Croft & Barrow

Shop Croft & Barrow

Founded in 1988, Croft & Barrow is one of the oldest private brands manufactured for exclusive sale at Kohl's. The brand features classic apparel, footwear, and accessories for men and women. Entrepreneur Maxwell Kohl had already established a popular chain of supermarkets in the Milwaukee area when he decided to open the first Kohl's Department Store in 1962. Carving out a pricing niche for itself between the discount retailers and the high-end department stores, the new venture was almost immediately successful. BATUS, Inc., bought out the Kohl family and took control of the company in the late 1970s, and it retained ownership for almost a decade.

In 1986, a group of private investors--including a number of Kohl's executives--purchased the Kohl's Corporation from BATUS. The company continued to expand to new markets, and it successfully went public in 1992. By the turn of the century, Kohl's had established itself as a national retail conglomerate. The corporation currently operates about 1,200 stores in 49 states, and it is officially one of the largest department store chains in the country. Kohl's is well-known for its assortment of private and exclusive brands, which make up about 50 percent of the company's overall inventory.

Women's Merchandise

Products

The Croft & Barrow women's collection includes a wide assortment of apparel, shoes, jewelry, and accessories. Tops cover the essentials, including tees, polos, tanks, and henleys. You'll also find button-down shirts, blouses, peasant tops, and turtlenecks for slightly more formal wear. Cardigans, hoodies, sweatshirts, sweaters, and pullovers make up the collection of light outerwear, while twill jackets, denim jackets, peacoats, anorak jackets, and fleeces provide a little more warmth.

Croft & Barrow bottoms range from shorts to skirts to pants. The brand has a relatively limited selection of jeans in styles like straight-leg and bootcut. You'll also find trousers, capris, twill pants, and corduroys. Most of the brand's bottoms are classified as "pull-on pants," meaning they have an elastic waistband for an easier fit and added comfort. Skirts, skorts, and shorts are available in different lengths and made from a range of materials. One of the most extensive Croft & Barrow categories is sleepwear. The brand features pajama sets, nightshirts, robes, nightgowns, and lounge pants for versatile comfort. Swimwear is another popular category, and you can find one-piece swimsuits, swimdresses, bikinis, and tankinis. In terms of footwear, options are mostly casual, and they include sandals, clogs, sneakers, flats, loafers, wedges, and boots. Accessories like handbags, scarves, belts, and hats are also available, as are jewelry sets and individual pieces.

Swap.com's Rating of Croft & Barrow

Since Croft & Barrow was one of the first private labels available at Kohl's, the company has had plenty of time to experiment with its assortment of offerings. While the brand might not be one of the most fashion-forward collections sold by the retailer, it is certainly classic and timeless--which is one reason why it is especially popular among a slightly older demographic. The range of sizes, which includes petites and plus-sizes, means that the brand is accessible to the vast majority of women. Modifications are also made to a number of the brand's garments so that they are as slimming and as comfortable as possible. For women who prefer to dress conservatively, Croft & Barrow is a perfect fit, which is why we give the brand 4 stars out of 5.