care about their consumption.”
Directly interacting with customers aligns with Margaret O’Leary’s hands-on philosophy, which is applied before products are even in store. Perfecting fit and promising masterful quality involves a smaller—yet mightier—team than one might imagine. A staff of 11 works in the San Francisco atelier; only three make sweaters, while others are assigned to making shirts or inventory organization, to name a few roles. Running the business smoothly takes a village, yet O’Leary apparel is the product of truly rare experts.
“Knitting is a very special craft with not a lot of people highly skilled at doing it, so I have to outsource to different countries,” she says, mentioning her collaborators in Portugal and Madagascar. Limited batches of hand-knit pieces are even released throughout the season, especially beloved by collectors.
Also emphasizing the team’s meticulous attention to fit, O’Leary says, “It’s almost like perfecting a menu or making a meal. You’re like, ‘Ooh, a little bit too much oregano,’ and we just tweak it until we fine tune and get that pattern right.” She adds, “All those little perfection details—we call them technical packages—and each sweater has five or six complex Excel spreadsheets of every detail in that sweater.” Designs are sincerely made with the customer and the following generations in mind.
The Margaret O’Leary brand shows that embracing conscious consumption and tradition doesn’t require sacrificing style or a modern outlook. The O’Leary story encourages us to build and strengthen community through the things we love at the moment, as well as the things we’ve outgrown. The shareable, versatile, lasting beauty of Margaret O’Leary’s designs allows us to do just that.
The new Margaret O’Leary holiday collection can be shopped online or at the Berkeley or San Francisco store. margaretoleary.com.
