J. Peterman Returns to Hatch New Adventures

Dear Fashion Police: A few years ago, J. Peterman went out of business. I miss its particular type of products. Could you please inform me if anybody has taken over its catalog or product line?

--STILL A FAN

Dear Still: J. (for John) Peterman is alive and well and living in Kentucky where he is again at the reins of his unique clothing company.

Those who have followed the roller-coaster history of this clothier know that in the 1980s and ‘90s his catalog developed a reputation for the descriptions of his classic upscale men’s and women’s clothes, which read like passages from romance novels.

When actor John O’Hurley portrayed Peterman as an affable nut case on “Seinfeld,” he attained cult status.

The real Peterman subsequently expanded his empire a little too far a little too fast across the country. That resulted in a bankruptcy filing three years ago, leading him to sell the company to Paul Harris Stores, which in turn had money problems and sold J. Peterman to a liquidator.

But before the line vanished, Peterman himself snatched it back from the jaws of death.

Today J. Peterman has a catalog again and is online at www.jpeter man.com (or call [888] 647-2555), offering a limited selection of clothes, accessories and other items.

Don’t worry, those rambling narratives are still there: “It’s Friday night at the Hog & Fool, a 200-year-old pub off O’Connell Street in Dublin. World headquarters for conversation. Dark mahogany walls. Lean-faced men. Ruddy-faced women,” reads the blurb for a $44 Irish Pub Shirt.

The stores are gone, but Peterman told us in a quick phone chat that his clothes will be carried in select stores soon (he doesn’t have specifics quite yet.)

Also in the works are a line of licensed furniture and a television show in which he travels the world looking for amazing shopping experiences--just like real life! So stay tuned.

If you want to know more, you can get it straight from Peterman himself in his book, “Peterman Rides Again: Adventures Continue With the Real ‘J. Peterman’ Through Life & the Catalog Business” (Prentice Hall Press, 2000).

Attention, All Brides-to-Be: If any of you soon-to-be-brides have been gown shopping of late, or have already chosen your gowns, we’re sure one piece of sartorial advice has been handed out over and over again: You must wear the right foundations. In other words, a sports bra might do for an old T-shirt, but it ain’t going to cut it under a silk charmeuse halter gown.

But what exactly are the right foundations? If you have limited resources or your salesperson or bridal consultant is lacking in expertise, there’s a catalog and online source that can help.

Sol Bride grew out of a Denver lingerie store owned by sisters Jeanie Peterson and Cindy Johnson that offers bras, bustiers, panties, nightgowns, camisoles, bodysuits and other items for that special day--and beyond.

Prices range from $19 for underwear to more than $300 for a silk robe.

But how can you fit someone if you can’t see them, or what they’re wearing?

Peterson has that all figured out. Order the catalog and you’ll get a tape measure, plus an illustrated “Perfect Fit” guide (the guide is also on the Web site.) Brides can also call a customer service representative who will research their gown online, or look for it in bridal magazines to see exactly what it looks like.

If you have a vintage or one-of-a-kind gown, Peterson assured us that the representative’s extensive training makes her skilled at helping women choose the right lingerie. There’s also a liberal return policy.

Call Sol Bride at (800) 684-4854, or find it online at www.solbride.com.

And if you’re in Denver, you can drop by the store at 248 Detroit St., or call (303) 394-1060.

Write to Fashion Police, 202 W. 1st St., Los Angeles CA 90012, fax to (213) 237-4888, or send e-mail to jeannine.stein@latimes.com.