The Limited
The Limited is an American women’s apparel brand founded in 1963 and now sold primarily through Belk.
Last updated October 7, 2026
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Overview
The Limited is an American women’s clothing brand whose history spans specialty-store retail, multi-brand expansion, private-equity ownership, and a transition to an essentially wholesale and department-store distribution model. The brand was established in 1963 by Leslie H. Wexner at the Kingsdale Shopping Center in Upper Arlington, Ohio. Its name reflected the original concept: a focused apparel store serving younger women rather than a general-merchandise department store. The venture grew from a single Ohio location into a national specialty retailer and became the foundation of Wexner’s broader retail career. The business had family roots. Leslie’s mother, Bella Cabakoff Wexner, had been a buyer for Lazarus and, with her husband Harry, operated a women’s clothing store in Columbus before joining their son’s enterprise. During its early years, the company was closely controlled by the Wexner family and longtime associate Jim Waldron. The Limited expanded its store base during the 1960s and moved into a larger headquarters on Morse Road in Columbus in 1977. Most headquarters operations later shifted to New Albany, Ohio, in 2009. The company’s corporate development was unusually important to the American specialty-retail sector. In 1969, Wexner took the parent company public under the name Limited Brands, with the ticker LTD on the New York Stock Exchange. During the 1980s and 1990s, the organization acquired or developed a portfolio of concepts that included Victoria’s Secret, Lane Bryant, Henri Bendel, Lerner, Abercrombie & Fitch, Express, Limited Too, Bath & Body Works, Structure, Victoria’s Secret Beauty, Galyan’s, and White Barn Candle Company. Several of these businesses later became independent companies or were reorganized, but their development demonstrated that The Limited’s parent had evolved from a single apparel chain into a multi-brand retail group. The original Limited chain faced increasing pressure from changing shopping habits, competition, merchandise challenges, and the structural difficulties affecting mall-based apparel retail. In 2007, Limited Brands transferred a majority interest in the flagship chain to Sun Capital Partners, and Sun Capital acquired the remaining interest in 2010. The brand continued operating under separate ownership from the public company that had grown out of Wexner’s business. Diane Ellis became chief executive in 2013. During a period of continuing difficulty, the company closed its New York design studio in 2016, and Ellis subsequently departed. John Buell served as interim chief executive after her departure. In January 2017, The Limited said it was considering a sale while continuing to sell through its digital channel. Sycamore Partners acquired the brand in February 2017. Rather than maintaining the former national store network, Sycamore shifted The Limited toward distribution through Belk, a department-store chain also associated with the investment firm. The brand’s apparel was subsequently sold through Belk stores and Belk’s online operation. The Limited therefore remains an active brand, but it no longer operates the extensive standalone retail chain that defined its earlier identity. Its current positioning is that of a heritage American women’s apparel label available through a major department-store partner. Publicly documented information about its present product breadth, leadership, financial performance, and standalone operations is limited. The brand should not be confused with unrelated uses of the phrase “The Limited.”
History
The Limited originated in Columbus, Ohio, within a family retail environment shaped by Bella and Harry Wexner. Bella had worked as a buyer for the Lazarus department-store chain before she and Harry opened a women’s store called Leslie’s in 1951. The store provided practical experience for their son, Leslie H. Wexner. In 1963, Leslie borrowed funds from his aunt and a bank and opened a store at Kingsdale Shopping Center in Upper Arlington. He called it The Limited because it concentrated on clothing for younger women rather than the broad merchandise assortment associated with his parents’ business. Bella and Harry closed their own shop in 1964 and joined Leslie’s venture. The early board consisted of the three Wexners and family friend Jim Waldron, who served as a senior vice president. Harry was chairman until his death in 1975, while Leslie later succeeded him and became the central executive figure in the business. The company established its main headquarters on Morse Road in Columbus in 1977, and much of its headquarters operation moved to New Albany, Ohio, in 2009. The Limited expanded beyond its original store concept and became the platform for a major American specialty-retail group. In 1969, Limited Brands became a publicly traded company on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol LTD. The group’s acquisitions and new concepts included Victoria’s Secret in 1982, 207 Lane Bryant stores in the same year, Henri Bendel and Lerner in 1985, and Abercrombie & Fitch stores in 1988. The company also developed Limited Express, later known simply as Express, beginning in 1980. Abercrombie & Fitch was separated from the group in 1996 through a public-company spinoff. During the 1990s, the portfolio broadened further. Limited Too was developed for younger customers and was renamed Justice in 2008. Bath & Body Works, Structure, Victoria’s Secret Beauty, and Galyan’s also became part of the wider retail story. In 1998, some Bath & Body Works locations were converted to White Barn Candle Company stores, extending the group into home fragrance. These activities made Limited Brands a diversified retail holding company rather than simply the corporate owner of a single women’s chain. The standalone Limited chain later experienced the pressures common to mall-based apparel retail, including changing consumer behavior and difficult competition. In 2007, Limited Brands transferred 75 percent of the flagship chain to Sun Capital Partners. Sun Capital acquired the remaining interest in 2010. This ownership change separated the brand from the public company that continued to operate other major retail concepts. Diane Ellis became chief executive in 2013. By 2016, the company was reducing parts of its design and operating structure; the New York design studio closed, Ellis departed, and chief financial officer John Buell served as interim chief executive. In January 2017, The Limited said it was considering a sale and indicated that digital sales would continue. Sycamore Partners acquired the brand in February 2017. After the acquisition, The Limited no longer functioned primarily as a nationwide chain of standalone stores. It became available through Belk, a Southern department-store retailer in Sycamore’s investment portfolio, including Belk’s online channel. Belk’s 2021 Chapter 11 restructuring represented a significant event for the brand’s principal distribution partner, although Belk emerged from bankruptcy shortly afterward. Available reference material indicates that The Limited continued to be sold through Belk as of 2023. Its current identity is therefore that of an active, heritage-oriented women’s apparel brand with department-store distribution rather than the large specialty-store network that characterized much of its earlier history.
- 2021
Belk restructures under Chapter 11
[1]Belk files for Chapter 11 protection and emerges shortly afterward, preserving the principal retail channel through which The Limited is sold.
- 2017
Sycamore Partners acquires the brand
[1]Sycamore Partners purchases The Limited and moves it to an arrangement centered on Belk distribution.
- 2010
Sun Capital obtains full ownership
[1]The remaining ownership interest is sold to Sun Capital Partners.
- 2007
Majority stake sold to Sun Capital
[1]Limited Brands transfers 75 percent of The Limited to Sun Capital Partners.
- 1998
White Barn Candle Company begins
[1]Some Bath & Body Works stores are converted into White Barn Candle Company locations, creating a home-fragrance concept.
- 1988
Abercrombie & Fitch joins the portfolio
[1]The company purchases 25 Abercrombie & Fitch stores; the brand is later spun off in 1996.
- 1985
Henri Bendel and Lerner are acquired
[1]The company purchases Henri Bendel and 798 Lerner stores.
- 1982
Victoria’s Secret and Lane Bryant enter the portfolio
[1]The parent company purchases Victoria’s Secret and 207 Lane Bryant stores, accelerating its multi-brand expansion.
- 1980
Limited Express is established
[1]The company launches the Limited Express concept, which later becomes Express.
- 1977
Columbus headquarters opens
[1]The company moves into its main headquarters on Morse Road in Columbus, Ohio.
Products and positioning
An American women’s apparel brand historically associated with accessible specialty retail and younger professional women, now positioned as a heritage label distributed primarily through Belk.
Apparel · 1963
Women’s apparel
The Limited’s core business has historically been women’s fashion apparel. The assortment has centered on clothing for younger and professionally oriented women, including coordinated separates, seasonal fashion, and accessible wardrobe pieces. In its current distribution model, products are sold under The Limited name through Belk rather than through the large standalone store network that once defined the brand.
Women’s apparel
Workwear
Workwear and office clothing have been important expressions of The Limited’s historical positioning. Typical merchandise has included tailored separates, trousers, skirts, blouses, jackets, and dresses intended for professional wardrobes. The category helped distinguish the brand from purely casual youth retailers and supported its association with practical, coordinated dressing.
Women’s apparel
Dresses and occasionwear
Dresses and occasion-oriented apparel form part of the brand’s women’s fashion assortment. These products extend The Limited beyond everyday separates into event dressing and seasonal fashion. Specific current collections and product breadth are not fully documented in the available reference material.
Brand decisions
2017
Shift toward digital and partner distributionStrategyBackground
The brand was evaluating a sale after difficulties affecting its standalone retail business.
Action taken
The Limited continued digital sales during the sale process, then adopted Belk as its exclusive retail distribution partner after Sycamore Partners acquired the brand.
Aftermath
The brand ceased to be primarily identified with a nationwide network of standalone stores and became a department-store and online label.
2016
Closure of the New York design studioStrategyBackground
The company was dealing with continuing operational and commercial challenges in the apparel-retail market.
Action taken
The Limited closed its New York design studio.
Aftermath
Diane Ellis subsequently left the company, and John Buell served as interim chief executive.
2007
Transfer of majority ownership to Sun CapitalM&ABackground
The Limited was separated from the broader Limited Brands portfolio through the transfer of a 75 percent interest to Sun Capital Partners.
Action taken
Limited Brands sold the majority stake in the flagship chain to Sun Capital Partners.
Aftermath
The Limited continued under separate private ownership, and Sun Capital later acquired the remaining interest.
Recent events
- Unconfirmed
CP Brands buys The Limited and plans to reinvent and expand the women's brand[2]
Reported:
CP Brands has bought The Limited, the women's brand, and plans to reinvent and expand it.
Sources2 sources
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