When vf corp. Bought sportswearmaker Nau-tica in 2003, it took on some extra baggage—a chic brand of low-cut jeans called Earl Jean. Worn by celebrities such as singer Jessica Simpson and model Gisele Buendchen, they cost $150 a pair. VF, long known for its anything-but-hip Wrangler and Lee jeans and Vanity Fair women's underwear, gave the label a good look up and down, tried it on for size— and decided it just didn't fit. So VF sold it in February; Jordache now owns it. "Unpretentious is definitely us," says Chief Executive Mackey McDonald. "Our product lines are not leading-edge fashion."
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