Where to Go If You Think Thongs Belong on Feet

DEAR HOT: Where can I find a good selection of leotards that aren’t made in that hideous, rear-end thong style? These things are all over the place in the activewear departments and shops I’ve been to lately. It’s getting hard to find a leotard that covers my posterior.

DEAR HOT SHOPPER: I find thong leotards a little discomforting, too, and it’s not just because I’d be mistaken for the Goodyear Blimp hogtied with kite string if I wore one. Purely from a design standpoint, these leotards (worn over tights) are actually quite attractive on well-proportioned, well-toned bodies. But most of us don’t have those kinds of figures.

In Los Angeles, the best aerobic-wear selection I know of is at a place that workout enthusiasts refer to as the Promised Land of Leotards. It’s Shelly’s Discount Aerobic and Dancewear at 2089 Westwood Blvd. Owner Shelly Shai claims she has the best selection “not just in the city, in the country!” She estimates that she carries about 500 different “regular tushie” leotards--and nearly as many thongs--at any one time. Leotard prices range from $3.99 to $16.99.

For even better values, don’t miss Shai’s monthly parking-lot sales. The next one in Los Angeles is July 20. Can’t wait? There’s one Saturday at her Tarzana store, Apparel Warehouse, 6010 Yolanda Ave.

DEAR HOT SHOPPERS: For those of us who resist getting sublimely organized, it’s been easy to reject those bulky, daily organizing systems that anal-retentive types live, die and manage multinational companies by. We could always rationalize that they were just too big to stick inside a purse.

Until now. Day Runner has just come out with a sleek, sexy little organizing system that’s the size of a wallet. It contains a calendar, telephone and address pages, note pages, pad and pen. Plus it is a wallet, with space for folding money, credit cards, photos and change. I especially like a style called Milano (pictured) that’s made of burgundy or black Italian calfskin.

Depending on the style, Memo Slimline Wallets sell for about $85 to $100 at Jay’s Luggage (Studio City, Northridge, Canoga Park, Thousand Oaks, Santa Barbara) and at Columbia Stationers in Los Angeles.