Liz Claiborne is a very good thing
A festive collection by the first female founder of a Fortune 500 company
Let’s start with Martha. That documentary has been rattling around in my mind since I watched it last week—and I liked it. In standard documentary form, there was a mix of footage from Martha Stewart’s early life, her path to indictment, and her reflections today. But mostly, it let Martha be the flawed, paradoxical human she is without downplaying her accomplishments. Just Martha, in all her complicated glory.
I’ll admit I was not well versed in the depths of Martha’s talent or her… personality. Moreover, I'd reduced her to a caricature — the bitchy convict who is best friends with Snoop Dogg. All true, but there’s so much more!
When the credits rolled, I felt a little embarrassed. I had never appreciated how Martha Stewart transformed the homemaking industry into a multi-billion-dollar empire. Or that she was the original influencer – elevating lifestyle, cooking, and home decor to an aspirational art. As I admired her achievements, a clip of Oprah kept coming to mind.
On an episode of her show, she poses the question to her viewers : Is Martha Stewart setting unrealistic expectations for how women should be living?
As one of the most powerful voices in media, Oprah has a legacy of questioning societal standards and cultural icons. Rather than celebrating Martha’s empire, Oprah puts herself in opposition, and questions the pressures involved in Martha’s polished image. It’s a pointed contrast, reminding us that under all those seasonal throw pillows, there’s a messy debate about what “success” means and who it’s really for.
If anything, it felt to me like a reflection of the times — an era when women weren’t exactly encouraged to lift each other up.1 Instead, they were nudged into subtle competition. Oprah’s question feels like it’s as much a product of that environment as it is her own view. A reminder of the complex, messy standards women are held to, even (especially?) by other women.
So what’s all of this have to do with festive Liz Claiborne second hand finds? Well, I found a wacky patterned Lizwear button up that kicked off my online hunt for more. I discovered that Liz, not unlike Martha, has a flair for the festive.
At first I rolled my eyes at all the classic plaid, snowflake sweaters, and elaborate holiday dresses. Why would I want to take part in some domestic performance and cosplay as an ideal homemaker? Then, I watched Martha and I wondered: how often do we reduce pioneering women like Martha — or Liz Claiborne — to a few labels, and completely miss the broader impact of their careers?
As it happens, Liz and Martha have a ton of parallels, especially on the business side. Liz found a gap in the market for professional women’s clothing that was both affordable and stylish in the 70s. She basically invented the idea of “separates” lol, can you imagine only dressing in matching sets? 2
And, not for nothing, Liz Claiborne became the first woman to found and lead a Fortune 500 company in 1986.3 This is a huge deal. It’s easy to forget that those 70s and 80s “business” pieces helped pave the way for women to feel comfortable and confident in the workplace.
The more I learned about Liz, the more I started to love her. Her clothes are bold and cheeky — just my style. Thinking about her holiday-inspired pieces, I realized they were a refreshing break from the “perfect hostess” image of earlier decades. They likely offered women a more relaxed, playful approach to holiday fashion in the 70s, 80s, and 90s.
Liz was doing her thing a decade before Martha, but their similarities made me wonder if they were friends. There’s no evidence they ever connected — and, as noted, the times weren’t exactly set up to foster support between women. Still, I’ll always see them in parallel — pioneering women who built influential brands, reshaped male-dominated industries, and perfected holiday aesthetics.
As we head into the holidays, here’s to celebrating the bold women who paved the way — and to each of us continuing that legacy by supporting and lifting each other up, one festive find at a time. I hope there is something below that speaks to your inner Martha or Liz, and that you’ll wear it with pride.
Can we agree that Liz Claiborne is a very good thing?
Liz Claiborne abstract lightweight top
My favorite top of the lot. A 1970’s lightweight cotton top with an abstract print is a great addition to any wardrobe.
Embroidered 100% Cotton Top Cottagecore
Who can resist that embroidery? This is subtly festive with the red pocket trim for those of you who don’t want to fully commit.
Lizwear plaid denim Jumper
I know y’all are stylish and creative enough to bring this classic into the modern day. Tell me how you’d wear this!
LizWear Beaded Cotton Utility Shirt
At first glance this might not seem festive, but look harder and you’ll see that those bead kind of look like wintery pine cones. I love the huge pockets and pretty much everything about this shirt.
Floral Button-Up Shirt Cotton Liz Claiborne
This shirt is similar to the one that set off my search for Lizwear. There are a ton of these wallpaper button ups out there, which I can’t recommend more.
Red Green Fair Isle USA
Who can resist the iconic Fair Isle design? If you have a sensitivity to wool, this puppy is 100% cotton.
LizWear Vest with fleece lining
This might just be for me. I have a vision for a denim vest in my wardrobe. I’ll keep you updated on the situation.
Lizwear Plaid Tartan Crop Jacket
This would look so good just worn as a top. You could do high waisted black pants, denim, a skirt, shorts, so many things.
Vintage lizwear Holiday Sweater
I will not call this an ugly sweater, nor do I condone such a party.
Lizwear Cream Chore Jacket Coat
She’s perfect.
Lizwear Pinstriped 100% Silk Button Up
This is an aspirational shirt for the version of me that doesn’t perspirate like a psycho regardless of the temperature. The color is breathtaking.
Claiborne Vintage Grandpa Sweater
It’s 100% cotton and cool as hell.
Denim Coat w/ Leather & Wood Toggles
I can’t resist a toggle! This is absolute classic.
80's Turtleneck Sweater Apres Ski
Anyone hitting the slopes this year? Don’t wait till after the slopes to get this cutie.
Wool Blend Jacket Fringe/Tassel
Ok, this is the only blend in the collection which I don’t love, but it’s just so fun, and the stake are low at that price. More tassels!
Stay calm, stay connected, and enjoy each other in the coming weeks!
XO – Kellyn (a.k.a. Best Friends) 🌠
I can’t actually find this episode, so forgive me if this clip in the documentary was divisive. There’s more evidence they were supportive of each other than not.
I mean, yeah actually that doesn’t sound so bad
I had to dig into this fact a bit to clarify that Liz was not the first female CEO of a fortune 500. Katharine Graham of the Washington Post was the first, but she did not found the company. I will also note that Madam C.J. Walker (Sarah Breedlove) was the first self made female millionaire through the production and sales of hair care and beauty products for black women, but this predated the Fortune 500.
If you’re loving on Liz, Anne Klein really paved the way for what Claiborne accomplished. Klein was the real pioneer women’s separates in the 1950s. She was also the first designer to have her own physical store outside of Saks in 1970 - “Anne Klein Corner”. The list of her achievements goes on!
Really love the accessibly of Liz Claiborne in the thrift stores! Celebrating accessible brands that have been historically deemed “uncool” is really important!
Holy shit that ad campaign is perfect???