The Ohio History Connection is thrilled to have recently obtained a collection of over 60 items of Justice and Brothers clothing ranging from 2008 to 2017. This collection helps tell the story of an iconic Ohio brand and documents the rise of the tween as an important market segment. It also highlights how history is happening all the time, and the collections at the Ohio History Connection strive to preserve history as it happens. 

For middle school girls shopping in the 2000s to 2010s, Justice was the store for preteen fashion. Justice began as the Limited Too, a spin-off of The Limited, in 1987. It was originally an infant and young girl’s version of The Limited, with similar product offerings, albeit sized down. Limited Too would change their brand focus to preteen girls in 1997 and would break from Limited Brands to form their own, independent company in 1999. The evolution of the brand coincides with the rise of the tween as a market segment. 

Just as the teenager emerged as a target demographic in the 1940s and 1950s, the tween became its own cultural and economic group in the late 1980s and 1990s. Tween refers to a child aged between 8-12. They are an interesting group that exists somewhere between childhood and teenager. Interestingly, tween is distinctly a market segment rather than a stage of development. Adolescence refers to the stage of physiological and physical development occurring between the ages of 10-19. Meanwhile, the tween is a consumer who is slowly distancing themselves from childhood and exploring their independence. It is important to note that tween typically refers to girls rather than boys. While boys can exist in this space, they are rarely defined as tweens. Consumption, particularly clothing consumption, has traditionally been viewed as a feminine space, and thus the target consumer is often female. How stores market to tween girls versus tween boys is very different.

In January 2004, Limited Too changed its name to Justice and its parent company changed its name to Tween Brands, reflecting their market focus. From 2004 to 2020, Justice dominated the tween girl fashion market. In fact, Justice outsold Walmart and Target in girls’ apparel from the end of 2011 to the beginning of 2012. It was around this time that Justice launched its clothing line for boys, Brothers. Brothers was first introduced online in 2011 before being introduced in brick-and-mortar stores by 2012. It did not achieve the same success as Justice, however, and was discontinued in 2015. The Covid-19 epidemic had a massive impact on every segment of the retail market, and Justice was not immune. Justice’s parent company filed for bankruptcy and closed all their Justice stores by the end of 2020. The Justice brand continues, however, and its clothing is currently sold at Walmart across the country.  

The London T-shirt and red plaid skirt ensemble seen at right first appears in the Justice catazine (the name the company gave their catalog/magazine) in the Back to School Style issue mailed in August of 2015. It is paired with a matching plaid bow and red hoodie tied around the waist. The T-shirt is listed at $32.90 and the skirt is $29.90.