Lingerie Can Be Had for a Song If You Look in All Right Places
When Mies van der Rohe uttered his immortal dictum, “Less is more,” he surely wasn’t thinking of women’s foundations. But those words could very well apply to the prices some stores charge for their brassieres, girdles, panties and slips.
Forty-four dollars for a single bra, however lovely or well-made, is a lot of money. Fortunately, there are some alternatives to paying unmentionable prices for one’s intimate apparel. Some suggestions on ways to give those prices the slip:
LILY OF FRANCE
This lingerie outlet--which recently doubled its size--is part of an outlet offering Carole Little and men’s sportswear. The lingerie area is stocked with past-season overruns of first-quality merchandise at 50% below original retail prices.
On a recent stop-in, Christian Dior Intimates were particularly well represented and there was a rack of Natori’s retro-inspired designs.
Among the Diors: an elegant re-embroidered lace bra and panty in dusty lilac, white or black ($24 and $18); a ‘40s-style nylon-Spandex satin tulip bra, padded or plain, with a matching string bikini, in emerald green, bronze or a wallpaper floral ($13, $12 and $5 respectively).
On the Natori rack was a leaf-print set, available in a black or a shrimp-colored background, consisting of a bra ($17), bikini panty ($9) and garter belt ($12).
Full-figured women might see L.E.S.S. minimizers ($9.25). On the $4.99 and $5.99 racks were some of the best buys in everyday bras--well-constructed yet attractive ones that looked as if they’d hold up to lots of wear.
There were some great buys in the sports section--racer-back cotton-Lycra midriff-length or shorter bras with matching briefs, available in eight colors plus several prints ($10 to $12.50 for both pieces).
There’s always a sale area, the store says, offering further markdowns. For example, a turquoise shadow-stripe demi-bra was on sale for $3.99 (originally retail priced at $17) and a raspberry-colored bra from the ever-popular Glossies line also was tagged at $3.99.
The outlet also carries the less-practical stuff such as bustiers and lace bodysuits and capris. A section next to the lingerie area offers robes and sleep wear. (The men’s boxers are upstairs in the men’s department.)
In the Designer Labels for Less outlet, 1801 E. Dyer Road, Santa Ana. (714) 261-6678.
LINGERIE FOR LESS
Lingerie for Less is a Southern California chain offering a large and varied selection of first-quality designer and famous-maker lingerie at 30% to 70% off regular retail store prices.
All items here are in season. One young shopper, for instance, was checking out an up-to-the minute pink-and-white gingham cotton-spandex bra ($9.99), that could double as a sun top.
“This store does well in the sexy merchandise--teddies, garter belts,” says Jene Palmer, who manages the Cypress store. Indeed, there was a good selection of that kind of thing there, but also plenty of the tamer stuff--the plain basic or simply embellished bras and panties and slips in various bright or subdued colors and prints as well as in an everyday white or beige.
Labels such as Wacoal, Jezebel, Christian Dior, Lilyette, Warner’s, Olga, Lilyette and Lucie Ann II were stocked on a recent visit. Many of the bras had matching panties, too.
Among the more eye-catching offerings: a strapless lace bra by Jezebel, available in navy or black ($12.99); a black or beige Wacoal bra featuring embroidered net cups ($17.99--Wacoal bras typically retail for $40 and up), and a Dentelle re-embroidered lace-topped polyester nightgown that, with a little altering, could double as a full slip ($48.99). There were also lots of fun cotton-Lycra panties in solid colors and prints such as dots or stripes ($3.99 to $6.50).
And four bits for what had to be the cheapest special around: 50 cents each for purple cotton-Lycra string bikini panties.
Lingerie for Less also sells other items such as robes, sleep wear, hosiery and a few men’s items such as silk boxers, pajamas and smoking jackets.
6903 Katella Ave., Cypress. (714) 527-7734; 1835 Newport Blvd., Costa Mesa. (714) 645-4552; 3800 Barranca Parkway, Irvine. (714) 559-6858; 3707 S. Bristol St., Santa Ana. (714) 546-1133; 28011-A Greenfield Drive, Laguna Niguel. (714) 831-1386; 18591 Main St., Huntington Beach. (714) 841-8980; 3218 E. Yorba Linda Blvd., Fullerton. (714) 524-7413.
MAIDENFORM
This outlet, the company’s closest one to Orange County, stocks mostly past-season overruns but also some merchandise produced specifically for the outlet stores. Prices are 30% to 75% below regular retail. The great majority of items are first quality, and many of the bras are available with matching panties.
Some of the prettiest items spotted recently were by Oscar de la Renta. There was, for instance, a black all-lace underwire bra and matching bikini panty ($25 and $13.75; the tag indicated that the original retail prices for these would be $41 and $23). Also from Oscar de la Renta was a set of navy and white lace-trimmed floral pieces that included a bra ($21.25, from $34), tap pant ($27.25, from $42) and camisole ($28.50, from $46).
Among the items in the popular Maidenform Chantilly line were a padded underwire bra with lace cups ($14.50) and a matching string bikini panty ($5.75).
On the $2.99 bra rack was, for example, an all-lace stretchy bra in white, red, hot pink, beige or a floral print. And on the girdle pole, was an irregular “1-Minute Diet” panty girdle ($6). For the full-figured woman, the outlet was offering the Letter Perfect line in white, pink and nude ($9.75 to $14.75 for items that would regularly retail for as much as $20).
In the panty bin were assorted cotton and nylon bikinis and briefs in a bouquet of colors and styles.
This store also sells men’s boxers, sleep wear, bathing suits and hosiery.
Lake Elsinore Outlet Center, 17600 Collier Ave., Lake Elsinore, (714) 674-7335.
NORDSTROM RACK
The lingerie section here is just a small part of the outlet, but, like gambling in the lottery, it offers the chance for a payoff if you get lucky.
The Rack stocks past-season merchandise from the South Coast Plaza, Brea Mall and MainPlace/Santa Ana stores, plus items purchased for the Rack, all at savings of 30% to 70% off regular retail. The lingerie is all first-quality items that are either end-of-season, past-season, or overruns.
On a recent visit, a number of designer names--Christian Dior, Calvin Klein, even Victoria’s Secret, as well as well-known better brands such as Wacoal, Lily of France, Olga, Warner’s and Lilyette--were available.
Perhaps the best buys were a Wacoal peach full slip with a lace top and spaghetti straps ($29.97, originally selling for $68) and a half-slip version ($19.97, originally $44).
On the bra rack, the standouts included a solid-color gunmetal-gray all-stretch Lilyette underwire ($7.97) and a black Victoria’s Secret underwire with cotton-lace decorated cups ($6.97). In the panty bin, $1.97 would buy any of a large number of cotton or nylon bikinis or briefs in solids or prints.
The area also offered a few of the less practical things such as teddies and lace bodysuits.
3900 S. Bristol St., Santa Ana, (714) 751-5901.
OLGA-WARNER’S OUTLET
For the Olga or Warner’s fan, this place has the goods. The discounts start at 35%, and weekly there is a special on a particular category of items. The stock consists of current overruns of first-quality merchandise, discontinued items and, among the bras, irregulars. The prestige names include Valentino and Ungaro.
The Valentino grouping had some of the most fashionable bras for Spring ‘92, such as a pique-and-lace bra-and-panty set in white or black ($19.99 and $9.99; regular retail prices for these would be $30 and $25); and a brown nylon-and-cotton lace bra ($19.99; a department store spring catalogue had it in white and sale-priced at $28.50, down from $38).
Some overrun lots will be what the store calls “volume priced”--on this particular day, that meant at least 50% off regular retail for a grouping of matching bras and panties in jewel tones and sherbet pastels.
On the panty racks were plenty of pairs of conservatively cut cotton and nylon underwear, in a variety of styles and colors, for those who want to keep themselves covered in briefs or hipsters or bikinis ($2.99 for cotton, $3.99 for nylon).
On the bra racks, was the Every Which Way bra--the one that goes from halter to strapless to crisscross ($11.99, regularly $18.99).
Also offered were maternity slips and nursing bras in white, pink, blue or black lace ($18.99).
743 W. Baker St., Costa Mesa, (714) 957-1214.
ROSS DRESS FOR LESS
Ross is a national chain of off-price stores that, according to spokeswoman Katie Loughnot, in contrast to regular department stores, buys its merchandise closer to, during or at the end of a season. Ross, being a different kind of operation, does not have the kinds of special privileges--such as the right to return items that do not sell--that a regular department store does, therefore it can buy things at a discount and offer them to the consumer for less.
If you’re determined not to pay more than $7 or $8 for a bras or a pair of underpants, you easily can do it here.
Spotted on a recent visit to the Tustin store were such labels as Jockey, Bali, Warner’s, Vanity Fair, Gitano, Playtex and Danskin, as well as a number of lesser-known brands. There was plenty of young-looking stuff--panties or bras in wild stripes, hot colors, psychedelic prints--although solid colors and demure prints were by no means neglected.
On that day, for instance, there was a special on Playtex bras ($5), Cacharel print bras ($4) and matching panties ($6), Warner’s blue pebble-print half-slips ($3) and large-size white Bali nylon net-and-lace bras ($5).
3900 S. Bristol St., Santa Ana. (714) 546-2600; 2851 El Camino Real, Tustin, in the Tustin Marketplace. (714) 731-9360; 1800 N. Grand Ave., Santa Ana. (714) 542-1710; 233 Orangefair Mall, Fullerton. (714) 680-4850; 24332 Rockfield Blvd., Lake Forest. (714) 855-0064; 27991 Greenfield Drive, Laguna Niguel. (714) 831-2677.
PHOTOS SHOT AT BETWEEN THE SHEETS, FASHION ISLAND
