Where Elis dressed for success

Mark Alden Branch ’86

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When the parent company of the clothing retailer Ann Taylor filed for bankruptcy in July, one of the casualties was the very first Ann Taylor store. It closed permanently after 66 years on New Haven’s Chapel Street.

Buying a first “interview suit” at the store was a rite of passage for many Yalies over the decades. “I bought an interview suit there when I was a senior,” wrote Alexandra Newman ’05 on our Facebook page. “I recall the feeling of playing dress up the first time I tried it on—it felt like wearing a costume!”