Company Sprouts from Necessity

Necessity is the mother of invention.  I don't know who first spoke this well-known phrase.  I've read it was Plato, but I've also heard Aesop.  What I do know is the statement is completely true and the reason I left my landscape design career to start a new venture in apparel manufacturing.

The "About Us" page on Altus Menswear begins with, "I began this company because of the tall men in my family."  That is no understatement.

Somewhere someone is wearing nearly new clothing from a second-hand store thanks to us, because most of the casual wear we purchased over the last few years ended up being donated almost immediately.

I remember the day when I had had enough.  I was tired of wasting money on "tall" clothes that ended up in the donation bin.

I had taken my son to be fitted for his senior prom tuxedo.  The store was wonderful to work with!  But a tall kid can't wear custom-fitted tuxedos to school, so when we left the fitting we popped into a store across the street.  It said "Big & Tall" in the window.  My son insisted we go inside even though I explained that the store catered to "big" sizes.  He pressured me saying, "Mom, it says tall right there in the window!"

We took a chance.

The gentleman behind the counter was very kind and understanding but said, without hesitation, that there were only 2 or 3 shirts in the entire store that "might" fit my son.  I said I was so frustrated, "I feel like I should start a company to manufacture Extra-Tall clothes."  He told me it wasn't a bad idea.

We walked out with two T-shirts that were size Tall XL.  They shrunk after washing and fit him like a box. They made it to the donation bin within days.  But, much like the spring flowers in my well-designed landscape, the seed of an idea had sprouted.

My son's tuxedo for Senior Prom was much easier to find in his tall size than everyday clothes!

What's in a Name?

Choosing a name for your business can be very stressful!  Does it fit your image?  Is it catchy and memorable?  Does it look good on a logo?  Is it already being used by another business?  Does another business share part of the name and would you want to be associated with that name's possible reputation?  These are all questions you and your team should research.

Now that we are nearly two years into the commitment of our apparel company, I can look back and chuckle at our first business name ideas.  Lanky Male, Lean Dude, Tall & Thin Men, Stilt Punk, and Stalky Guy were some of our considerations for a clothing line aimed at men who need a "tall" not necessarily "big & tall" fit.

I do find myself occasionally having to explain our choice.  Altus can be defined as high, tall, lofty, sublime, exalted, profound, and deep.  What a great word!  Plus it looks great on a label.

Here I am adjusting my model's sleeve at our recent photo shoot for upcoming new products. 

My model happens to be my son, so we get a picture for our "About Us" page.

He wants to show me the world through his 6'8" eyes.  I have to stand on a crate!

Standing on the crate I get a hug!

Extra-Tall Mens Clothing Model Participates in 'Relay for Life'

Having recently opened our online store Altus, for tall and extra-tall men, we spend the weekend with family and participate in our first American Cancer Society's Relay for Life event.  My son, and the inspiration for our clothing line for tall men, was diagnosed with thyroid cancer 3 years ago.  His participation in the Relay for Life event for the first time happened at Western Washington University in Bellingham, WA.

Listening to the opening remarks at our first Relay for Life, this one in Bellingham, WA.

A thyroid cancer survivor, my son walks the first "Survivors" lap with my mother. His grandma is a breast cancer survivor.

After the first Survivors lap, my father (to my right) and I join my son and mother to walk some more.

Dreams Do Come True!

When I was in high school I wanted to be a fashion designer!  I had been sewing since I was 8 even making my own clothing.  I can remember having to stand in front of my third-grade class to model a jumper I had made.  I was shy and embarrassed that the teacher was making a big fuss over me.  I was so reserved the thought of going off to one of the fashion industry capitals for college (think NYC or Paris) terrified me!  So I studied art, and then business (both at the University of Oregon), horticulture and landscape design (at South Seattle Community College) and eventually landscape architecture (at the University of Washington).  All this education spanned over 25 years, during which time I made maternity clothes (for myself), wedding dresses (for friends), costumes (for my kids' preschool dress-up box), doll clothes (for my daughter's dolls), men's dress shirts (for my husband), and countless other sewing projects.  Fast forward.  While working in landscape design, my now 20-year-old son keeps growing!  He's reached 6'8" and I'm making him dress shirts just like his father, who at 6'4" seems short to me.  And he's complaining!  He can't go to the local mall and get clothes.  He walked into the local Big & Tall store when he was a senior in high school (and a couple inches shorter than he is now) and was told there would be only 2 or 3 shirts in the store that "might" fit him properly.  The problem is he isn't "Big", just tall!  Tired with the complaints about finding clothes to fit him, our whole family comes up with this crazy idea to start a clothing line for tall and extra-tall men:  www.altusmenswear.com

Well, maybe it's not so crazy.  I figure there are other moms who have sons with a similar body type who are equally frustrated.  I realize I am now doing what I wanted to all along.

Two years of work finally results in products!

Nearly two years after my family decided to start a clothing company for tall men, I picked up our first products and we opened our business!  www.altusmenswear.com

Unloading boxes of tall mens apparel on a beautiful spring day!