Nostalgic brands like Limited Too are trying to make room for both millennials and Gen Alpha

Limited Too is one of a number of early-aughts brands getting a retail refresh. Earlier this month, Walmart revamped one of its biggest private labels, No Boundaries, for a new generation of shoppers. Meanwhile, Abercrombie & Fitch and American Eagle are seeing sales spike as they focus on modern styles and silhouettes, lean into TikTok and offer features like buy online, pickup in-store. As these early-aughts brands attempt to reinvent themselves for the modern era, their big challenge is figuring out what type of customers they want to appeal to: today’s teens and tweens or their original customers who are now adults.

Limited Too’s hope is that millennials who loved the brands as teens and tweens will now buy clothes for their kids, nieces and younger cousins, or introduce them to the brand. “We’re really focused on those nostalgic heritage looks that we’re known for… and [we’re] hoping to get some of the millennials back in and have her be the lead-in to our brand for the next generation of tween,” Petra Kennedy, design manager at Limited Too, told Modern Retail in an interview.

Some millennials, however, weren’t thrilled about the assortment strategy and had hoped that Limited Too would be releasing adult-sized clothes too, given that the tagline for the relaunch was “Rediscover an icon.” “We were begging for adult sizes. What is this,” one person wrote in an Instagram comment on Limited Too’s page. “KIDS ONLY?! Y’all fumbled the bag on this so hard!!!!! How disappointing 😭😭,” another said.

“We’ve definitely heard those comments, and we are excited about the opportunity,” Kennedy said. “I can’t confirm or deny that we’re going to extend our sizes, but we’ve definitely heard you, and we want to make everybody happy. I’ll say that.” Kennedy said the brand is working on a juniors’ line that it will roll out later this year.

With its bubble skirts, tie-dyed shorts and glittery jeans, Limited Too was near-ubiquitous at schools, birthday parties and sleepovers for much of the 1990s and early 2000s. At its peak, Limited Too had approximately 600 stores in 47 U.S. states, according to its then-owner Tween Brands. By 2008, amid the Great Recession, Limited Too’s parent company had discontinued the brand to focus on its cheaper tween brand Justice.

But now, the Limited Too aesthetic is starting to creep onto fashion runways, the Washington Post reported. In its new era, Limited Too plans to drop new collections regularly and expand into swimwear, sleepwear, footwear, intimates and home decor. Sammy Gabbay, vice president of strategic alliances at Limited Too, told WWD the brand is “in contact with several mall operators” around stores for 2025.

Limited Too’s relaunch is being backed by Bluestar Alliance, which acquired the trademarks for the brand in 2015. Bluestar Alliance’s other properties include Scotch & Soda, Hurley, Brookstone, Tahari, Bebe, Kensie, Catherine Malandrino, Nanette Lepore and English Laundry.

“We believe now is the perfect time to relaunch Limited Too because of the resurgence of nostalgia-driven fashion trends and our commitment to meeting the evolving needs of today’s young consumers,” Mallory McCorkle, senior marketing manager at Bluestar Alliance, told Modern Retail via email. “Our acquisition in 2015 laid the groundwork, and after careful planning and market analysis, we are confident that the time is right to reintroduce this beloved brand.”

The entire process took about a year, said McCorkle, who added that Bluestar Alliance will judge the success of the relaunch based on metrics including customer feedback, sales performance across stores and online, engagement on social media and market penetration. Limited Too is also owned by B. Riley Financial.

Limited Too is operating in quite a different world than the last time it was in malls. Teens and tweens today use Instagram and TikTok to stay on top of trends, watch YouTube instead of cable TV and look to influencers for product recommendations. Fashion has also changed. Leggings and baby-doll dresses used to be all the rage; now, it’s wide-leg pants, carpenter pockets and overalls, Kennedy said. “Anything comfy and casual is what our girl wants,” she explained. Some of Limited Too’s bestsellers online are a 1/4-zip fleece pullover, a varsity jacket, a plaid skort and a bomber jacket.

Jamie Arena, a freelance retail consultant and former vice president at Dressbarn, told Modern Retail that she finds Limited Too’s assortment relevant and stylish. Gen Alpha may feel pressure to grow up, but Limited Too is actually making clothes for kids that look like clothes for kids, she said. While some longstanding brands like H&M and Gap carry matching family styles, Arena thinks Limited Too is smart to keep its focus on tweens, at least for now.

“Sticking to the youth component is important because you want the brand to have a point of view after [being away] for so long,” she said. “Trying to do too much at once will take away from the brand redeveloping itself. Building that trust back up, I think, is more important than offering [adult] sizes at this point.”

Kennedy, who joined the original Limited Too design team in 2001, said Limited Too is taking a slightly different approach to design this time around with Limited Too 2.0. In 2024, “everyone’s got their pulse on the fashion much quicker,” she said. “Our girl is exposed to so much more than she was back in the ’80s, ’90s and 2000s, so we are looking at it a little bit differently.”

“But the core of our brand is still the same,” she added. “We want to just inspire and give her a magical place to shop.”