Lane Bryant
Premium Apparel (Sycamore Partners affiliate) · United States
Lane Bryant is a US plus-size women's apparel retailer founded in 1904 by Lena Himmelstein, who traded as Lena Bryant. Its owner is an affiliate of Sycamore Partners, which acquired it from Ascena Retail Group. It is described as the largest plus-size retailer in the US.
| Founded | 1904 |
|---|---|
| Founder | Lena Himmelstein (Lena Bryant) |
| Owner | Premium Apparel LLC, a Sycamore Partners affiliate (since the 2020/2021 sale) |
| Headquarters | New Albany, Ohio, United States |
| Segment | Mass market and fast fashion |
| Website | lanebryant.com |
What is Lane Bryant?
Lane Bryant is an American retailer of women's apparel, intimates and athleisure with a focus on plus sizes. It is headquartered in New Albany, Ohio, and sells through its own stores, outlet stores and online.
History
The business was founded in 1904 by Lena Himmelstein, known as Lena Bryant, and began as a mail-order catalogue business. It created what is described as the first known commercially made maternity dress. Leslie Wexner's The Limited bought the Lane Bryant operations in 1982, and Charming Shoppes acquired the retail operations in 1999.
Ownership
Ascena Retail Group, parent of Lane Bryant and Ann Taylor, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in July 2020. In December 2020 Ascena completed the sale of the Ann Taylor, LOFT, Lou & Grey and Lane Bryant brands to Premium Apparel LLC, an affiliate of Sycamore Partners. Wikipedia reports the purchase price for Lane Bryant as 540 million US dollars. Current 2026 ownership has not been separately verified.
Products and positioning
The range centres on women's clothing, intimates and activewear in extended sizes. Lane Bryant positions itself as a specialist for plus-size customers rather than a mainstream retailer with an extended size run.
Business model and distribution
- Own stores: the store count is given as 424 in the infobox and 448 as of 2022 in the body text of the source.
- Outlet and online: outlet stores and online sales complement the full-price shops.
- Heritage channel: the company began as a catalogue business before building a store network.
Why it matters
Lane Bryant is among the longest-established specialists in plus-size fashion and a direct competitor of Torrid. Its path through the Ascena bankruptcy and sale to a private equity affiliate reflects wider consolidation among US specialty apparel chains.
Frequently asked questions
Who owns Lane Bryant?
Lane Bryant is owned by Premium Apparel LLC, an affiliate of Sycamore Partners, which bought it from Ascena Retail Group after Ascena's 2020 bankruptcy. The most recent ownership details for 2026 have not been separately verified.
Where is Lane Bryant from?
Lane Bryant is from the United States. It was founded in 1904 by Lena Himmelstein and is headquartered in New Albany, Ohio.