On August 10, 1963, Leslie Wexner opened a ladies' clothing store called The Limited in the Kingsdale Shopping Center in Columbus' Upper Arlington neighborhood. As the first store in the L Brand empire, the focus of this store was innovation. To provide separates for the everyday woman that would be affordable, fashionable, and functional. The store had immediate appeal and success, causing Wexner to open another Limited store just 6 months after the original opening. Within 6 years, Wexner opened 6 Limited stores in Columbus alone. So, the next logical step was to take the brand national. Unlike Limted Express or Limited Too, this brand was specifically meant for professional adult women while Limited Express carried more young, casual and "going-out" wear and Limited Too was designed for pre-teen girls. Moving forward, The Limited opened 100 stores across the country by 1976, making an average of 8 store openings a year since its start 13 years prior.
Throughout the 1980's and 1990's, the profits from The Limited fueled the acquisition process for L Brands, including Victoria's Secret, Abercrombie & Fitch, Henri Bendel, and Lane Bryant. However, the tide began to change in retail in the 2000's and L Brands sold 75% of their shares of The Limited in 2007. By 2010, The Limited was completely separated from L Brands. After The Limited was sold to Sun Capital Inc., the line began to suffer. In January 2017, The Limited closed all 250 of its stores and filed for bankruptcy in the same month. However, The Limited Brand still exists and can be purchased exclusively online.
The Limited retains its focus on fashion for the modern young woman. Its clothing features business separates, dresses, and casual sportswear. Its mission states, "We believe that when our customer looks good, she feels good -- giving her the confidence to achieve her personal success. That's the power of great fashion."
