For Valentine’s Day, you can choose to be a hopeless romantic–or a practical one.
Lingerie: A guy buying guide
With modeling and refreshments, men’s nights at g* boutique, 2131 N. Damen Ave.–the next is from 7 to 9 p.m. Tuesday–draw anywhere from 20 to 80 guys doing research for their significant others.
“The store is all about making women feel good,” said shop co-owner Cheryl Sloane, “but it actually turns out that men love it here too.
“They don’t like the sleazier stores any more than women do,” she said.
When it comes time to buy, particularly at the red-hot time of Valentine’s Day, keep in mind these three R’s, suggests Alison Deyette, who posts other tips on her Web site Stylebakery.com:
– Reach into her drawers, so to speak, before you shop. “There’s nothing like getting the wrong size.”
– Resist buying her something that she would never step outside of the house in, even as an undergarment. So, hmm, a garter? Depends on the woman, and whether it’s part of a set with interchangeable parts.
– Remember the Internet option, especially if you’re intimidated by stores. Check Rubynesque.com and boutiqueg.com (the site for g* boutique). Also barenecessities.com, allthingsbeneath.com, figleaves.com, laredoute.com and girlshop.com.
Among the other fabulous and local lingerie emporiums are Isabella, 1101 W. Webster Ave. (773-281-2352); Underthings, 804 W. Webster Ave. (773-472-9291), Trousseau at 3543 N. Southport Ave. (773-472-2727), Chantilly Lace Lingerie, 1144 Central Ave., Wilmette (847-256-8077) and Betty Schwartz’s Intimate Boutique, 1833 2nd St., Highland Park (847-432-0220).
And, in case you missed it, check out the Style page for further inspiration.
Sending out an XOXX
Question: Does a message in a bottle lose any of its romantic mystique when it arrives via snowy street–UPS or mail–instead of sandy beach?
Not when the scroll is stowed in exotic colored glass, sealed with a cork and nestled within a wood crate with wood shavings, answers Jeff Trott, director of marketing for Timeless Message, based in Phoenix.
Ordering on the Web site, customers can pour their hearts out via 500 scripted messages in various categories, or they can compose one themselves.
Their sentiment is laser-printed onto parchment paper with a burned-edge effect.
“We started Valentine’s season four years ago,” Trott said. “We’ve grown every month since. This year [during Valentine’s] we’ve tripled the year before.”
About a third of Timeless Message’s orders come from or go to military personnel, Trott said. “We get calls from submarines,” he said.
Marriage proposals are prevalent, but romance is not always the intent.
A daughter who sent one to her father reported back that she had never seen her dad cry before.
“It’s a very emotional gift,” Trott said. “It’s a keepsake.”
Price is $23 to $69.95, plus shipping, on www.timelessmessage.com.
The guy language of love
If you want to show him you’re stuck on him, the makers of Gorilla Glue suggest, well, glue.
Gorilla Glue, a 100 percent waterproof polyurethane-based adhesive, will bond flapping shoe soles, loose cupboard handles, fallen shower tiles, disabled toys and perhaps even hunks of burning love–though not broken hearts–say its makers.
It’s not the typical pitch we get this time of year.
But we had to admit it has the potential to cover that gooey metaphorical stuff in a non-gagging way–as part of a bonding (er, bondage?) gift basket, maybe.
Available at home centers and hardware stores, Gorilla Glue is about $4.95 for a two-ounce bottle, $6.95 for four ounces.
To find a Gorilla Glue retailer, visit the Glue Finder at www.gorillaglue.com.
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Diamond finds
Roses are nice, chocolate is lovely, but diamonds are a girl’s best friend on Valentine’s Day, one of the most popular times to pop the question. RedEye takes a walk through Chicago’s historic jewelry district for expert advice on how to evaluate a diamond beyond the four C’s. Plus, now that you’ve got the ring, how to propose? See Friday’s RedEye for more.
