It could be said that Frederick’s of Hollywood started a fashion trend. Mr. Frederick, as he was known, was in Europe during WWII and noticed that European lingerie was far more enticing than American undergarments. He had a plan to sell sexy lingerie using the movie sirens of the day as examples. Hollywood was where the movie stars were, which was exactly the place he wanted to be. The sultry looks of actresses and actors of the day were his inspiration. He advertised his store in both men’s and women’s magazines and sold via mail order as well as directly in store.
Frederick Mellinger started his business in New York 1946, designing women’s clothing from a man’s point of view, within a year he had moved to Hollywood, California and opened up a shop on Hollywood Boulevard. The original flagship store was set up on the ground floor of the S. H. Kress building in 1947, and remained there until 2005, when the store moved to a new location across the street. The new location remained open until 2015.
Mr. Frederick invented the original push up bra in 1947, known as the “Rising Star, ” along with making black lingerie the most popular color choice. He was first to introduce the bikini to the U.S. in 1946, after seeing them worn on the beaches of France. His ideas that lingerie could be see-through and easily removed was a hit in the post war era and well beyond. Along with his line of lingerie, he sold shoes, stockings, accessories, as well as dresses, skirts and blouses. The business eventually branched out into casual clothing including jeans, shorts, and rompers, all with a seductive tone.
Frederick’s of Hollywood branched into mall stores in the 1960s. Interestingly, the midwest was the hot zone for sales.
In 1979, Mr. Frederick branched into men’s wear, selling a line of briefs.
1986 brought about the famed “Lingerie Hall of Fame,” housed in the original Hollywood Boulevard store. Home to some of the most famous lingerie from movies and music, items included those worn by Mae West, Marilyn Monroe, Zsa Zsa Gabor, Cher, one of Milton Berle’s drag outfits, Judy Garland and, most famously, Madonna’s bustier that was stolen in 1992 and later recovered.
The first year Frederick’s of Hollywood had a decline in sales was 1984. The new chairman steered the company away from some of the edgier products and towards more wholesome undergarments, lingerie and clothing. By 1996, there were 200 stores across the country, many in local malls, as well as huge amounts of catalog sales. The store moved across the street to a new location in 2005. By 2015, the company had been through two bankruptcies, been bought and been sold again. All physical stores were sold off and the business became an online only enterprise.
Mr Frederick always said his success came because “sex appeal is always in style.” He passed away in 1990.
Frederick’s of Hollywood is still a well known name in the industry and has spawned multiple companies specializing in lingerie. Until the 1980s, the company was the market leader. Victoria’s Secret, founded in 1977, eventually eclipsed it in sales and popularity.
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