Liz Claiborne

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Fashion designer Liz Claiborne founded her own company in 1976 because she was frustrated by the refusal of other major labels to make fashionable clothes for working women. Liz Claiborne, Inc., was successful almost immediately and quickly grew into a multimillion-dollar corporation. By insisting that her clothes be given their own separate displays whenever they were sold in department stores, Claiborne started a trend that has become an industry standard. A determined feminist, she broke down major barriers and became the first woman to head up a Fortune 500 company in 1986. Claiborne died in 2007 following a long battle with cancer, and her corporation was acquired by Fifth and Pacific, Inc., in 2012. The eponymous Liz Claiborne label was spun off from the rest of the company and sold to JCPenney. Today, the brand is one of the retailer's top exclusive lines.

The JCPenney Corporation evolved from a small chain known as the Golden Rule Stores in the early 20th century. James Cash Penney ventured out on his own in 1913 and began opening stores across the country. After steady growth during the '50s and '60s, the chain hit its peak when it was operating more than 2,000 stores in all 50 states by the mid-1970s. Unfortunately, JCPenney was hit hard by economic troubles and the advent of online shopping, so its retail presence has been on the decline for almost 40 years. The company still has more than 1,000 stores in the U.S., however, and it continues to sell its own exclusive brands alongside brand-name merchandise.

Women's Merchandise

Products

The Liz Claiborne women's collection from JCPenney offers stylish apparel in a wide range of categories. Tops include blouses, tees, lace tops, tunics, tanks, button-down shirts, henleys, popover tops, peplum tops, cowlnecks, v-necks, and more. Light outerwear options such as sweaters, cardigans, and turtlenecks are also available in a number of different styles and colors. Stylish jackets and blazers give an air of formality, while heavier wool-blend and quilted coats provide some extra warmth.

In bottoms, Liz Claiborne features trousers, linen pants, straight-leg pants, and capris. You can also choose among jeans in all the most popular cuts--including skinny, bootcut, boyfriend, and more. Dresses are mostly casual and are available in styles like shift dresses, fit-and-flare dresses, shirtdresses, floral dresses, and sheath dresses. Skirts range from mini to midi to maxi and run the gamut from flowing casual options to more straight-laced business apparel. Sleepwear includes pajama sets, robes, and sleepshirts. The brand offers swimwear options like one-piece swimsuits, bikinis, bandeaukinis, and swim dresses. Beyond regular apparel, you can find shoes like pumps, sandals, flats, and wedges, as well as accessories that include jewelry, watches, handbags, wallets, belts, scarves, and more.

Swap.com's Rating of Liz Claiborne

Even though the Liz Claiborne label isn't directly associated with its founder anymore, the brand still has made some major contributions to the history of fashion. From being a cutting-edge idea in the 1970s, Liz Claiborne has matured into a stylish brand that often melds casualwear and semiformal apparel. The clothes you find from this brand are going to be extremely versatile, and many of them will fit in at the office or at a party. The selection is also diverse enough that it's easy for women with almost any sense of style to find options they will love. Liz Claiborne was one of the first companies to make clothes for women that were actually designed by women, and it continues to be a very feminine brand to this day. We give Liz Claiborne 4.5 stars out of 5.