Clothes Knit Group

Moments later, the girls are on the catwalk and the catcalls have begun. ''She needs to join the Corps and put some meat on her,'' one Marine remarks as lanky, bespectacled Shandi Sullivan, 21, saunters by. More to the audience's liking: cornrowed Camille McDonald, 25, who gets a ''very nice'' as she struts her stuff for the Marines.

After the show, a crowd of military men mob Banks, dressed appropriately in a black bomber jumpsuit and stilettos. The first guy to speak makes no mention of her stunning looks or Victoria's Secret appearances. ''I liked that model TV show you did,'' he says. That stealth mission to bring couture to the common man? Consider it accomplished.