Talbots Names Julie Lorigan to Director, Investor Relations

Business Wire, May 5, 1999

HINGHAM, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 5, 1999--

The Talbots, Inc. (NYSE:TLB) has appointed Julie Lorigan to Director, Investor Relations, announced Talbots President and Chief Executive Officer, Arnold B. Zetcher. Ms. Lorigan will be responsible for developing and managing relations and communications with the financial community and the general investing public.

Previously, Ms. Lorigan was Director of Investor Relations for Open Market, Inc., based in Burlington, Massachusetts, which provides high-performance application software products and professional services for Internet Commerce, and prior to that, was Manager of Investor Relations for Digital Equipment Corporation in Maynard, Massachusetts.

Talbots is a leading national specialty retailer and cataloger of women's classic apparel, shoes and accessories. The Company operates 650 stores - 393 Talbots Misses stores, including 19 Talbots Misses stores in Canada and six Talbots Misses stores in the United Kingdom; 146 Talbots Petites stores, including one Talbots Petites store in Canada; 33 Talbots Accessories & Shoes stores; 57 Talbots Kids stores; two Talbots Woman stores; and 19 Talbots Outlet stores. Its catalog operation circulated approximately 53 million catalogs in fiscal 1998 and reaches customers worldwide.

* The foregoing contains forward-looking information within the meaning of The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The statements may be identified by an "asterisk" ("*") or such forward-looking terminology as "expect," "look," "believe," "anticipate," "may," "will," or similar statements or variations of such terms. Such forward-looking statements involve certain risks and uncertainties including levels of sales, effectiveness of the Company's brand awareness and marketing programs, store traffic and acceptance of Talbots fashions, appropriate balance of merchandise offerings, responsiveness of the Company's core customer, timing and levels of markdowns, and any potential disruptions to the Company's operations caused by failure of any of the Company's IT Systems, non-IT Equipment, or third party suppliers or vendors to be Y2K ready, and, in each case, actual results may differ materially from such forward-looking information. Certain other factors that may cause actual results to differ from such forward-looking statements are included in the Company's Current Report on Form 8-K dated October 30, 1996 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (a copy of which may also be obtained from the Company at 781-741-4500) as well as other periodic reports filed by the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission and you are urged to consider such factors. The Company assumes no obligation for updating any such forward-looking statements.