FASHION Zip-- and Also Pop

Barely perceptibly, women's under wear began a year ago to melt into skin air. Girdles crept up the leg, and bras got briefer. The body stocking came along, and the traditional white and pink colors were superseded by a flesh color that matched the owner's own. Short of eliminating itself entirely, the industry seemed to have nowhere left to go.

Except, of course, to the opposite extreme. In the new undergarment collections, slips, half-slips, panty girdles, panties and bras are stirringly designed to be seen as well as to gird. Bright stripes, polka dots and designs are all over, lending underwear new snap, crackle and also pop. There is a panty brief with a printed-on image of an oversized zipper that never expected to or could get zipped, another with an American-flag motif. A third has a pair of eyes that wink from the rear, shed a tear in the front -virtually demanding comment from hasty psychoanalysts. Made by Treo to sell at $6 and $7, 150,000 of the briefs and panty girdles have already been ordered by department stores.

And if pop is not for Mom, there are plenty of other new patterns to choose from. Stephanie has a green, orange and yellow flame-patterned print that comes in a bra ($1.59), panty girdle ($3.99) and elastic long John ($5.95) for use under slacks; Warner's has put a tiger's stripes on its tank suit ($19), also offers a cobra-skin pattern if stripes don't suit. Most stylish are the Courreges-inspired underpinnings of Formfit-Rogers. The full slip ($9), in white with black banding, can easily double as a nightdress or a playdress.

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