Nancy Talbot dies at 89; co-founded clothing line

BOULDER, Colo. -- Nancy Talbot, co-founder of the upscale Talbots women's clothing company, has died from complications of Alzheimer's disease, The Talbots Inc. said. She was 89.

Talbot died Sunday in Boulder, where she lived near one of her daughters.

Talbot and her husband Rudolf opened their first store in Hingham, Mass., in 1947 and launched their mail-order business in 1948.

She once described their clothing as timeless, ladylike, smart, chic and understated.

The couple sold the business in 1973 to General Mills. Rudolf Talbot retired but Nancy Talbot stayed on as a vice president until retiring in 1983.

The company how has 586 stores in the U.S. and Canada.

Nancy Talbot is survived by two daughters, Polly Donald of Boulder and Jane Winter of St. Louis. Rudolf Talbot died in 1987.