Sunday, June 30, 2013

Evolution and Change is a "Good Thing"

If there is one thing you can always count on, it's that change is inevitable.

To improve is to change; to be perfect is to change often. – Winston Churchill

Well, in our pursuit of perfection, we at Altus, having just recently opened our (online) doors and updated our website, are going through yet another evolution.
 
I've been sewing since I was 8 years old so it is easy for me, as president of Altus, to analyze our fabric quality, pin-point garment details that need to be perfect, and tweak patterns for a better fit, but website design is beyond my expertise.  So we've met with some of the best creative minds in Seattle and they've helped Altus update our look!

You'll notice a cleaner format, focusing more on our story, our commitment to domestic manufacturing, and the products.  And do we ever have some great new products are coming this fall!

Tall and Extra-Tall men can shop for great fit at Altus Menswear, the store for men over 6'3" tall.
Our new zippered hoodies will be available early August.  Just in time for cool fall evenings!

Coincidently, when I opened up my July/August 2013 issue of Martha Stewart Living last night, I noticed they, too, have gone through a "deliberate overhaul of the magazine's design" as noted in the letter from the editor, with more "'white space' around the pictures."  I've always been a fan of this magazine; I own nearly every copy, only missing a few from the early 90's, all grouped by month for easy reference during seasons and holidays!  So, reading about Martha's redesign, assured me we are doing the right thing by evolving our brand.

And we will continue to change; to respond directly to our customers' requests, meeting the needs of men over 6'3" that don't need the "big" found in traditional "big & tall" stores.

Our changes will happen gradually over the coming weeks…. so check back with us often to see our progress!

Tall men find great fitting clothing at Altus, the store for men over 6'3".


Monday, June 10, 2013

Fashion & Fit: Challenges for Tall Men Through the Ages

Guest Blog by Phil Williamson, Altus Menswear Vice President and Director of Marketing:


Sure, we were all fashion-challenged when I was a young man in the late 1970s and early 80’s. Platform shoes, bell-bottoms and those rayon shirts with the cowboy motifs on them were horrific enough (less we forget the mullet). But for me, it was an especially awkward time.

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6’4” is not that tall these days but back then I definitely stood out and was self-conscious about my gangly physique. For me, the style atrocities of that era were further compounded by a total and complete lack of any clothes that remotely fit me. There were no Big & Tall stores or tall choices at the department stores that I recall. So, as evident in the picture below, most everything I wore, was either way to short or way too baggy (and still too short).

These days there are more choices for specialty sizes, thanks in large part to the Internet, but tall guys that are not “big” still have to work too hard to find clothes that fit. I can get by, but I still shop by size first and will usually purchase whatever fits rather than worry about style. But at 6’8”, my son Carter has really struggled to find anything that fits – especially casualwear. A generation later and the sizing challenges for thin and athletically built, tall guys continue.

And so Altus Menswear was founded with the goal of providing tall and extra-tall guys a convenient shopping experience, where they can find a line of great looking, classic styles, that fit (even after they are washed). 

Styles will come and go (hopefully the 70s and 80s will just go) but a tall man in well fitting clothes is very striking so get noticed for all of the right reasons. 
The author, back in the 80's, wearing way-too-small and not-so-classic apparel.

The author, last week, in his classic Levis with an Altus Menswear, well-fitting, shirt.