Find Your Pet's Perfect Pattern in Elmo's Closet
By Heather Gaghan

Most of us know Elmo as the sweet, red, furry muppet who represents the three and a half year old version of ourselves. For Rachelle Rees McCarthy, Elmo was a Flat Coated Retriever, an unusual breed, who loved the outdoors and his walks with the family. He was a handsome guy who Rachelle often had a challenging time finding a suitable collar for, “I’d bring him to PetSmart and try on all the collars and never really found one that ‘suited’ him, even though he was a black dog and you’d think anything would look good on him!”

Rachelle fondly recalls a walk during the Christmas holiday on the boardwalk in 1998 when Elmo’s collar broke. It was then that she says “Mother Necessity” and a lifetime of sewing experience kicked in and before she knew it, she had made Elmo his very own custom made collar. On subsequent walks, an unexpected thing then began to happen. Elmo continued to receive the usual amounts of attention for his unusual coat, however his new handmade collar was getting rave reviews as people were attracted to its unique pattern and design. Rachelle recalls that “all the positive feedback encouraged me to start the business.”

As an accomplished woman with a Masters in Industrial Engineering from Purdue and an MBA from New York University, having her own business was just the challenge she thrived on. It’s hard work and long hours and days, but the founder of Elmo’s Closet is having fun. “I always wanted something I could do on my own terms.” The business has brought personal satisfaction not only through its growing success, but through the opportunities it brings to watch her children grow.

Elmo’s Closet has become part of the family fabric just as its namesake was. The Rees McCarthy’s are still grieving the loss of their beloved Elmo, but they find solace in his memory. Rachelle tenderly recalls her children’s first words being Elmo. Her husband skillfully and creatively does all the product photography, and Ryan and Cara even know what stripes, polka dots, and swirlies are at their very young ages of four and two.







Fabric is a high priority at Elmo’s Closet with two collections to fulfill 365 days’ worth of holidays and special events. Each collection has patterns to match just about any mood or theme from Business Casual and Resort Wear (just to name a few!) in the Everyday Wear Collection to Shamrocks and Ghosts and Goblins in the Seasonal Attire Collection. Rachelle says she has “always been interested in fabric and handmade items.” And Elmo’s Closet is a testament to this, currently boasting over 500 patterns in their inventory. From handpicked fabrics straight from Hawaii for the Resort Wear line to handmade batik fabrics straight from Bali for many of the other lines, Rachelle says she is “constantly on the lookout for new fabric!”

Both the collars and leads are handmade and fit every size animal from 2 1/2 pounds to 200 pounds and range in price from $13 to $16. They have a cotton fabric cover which helps prevent matted fur, heavy duty buckles, slides, and D-rings for a comfortable and secure fit for every pet—which has come to include pot-bellied pigs, ferrets and goats!

But let’s not forget that it was a Retriever who inspired the whimsical and timeless patterns so be sure to take a peek in Elmo’s Closet today! You can see all her patterns at www.elmoscloset.com and get all your favorites in our Collars and Lead Department.