Valentine's Day Dilemma?
How do we say I love you? From lingerie to perfume to jewelry
, let us count the ways and, yes, there are many ways we Black Shiny Metallic Piece Set Sexy Costume spread romance around at this time of year. If you've got a savvy personal shopper, you don't have to worry. A phone call and a charge card will do it. But if you're a little shy at picking out those gifts that say ''I love you,'' especially anything silky and slinky, then going online may be an ideal solution to finding the perfect Valentine's Day gift. According to a nationwide survey sponsored by eLUXURY.com, a significant percentage of men found the experience of shopping for lingerie to be intimidating. When these men were given the choice between getting their teeth cleaned or going shopping for lingerie, 54 percent preferred the dentist chair! Whrrrr! Most of us have had a few rather unpleasant experiences, either picking out that most intimate of gifts, or receiving a lacy luxury that is three sizes too big (or worse, three sizes too small). Ten years ago, my husband gave me a beautiful red silk gown and robe for Christmas. It just happened to be a few weeks before our daughter was born. I keep thinking someday I might be able to squeeze into them. Needless to say, they are still hanging in my closet, a reminder of thinner days gone by. While shopping online for lingerie may alleviate some problems for men who want to browse for a gift without attracting a lot of attention, there are other ways to say ''Happy Valentine's Day'' with style. Here are some tips on finding the perfect romantic gift for him and her First, be honest. If you always give your significant other a box of candy every year, and they always moan about that diet they just started, Black Shiny Metallic Bowknot Mini Skirt Zentai Suit it's time to change your approach. Another good rule of thumb learned by my husband after the Valentine Vacuum Cleaner fiasco ''It's best not to ever give a woman anything that has an electrical cord attached.'' Perhaps a fine trinket encrusted with sparkling stones or a pair of engraved zentai? Make it more personal and not something you have to plug in! Do your homework. This may require a little more effort than you've expended in the past. You may have to snoop around a little. Ask a few subtle questions. Observe. Clue in. Believe me, a few minutes of detective work will pay off. The fact that you actually picked out a gold lace camisole in the right size will amaze her for months. She doesn't have to know you raided her lingerie drawer last week in search of the elusive S, M or L. He doesn't have to know you asked his best friend to help pick out that new belt. When in doubt, consult a close friend. An intuitive son or daughter also usually works. Take a risk. Surprise is often the most romantic gift of all. How about a pink mink bikini? For a mere $3,500, you can buy the ultimate Valentine's Day gift available by logging onto www.legendmink.com. But it doesn't have to be a pink minkini, it could be a bottle of Escada's new Tropical Punch fragrance with two tickets to Hawaii tucked inside the pink gift box. The 1.7 ounce bottle is $48 and is available at Nordstrom, Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus, Bloomingdale's and Sephora. Before you go shopping or surfing on the Internet, you should have a few ideas to get you headed in the right direction. If you always go to the mall and spend hours in search of the ''perfect'' gift, you may or may not have any luck. You'll probably end up wasting a lot of time. Instead, have a plan, even if it involves calling their favorite stores and asking for help. If you want to try clicking off a few lovely gifts on the Internet, stick to sites that make shopping easy with gift wrapping and speedy delivery. Eluxury.com offers a wide array of fashionable gifts for him and her from Bottega Veneta's fuchsia aviator sunglasses to Hanro and La Perla's luxurious lingerie to Louis Vuitton hair-cube sets to jeweled face-powder compacts by Terry already engraved with special romantic messages pressed right into the powder. For men, eLuxury.com features Bvlgari's aluminum watch, steel cocktail shakers, digital cameras and much, much more. BestSelections.com is another site where unique treasures for your Valentine can be found from Voyage's floral velvet slippers to chiffon hot pants and pashmina pajama sets for men and women. For fabulous jewelry, visit Enjewel.com, an online jeweler with more than 2,000 gifts including diamond rings, heart lockets and pink pearls. If all else fails, buy a gift certificate. While it may not be the most personal gift, it's one that will still be appreciated by any sweetheart and Black Shiny Metallic Butterfly Dress you know you'll get the size right. But perhaps the best message of all? No matter how you say it ''I love you'' it's a gift that always has style. Sharon Mosley is a former fashion editor of the Arkansas Gazette in Little Rock and executive director of the Fashion Editors and Reporters Association.by: catsuit