It'll Fit'll...for very special people.

Ta daaaaaahh!

Yep, It'll Fit'll!

That's the name of the business. It's short for "It Will Fit Well." That's the premise and the promise of the company. The clothes will fit well. And the clothes are made specifically for very special people. Hence the tag line that says just that. So, there you are:

The name is a little whimsical and it certainly isn't the generic descriptor that many people think is the best way to name a business, especially an internet-based retailer/"e-tailer" in a search-engine-centric world.

But, in my opinion, following that rule results in business names that are as dry and dull as dirt (which is not to insult people like my brother John, whose degree is in Plant and Soil Science!) But, really - a name like "Down Syndrome Clothes" - may explain the company's product clearly, but it's just not fun. It's perfect for a blog name - great from a Googling perspective - hence the name of this blog. But if you're going to live with a company for a very long time, and that's my hope with this venture, you ought to love the idea and the name of it. Well, I do love the idea of this business and I love the name too. And, as for the generic descriptors (like "DownSyndromeClothes.com"), I've registered those domain names and they'll be directed to the It'll Fit'll web site when that's up and running. Right now they are directed to this blog site.

There are upsides of a name like It'll Fit'll. First, I think it's fun and allows for a good bit of playfulness in future marketing. If we ever do products for babies (maybe baby gift baskets with books and educational toys, since the clothing fit issues don't arise until much later...) anyway, that line would be called "Little It'll Fit'll". Instead of an "It" girl, we'll have an "It'll" girl - who, right now is my niece Helen, the inspiration for the business and who's pictured in the top left corner of this blog. When I'm not particularly productive, I'll say "I've done diddly squat on It'll Fit'll!" It provides plenty of room for word play.

Another upside is that the meaning of It'll Fit'll will be an understanding between friends. It'll be just between us. You guys are able to remember what It'll Fit'll means. That's all I need. Does it really matter if analysts, or anyone else, like it or recall what it means? By the way - who knew what "Osh Kosh B'Gosh" meant in 1895?

I didn't have to worry about the domain name being owned already or the name being trademarked. So, the website www.itllfitll.com (and .net) were mine for the taking! (For the buying cheaply anyway.) Note, there are no apostropes in the web address; they're not allowed. Oh well, a downside. But that doesn't seem to hinder the Lands' End folks. The trademark was also wide open.

OK, that's probably enough about the name and the origin. I could go on and on, and sometimes I do. Like to my 16-year-old daughter, whose take on the name was "I think it's weird, but whatever." I think any name I chose would likely elicit a comparable response from her. But, whatever! If you, like Blythe, don't like it or think it's weird maybe you can just do what I often ask my children to do and at which Blythe has apparently not yet become adept: "Just humor me please."

Beyond the name, I am also crazy about the artmark which is posted at the top of this entry. The artmark is a piece of art that is the visual representation of the company. It will be the front of the business card, the clothing label, the image on the web site pages, etc. It was created by fiber artist Susan M. Hinckley (susanmhinckley@smallworksinwool.net) I was thrilled when she agreed to the commission and even more thrilled when I received the final product. On Monday I'll write about how I discovered Susan, and post photos of the two other pieces of hers that I own. I'll talk about the heart on the piece and why that was the one design element that I required.

Until then, toodle-oo from It'll Fit'll!