Frederick's of Hollywood Models

Frederick's in the Beginning

While serving a stint in the Army, Frederick Mellinger conducted an informal survey of his fellow soldiers asking them questions about what type of undergarments they would like to see their favorite pin-up girls wearing. What Mellinger found was that the soldiers were just plain bored of the bland white undergarments and wished to see them in something a little more naughty.

Having a background in the retail industry, Mellinger opened a store in New York and named it Mellinger's of the Lower East Side. In his store he featured prettier, more exotic undergarments, including sexy lingerie. When he attempted to run ads in the local papers, he was refused on the basis that the ads were pornographic. Being a man of innovation, Mellinger circumvented this problem by running classified ads featuring his products.

Tiring of the conservative mind set of Manhattan at the time, Mellinger decided to move his business to Hollywood, renaming it Frederick's of Hollywood.

Frederick's of Hollywood Models

In more conservative years of the past, the Fredericks of Hollywood catalog featured illustrations of ladies modeling lingerie, bras and panties. As Americans became more liberal in their views of sex and sexuality, those illustrated models were replaced with real people. Here is a list of Frederick's of Hollywood models of the past and present:

• Brooke Burke – Brooke was a Frederick's model before she became known as the hostess of the E! channel's Wild On.
• Nicky Hilton – Before she and her sister Paris became popular "celebutante's" Nicky had a modeling gig with Frederick's.
• Cindy Margolis – This Playboy magazine regular posed for Frederick's early in her modeling career.
• Dita Von Teese – Burlesque queen Dita Von Teese was featured on the Frederick's of Hollywood 2007 holiday catalog.
• K.D. Aubert – Aubert has been in films The Friday After Next and The Scorpion King and has guest starred on a number of television shows and music videos.
• Brittany Brower – Former contestant on America's Next Top Model and once voted "The Hottest Girls of Reality T.V." by Maxim magazine.
• Bonnie-Jill Laflin – This former Dallas Cowboy's cheerleader also graced the list of Maxim's Hot 100 Women back in 2005.
• Nicole Marie Lenz – Another Playboy centerfold model and Maxim Hot 100 lister.
• Leann Tweeden – Best Damn Sports Show correspondent and yes, Playboy model, Tweeden is also a radio personality as part of the Corvin and Rich.
• Shae Marks – Playboy playmate and frequent star of many a Playboy' movie.
• Yvette Nelson – Not only is she a Playboy model, but she also a singer. She released her first cd titled All for the Sake of Love in 2000.
• Carol Vitale – Former Playboy playmate and talk show host Carol Vitale now designs a line of lingerie for Frederick's of Hollywood.
• Nikki Ziering – Once married to Ian Ziering of Beverly Hills 90210 fame, Nikki modeled for Frederick's of Hollywood before moving on to, you guessed it, Playboy.

Frederick's of Hollywood's Shifting Image

Bra and panty emporium Victoria's Secret has been luring Frederick's customers away for years. After emerging from bankruptcy in 2003, the clothing line and the image of Frederick's underwent a makeover in order to compete with the more demure Victoria's Secret. While the stores and catalogs continue to sell the more, shall we say, revealing items (like crotchless panties and open-cupped bras), they now both offer items on the daintier side. Their collection, "The Hollywood Suite", for instance, features pretty ruffled panties, beautiful lace over satin bra and panty sets and cute, but still decidedly sexy, baby dolls and cami sets.

The stores and catalogs also offer pretty dresses, tank tops, shoes and accessories. One other thing that Frederick's offers that Victoria's Secret does not is a line of lingerie designed exclusively for plus-sized women. So women of all sizes can easily shop at Frederick's for things that belong in their naughty and nice drawers.