Lingerie

Agent Provocateur, 7961 Melrose Ave., Los Angeles; (323) 653-0229 Faire Frou Frou, 13017 Ventura Blvd., Studio City; (818) 783-4970 Kiki de Montparnasse, 8481 Melrose Place, Los Angeles; (323) 951-9545 Only Hearts, 1407 Montana Ave., Santa Monica; (310) 393-3088 Panty Raid, 1953 Hillhurst Ave., Los Angeles; (323) 668-1888

Agent Provocateur, 7961 Melrose Ave., Los Angeles; (323) 653-0229 Faire Frou Frou, 13017 Ventura Blvd., Studio City; (818) 783-4970 Kiki de Montparnasse, 8481 Melrose Place, Los Angeles; (323) 951-9545 Only Hearts, 1407 Montana Ave., Santa Monica; (310) 393-3088 Panty Raid, 1953 Hillhurst Ave., Los Angeles; (323) 668-1888

The image is one of the most provocative in cinematic history: Elizabeth Taylor stretched catlike on a brass bed wearing nothing but a white slip and high heels. Taylor's wardrobe for the 1958 classic "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" might have been scandalous at the time, but it would feel right at home coming down the runway today. The creator of that slip was a Hollywood designer named Juel Park, who also produced Grace Kelly's trousseau and Mae West's underpinnings in "She Done Him Wrong," as well as exquisite hand-stitched lingerie for many of Hollywood's leading ladies, including Marilyn Monroe, Ava Gardner, Marlene Dietrich and Joan Crawford.

If you're in the market for lingerie, you're in good company. The intimate apparel industry as a whole is on the rise, according to Marshal Cohen, chief industry analyst at the NPD Group. "Sales in the women's market started off slow in 2012 but started to gain momentum. All of a sudden, intimate apparel has become a very passionate category," Cohen says. "Women have gone so long without purchasing ... that it's time to update their wardrobes. " But selecting the right underpinnings can be a delicate matter.

Dark-and-edgy teen retailer Hot Topic Inc. is putting its own spin on underwear. The City of Industry company is testing a new lingerie brand called Blackheart and launching five stores in the Southland and Texas this month dedicated to their undergarments. Billed for "girls who rock and roll," Blackheart is going for a slightly older crowd than Hot Topic's typical teen shopper, the 18-to-30-year-olds who care about sexy undies but reject more preppy outlets like Abercrombie & Fitch and J Crew.

"And in this corner, in the lace trunks . . ." Michael Bent had better get used to jibes such as that if he intends to continue in his current line of work. Bent, America's best amateur heavyweight boxer and winner of the gold medal in the recent Sports Festival at Baton Rouge, La., sells lingerie at a New York boutique. Honest. "A friend of mine who worked there talked me into coming down one day to keep him company," Bent, 19, told Newsday's Dave Rosner.

Somehow the holiday season brings out the urge to get cozy. Maybe that's why nightwear is a perennial favorite gift this time of year. Or maybe it's because it lends itself to stress-free shopping. After all, how many times can you give your brother-in-law a "make your own beer kit" or your mom an electric cheese grater? But almost everyone (except the most die-hard of nudists) seems to appreciate the versatility and comfort of jammies. Choices are plentiful. How about a limited-edition designer chemise from La Perla?

"What do women want?" It is a question posed by a series of national lingerie ads, and, as Valentine's Day approaches, it is one that husbands and boyfriends are more likely to ask as well. Buy something sexy or play it subtle? Some men may wonder, but fewer than you might expect. "At our stores, three-quarters of the men know exactly what they're looking for," says Laura Holbrook, a spokeswoman for Victoria's Secret, the lingerie chain store that launched the ad with the leading question.

Phones have been lighting up at Victoria's Secret headquarters in Columbus, Ohio, since a new TV ad surfaced in which the lingerie maker's models frolic lovingly around the Palazzo in Venice to the soothing music of ... Bob Dylan. And to boot, it's Dylan at his most dour, singing "Love Sick," from his Grammy-winning but supremely downcast 1997 album "Time Out of Mind." "People are calling and asking when it's going to be shown again," says Ed Razek, chief creative officer for Victoria's Secret.

In a town where lawyers file unusual briefs in court every day, the case of the glow-in-the-dark panties was causing some to view jurisprudence in a different light Friday in Los Angeles. Did Joe Hara steal the idea for phosphorescent lingerie? Or was Mark Graham the one who staged a panty raid--swiping the concept from other designers who sell garments to Frederick's of Hollywood and Victoria's Secret?

A man in Iowa was arrested for breaking into a lingerie store after hours and stealing merchandise. The man was caught on video naked in the store. He tried on various items of clothing for two hours before leaving the store in a blond wig and a dress. Police were able to find the suspect by spotting a tattoo of the thief's name across his naked back on the surveillance video. [ Daily Mail ] If you want to get your hands on a pair of "Project Runway" star Heidi Klum's signature sneakers for New Balance you'll have to get to your nearest Lady Foot Locker.

The favorite football league of many desperate and lonely men is no more. The Lingerie Football League has announced plans to rename itself the Legends Football League and said it will no longer have its players compete while wearing lingerie. "This is the next step in the maturation of our now global sport. While the Lingerie Football League name has drawn great media attention allowing us to showcase the sport to millions, we have now reached a crossroad of gaining credibility as a sport or continuing to be viewed as a gimmick," said Mitchell S. Mortaza, the founder of the league.

Dark-and-edgy teen retailer Hot Topic Inc. is putting its own spin on underwear. The City of Industry company is testing a new lingerie brand called Blackheart and launching five stores in the Southland and Texas this month dedicated to their undergarments. Billed for "girls who rock and roll," Blackheart is going for a slightly older crowd than Hot Topic's typical teen shopper, the 18-to-30-year-olds who care about sexy undies but reject more preppy outlets like Abercrombie & Fitch and J Crew.

Note to NFL: You know you are in trouble when even the Lingerie Football League is making fun of you. Mitch Mortaza, commissioner of the LFL (which is exactly what it sounds like: Women in lingerie playing football), took a shot at the NFL on Tuesday when he said one of the NFL's replacement referees had been fired by the Lingerie League a year ago because of incompetence. Mortaza was speaking specifically of Craig Ochoa, a replacement official hired by the NFL. Ochoa was an official during an NFL preseason game and is on call as an alternate during the regular season.

The image is one of the most provocative in cinematic history: Elizabeth Taylor stretched catlike on a brass bed wearing nothing but a white slip and high heels. Taylor's wardrobe for the 1958 classic "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" might have been scandalous at the time, but it would feel right at home coming down the runway today. The creator of that slip was a Hollywood designer named Juel Park, who also produced Grace Kelly's trousseau and Mae West's underpinnings in "She Done Him Wrong," as well as exquisite hand-stitched lingerie for many of Hollywood's leading ladies, including Marilyn Monroe, Ava Gardner, Marlene Dietrich and Joan Crawford.

Just when you thought it was safe to put the book away, by the end of the year you might just be able to sleep in pajamas and lingerie - “Fifty Shades of Grey”-style. Products based on the “Fifty Shades” phenomenon will hit stores between August and December this year. The merchandise will include apparel, stationery items, hosiery, lingerie and accessories. Expect to see “Christian Grey” boxers and ties as well as lounge wear, sleepwear and T-shirts; the accessories would comprise bags, wallets, portfolios, key chains and underwear (for men and women)

You don't necesarily have to be high tech to be a hot stock. The high flyers on Wall Street included a wide range of California companies, among them the state's largest bank, a maker of swimming pools and fishing tackle, and an exotic lingerie maker. To be sure, the shares of California high-technology firms were among the fastest rising. Cadence Design Systems, a computer software company, saw its stock soar 119% for the year ended April 3. But Cadence was the only high-tech firm among the top 10 stocks on the "Charging Ahead" list that posted the greatest increases in value.

The cluster of outlets, discounters and off-price retailers on Business Center Drive in Northridge bears re-examining from time to time. Things change. Some familiar stores are gone and new ones have arrived, but other changes are less visible. Recently, I dropped into a hosiery store there--formerly called The Hosiery Outlet--and discovered that it is under new management and has become The Hosiery Depot. Since my last visit, the prices are lower.

Sex doesn't always sell, and that's a problem plaguing racy lingerie retailer Frederick's of Hollywood Group Inc. Frederick's of Hollywood introduced Americans to the push-up bra after World War II and pioneered the concept of sexy undergarments. But for the last two decades its skimpy outfits have failed to entice shoppers to its stores or to its mail-order business. Now the company is taking come-ons from potential buyers. With competition from retailers such as Victoria's Secret, four straight years of financial losses and shares trading around 30 cents, Frederick's has hired investment bank Allen & Co. to explore strategic moves, "including but not limited to a sale of the company or a business combination," the company announced recently.

At a Beverly Hills party hosted by British lingerie maker Agent Provocateur, shoppers in gravity-defying heels mingled with models strapped into contraptions of lace and crystals. Circulating among guests at the Rodeo Drive store Tuesday was Garry Hogarth, chief executive of the "bra and knickers" company, who enthusiastically expounded on how women's views on underwear have evolved from practicality to indulgence. "Nowadays, women wear lingerie as outerwear," Hogarth said, gesturing toward a black lace corset dangling from a hanger.