Frederick's of Hollywood Salutes Sexy Lingerie and the Stars Who
Have Worn It
Frederick's of Hollywood and their catalog are synonymous with
glamorous ladies' undergarments. In the golden days of Hollywood, an
entrepreneur named Frederick Millenger, who had a small lingerie
catalog company in New York, decided to head west to seek his
fortunes. Frederick believed that great lingerie made women feel
beautiful, from the inside out. He must have been right because all
the sexiest stars were soon wearing fashions from Frederick's of
Hollywood, from Greta Garbo to Mae West to Marilyn Monroe. Over the
years, Frederick's has been responsible for many innovations in
women's lingerie, including the push-up bra and thong panties.
Millenger opened his first Frederick's of Hollywood store on
Hollywood Boulevard, and it's still there today - a gray and pink
art deco distraction for all passers-by. In 1986, Frederick's of
Hollywood created the world's first "Bra Museum" in the flagship
store. Up a short flight of marble stairs in the back of the store,
you will find a display of Frederick's of Hollywood sexy undies from
the last 40 years, but the most popular part of this unusual museum
is Frederick's Celebrity Lingerie Hall of Fame, billed as "a tribute
to the stars who glamorized lingerie." They have an extensive
collection of celebrity lingerie, and exhibits change from time to
time. Past exhibits have included:
- Madonna's black and gold bustier from her Who's That Girl tour
- A girdle worn by Ethel Merman in There's No Business Like
Show Business
- Boxer shorts worn by Tom Hanks in Forrest Gump
- A fur-trimmed negligee and bra worn by Cybill Shepherd in the
TV series Moonlighting
- The bra Tony Curtis wore in his famous cross-dressing
performance in Some Like It Hot
- Phyllis Diller's training bra (marked "This Side Up!")
Not even venerable Frederick's of Hollywood was immune to looting
during the 1992 Los Angeles riots. In the confusion, thieves made
off with $200,000 worth of Frederick's of Hollywood's best lingerie
including Madonna's purple bustier with gold-tasseled cups from her
video Open Your Heart. Despite a $1,000 reward the garment
was never returned to Frederick's of Hollywood, so Madonna donated
another to Frederick's in exchange for a donation to her favorite
charity (which, fittingly, provides free mammograms for the poor).
In recent years, Frederick's of Hollywood's days have been less
than golden. Facing increasing competition from Victoria's Secret
and others, their profits have declined. In July, 2000 Frederick's
of Hollywood filed for bankruptcy. The flagship Frederick's of
Hollywood store, and its museum, remain open.
Practicalities
The Frederick's of Hollywood store is located at 6608 Hollywood
Blvd. Admission to the Frederick's of Hollywood lingerie museum is
free and it is open during regular Frederick's store hours. The main
museum is in the back of the store, but there are also celebrity
lingerie displays scattered around the rest of the store.
Frederick's Oddities
Poor Frederick's name must be one of the most mis-spelled words
in the English language. Here are just a few samples: Frederick's
Hollywood, Fredrick of Hollywood, Fredrics of Hollywood, Frederick
of Hollywood, Fredicks of Hollywood, Federicks of Hollywood,
Freddricks of Hollywood, Frederics of Hollywood.
~ Betsy
Malloy
