Frederick's of Hollywood

The Purple Palace of American Lingerie

Frederick Mellinger: The Man Who Invented the Push-Up Bra (1946)

Frederick Mellinger was a World War II veteran with a keen eye for what American women wanted but were too polite to ask for. In 1946, he founded Frederick's of Hollywood on Hollywood Boulevard in Los Angeles, positioning his brand at the intersection of glamour, fantasy, and accessible sexiness.

Mellinger was a genuine innovator. He is credited with inventing or popularizing several garments that are now ubiquitous:

• The push-up bra (the "Rising Star," introduced in the 1948 catalog)
• The padded bra
• The front-closure bra
• Popularizing the thong in America (introduced in the 1981 catalog)

His catalog — mailed to millions of American homes — was for many women their first encounter with lingerie designed for sex appeal rather than purely functional support.

The Purple Building on Hollywood Boulevard

Frederick's flagship store on Hollywood Boulevard became a landmark. The building, painted in the brand's signature purple, housed the "Lingerie Museum" — a collection of celebrity undergarments including bras donated by Madonna, Cher, and other Hollywood icons.

The store was a tourist attraction in its own right. Visitors to Hollywood Boulevard would stop at Frederick's alongside the Walk of Fame and Grauman's Chinese Theatre. The purple facade became one of the most photographed buildings on the boulevard.

The Catalog Era (1950s-1990s)

Frederick's of Hollywood catalog was a cultural artifact. In an era before the internet, it was one of the few places where lingerie was presented as overtly sexy. The catalogs featured models in provocative poses wearing garments that mainstream department stores refused to carry — garter belts, bustiers, teddies, and fishnet stockings.

For decades, the catalog was a gateway for American women to explore lingerie beyond the practical. It was also, notably, not exclusively for the thin and young — Frederick's offered extended sizes long before inclusivity became an industry talking point.

Hollywood Connection

The brand's proximity to the entertainment industry was strategic. Frederick's supplied costumes and lingerie for film and television productions. When a script called for a femme fatale in a black corset or a seductress in a red negligee, Frederick's was often the source.

Decline and Closure

The rise of Victoria's Secret in the 1980s and 1990s gradually eroded Frederick's market position. Victoria's Secret offered a sanitized, mainstream version of sexy that appealed to a broader audience. Frederick's, with its more overtly provocative aesthetic, was increasingly pushed to the margins.

The company filed for bankruptcy in 2000 and again in 2015. The Hollywood Boulevard flagship and the Lingerie Museum closed. The brand continues primarily as an online retailer, a shadow of its former cultural significance.

Legacy

Frederick Mellinger democratized sexy lingerie. Before Frederick's of Hollywood, provocative undergarments were either bespoke luxury items or plain unmentionables. Mellinger made them affordable, accessible, and proudly American.