Valentine's day shopping advice...

Published in The Post-Star (B12)
2/12/06

It's amazing how much pressure those two little words on the calendar -- Valentine's Day -- can exert on a relationship. What do you get a girl to show your love, when chocolate is too cliche and diamonds are too expensive?

Enter lingerie, the gift that keeps on giving. It's something both of you can enjoy, and most women say they like getting it.

But in an informal poll of local shoppers last week, most men said they didn't plan to bring home any of those familiar pink-and-white striped shopping bags this Valentine's Day.

The majority were relying on more conservative gifts -- flowers, jewelry, or a carefully selected card. Some said they had dared to buy lingerie as a gift in the past, but only through a catalog or the Internet.

One 26-year-old said he wasn't dating anyone right now, but wouldn't be afraid to go into a store like Victoria's Secret and ask for assistance.

"Some people think going into places like that makes you look like a pervert, but it doesn't bother me," he said.

He declined to give his name.

Come on, guys.

At L&B Novelties and Gifts, a tiny, eclectic gift shop in downtown Hudson Falls, cheap lingerie has been an unexpected best-seller since the store opened last November.

"At first, we carried it as kind of a joke, but we've sold a lot of it," said Kelly LaPoint, one of the store's owners. Demand has been strongest in the weeks before Christmas and Valentine's Day, he said, with at least 40 customers making lingerie purchases for the holidays.

The younger crowd gravitates toward the skimpiest numbers, like an $8 neon red "baby doll" top and matching thong that conceal about as much as a screen door.

"It seems like the younger girls don't want to leave much to the imagination," he said. "The trashier, the better."

The farther people get from their teenage years, the more demure their taste in lingerie seems to become. He pointed to a hanging display of full-length satin nightgowns and robes -- also fairly transparent.

"The older people go for those," he said, "the more conservative types."

He said he wasn't surprised to learn that most young men were reluctant to discuss lingerie shopping with a reporter.

"It's an embarrassment thing," he said. "That's why people like coming in here. It's more discreet than shopping in a big store, like Wal-Mart."

If you don't know a woman's tastes very well, it's best to err on the side of caution. Ask a salesperson what's most popular with female customers, or buy a gift certificate.

Keep in mind that the type of outfit you pick out for someone reflects what you think about their tastes and personality. If you buy that flaming red leather-and-lace contraption, you might be sending the message, "I think you're a prostitute." (Or, "I wish you were a prostitute.")
Then again, buying a flannel nightie suggests you think they're about as sexy as Grandma.

As a general rule, the longer you've been in a relationship, the more latitude you have to choose a risque gift.

"When you've been married 20 years, like me, it doesn't matter," LaPoint said. "There ain't much left to be embarrassed about."
#