Business Notes LINGERIE

When Clark Gable removed his shirt in the 1934 movie It Happened One Night to reveal his bare chest, sales of men's undershirts plummeted. This summer's popular baseball film, Bull Durham, has had the opposite effect on the undergarment business. After seeing Susan Sarandon show off black-lace garters in the film, many female movie-goers -- as well as some men shopping for their sweethearts -- rushed out to look for similar items. "There's no question Bull Durham has brought new recognition to the garter belt," says Margery Rubin Cohen, spokeswoman for the Columbus-based Victoria's Secret lingerie chain. At Frederick's of Hollywood stores, sales of garters shot up 15% in the month following the film's release. Though Frederick's offers garters in six colors and ten styles, the black-lace model accounts for 75% of sales.