Best lingerie store: La Perla

Even the word lingerie, conjures up images of women
featured in popular catalogues, from sophisticated and chic Victoria\'s Secret to
the somewhat raunchier Frederick\'s of Hollywood.

Enhancing the chance for romance is Valentine\'s
stock-in-trade, but creating a sensuous mood - for yourself or someone else - is
a tricky matter that spans an emotional gamut from sweaty-palmed anticipation to
glowing fervor. The gift of lingerie is an expression of intimacy that can be
appreciated by the recipient as well as the presenter.

That said, where to go in Kyiv for things silky and
seductive? The city offers plenty of bra-draped stalls in neighborhood bazaars,
as well as a few sex shops sporting wares more appropriate to the pages of
Hustler than to a respectable woman\'s wardrobe.

There are department stores and shops, of course.
Many lack the dressing rooms that provide an opportunity to try clothing on for
size and effect, and some still withhold the goods behind counters patrolled by
gruff, rotund clerks whose lingerie-wearing days passed long ago.

The Best Of team wanted something
better.

Setting inhibitions aside, we sought out refined, high-quality apparel offered in an inviting atmosphere. We have needs too, and
one of them is to be lured into buying that barely there G-string.

Fortunately, the Best Of team\'s efforts paid off when we discovered La Perla. Located on 25 Naberezhno-Khreshchatytska, this
light, airy lingerie shop is designed to take customers away from the hassles,
crowds and anxieties of the outside world and create a mood conducive to the
purchase of intimate apparel.

Quality and class typify La Perla\'s upscale
ambiance. Everything from slips to slippers is arranged beautifully,
unbelievably feminine and, yes, expensive. The store, which is one in an Italian
chain of boutiques scattered across Europe, sells its own brand of apparel.
While La Perla stocks a wide range of items, from bust-boosting bras priced from
Hr 175 to Hr 350 to beautifully hand-embroidered slips costing up to Hr 800, it
may lack the size you need.

Wary of thongs? La Perla also stocks
pretty-but-sensible cotton underwear, which sells for an average of Hr 150. The clothing sold here may be sexy, but it is not fetish gear: Look elsewhere to procure lingerie more attuned to the clasp, buckle, strap and closure
look.

La Perla\'s sales staff are so relaxed, you\'d think they were taking sedatives. They know their merchandise and how it\'s supposed to fit - service that is appropriate when shelling out $35 for panties.