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!