| Dressbarn | |
| Type: | Subsidiary |
| Key People: | Tai Lopez (2023) |
| Founder: | Roslyn Jaffe |
| Industry: | Retail (women's clothing) |
| Products: | Women's apparel |
| Owner: | Retail Ecommerce Ventures |
| Foundation: | February 13, 1962 (Stamford, Connecticut) [1] |
Dressbarn is an online retailer which specializes in women's casual dresses, leisure wear, accessories, and workwear. Dressbarn began with operating retail stores between the early 1960s and late 2010s. In 2020, it became a brand owned by the private equity firm Retail Ecommerce Ventures (REV).
The first Dressbarn was opened in February 1962 by Roslyn Jaffe in Stamford, Connecticut. Jaffe stocked wear-to-work dresses and clothing for working women during an era of women entering the workforce in greater numbers.[2]
The company began trading on NASDAQ (symbol DBRN) in 1982. In January 2011, to reflect its broader holdings, the company was reorganized as a Delaware corporation named Ascena Retail Group, Inc., with its NASDAQ symbol changed to ASNA in 2011.[3]
On May 21, 2019, Ascena Retail Group announced that it would eliminate Dressbarn's brick-and-mortar format and would be spun off.[4] Dressbarn was acquired by the private equity firm Retail Ecommerce Ventures.[5] In March 2023, Retail Ecommerce Ventures announced that it would be exploring options in effort to save themselves, including a potential Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing. They have also hired restructuring lawyers in effort to stave off bankruptcy.[6]