WINDOW DISPLAYS OF ITALIAN LINGERIE will stop you in your tracks. And then you just might purr. There’s a range of fantastic styles to content your inner kitty cat—from cutesy to romantic. Or if you’re looking for something especially alluring, Italy has what it takes to give you the power of Venus’s golden girdle, which she’d whip on to attract mortals she had the hots for.
You’ll see Intimissimi shops all over. The fun, quality, affordable brand is adored by Italians for their range of styles and great fabrics. In the same price bracket are Yamamay—another chain store that gets its name from a Japanese silkworm and offers flashier designs—and Cosabella, a brand that specializes in vibrant colors, created in a workshop in Como.
But the real treasures you’ll find are luxury Italian lingerie, where silk, satin, lace, and embroidery are combined to make masterpieces. The most famous brand is La Perla, which began in 1954 when Ada Masotti, a Bologna housewife, started a part-time business in her home, making corsets for wealthy women. Her son, who was a cardiologist, took over the business and now it’s a multi-million-dollar enterprise, turning out exquisite creations, with boutiques in big Italian cities and worldwide.
Another top designer is Flora Lastraioli, a Florentine company that was founded in 1932 by a family whose great-grandmother was the embroideress for the Grand Duke of Tuscany in the nineteenth century.
All these luxury labels are usually carried in Italian department stores (Coin and Rinascente). Many you can now find in stores in the States. But the most enjoyable shopping experience will be at lingerie boutiques. They’re sweet shops that carry these well-known luxury brands, wonderful up-and-coming designers, great swimwear if you are in need, and the sales help are typically kind and attentive.
Rome
This two-floor old-world wonderland is the prettiest lingerie shop I’ve ever seen. Crystal chandeliers hang over rooms of dark polished wood, layers of gorgeous lace bras and panties fill shelves and cabinets. Upstairs are racks of gelato-colored silk negligees, displayed with matching jewel-ornamented mules. The dressing rooms, frescoed in pale turquoise and gold, entice you to try something on.
Two sisters from Argentina opened this shop in 1983, where you can splurge on high-quality, exquisitely designed lingerie, made with silk and lace in their Florence workshop.
Florence
The stores listed in the Lace and Embroidery section (Loretta Caponi and Giachi Grazia Ricami) carry fabulous negligees and robes. You’ll also find lacy funwear at Stellini, Via Nazionale 104 (near Mercato Centrale) and a beautiful Flora Lastraioli atelier in San Frediano (Via Domenico Burchiello 105).
Venice
Designer Cristina Linassi’s negligees range in style from La Dolce Vita silks to graceful soft muslin gowns, accented with hand embroidery.
Naples
Whether you’re in the market for lacy or silk lingerie or a swimsuit, this shop’s lovely signore will attend to you with southern Italian charm.
Golden Day: In Rome, shop at Brighenti or L’Ingerie D’Elia, head to the nearby Via Condotti if you’re up for more shopping fun, then eat at Ristorante Museo Canova Tadolini (Via del Babuino, 150/a, www.canovatadolini.com), a space that was once the atelier of the sculptor Canova, now stuffed with his dramatic statues. As it’s open without a break from noon to 11 P.M., it’s perfect for caffe, aperitivo, or full meal.