Exhibit 99.1

                                  NEWS RELEASE

CONTACT:          Armand Correia
                  SVP and Chief Financial Officer
                  (845) 369-4600

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

          DRESS BARN ANNOUNCES COMPLETION OF SALE OF CONVERTIBLE NOTES

SUFFERN,  NY, DECEMBER 15, 2004 - The Dress Barn, Inc. (NASDAQ:  DBRN) announced
today that it had completed the private sale of $115 million principal amount of
its 2.50% convertible  senior notes due 2024. This amount includes an additional
$15  million  principal  amount  of the notes  sold to  certain  of the  initial
purchasers of the notes under an option  granted by Dress Barn to, and exercised
by, such initial purchasers.

Dress Barn  intends to use the net proceeds of the offering to finance a part of
the  cost  of  its  previously   announced   pending   acquisition  of  Maurices
Incorporated.  If that acquisition is not completed,  Dress Barn may use the net
proceeds for general corporate purposes.

Dress Barn has agreed to file a  registration  statement with the Securities and
Exchange  Commission  for the resale of the notes and the shares of common stock
issuable  upon  conversion  of the notes within 90 days after the closing of the
offering.

This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or the  solicitation  of
an offer to buy any  securities.  The  offering  will be made only to  qualified
institutional  buyers in accordance  with Rule 144A under the  Securities Act of
1933. The securities to be offered have not been registered under the Securities
Act, or any state  securities  laws, and unless so registered may not be offered
or sold in the United  States,  except  pursuant to an exemption  from,  or in a
transaction not subject to, the registration  requirements of the Securities Act
and applicable state securities laws.

Forward-looking Statements

This news release contains forward-looking  statements within the meaning of the
federal   securities   laws  that   involve   risks  and   uncertainties.   Such
forward-looking  statements  include the  expectations,  plans or prospects  for
Dress  Barn,  including  whether or not Dress Barn will  consummate  the private
placement  of the  notes.  The  statements  made by Dress  Barn are  based  upon
management's   current  expectations  and  are  subject  to  certain  risks  and
uncertainties  that could cause actual results to differ  materially  from those
described  in the  forward-looking  statements.  These  risks and  uncertainties
include market  conditions and other factors beyond Dress Barn's control and the
risk factors and other cautionary  statements  discussed in Dress Barn's filings
with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.  Dress Barn does not intend to
update these  statements and undertakes no duty to any person to effect any such
update under any circumstances.