@OregonLaural ;

Since you are saying it is for a Retail store, do you mean for a Brick and Mortar or online?

If you mean for Brick and Mortar You can Name the Item anything you like.  Create Categories for Different styles. 

Before going to Square, with a Pen and Paper make a Flow Chart with a few of your more complicated items but limit it to 3 Steps.

Category

     Item

       Variation

I Sell Candles and there are a few ways I can set up this Flow Chart.

   A)  One way to set my Store up in Square

         1)  Category      Scented vs Unscented

         2)  Items     Jar and Free Standing

         3)  Variation  Scent or Color

   B)   Another Way  What I do

          1) Category   Size Type of Candle   

          2) Items          Scent Color

If you do not have a Scanner you want this Flow Chart as Small as Possible  I us B) above.

Then on my Square Stand I have the Categories of 8oz, 16oz, 28oz, 3x3 Pillars, 3x6 Pillars etc

Then my Items are The scent of the Candle or if unscented the Color.

So on my square Stand I can push Favorites, choose the size, then choose the Scent; IF my Scanner does not work! 

If you have a Scanner or at minimum the Square Stand with Ipad and Camera to scan barcodes.  Me using Ipad with camera to Scan an item :  Square Stand Scanning QR code .  The Items can be put in no order but just makes it hard for you to figure out what is and what does not sell well.  Since all my candles that we make have my own Barcode on, I just Scan the item and I do not have to hunt in Square usually for my Items if it is a 3x3, Red Pillar.   

So what you need to figure out is what is important to you to track for when ordering or making your items to sell.   Get this list and narrow it to 3 things that can be put into Categories, Items, and Variations, then you can add the options and Modifiers that can adjust or be added to your items also.  When I started Square did not have Options and Modifiers so I was not redoing my inventory of 4000 plus items.  So you may have to look up more information about Options and Modifiers.