In 2003, Chico's FAS, Inc. purchased White House Black Market after the privately held firm went public. The purchase price for the specialty retailer was $90M, with $85.6M in cash and about $4.4M in Chico's common stock.

Owned by Chico's FAS Inc., White House Black Market offers chic, sophisticated apparel and accessories. Its consumer focus is women over 25 with moderate to high household incomes.

Its name derives from the store's gradually expanding color palette. Originally two Baltimore chains of boutiques that had even more limited color tolerances (White House for your whites and ivories, and Black Market for your basic blacks), they merged into one store and eventually were bought out by Chico's.

As one of the leading fashion retailers in North America, Chico's FAS is a company of three unique brands – Chico's, White House Black Market and Soma – each thriving in their own white space, founded by women, led by women, providing solutions that millions of women say give them confidence and joy.