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Well by now you have either seen, heard , or at the very least, thought about, the latest Victoria's Secret fashion show. What ever your opinion is concerning nationally televising grown women walking down a runway in their underwear , one thing is certain, they get our attention. American women are buying more lingerie than they did twenty five years ago. Beautiful and sexy underwear, once a dirty little secret, is now available at the mall, on the web and in catalogs. This is due, in no small part, to the success of Victoria's Secret. So whether we hate it or love it, Victoria's secrets annual fashion show is a preview of what American women are really buying and they are no longer being secret about it.

Victoria's Secret was purchased by Limited Brands ( The Limited) in 1982 when it was merely three stores and a catalog. In those days it competed with Fredrick's of Hollywood not Macys. Under the leadership of retailing legend, Les Wexner, Victoria's Secret has grown into almost one thousand stores and is responsible for one half of Limited Brands' annual sales of ten billion dollars . Victoria's Secret also has a catalog which is mailed to over three hundred and ninety million clients. It has a web store and has expanded its' product line into perfume and other beauty products. The recent introduction of the Pink line which is targeted to a younger buyer has already produced seven hundred million dollars in sales and there is talk of stand alone Pink stores. Underwear is big business.

When Victoria's Secret was purchased in 1982, it is estimated the average American woman owned five bras, all in basic colors. A quick look through any of our own drawers will reveal this is not the underwear drawer of today's average American woman. Bright colors , lace, or satin are just as likely to be found as cotton. The basic colors; black,white, and beige, are still there but purple, peach,yellow and pink are just as likely to find a spot in our intimates drawer. Even my teenagers have blue and purple undergarments.

So when did this love affair with underwear become a national past time? Well the increase in the number and visibility of lingerie stores has taken underwear out of the closet. As the products at Victoria's Secret became closer to those at Macys, and further from those of Fredrick's of Hollywood, more women became intrigued by the idea of wearing sexy underwear. Suddenly, you could not only see provocative lingerie, you could actually buy it at the mall. Victoria's Secret placed its' products in the sexy category but not the obscene. It became acceptable for a woman to buy sexy underwear in public. Even if the stores still carried some rather naughty items, a lady could carry the store's bag without embarrassment. No one knew if she bought some silk pajamas or something a little more risque. Both items were available for purchase, but the discrete shopping bag could contain white cotton panties or something quite different. Having a shopping bag from Victoria's Secret was a little naughty, but increasingly socially acceptable. Victoria's Secret was sexy, and buying sexy underwear was all right. Interesting underwear was in storefront windows and increasingly in women's drawers at home.

Even the department stores began to carry a wider variety of lingerie when faced with competition. Most department stores do not carry the more risque items, but the styles and colors of lingerie have increased. Conservative styles are still carried but so are sexy and luxurious items. Women who would not step foot in a Victoria's Secret store still want to buy sexy, beautiful lingerie. Victoria's Secret carries beautiful lingerie along with sexy underwear. The department stores responded by increasing their "cute" brands and their beautiful, luxurious brands. The increased visibility of the entire range of lingerie products increased consumer demand for all types of lingerie. Victoria's Secret put underwear where everyone could see it; a surprisingly wide range of women found they wanted what they saw. The department stores increased selection in response to this new demand.

The average American woman now has a love affair with their undergarments. Sexy lingerie does add spice to life. Men are reported to be visual in nature and a little something from the lingerie department will provide evidence to support this theory. Sex appeal has always driven the lingerie market but many women are not buying their underwear for the man in their life, they are buying it for themselves. Something sexy under a business suit or work uniform gives the wearer a boost of self confidence in today's competitive world. A woman can remind herself she is still sexy and feminine , even if the only place she can show it is under her clothing. Even moms can put a little zing in their attitude by starting their day in an outfit that is definitely not maternal.

Sexy underwear is not the only lingerie an American woman can fall in love with. Cute underwear is, well, cute. Putting on funny, printed panties brings out the little girl in the wearer. The same little girl who shouted with glee when mommy pulled out her Tinker Bell sparkle underwear now chuckles when she chooses happy faces or pink dogs. Even mom doesn't have a problem buying this type of underwear for her teens or for herself. It's cute, not overtly sexy. It allows the wearer to start the day with a sense of whimsy and a smile.

Victoria's Secret, has tapped into this market with their Pink product line. Pink is targeted to the nineteen to twenty-two year old consumer. This is the official line but who they are aiming for is the high school market. It makes sense, since if a consumer starts buying her underwear at Victoria's Secret as a young teen( with mom's approval no less) she will keep on buying as she grows up and out of her parent's house. The Pink line has drawn girls into Victoria's Secret at a younger age than ever before. Many of these girls stay only in the Pink department, lured by the cute sweats, panties and little stuffed dogs. Many are still afraid of the grown up nature of the rest of the store. It is no wonder Limited Brands is considering stand alone Pink stores.

The Pink line is cute. If you see a pair of sweats with PINK on the behind, you are witnessing Pink's amazing success. It is whimsical, funny and yes, sexy ( but not on my kid). The sweat pants are a desired item for your thirteen year old and your college girl. The product line is best seen in the stores. In real life you see its' cuteness and its' sexiness fades into the background. On line and in catalogues this line is sexy. It is shown at least two sizes too small on super models who could make a nun's habit look sexy. Visions of college dorm room strip poker games flash before your eyes. A parent checking out Pink on line will most likely say no, I know I did. Then you go into the stores. There you see what your daughter has been telling you for months, it is cute. It is located in a defined area of the Victoria's Secret store and stuffed dogs compete with pajamas and underwear for display space. Yes, there are thongs but there are also regular underwear. All are printed with cute sayings and prints. Five pair of conservative bikini underwear, on sale, will stop the phrase, " Pink is so cute", from exiting your high school teen's mouth for several months. You may even find yourself buying a pair of dog print undies for your younger teen ,who desperately wants them but doesn't want to walk into Victoria's Secret yet. All I can say is, it's cute!

I can resist the sensuous appeal of Victoria's Secret because I know they do not carry my size. I was not always this strong, nor this size, and I do believe I did my part in helping grow the lingerie industry. I remember buying the satin sets Victoria's Secret carried many years ago. I had every color but peach; I couldn't find a matching bra. It was during this time I acquired my own underwear fetish; beautiful underwear. Sexy and cute I can walk on by, beautiful I stop for. The latest product in the lingerie arsenal is an invisible lace bra which can be worn under any type of blouse. Lacy lingerie is beautiful but can limit the type of clothing worn over it since it ruins the lines of silky fabrics. Victoria's Secret is advertising an invisible lace bra that eliminates this problem. Even though I know they do not carry my size, the next time I am buying something cute I may check it out. Maybe the department stores will carry something similar soon.

So we watched grown women on national television in their underwear. I have to admit I liked the airline inspired collection. Do you think they really sell those little jackets? The plaid collection reminded me of the Christmas velvet and plaid set I used to wear. I stopped watching after that; there is only so much underwear on super models a grown woman can take, especially when she can no longer buy the products shown. Whether you watched or not, I am sure the fashion show got your attention. Victoria's Secret is good at that. Even if you turned the television off, in a fit of pique, your attention was drawn to underwear. If the past is any indication, increased awareness of lingerie products translates into increased desire. I know I want to check out the " airline" collection. How about you?