Return of the great suspenders: Sexy lingerie sales rise by third as celebrities inspire fashion revival

Celebrities such as Katy Perry and Dita Von Teese are inspiring a surge in sales of stockings and suspenders, retailers report.

The boom in young stars rocking the new trend appears to have spurred women on to splash out on racier lingerie for the bedroom.

And as couples choose to spend more nights in during the recession - the benefits of a sexy pair of tights are two-fold.

Hey big suspenders: Lily Allen, left, Katie Perry and Rhianna put their best leg forward in a pair of suspenders

Retailers say sales of stockings, hold-ups and suspender belts have soared by up to a third in the last few weeks - despite being a fashion flop in recent years.
Burlesque model Dita Von Teese last week launched her new Wonderbra lingerie range with provocative photos of her leaning against a bicycle in revealing black stockings and suspenders and a lacy bra.
Pop princesses Katy Perry, who is dating comic Russell Brand, Lily Allen and Rihanna are also said by retailers to be fuelling the surge after being snapped sporting the risque underwear.

Teese me: The Dita effect has seen sales of hold-ups and suspender belts soar by up to a third

Lily, 24, wore daring, bright blue suspenders at a nightclub earlier this year and two-tone tights with a suspenders motif at London's Groucho club last week.
Rihanna, 21, recently put the sex factor into Paris Fashion Week with her outfit of thigh-high S & M boots and rubber suspenders.
And I Kissed A Girl hitmaker Katy, 24, famously stripped down to a cleavage-baring corset top and suspenders in a sizzling photo-shoot for Esquire magazine.
Online underwear store Figleaves is reporting a 35 per cent leap in year-on-year sales of stockings and hold-ups since August.

Here's to you, Mrs Robinson: Anne Bancroft used her suspenders to seduce Dustin Hoffman in The Graduate

Its sales of suspender belts and knickers with suspender belts have also jumped 40 per cent.

Agent Provocateur has seen stockings sales up 14 per cent and silk stockings with seams are a best-seller.

Denise Fraser, lingerie buyer for Figleaves, said: 'We have seen a very significant increase in sales of stockings over last six weeks.
'Stockings and hold-ups are 35 per cent up on the year for the same period whereas tights are only marginally up on last year.
'The Dita Von Teese effect has certainly taken hold. Women are desiring a more feminine, sexy look and in the recession, they are buying something sexy to improve their mood.'

'We are also attributing it to the return of Forties and Fifties trends, which we have been seeing on the catwalk.

'Ladies' briefs with built-in, detachable suspender belts are proving particularly popular.
'There are such beautiful fabrics and styles available that it is impossible for women not to feel glamorous and sexy.'
Stockings were a symbol of Hollywood glamour in the Forties and Fifties and in the Sixties Anne Bancroft's Mrs Robinson famously used hers to seduce a young Dustin Hoffman in The Graduate.
But sales slumped in more recent years with tights outselling stockings by 40 pairs to one in 2007.
A 2007 Mintel report found that profits from stockings sales had halved in four years from £10million to £5million annually.
But if the Hollywood pack isn't enough to persuade women to return to the garter belt, perhaps the catwalk will be.

With Henry Holland's trompe l'oeil tights for Pretty Polly and Chanel's two-toned must haves, it looks as though stockings could be here to stay - for the season at least.

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