'Body pressure is just flat wrong,' says Lane Bryant CMO Brian Beitler

Dear Retailer, a panel that took place at theCURVYcon Saturday afternoon, provided a voice from a number of big brands that plus size women are looking to hear from. But there was one representative from Lane Bryant that stood out in his call for a more inclusive industry.

Celebrating the diverse shapes that women come in is only one goal of CMO Brian Beitler, who differentiated the Columbus, Ohio-based company as a “listening brand,” as they’ve been around for 113 years.

“Do you know how many apparel brands have been around for over 100 years? Not many,” he told the audience. “Lena, who founded the company, by the way in 1904 before women could vote, right? Think about that as an entrepreneur at her time and in her day. And the way she achieved that was by listening.”

Beitler went on to prove his own role as part of the listening brand by explaining his personal interactions with customers, as well as the women close to him.

“We’re learning in this space, but it’s personal to me,” he said. “My daughters are women faced with body issue and body pressure every day. And it’s just flat wrong, and it has to stop.”

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