What Happened to Plus-Size Line Pure Energy?

As fashionistas, we see the rise and fall of labels which play in the budget space. When we grow fond of a line we could get at Target or Walmart, it disappears and the retailers that couldn’t make it such as 5-7-9 Wet Seal and Contempo Casuals — into the trend graveyard.

Target Launches Plus Size Line

Way back in 2009, Budget Fashionista reported Target’s launch of plus-size line Pure Energy. The plus-size group was (and still is) under-represented in clothes retail, so it was big news to have a fun, flirty lineup for curvy women available nationwide at Target.

According to the New York Times, Target tested Pure Energy in a small group of stores before turning it out in most (then) 1,740 places.

Here’s what we said about it afterward:

And this was official line on Pure Energy:

The movement made sense as — duh ladies care as style as women or tall women or women.

And Pure Energy Ran Out

But if you walk into a Target now, then you won’t see a scrap of Pure Energy. The label is gone and long dead. So what happened? Well, we did have until it hit the shelves this to say about the line, although we can’t say for sure:

Like it ought to have, Likely, Target shoppers did not wow. And it might have been the approach. Back in 2010,” Pure Energy explained its mission this way: Creating fun, flirty, and flattering fashion available to young girls size 14 and up. Pure Energy translates the newest trends into designs that compliment bodies.

I’m not sure how I feel about the”translating trends” part. But maybe I’m reading too much into it…?

The Pure Energy Timeline

Out of what’s left of its presence, looking back now the Pure Energy timeline can be sort of reconstructed by us.

In March of 2009, Target announced the launch of the Pure Energy line.
In July of 2010, the Pure Energy twitter account ceased submitting. The end was abrupt, since the accounts went to not posting at all from posting multiple times daily.
In 2011 and 2012, the Pure Energy site remained stagnant, without a change to the images on the homepage.
By 2015, the site was gone along with the domain was listed available.

Where to Locate Pure Energy Today

Believe it or not, you can buy Pure Energy pieces on Tradesy, Thredup and eBay. Go searching and you’ll find lots and shirts of dolman sleeves. Below are two picks.