The Limited

The Limited was an iconic American women's fashion retailer and one of the most successful mall-based clothing chains in the 20th century, founded by Les Wexner in Columbus, Ohio in 1963. At its peak, The Limited operated hundreds of mall stores across the country, offering career and casual women's clothing that defined a generation of professional women's dressing in the 1980s and 1990s before being spun off from L Brands.

The brand built its identity on polished, professional women's wear—blazers, trousers, blouses, and coordinated career separates—at accessible mall pricing that gave working women stylish wardrobe options before fast fashion made this ubiquitous. The Limited was the original brand from which Les Wexner's retail empire grew, eventually encompassing Victoria's Secret, Bath & Body Works, Abercrombie & Fitch, and Express under the L Brands umbrella.

The Limited closed its retail stores in 2017, ending its mall-era legacy. A brief e-commerce resurrection had limited longevity. Women seeking similar contemporary career fashion should explore Express (which grew out of The Limited's corporate family), Ann Taylor, and Banana Republic for comparable professional women's apparel positioning in today's market.