Lands’ End Apologizes to Outraged Customers Who Received Gift of 'Racy' GQ Magazine Issue

The free magazine was meant as a gift from Lands’ End—the retailer known for its conservative, sturdy clothing—to its most valued customers.

But when the July issue of GQ landed in mailboxes across the country, the cover model was not wearing a monogrammed oxford or polar fleece. Instead, she was topless except for a strategically placed white flower lei. And some of the company’s shoppers were none too pleased.

The GQ promotion was part of a yearlong deal that Lands’ End, based in Dodgeville, WI, had struck with the magazine’s New York publisher, Condé Nast.