Lands' End has become unrecognizable

Lands End

Facebook/Lands' End

Lands' End has completely changed.

The company was once known for its dowdy apparel.

Now it looks bright and preppy, as though trying to compete for the void that J. Crew might have left for some people within the past few years.

Much of the change is credited to the new CEO, Federica Marchionni, who joined the company in February 2015.

She's been noted for her own glamorous style, one that appears to serve as a contrast to Lands' End's signature look.

It turns out that she thought the old, iconic Lands' End was hideous.

She called the company's sweaters and pants "ugly" in a presentation and asked, "Who would wear that?" The Wall Street Journal's Suzanne Kapner reports.

Here's what it looks like now:

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People are taking notice of the departure from the company's roots — including former executives.

"It doesn't look like Lands' End anymore," Lee Eisenberg, Lands' End's former creative director, told The Journal. "There was never the implication that if you wore Lands' End you'd be on a beach on Nantucket living the perfect life."

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Read the full WSJ profile of Lands' End here.

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