Rampage hits the malls as retailer repositions moribund Judy's chain.

Much of the 48-year-old Judy's retailing chain could soon be history. Its parent, Rampage Clothing Co., plans to convert most Judy's stores into outlets that bear the Rampage name, and sell funkier, trendier clothes aimed at a wider range of customers.

Larry Hansel, owner of the Vernon-based apparel manufacturer Rampage, bought Va Nuys-based Judy's when it emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in January 1993. At the time, Hansel said he planned to keep the Judy's name and simply expand the 50-store chain.

He opened new, revamped Judy's stores in the Plaza at West Covina and in the Westside Pavilion in West L.A., but they weren't successful. They were nice, bu they weren't one-of-a-kind, Hansel said. They weren't special, he said of the revamped Judy's stores.

Also, Judy's appeal was on the decline because it caters to the "junior" market teenage girls and women in their early 20s. Changes in the overall population have halved the number of female consumers in that age range compared with a decade ago, Hansel said.

In March, Rampage converted a Judy's in Reno, Nev., into a Rampage store, and i April converted one in Houston into a Rampage store as well.

Then, in July, Rampage converted the Judy's stores in the Plaza at West Covina as well as those in the Westside Pavilion and Beverly Center in Los Angeles int Rampages.

Judy's clothes are on the cutting edge. However, they are "not so funky that yo can only wear them this season and throw them away," as are the trendy clothes sold at Rampage, said one retail source who wished to remain anonymous.

Rampage sells plenty of spaghetti-strap dresses and short, tight-fitting tops - along with more conservative suits.

The store also sells Calvin Klein men's brief underwear with legs. Fashionable women are wearing it these days, often under baggy shorts or large T-shirts, to work out in or hang out in, according to company spokeswoman Tracy Lawrence.

Furthermore, although Judy's carriers some clothes made of metallic and see-through materials, Rampage carries more of it and displays it much more prominently, said a rival retailer who wished to remain anonymous.

The Beverly Center Rampage is the "prototype," both in terms of architecture an for merchandise it carriers, for all future Rampage outlets, Lawrence said.

The store is brightly lit and has wooden floors, in contrast to the darker, carpeted Judy's outlets. About 35 percent of the merchandise consists of non-apparel items, ranging from vases to massage oils to eucalyptus shampoo.

About 40 percent of the merchandise is manufactured by Rampage, Hansel said.

In contrast to Judy's primarily junior appeal, Rampage caters to women of all ages. The clothing mix is slightly more sophisticated, Hansel said.

"We're bringing in a customer that wouldn't go to Judy's," he said.

Prices range from $10 to $400, Hansel said.

Judy's clothes are more affordable, said Marcia Israel, who founded the Judy's chain but sold it to Hong Kong-based Laws International Holdings Ltd. in 1989. Hansel bought the chain from Laws International Holdings.

Some clothes at Rampage are more expensive than at Judy's, but many items are i the same price range, Lawrence said.

By year-end, Hansel also plans to convert Judy's outlets in Topanga Plaza in Woodland Hills and in Sherman Oaks Fashion Square into Rampage stores. Also slated for conversion by year-end are Judy's stores in Riverside, Concord, Calif., and two Texas locations, said Marketing Director Nancy Mamann.

Hansel said he probably will convert most of the remaining 39 Judy's stores int Rampage outlets eventually.

Rampage has been running advertisements on Southland billboards and bus benches on New York City bus panels and in national fashion magazines for the past two years. But the company stepped up its advertising on the backs of local bus benches in March to herald the opening of the Rampage stores here, Hansel said.

Israel said she was sorry to see the name Judy's go. "I feel he (Hansel) has underestimated the amount of customer confidence in the name Judy's," she said. However, Israel added that she was impressed with the Beverly Center Rampage store's decor and merchandise mix.

Rampage is also starting a new children's clothing chain called Friends. The first store opened in August a few doors down from the Beverly Center Rampage store. Hansel also plans to open Friends stores this year alongside most of the Rampage stores it will open.