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