It only happens twice a year, and it’s arrived! The Victoria Secret Semi- annual sale.

Bras from $12.99. Panties from $3.99.

Go. Now. Don’t walk, run!

Pantyhose sales are down… people just don’t want to wear them anymore.

Sure, their sheer allure enhances the legs. But they’re tight, uncomfortable and one little rip can make them run — and ruin an entire outfit. And while they once were a staple in a career woman’s wardrobe, sheer hosiery today faces an even a bigger snag that can’t be fixed with clear nail polish or a Band-Aid — more than a decade of declining sales….

"The casualization of the workplace, it is not as strict as before," said Romaine Sargent, vice president and general manager of marketing for hosiery at Hanesbrands. "Women have more options and some are choosing to wear sheer hosiery less."

According to the company, women ages 25 to 54 wear pantyhose an average of 1.8 times a week, down from 3.5 times a week a decade ago. Hosiery sales at Hanesbrands, which includes sheer hosiery (pantyhose, knee-high and thigh high), leggings, tights and trouser socks, totaled $290 million in fiscal 2006 — a nearly 68 percent drop from the $895 million in sales the company did in fiscal 1995…

Nowadays, the trendsetters in many offices wear Capri-style pants, dress shorts, open toe sandals or even flip-flops.

My thoughts: there are too many bad pantyhose out there that rip and tear like crazy, and too many options. People just don’t know what to get - so many brands with so many different names for the same thing, and yet you can never find the shade or size you want. It’s a product demand thing. If pantyhose were chic and attractive, we’d wear them more. I love to wear them, personally. They make me feel great, and I love that little boost they give me.

Oh yeah, and cut cost. It’s a supply and demand thing. Demand gone down? So should price. If you want to attract new customers with funky new products, don’t price those products as the most pricey.

Tags: pantyhose, hoisery

Canadians like myself will be saddened by the news that Victoria’s Secret has no immediate plans to open stores in Canada. This, also, despite a recent takeover of La Senza:

Victoria’s Secret bras and panties aren’t likely to be available in La Senza stores (TSX:LSZ) despite its U.S. parent company’s deal to buy the Canadian lingerie retailer.

La Senza will continue to operate independently and there also aren’t any immediate plans for Victoria’s Secret to open its own stores in Canada, Laurence Lewin, president and chief operating officer of the Montreal-based company, said Thursday.

"The short answer is there’s no particular plan for Victoria’s Secret coming to Canada," Lewin told a conference call.

Asked if La Senza and Victoria’s Secret could co-exist in the Canadian market, Lewin replied: "There’s a lot less lingerie stores in Canada than there are fashion and clothing stores. It’s possible, but it’s not part of this strategy. I don’t think anybody is thinking about it at this time."…

"There’s going to be a period of testing the waters, seeing how different the market is, maybe there is some co-branding in stores that could be done or there’s certain locations that might be Victoria’s Secret and others La Senza," said Evans.

It also could be an opportunity for the La Senza banner to re-enter the U.S. market, she added.

She said it could be "six months to a year before we see anything" in terms of getting Victoria’s Secret lingerie into La Senza stores.

Retail analyst John Winter said Victoria’s Secret is an extraordinarily strong brand that could do well in Canada. Winter also said the deal is bad news for La Senza competitor La Vie en Rose. [CBC]

I am happy, though, that we may start to see Victoria’s Secret products in La Senza. I’ll take the consolation prize any day.

Tags: victoria’s secret, la senza, canada, lingerie, lingerie stores

The Victoria’s Secret Runway Show, an annual bonanza of lingerie and "Angel" supermodels, is on its way! This year, Victoria’s Secret Angels will be wearing 72 outfits called things like Coquettish Fetish, Highland and the all-white finale, Glacial Goddess. Anna Kurkova will grace us in a corset made of silver. The Fashion Show filmed today, to air on December 5, 2006.

"If you have 72 outfits, bra, panty, bra panty, it gets ridiculous," Mitro says. "So we have to make it tasteful and beautiful, but yet push it into fantasy to make it a show." There’s also a section called Come Fly with Me, an ode to 1950s air hostesses. Says Mitro, "I think more people would fly if stewardesses dressed like that."

Promoting the upcoming Victoria’s Secret show, it’s supermodels! Plus, a few sneak peaks at the outfit Adriana Lima will be wearing!!

Read the rest of this entry »

The New York Post  has reported that an entrepreneurial business man has hired beauty pageant veterans to serve in his restaurant. wearing nothing but bikinis.

"October 22, 2006 — Meet America’s hardest-working beauty queens - Middle American pageant veterans living in New York City rent free in exchange for hustling cocktails in their bikinis at a Times Square hot spot.

For the young beauties, it’s a shot at becoming a top model.

For the customers, it’s wall-to-wall lovelies who can juggle drinks and dinner orders while looking gorgeous.

Owners of the Hawaiian Tropic Zone, an 800-person-capacity restaurant that just opened on 49th Street, recruited ambitious women from pageant competitions across America as its first wave of bikini-clad employees. Those women have since been joined by 82 local waitresses.

The out-of-towners live in a dorm-like apartment on the Upper East Side - it’s "The Real World" meets "Gidget."

The models live with eight other recruits in two three-bedroom pads in an eight-story walkup on the Upper East Side owned by Dennis Riese, who owns the Hawaiian Tropic Zone with PM nightclub honcho Adam Hock.

Under the terms of their Hawaiian Tropic Zone deals, the models live rent free for six months, pay $200 for the seventh month, $400 the eighth and $600 a month until they leave. They also get discounted gym memberships and tanning, because they’re required to take part in both.

In return, they weave in and out between crowded tables as waitresses for the restaurant, welcoming guests, serving drinks and taking dinner orders while wearing Nicole Miller bikinis.

Every night is a beauty pageant. The waitresses strut their stuff twice a shift in front of the usual crowd of suit-clad bankers and brokers who quiet down and cast their paper ballots for the hottie they most admire.

The pageant winner gets a $100 bonus on top of $100 for each eight-hour shift and tips as high as $100 per table.

But the guys "are never inappropriate or touchy-feely" Johnson said. "Mostly, they just ask to take pictures with us."

When they aren’t working, "we like to stay in a lot," Johnson said. "But when we do go out, we respect each other. That means no boys come back with us."

marina.vataj@nypost.com"

Tags: nicole miller, bikini, server’s in bikinis, fashsion show, resturant, new york

Agent Provocateur launches a new e-zine called Knickers Forever.

Yes, that’s Kate Moss on the cover there ;)

Here is their blurb:

"Subscribe FREE to receive our monthly online magazine ‘Knickers Forever’.

Be the first to share our latest news, sensational offers, exclusive pictures, titillating promotions and our much talked about online diary ‘inside my knicker drawer’."

While I was there, I had a little roam around the site and found these gems:

The first is called "Love", a classic French lace piece. And then there is the more daring "Marylin" - perhaps too daring for me! Silk, cupless bra and tassles! Yowee!

Tags: agent provocateur, knickers forever, lingerie, love lingerie, marylin lingerie

One fashion designer makes a big statement against the "no more size 0 models on the catwalk" rule… instead of sending a size 0 model down his 30th anniversary fashion show catwalk, Jean Paul Gaultier sends a size 20 model.

Big is beautiful in Paris - this size 20 model is wearing a corset, sexy pantyhose with garters, and a sheer black nightgown.

Via ontd from daily mail

Tags: gaultier, jean paul gualtier, paris, paris fashion, lingerie, plus sized lingerie, plus sized models, plus sized women, corset, big is beautiful, fashion

Kate Moss has appeared in naughty lingerie in an online ad for Agent Provocateur. Its the first of 4 steamy commercial dreams where Kate stars as ‘Miss X’.

"The supermodel has been signed up by underwear giant Agent Provocateur to front their latest advertising campaign. The first advert, a short four-minute film, features Kate in bed dressed in all-black in a pair of tiny briefs, a corset, bra, sexy tights and a pair of leather gloves. At the moment fans will have to log onto the company’s website to see the steamy film, the first in a series of four. It is not yet known if it will be aired on television.  Kate is even more daring in the third film of the Agent Provocateur ‘Miss X’ series, in which she strips off naked."  Life Style Extra Reports

You’ll have to be a Club AP member to view the whole ‘dream’, but otherwise you can still watch the trailer. Visit AgentPrococateur.com to start dreaming!

Tags: Kate Moss, Agent Provocateur, Miss X, online commercial, dreams

Victoria Silvstedt, popular Playboy model, is shot here modeling her own lingerie, which she launched at the London Fashion Week, as shown in the pink pictures.

Her lingerie line is called “The House of Lingerie”, but I am not quite sure where it is available. I’ve done a few searches but no luck yet.

Read the rest of this entry »

Heidi Klum is making the tour to promote her new bra called "The Body" bra. Heidi is the spokesperson for the new bra, as she was called "The Body" within the industry, so this bra was named for her (by Victoria’s Secret). Apparently some other models, most specifically Elle McPherson, are totally pissed that Heidi has called herself ‘The Body’, claiming the title as their own.

Heidi Klum may just be the hardest working woman in fashion. She’s a world famous model, the host and executive producer of the hit reality show "Project Runway," and she’s expecting her third child.

As if that’s not enough, she has signed on to be the spokeswoman of the new Body Bra by Victoria’s Secret and face of the campaign in her spare time…

And this is probably one bra that every woman wants to have because it is so comfortable. It comes eight different colors, it has no seams, no stitches. It is not the super sexy, lacy bra, but this is something functional that you want to have every day that is super comfortable and just great."

Via socialite’s life ; Tags: the body, bra, brasierre, heidi klum, victorias secret, body bra

We are now… The lingerie gals, with a new design and URL. Our new url is www.thelingeriegals.com

You won’t have to update your feed, we’ll take care of all that. But do update your bookmarks!

Our new design is somewhat temporary. We’re looking to personalize the cartoon a bit more, but you get the feel for it.

And we welcome to the blog a second writer (the second ‘gal’), Gloria, who will be sharing lots more lingerie news with you soon.

Cheers!

Tags: lingerie, lingerie gals, fashion, style

The latest craze in bikinis - bikini 2.0 (via Paul Kedrosky), also known as the Solestrom SmartSwimâ„¢ UV Meter Bikini.

This very expensive bikini is a UV Smart Bikini featuring a "smart fabric UV Meter" that’s  built right into the suit (the belt, which is detachable as well). It’s all waterproof, of course, and even safe in chlorine.

Basically it gives you a UV reading:

The UV Index indicates the strength of the UV intensity. The higher the number, the stronger UV intensity, and the shorter the time for damage to your eyes and skin. In general the risk to your skin depends on your skin type, weather and geographic location. Our UV Chart gives an outline of ray intensity and protective suggestion, and average number of minutes to sunburn.

Tags: bikini, bathingsuit, UV, sun, exposure, gadgets

Scrolling message bras - very gadgety idea!

They are one-of-a-kind shirts, hand made, for about $500.

So, the politically correct challenge is to not try to read the writing around the cleavage. Of course, that’s nearly impossible, but funny to watch.

Via techie diva

You know gaming has started kicking ass when you can dress your Sims in lingerie - Leora from Sims Gamer is doing an America’s Next Top Sims series on her blog. And, in this week’s "episode" her Sims did a lingerie show.

Check out her post and pictures for the lingerie she’s put on her models. Anything tickle your fancy? I think Lisette and Candy have the best outfits. ;)

Tags: lingerie, sims

It’s a pity that the official beer sponsor isn’t at least a good beer… shudder…

Hoping to bask in the sun, Budweiser will be the official beer sponsor of the 2006 Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue, coveted by the beer brand’s core market of young adult men.

Besides its own advertising in the Feb. 14 issue, Anheuser-Busch Cos. will help promote that magazine at special parties, in grocery stores and bars, while linking the Budweiser brand with a young, sexy image.

"It is certainly going to be a way to get customers’ visual attention at that point of sale, that’s for sure," said Richard Irwin, director of the Bureau of Sport and Leisure Commerce at the University of Memphis in Memphis, Tenn.

Sports Illustrated should sell roughly 4.5 million copies of its swimsuit issue this year.

But the projected sales figure understates the number of people who peruse the issue. The magazine estimates the swimsuit edition reaches more than 64 million adults. And the readers aren’t just men.

More than a third are women, interested in the bathing suits featured in the annual edition, said Jeff Price, chief marketing officer at New York-based Sports Illustrated, a unit of Time Warner Inc.

Wohoo, confirmation that women do indeed like swimsuits!

Source

Tags: sports illustrated, swimsuit edition, sportsillustrated, budweiser, bikini

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