Long Tall Sally in major fitness and athleisure launch

By

Sandra Halliday

Published
Mar 1, 2017

Fashion retailer Long Tall Sally is continuing its transformation under its new owners and is now entering the fitness category. Its Taller and Stronger collection launches together with an online #Tallerandstronger fitness destination for spring/summer, taking in both performance clothing and gym-to-street pieces.

And the company is positioning it as more than just a me-too debut in a must-have sector, saying the concept was fuelled by a new study it commissioned that adds specific relevance to its core customer.

It said the study revealed that 76% of tall women suffer with lower back pain, 63% endure tightness in their shoulders, and 55% have knee pain.

The research also showed 63% of tall women slouch, with nearly half of respondents saying exercise helps improve their posture and over half (57%) of tall women saying they would like exercise tips and advice specifically designed for their figures.

Creative director Camilla Treharne said that over half of the respondents reported that it is difficult to find stylish activewear because of their height.

In response, it has added a comprehensive line-up of pieces designed for a variety of activities from swimming, to pilates, yoga and marathon running.

It worked with active apparel specialist MPG Sport to create the performance-focused part of the collection, with the capsule line-up being dubbed MPG x LTS. And it is also launching its own label of athleisure with a wider selection of gym-to-street pieces.

Meanwhile the #Tallerandstronger campaign also features the first exercise programme specifically designed for tall women. It includes fitness videos featuring at-home workouts focusing on "hotspots" specific to tall women; 16 ”gym hacks" for tall women; and advice on nutrition and clean eating.

Since being acquired by Germany’s TriStyle from Amery Capital last year, Long Tall Sally has ramped up its product and marketing activity in line with its growth ambitions in both Europe and North America.

In the autumn it unveiled its first ever in-house label with the launch of Curatd by Long Tall Sally, a 22-piece catwalk trend-inspired capsule collection targeting younger consumers.