1950’s chiffon layered dress. Tag reads lane Bryant. Zipper up the back with snap and hook closure. Excellent condition
bust 36
waist 28/29
hips open
length 41
Lane Bryant was founded in 1904 by Lena Himmelstein Bryant Malsin, a Lithuanian immigrant seamstress in New York City. A bank clerk accidentally misspelled her first name as "Lane" on a loan application, giving the iconic brand its name. She revolutionized retail by inventing the first commercial maternity dress and later pioneering ready-to-wear plus-size fashion.
Early Innovation and Growth
1904: Lena opened her first shop on Fifth Avenue after borrowing $300. [1]
Maternity Breakthrough: Asked to design something comfortable for a pregnant client to wear outside, she created a gown featuring an elasticized waistband and pleated skirt, inventing commercial maternity wear. [1]
Plus-Size Expansion: Noticing that many customers needed full-figured clothing that wasn't being catered to by standard fashion houses, she expanded into "stout" apparel and produced her first specialized mail-order catalog in the 1920s. [1, 2, 3]
Early Success: Mail-order revenues topped $1 million by 1917, and the business grew into a massive national catalog and retail fixture. [1, 2]
1982: Acquired by The Limited, Inc. (later L Brands).
1993: The mail-order division (Brylane) was spun off, separating the catalog business from physical retail stores.
2001–2012: Sold to Charming Shoppes in 2001, which was subsequently acquired by Ascena Retail Group in 2012.
Present Day: Operates as a prominent standalone plus-size specialty and intimates brand (including the Cacique lingerie line). [1, 2, 3, 4]
