Not long ago, I interviewed the stylish and compelling Linda Heasley, CEO of The Limited Corporation, at the Grand Opening of The Limited’s newest NC store at NorthLake Mall.  She had THE coolest eyeglasses.  Ever.  Unfortunately, I forgot to ask by whom and from where.  I was too busy taking notes about The Limited’s new look in store (brighter, warmer, more like something out of Traditional Home than Chain Store Age).

While we walked the store, Ms. Heasley mentioned that The Limited would soon be opening an online boutique for full-figured fashion, www.eloquii.com.  Bringing the affordable professional style people love at The Limited to the plus-size market for women 25-40. The idea came out of the best kind of customer research – repeated feedback from wannabe customers and from several fashion bloggers who spoke directly to Ms. Heasley about the lack of modern, well-made, quality wear for full-figured professional women.  Women whose shapes and bodies aren’t just sized up versions of a size 6 fit model’s.

So, the folks at The Limited created a new line, using their decades of design and sourcing savvy to provide fashion to fit the fuller figured among us.  They used multiple fit models—real customers of different sizes and shapes—to guide the process. Starting with a size 18 and then grading up and down from there, the eloquii.com pieces have been distinctly tailored to fit whether you’re a size 14 or 24.   With the office to party practicality that we all love (or have loved at some point in our professional lives) at The Limited.

The models on eloquii.com  are real, live, size 14′s.  Not some faux-full girl – the size 10 “plus size.”  Please.  And the measurements are different…a size 14 from The Limited is not cut the same as a size 14 from eloquii.  You can see the changes in measurement on site here.

Maybe it was those glasses, but I trust Ms. Heasley will be successful in tailoring The Limited’s style to a new audience. The company and its CEO seem quite focused on what sets them apart, on the company’s heritage and how to take it forward.  It’s a great story, check it out online at www.eloquii.com here.