The Talbots, Inc. to Broadcast Third Quarter Earnings Results Conference Call On the Web.

Business Editors

HINGHAM, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 13, 2002

The Talbots, Inc. (NYSE: TLB) invites investors to listen to a broadcast of the Company's conference call to discuss third quarter earnings results. The conference call will be broadcast live on Wednesday, November 20, 2002 at 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time at http://www.talbots.com/about/investor.asp.

The conference call, which will last approximately one hour, will be archived online shortly after its completion and will be available until December 4, 2002. Participating in the call will be Arnold Zetcher, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer, and other members of the senior management team.

Talbots is a leading national specialty retailer and cataloger of women's classic apparel, shoes and accessories. The Company operates 879 stores - 464 Talbots Misses stores, including 19 Talbots Misses stores in Canada and five Talbots Misses stores in the United Kingdom, 233 Talbots Petites stores, including two Talbots Petites stores in Canada, 41 Talbots Accessories & Shoes stores, 62 Talbots Kids stores, 54 Talbots Woman stores and 25 Talbots Outlet stores, including one each in Canada and the United Kingdom. Its catalog operation currently expects to circulate approximately 50 million catalogs worldwide in fiscal 2002. Talbots on-line shopping site is located at www.talbots.com.

The foregoing contains forward-looking information within the meaning of The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The statements may be identified by an "asterisk" ("*") or such forward-looking terminology as "expect," "look," "believe," "anticipate," "may," "will," or similar statements or variations of such terms. All of the "outlook" information constitutes forward-looking information. The specialty apparel retail business is an evolving and highly competitive marketplace and such forward-looking statements may involve material known and unknown risks and uncertainties as to future events which may or may not occur, including levels of sales, effectiveness of the Company's brand awareness and marketing programs, effectiveness and profitability of new concepts, effectiveness of its e-commerce site, store traffic, acceptance of Talbots fashions, appropriate balance of merchandise offerings, the Company's ability to sell its merchandise at regular prices as well as its ability to successfully execute its major sale events including the timing and levels of markdowns, retail economic conditions including the impact of labor disputes, hostilities in the Middle East, consumer spending, consumer confidence, a highly uncertain economy and a volatile stock market, and the impact of a highly promotional retail environment. In each case, actual results may differ materially from such forward-looking information. Certain other factors that may cause actual results to differ from such forward-looking statements are included in the Company's Current Report on Form 8-K dated October 30, 1996 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (a copy of which may also be obtained from the Company at 781-741-4500) as well as other periodic reports filed by the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission and you are urged to consider such factors. In light of the uncertainty inherent in such forward-looking statements, you should not consider their inclusion to be a representation that such forward-looking matters will be achieved. The Company assumes no obligation for updating any such forward-looking statements to reflect actual results, changes in assumptions or changes in other factors affecting such forward-looking statements.