Retail Roundup

HELPING OTHERS.COM

We’re feeling a little under the weather this week -- is it all the

hot dogs we’ve been eating for National Hot Dog month? -- so you’ll

excuse us if our hilarity quotient isn’t quite what it ought to be.

Consider, for example, our desire to talk about an event called

“Dot-Coms for a Cause,” which is sponsored by the Newport Beach IPNet

Solutions Inc. This is something that’s going to happen tonight in

Atlanta and it will raise money for breast cancer prevention.

Sounds good.

But is it funny? Not really.

SWIMMIN’ IN LINEN

And then, on the other hand, we want to mention that Frette, a linen

house from Italy, is opening a location in South Coast Plaza.

Now, we when think about linen, we think about wrinkles. And wrinkles

are not funny. Unless they’re on that one kind of dog that’s really

wrinkly, and that’s not what we’re talking about here.

Frette says it’s going to bring “fine design and beautiful materials”

to its new location. It says it’s going to wow us with the quality and

sheer luxury of the fabrics produced by its famous Jacquard looms.

This makes us feel a little better. It’s not very funny, but reading

about it is starting to make us imagine that we’re rich.

ADIOS FREDDY!

And just when we thought there was no more mirth, Frederick’s of

Hollywood filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.

This actually seems like it’s worth a chuckle. Not because we like

laughing at other people’s misfortune -- we don’t. No, really.

Perhaps the lingerie chain should have opened shop in South Coast

Plaza. Or maybe Frederick’s financial state just says something about the

underwear market. Apparently it’s not what it used to be.

And neither are we. But we’ll be better next week.