At Ann Taylor, we create beautiful, feminine classics designed to flatter and fit a woman’s body beautifully. Since 1954, we’ve been devoted to helping women put together head-to-toe outfits that make them look and feel confident and chic for all of life’s activities – from work to weekend and everything in between.
Our Story
Ann Taylor was founded in 1954 by Richard Liebeskind and Joe Zunamon. The first Ann Taylor store opened in New Haven, Connecticut offering a curated selection of women’s apparel aimed at the university market.
The name “Ann Taylor” was inspired by the idea of creating versatile clothing with the refinement, beauty and timeless style of old money and WASP culture. The “Ann” evoked an image of classic sophistication – think strings of pearls and tweed blazers – while “Taylor” gave a nod to fine English tailoring.
By the 1960s, Ann Taylor was winning over modern, discerning women with updates of traditional favorites designed for life on the go. Signature pieces like oxford shirts, A-line skirts, sheath dresses and men’s wear-inspired styles became beloved classics.
In the decades since, Ann Taylor has stayed true to the principals on which it was founded while continuing to evolve with the times. Key milestones include:
1976: Ann Taylor opens its first shop on Madison Avenue marking its expansion beyond the college market into major metro areas.
1980s: Under the creative leadership of Ira Neimark, Ann Taylor establishes itself as a destination for appropriate but feminine workwear with bestselling tailored blouses, pleated trousers and skirt suits.
1991: The company goes public as AnnTaylor Stores Inc.
1995: The LOFT concept is launched to appeal to a younger, more casual sensibility.
2008: Facing increased competition, Ann Taylor brings on new leadership and refocuses on designing flattering, feminine style true to its roots. Efforts pay off by 2011 when earnings are up 75 percent!
2013: Ann Inc. is spun off from parent company AnnTaylor Stores Corp with Ann Taylor and LOFT operating as separate brands under a company now trading as ANN.
Today, Ann Taylor has over 300 stores across the United States, plus expanded ecommerce operations to extend our reach to style-minded customers everywhere.
Through the decades, we’ve never wavered from our founders’ intent to create versatile, feminine wardrobe essentials designed to meet the needs of real women living full lives. The classics might be timeless, but we’re continually assessing customer needs and evolving our offerings to ensure they suit the demands of contemporary life.
While fashion trends come and go, impeccable fit, attention to detail and affordable luxury never go out of style. That combination has earned Ann Taylor its reputation for having the best workwear in the business. Of course, we design our pieces to seamlessly pull double duty so you can wear them to work and on weekends too.
At Ann Taylor, we create closet staples to last beyond one season so you can build a core wardrobe of go-to pieces and blend them with our latest styles and prints. We select the finest fabrics that feel wonderful against your skin and construct every detail with great care so our pieces will retain their beauty over time.
And since real life happens, we design clothes that can stand up to a full day of activity. Our clothing moves with you through life’s adventures without losing its shape or character. Our goal is to help women show up each day looking pulled together – so they can focus on achieving their dreams.
Our Values
Quality
We pay meticulous attention to detail, from how a fabric feels on your skin down to subtle touches like custom printed lining or contrast piping on a pocket. Our in-house team travels the world inspecting mills and materials to ensure excellent craftsmanship.
Flattering Fit
Our fits are designed by women to drape beautifully on the female form. We engineer subtle touches like discreet bust darts, curved side seams and back waist shaping to create a made-to-measure appearance that highlights your best assets.
Feminine Style
We draw inspiration from both enduring and current fashion trends but always adapt them in a sophisticated, body-conscious way designed to showcase femininity and allow individuality to shine through.
Modern Versatility
Life today means rapidly switching between roles. Our wear-to-work essentials easily transition for a dinner out or fun weekend activity thanks to thoughtful details that make them as stylish as they are practical.
Inclusiveness
Beauty comes in many colors, shapes and sizes. We’re committed to evolving our fits, sizes and styles so more women can discover the transformational power of finding pieces that help you look good, feel good and infuse confidence.
Leadership
The Ann Taylor leadership team includes passionate advocates committed to furthering our founders’ mission through strategic innovation. They set the course for the Ann Taylor and LOFT brands, evolving our offerings to exceed the expectations of today’s style-minded woman while never compromising on the quality and essence of our signature classics.
Julie Rosen
Chief Executive Officer, ANN INC.
As CEO, Julie sets the strategic vision and leads execution across ANN’s portfolio including the Ann Taylor and LOFT brands. She champions connecting the creative magic of both brands more closely to the consumer through personalized, seamless shopping experiences in stores and online.
Julie joined ANN INC. in March 2012 as Executive Vice President of Global Finance and Operations where she launched widespread profitability improvements before moving into the CEO role in 2015. Her past leadership experience includes both retail and consulting working with leading brands such as Timberland, Limited Brands, and Alvarez & Marsal.
She holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and received her undergraduate business degree from George Washington University.
Alexa Geoghegan
Brand President, Ann Taylor
Alexa oversees strategy, creative and operations for the Ann Taylor brand. She sets the vision for evolving our signature polished essentials and versatile separates while preserving core brand DNA.
Alexa has been with Ann Inc. over 10 years in roles spanning stores, ecommerce and marketing. She previously led LOFT marketing before being named Ann Taylor Brand President in 2020.
Early leadership experience includes marketing positions with premium beauty brand Bobbi Brown and the retailer Saks Fifth Avenue. She holds a Bachelor’s in Business Management from New York University.
Denise Incandela
Brand President, LOFT
As Brand President, Denise steers LOFT’s easy, feminine fashion strategy focused on versatile staples designed to take women effortlessly from work days to weekend fun. She is devoted to creating affordable, on-trend pieces for LOFT’s youthful, fashion-minded customers.
Denise joined LOFT in 2015 from Ralph Lauren where she previously served as EVP of Retail and Ecommerce. Her track record driving growth for global retailers also includes executive roles at Saks Fifth Avenue and Harry Winston.
She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Finance and Marketing from Seton Hall University and now serves on its Board.
Giving Back
Ann Taylor is committed to supporting organizations and initiatives that align with our core values and purpose. Key focus areas include:
Women’s Empowerment
We support non-profits focused on providing women valuable skills, resources and networks for professional development. Organizations such as Dress for Success give women tools like interview coaching and business attire to help land a job and reenter the workforce with dignity.
Sustainability
We partner with groups working to establish ethical and sustainable environmental practices within fashion supply chains like the Sustainable Apparel Coalition. Their research and best practices help us improve areas like water use and chemical management in manufacturing.
Cancer Support We are proud to sponsor Walk for Hope, the annual fundraising walk for City of Hope’s Woman’s Cancer Program. Funds raised support their mission to aid women newly diagnosed with breast or gynecologic cancers.
Local Community Engagement Ann Taylor and LOFT stores have long supported organizations making an impact in their communities such as women’s shelters, youth arts programs and food banks through volunteering, in-kind product donations and more.
The Future of Ann Taylor
We’re devoted to building on almost 70 years of experience dressing multi-dimensional women to carry Ann Taylor forward as a beloved brand for the next generation.
We’ll stay laser focused on our promise to create feminine, polished pieces with exquisite quality and fit to confidently take on life’s many moments and roles. Our classics will continue leading women’s wardrobes – inspiring by example on how to dress with style and grace.
And we’ll keep innovating, listening intently to our loyal customers while welcoming new ones. We’ll carefully incorporate relevant fashion touches that make our signature pieces fresh. Yet timeless versatility, wearability and inclusiveness will always influence our designs, fabrics, colors and sizes.
Most importantly, we’ll continue helping today’s women present their best selves so they can feel poised and ready to achieve success by their own definition. Because when you look good, you feel empowered to do good – whether in climbing the career ladder or raising strong families or giving back to create positive change.
We invite all women who share our values and aspirations to make Ann Taylor their go-to for head-to-toe outfits that allow them to shine every day! Explore our latest arrivals in stores or online at anntaylor.us.com.
