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                                                                  Exhibit 99.1

BLAIR CORPORATION                                                     AMEX: BL
220 HICKORY STREET o WARREN, PENNSYLVANIA  16366-001

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
----------------------
CONTACTS:
Blair Corporation
Bryan Flanagan, SVP/ Chief Financial Officer
Tom McKeever, SVP/ Operations and Administration
814 723 3600

BLAIR CORPORATION ANNOUNCES TENDER OFFER FOR BLAIR COMMON STOCK

WARREN, Pa., (May 25, 2005) - The Board of Directors of Blair Corporation (Amex:
BL), (www.blair.com), a national multi-channel direct marketer of women's and
men's apparel and home products, today announced its intention to initiate a
stock tender buyback at $42 per share, for the purchase of approximately 4.4
million shares of Blair's outstanding common stock for an aggregate price of
approximately $185 million. The Directors have agreed not to participate in the
tender. The tender will begin on or about August 1, 2005 and will be completed
shortly thereafter.

For the purpose of this transaction, Blair will obtain a credit facility of up
to $200 million, which will be used in part, together with $40 million of
Blair's cash reserves, to fund the stock tender. Blair intends to pay down the
portion of the credit facility used to finance the stock tender with the
proceeds received from the previously announced sale of its credit portfolio to
Alliance Data Systems Corp. The closing of the Alliance Data transaction remains
on target for the fourth quarter of 2005.

As a result of this tender offer, two of Blair's major shareholder groups, Loeb
Partners Corporation and Santa Monica Opportunity Fund L.P., have each
separately agreed to enter into "standstill" agreements with Blair and tender
all of their shares. As part of the standstill agreements, the two groups have
agreed they will not attempt to exercise any control over management of Blair,
they will vote in accordance with the board and management of Blair, and they
will not acquire any additional shares of Blair for a period of five years.

"Blair will not accept Loeb's recent offer to acquire the company," said John
Zawacki, president and CEO, Blair Corporation, "but will instead go forward with
the repurchase of more than half of our shares. We believe the interests of our
shareholders, a fundamental priority of the Board, are best served by this stock
tender buyback and the entrance into standstill agreements with two of our
institutional investors. We are very pleased to reward our long standing
investors and are convinced that Blair's dedication to our core customers and
our independence as a Warren- based company will maximize shareholder value for
many years to come."


ABOUT BLAIR

Headquartered in Warren, Pennsylvania, Blair Corporation sells a broad range of
women's and men's apparel and home products through direct mail marketing and
its Web sites

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www.blair.com and www.irvinepark.com. Blair Corporation employs more than 2,000
people and operates facilities and retail outlets in Northwestern Pennsylvania
as well as a catalog outlet in Wilmington, Delaware. The Company, which has
annual sales of approximately $500 million, is publicly traded on the American
Stock Exchange (AMEX:BL).

BLAIR CORPORATION SECURITY HOLDERS ARE ADVISED TO READ BLAIR CORPORATION'S
TENDER OFFER STATEMENT WHEN IT BECOMES AVAILABLE AS IT WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT
INFORMATION REGARDING THE TENDER OFFER. BLAIR CORPORATION WILL NOTIFY ALL OF ITS
SECURITY HOLDERS WHEN THE TENDER OFFER STATEMENT BECOMES AVAILABLE. WHEN
AVAILABLE, BLAIR CORPORATION SECURITY HOLDERS MAY GET THE TENDER OFFER STATEMENT
AND OTHER FILED DOCUMENTS RELATED TO THE TENDER OFFER FOR FREE AT THE U.S.
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION'S WEB SITE (www.sec.gov). IN ADDITION, BLAIR
CORPORATION SECURITY HOLDERS MAY REQUEST A FREE COPY OF THE TENDER OFFER
STATEMENT AND OTHER DOCUMENTS RELATED TO THE TENDER OFFER FROM BLAIR CORPORATION
WHEN AVAILABLE.

This release contains certain statements, including without limitation,
statements containing the words "believe," "plan," "expect," "anticipate,"
"strive," and words of similar import relating to future results of the Company
(including certain projections and business trends) that are "forward-looking
statements" as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.
Actual results may differ materially from those projected as a result of certain
risks and uncertainties, including but not limited to, changes in political and
economic conditions, demand for and market acceptance of new and existing
products, as well as other risks and uncertainties detailed in the most recent
periodic filings of the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission.


