Charlotte Russe is a chain of clothing stores across America. It is named after a French dessert of the same name. It was founded in 1975, offering affordable women's clothing. The first store was opened in Carlsbad, California. It specialized in clothes for women ranging from teens to early twenties. Over a period of 20 years, the company has expanded, opening a total of 35 stores in Southern California. The company saw burgeoning growth from 1996 onwards, when it was handed over to Saunders Karp, Megrue and Bernie Zeichner, whose main intention was to impel national expansion. 29 new stores were opened up in the first two years of the new management. In 1997, the Charlotte Russe Company took over Rampage stores, a chain of 16 stores. They started making clothes for men as well as for older women. Along with providing value for money, the company manufactures clothes emphasizing the latest fashion trends. As of September 2005, the company has 349 Charlotte Russe stores and 66 Rampage stores across 39 states. The stores showcase a wide gamut of clothes to choose from. It has tee shirts, floral tops, sweaters, sweatshirts, hoodies, pants, jeans, mini skirts, wrap dresses, bermudas, shorts, thongs, etc. The jeans are marketed under the Refuge brand while Blue Chic is their brand of girly wear. Charlotte Russe currently has a distribution center in San Diego and an additional distribution center in Ontario, California.