Before there was Trashy Lingerie, there was the Trashy shoe. When Mitchell Shrier first opened his business in 1974, he sold footwear, labeling one of his best-selling shoes the “Trashy.” Soon, he found himself dying stockings to go with the shoe, and began making lingerie to match. Two years later, Trashy Lingerie was born. Trashy’s custom-designed intimates range from the demure to the X-rated, and its costume department is a Halloween destination for hundreds of L.A. women every year, offering everything from sexy uniforms to salacious versions of storybook characters such as Little Bo Peep. Five seamstresses work at the store and a designer is on hand for quick alterations. Membership is $2 a year. Trashy’s online store offers more than 100,000 items. But why call it “trashy”? According to Shrier, it’s a word that describes how a tart dresses. “Now, a tart is not a hooker,” he explains. “The word ‘tart’ comes from a little piece of dessert; she’s a flirt. And that’s what I do: flirtatious stuff.” 402 N. La Cienega Blvd., W.Hlywd. (310) 652-4543, trashy.com. —Tanja M. Laden

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