Lane Bryant has long championed plus-size fashion, a historically overlooked and underserved category, thanks to its pioneering founder, Lena Bryant, so to toast the brand’s 120th anniversary this year, we got the fascinating scoop on Lena’s inspiring story and passion for inclusivity. For starters, the Lane Bryant name itself was a fortuitous misspelling assumption that likely allowed Lena to open a bank account and secure a business loan long before women could do so independently. Lena was an early proponent of building a female-powered workforce and pay equality practices more than a century ago, too. Ahead, Mary Castilow, EVP and chief merchandising officer of Lane Bryant and Cacique, leads us through the brand’s inspiring roots and the forward-thinking businesswoman who made it all happen.
The Journey Begins
Lingerie, then maternity clothing, actually came first for the brand. Lena Bryant came to New York at the turn of the century and became an accomplished seamstress by mastering machine sewing and crafting fine lingerie. Once widowed and recognizing a need in the market, she worked to support her young family by selling stylish, ready-to-wear maternity apparel from her apartment.
Lena Bryant
It’s All in the Name
The “Lane” in Lane Bryant was actually a fortuitous misspelling on a bank loan application—and a critical one. “Our well-known brand name came by way of a spelling mistake on Lena’s bank loan application,” Castilow says. “Lena grew to love the styling of ‘Lane Bryant,’ and thus the brand’s well-known and loved brand name came to be. Noting the limited opportunities for women at the time, it’s incredible that Lena was able to secure a loan to open her ‘Lane Bryant’ company well before women had the right to open their own bank account.” Lena was only in her mid-twenties when she established Lane Bryant’s first storefront on Fifth Avenue in New York.
The Brand’s First Frontier? Maternity Wear
Before plus fashion, Lane Bryant catered to another then-taboo category: pregnancy style. Lena’s journey to becoming a fashion innovator began when an expectant mother came to her with a simple request for a maternity dress she could wear while entertaining at home. At the time, pregnancy was an “unmentionable” topic, and women would withdraw from society when expecting. Maternity wear was unheard of in New York at the turn of the century. New York newspapers had to be convinced to accept Lane Bryant maternity wear ads in the early 1910s.
A vintage Lane Bryant postcard advertising various catalogs on offer
Next Up, Plus and Tall Fashion
Other inclusive categories catering to often-ignored demographics than followed. As years passed, Lena and her team recognized a need from another underserved customer: plus-size women. The inspiration to create her initial plus-size offering originated from a direct customer request. Lena and her team took measured research efforts to ensure the clothing would fit her customers’ curves impeccably before the initial collection was shoppable. Lena also created sizes for tall women, again identifying the power of an inclusive offering in her store; she saw an unmet need for her customers, and worked to ensure they felt seen and celebrated. Also, value has been a keystone of the brand from the start: its Semi-Annual Sale began in 1911.
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- Lane Bryant’s January/February 1943 catalog
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- Lane Bryant’s Fall/Winter 1925–26 catalog
Game-Changing Size and Fit Methods for Design
In the 1920s, Lena created innovative methods for garment size grading and measurement practices. Before introducing an initial plus-size collection, Lena and her team developed a proprietary size grading system to ensure garments looked the same on everyone regardless of size by measuring approximately 4,500 women. Lena truly led the charge for inclusive dressing at the time, designing for curves before anyone else.
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- Lane Bryant’s Summer 1936 catalog
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- Lane Bryant’s Fall/Winter 1929–30 catalog
Recent Ad Campaigns Continue Lena’s Boundary-Pushing Values
In the past decade, the brand’s #ImNoAngel and This Body campaigns continue Lena’s commitment to inclusivity and challenging the status quo. “Uplifting and championing those who make up the Lane Bryant community will never go out of style, and many of Lane Bryant’s past revolutionary body-positive campaigns played a major part in shifting mainstream media’s perception of beauty,” Castilow says. “We’ve been lucky to have worked with many dynamic, inspiring women, and it’s rewarding for us to see models who we met early in their careers become household names.” Celebrities who have been a part of Lane Bryant campaigns or collections include Melissa McCarthy, Danielle Brooks, Gabourey Sidibe, Kimberley Locke from American Idol, and of course, Ashley Graham.
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- Forever Faves collection classic coat
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- Forever Faves collection wrap dress
Lena’s Legacy Carries On In Many Ways
Lane Bryant celebrates its 120-year history and inspiring founder through its special anniversary collection. Forever Faves is a curated assortment of the brand’s “wardrobe heroes”—pieces Lane Bryant customers love now, and will continue to be forever loves in their closets. They’re beyond-versatile pieces, and customers can make the collection their own by mixing and matching items together, or styling Forever Faves pieces with the Lane Bryant items they already own. Pieces in the Forever Faves collection are reimagined for the season, boasting fall-forward hues (hello, classic camel and leopard print!) and fabrics. During the Anniversary Event from September 3–9, customers can shop the Forever Faves collection in store and online, plus, there’s an Anniversary Party in store locations on September 7th.
Lane Bryant’s Forever Faves 120th-anniversary campaign
All images: Courtesy of Lane Bryant.
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