In May 2025, Arula the plus-size sister brand to Altar’d State announced it would be closing. For many loyal shoppers, that news raised immediate questions. Is the brand gone completely? Can you still shop online? Did the company go bankrupt?
The situation is more nuanced than a simple yes or no. This article breaks down what was actually confirmed, what remains uncertain, and what options shoppers have going forward.
What Arula Actually Announced
On May 29, 2025, Arula announced its closure. The news was reported by The Curvy Fashionista, which covered the announcement in detail.
Notably, Arula did not frame this as an abrupt shutdown. According to reporting from BizJournals, the brand described its shift as an “evolution” toward a more elevated online shopping experience. That language suggests a brand transition rather than a clean corporate closure.
However, Arula did not publicly offer a detailed explanation for why the change was happening. No official statement outlined the specific reasons behind the decision. Around the same time, the brand’s social media accounts were deleted though its website remained active at the time of reporting.
Taken together, the confirmed facts point to a significant change, but not necessarily a total brand extinction.
Store Closures vs. Full Brand Shutdown
This is where a lot of reader confusion is understandable. Closing physical stores and shutting down a brand entirely are two very different things.
A retailer can close every one of its mall locations while still selling products through its website. That is not a full shutdown it is a change in how and where the brand operates. Arula’s situation appears to follow that pattern, at least based on available reporting.
One confirmed example: Arula’s location at The Corners of Brookfield closed, and a related brand called AS Revival moved into the same retail space. Importantly, customers at that location were directed to continue shopping Arula merchandise online rather than being told the brand was simply gone.
That detail matters. If the brand were fully dissolving, there would be little reason to encourage continued online shopping. The available evidence points to a phased transition stores closing, but an online presence remaining, at least temporarily.
Arula’s Connection to Altar’d State
To understand why Arula’s closure carries real weight for its customers, it helps to know what the brand actually was.
Arula operated as a sister brand to Altar’d State, sitting within the same parent brand family. It specialized in plus-size women’s clothing, shoes, and accessories. The aesthetic leaned feminine and boho-adjacent consistent with Altar’d State’s broader identity.
That last point is significant. Arula was not just another plus-size retailer. It offered a style that matched the Altar’d State look, which is something relatively few brands replicate directly. For shoppers who wanted that specific combination plus-size sizing with a particular aesthetic Arula filled a gap that is not easily replaced.
The fact that AS Revival, another brand connected to the same parent company, stepped into at least one former Arula retail location shows the parent organization is still active. But that does not mean Arula’s customer base has a direct equivalent to shop from.
Did Arula File for Bankruptcy?
This is one of the most common questions circulating among shoppers, and the straightforward answer is: no confirmed bankruptcy filing has been reported.
Some customers interpreted the store closures as a sign of financial trouble. That reaction is understandable when a brand closes locations and deletes its social media, bankruptcy is often a reasonable assumption. But an assumption is not a fact.
Neither The Curvy Fashionista nor BizJournals reported a bankruptcy filing. Arula’s own public messaging focused on brand transition and continued online availability, not financial distress. The company did not cite financial difficulties as a reason for closing.
It is worth being clear about this distinction: a store closure announcement is not the same as a formal bankruptcy proceeding. Until a filing is confirmed by a primary source, stating that Arula went bankrupt would be inaccurate.
Could financial pressures have contributed to the decision? Possibly. But that remains speculation, not documented fact.
Is Arula Still Selling Online?
Based on reporting available at the time of the closure announcement, the answer appeared to be yes at least partially.
Arula’s website remained active after the May 2025 announcement. Shoppers were actively encouraged to continue purchasing through the site following the Brookfield store closure. The brand’s own framing of the closure as a move toward a stronger online presence further supports the idea that online sales were not being discontinued immediately.
The deletion of social media accounts may look like the brand is winding down entirely, but social media presence and e-commerce operations are separate things. A brand can stop posting on Instagram while still processing orders through its website.
That said, the situation is still developing. Retail transitions like this one can move quickly, and what was true at the time of reporting may change. If you are considering a purchase, the most reliable step is to check Arula’s website directly to confirm current availability, return policies, and shipping timelines.
Do not assume the website will remain active indefinitely. When a brand is in transition, inventory often becomes limited, and the window for purchasing may close without much advance notice.
Why Did Arula Close?
Honestly, the public record does not offer a clear answer here. Arula did not release a detailed statement explaining the decision. The “evolution” language the company used is vague by design it describes what is happening without explaining why.
Speculation has circulated online, with some shoppers pointing to factors like declining foot traffic in malls, the broader challenges facing specialty retail, or shifting consumer habits. Any of those could be relevant, but none have been confirmed as the stated reason.
The retail environment has been difficult for many mid-range fashion brands over the past few years. That context is worth noting but it should not be presented as the confirmed cause of Arula’s closure without direct evidence.
For now, the honest answer is that the company has not said why it made this decision publicly.
What Shoppers Should Do Next
If you have been a regular Arula customer, here are some practical steps worth taking right now.
- Check the website directly. Confirm whether the site is still active, what inventory is available, and whether orders are being fulfilled.
- Review any open orders or gift cards. Brand transitions can affect outstanding orders and stored credit. Address these sooner rather than later.
- Look into return policies. If a brand is transitioning, return windows may shift or become more restrictive.
- Explore alternatives with realistic expectations. There is no direct one-to-one replacement for Arula’s specific aesthetic in plus sizes. Other brands may offer some overlap, but expect differences in style and fit.
For ongoing updates on retail closures, brand transitions, and business developments, Daily Business Media covers these stories as they develop.
The Bottom Line
Arula announced its closure in May 2025, and physical store locations have been closing as part of that process. The brand described the change as a transition toward online shopping rather than a complete shutdown, and its website remained active at the time of reporting.
No bankruptcy filing has been confirmed. The reason for the closure was not publicly disclosed. Social media accounts were deleted, but the website stayed up, and shoppers were encouraged to continue buying online.
The most accurate description of where things stand: Arula is closing its retail presence and transitioning possibly to an online-only model, possibly winding down further. The picture is not yet complete, and shoppers should monitor developments closely rather than assuming either extreme that everything is fine or that the brand is entirely gone.
For a brand that served a specific and underserved segment of the plus-size market, the closure carries real consequences for its customer base, regardless of what form the transition ultimately takes.
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