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"A Green Philosophy is a paramount component of our decision-making in all areas of our business; although costs are sometimes higher, we believe it is worth it and we thank our loyal customers for continuing to support us while we stay committed to environmental sustainability". - Tracy Amiral, CEO & Owner, Making it Big, inc.
We have donated thousands of dollars to various organizations over the years, including The Living Room, NAAFTA, Abundia, April Cornell's Giving World Foundation and more. When we select which companies to work with, we choose those who share our philosophy of contributing to our communities. Our office supplies are sourced through "Give Something Back" so a portion of our operating expenses go to help support incredible non-profit organizations and improve the quality of life in our communities. We partner with Becoming Independent, a community based service organization established 50 years ago to help people with disabilities live meaningful and productive lives.
We use 100% Cotton, Linen, Rayon, Wool, Silk, and other natural fiber blends for most of our clothing styles, which not only help preserve the environment, but are also a great choice for comfort and durability.
All of our garments are sourced from socially responsibly companies which work diligently to combat unfair and unsustainable work practices.
For over 34 years, we have been offering plus size clothing that centers on fit, long-lasting wearability and versatile style for many seasons, cutting down on the “fast fashion” epidemic of inexpensively made clothing that ends up in landfills causing buildup of inorganic material.
When clothing comes in that does not meet our high quality standards, we donate it to local organizations doing amazing things such as The Living Room, COTS Work Ready Apparel Shop, Redwood Gospel Mission, and most recently the Red Cross in response to the devastating Sonoma country wildfires.
The Living Room: A Santa Rosa based day services for women and children who are homeless. The Living Room provides resources to these individuals and parent programs. By working with other local organizations, they strive to provide a “safe and comfortable environment during the day when shelters are closed.” thelivingroomsc.org
COTS Work Ready Apparel Shop: A free store which offers work ready apparel to individuals suffering from homelessness and/or economic insecurity. The store’s mission is to provide clothing so those suffering can be work ready. This is only one of the many programs that COTS offers in Petaluma. Find out more information here: cots.org
Redwood Gospel Mission: Provides support and jobs to those suffering from homelessness. srmission.org
Red Cross: The nationally recognized Red Cross provided emergency assistance to Sonoma county during the October 2017 wildfires. As part of our community responsibility we donated clothing, food and non-perishable items that were distributed to our local community.
Redwood Food Bank: On the Plus Side encourages their employees to stay active in the community. Most recently we have been volunteering at the Redwood Food Bank, a local organization which provides food to needy individuals and families. refb.org
From compostable coffee pods and garbage bags to double-sided printing on recycled paper, we have a volunteer office Green Team focused on maintaining these principles across all departments. We have a green station which houses different collection boxes for recycle and/or re-purposing of products along with a printer which is set up to print on previously used paper. The collection boxes include toner recycling, pen/marker/pencil recycling, battery and light bulb recycling. We encourage the office to recycle items from the workplace and bring items from home for collection.
Even though it is more costly, we print our catalog on paper from a sustainable forest, which makes no chemical impact on the environment and has a smaller carbon footprint than even recycled paper. The paper is sourced in an enviromentally-friendly, socially responsible and economically viable manner. Read more about FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) at https.//ic.fsc.org.
We use fiber reactive dyes because they are less toxic and carcinogenic to the environment as well as providing colorfastness and fade resistance that make them an excellent choice for clothing.
We host clothing swaps to encourage clothing recycling as well as donating any surplus fabric to local schools, and damaged or surplus products to local non-profit organizations.
To save paper, we are more selective in our catalog mailings, sending only to our customers who still really want to receive the paper catalog.
Our experienced Customer Service Fit Specialists have direct access to our clothing line and are specially trained to assist you in finding your perfect On the Plus Size fit, colors, and styles! And when our team is not available, our over-flow call center is in-state as well, and available to help you with any questions that you might have. We’re always happy when a customer comes to visit us!