To grab more affluent working women, Ann Taylor is introducing a line in 24 of its top stores that's 40% more expensive than its usual merchandise. Called Collection, the line includes about 50
items built around the work-appropriate suits and dresses that created the label's reputation.
The company says it doesn't plan to roll out the Collection at all of its roughly 350
Ann Taylor stores, but the line will be available on its Web site in a few weeks. Suit jackets will sell for $295 to $365; pants for $175 to $195; handbags from $295 to $350. Most of the fabrics used
in Collection, such as Loro Piana cashmere, come from Italy, and some are used in high-end designer lines.
Ann Taylor isn't the only specialty retailer trying to make the move upscale.
J.Crew began offering higher-priced, limited-edition items about a year and a half ago. And Coach has been expanding its line of handbags that cost $400 or more. Kim Roffey, a retail strategist with
Kurt Salmon Associates, says it's unclear whether moderately priced retailers will persuade their regular customers to trade up.
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