Liz Claiborne Inc reported a deeper-than-expected quarterly loss on Wednesday as the lingering recession kept many shoppers from buying the company's clothing and accessories.

The owner of the Juicy Couture, Kate Spade and Lucky Brand chains said its second-quarter net loss had widened to $82.1 million, or 87 cents a share, from $23.2 million, or 25 cents a share, a year earlier.

Excluding items, the loss was 48 cents a share. This compares with the analysts' average forecast of a loss of 39 cents, according to Reuters Estimates.

Net sales fell 29 percent to $684 million.

(Reporting by Dhanya Skariachan in Bangalore; Editing by Lisa Von Ahn)