Every February 14, sweethearts hit by Cupid’s arrow exchange tokens of fondness in honor of St. Valentine, the patron saint for whom the day is named. Though his history is up for debate—one story holds he was a priest who performed marriage ceremonies against a Roman Emperor’s wishes while another suggests that a love letter he wrote while imprisoned became the first “official” Valentine—the holiday has nonetheless become a widely recognized time for expressing appreciation for that special someone. From cards to chocolate and dinner to diamonds, they’ve all become mainstays in the art of amorous gift-giving.
No doubt, there are countless places in the Merrimack Valley where people can purchase these traditional gifts, but there are also a couple of hidden gems where shoppers can pick up another popular Valentine’s item—one that may prove to be as alluring for the gift-giver as it is for the person who receives it.
Night & Day – Andover, MA
Merit Tukiainen in the doorway of her classy lingerie shop, Night & Day. Courtesy Photo
Merit Tukiainen opened this cozy and tasteful lingerie shop in downtown Andover three years ago after a long career in the hospitality industry. One day during her commute into Boston, where she worked in management at the Four Seasons Hotel, a run in her pantyhose (and the frustrating experience of having nowhere to buy decent replacements in town) became the inspiration that led her to open the store in November of 2003.
Tukiainen’s store stocks something for every woman—from fluffy and cozy robes to teddies and bustiers from makers such as Scanty, Wendy Glez, Mary Green, Le Mystere (designers of the bra that topped Oprah’s list of favorite things), Chantelle, and Newburyport-based designer Jacalyn Bennett.
“It’s gorgeous,” said Tukiainen of the Merrimack Valley maker’s clothing. “She designs the lingerie keeping in mind what works for all women.”
Tukiainen’s philosophy works along those same lines, and when purchasing merchandise for the store, it is consistent regardless of whether it’s flannel pajamas or a lace chemise. “When I select even the coziest things, I keep what women want in mind,” she said.
The store offers two levels of shopping—apparel and accessories on the first floor and lingerie and sleepwear on the second. The second floor is divided into two halves: lacy and racy on one side, comfortable and cozy on the other. (For the comfort of her more modest male shoppers, Tukiainen said, “The front room is always designed so that there’s no lingerie there.”)
“What I see a lot of men doing is getting one comfortable and cozy, and one racy little thing,” she said of her male clientele. “Not all women can see themselves in a sexy piece of lingerie.”
But isn’t that what Valentine’s Day is all about?
Not necessarily, says Tukiainen. “A suitable gift for Valentine’s Day doesn’t have to be a racy little thing,” she said. “It doesn’t matter what you’re wearing, but how you feel.” If a woman feels good, she added, a nice pair of pajamas can be just as sexy.
To that end, the trained salespeople at Night & Day make it a priority to help men shopping for their wives or significant others. They ask questions about her style and physical appearance and what she likes. But if that doesn’t work, Night & Day has made it easy for them to shop for that hard-to-buy-for sweetheart. Prior to a special occasion or holiday such as Valentine’s Day, a woman can come in and fill out a “Wish List,” which will then be sent to the gift-giver as a handy shopping reference.
Night & Day also specializes in bra fittings, and if they don’t have a certain size, color, or style in stock, Tukiainen said they make it their mission to find it. When asked the advantage of shopping in a store such as hers, Tukiainen quickly answers, “The personalized service is the number one thing.”
Night & Day is located at 63 Park Street. Contact them at 978-475-0343 or on the Web at www.nightanddaylingerie.com.
French Lessons – Newburyport, MA
French Lessons offers a wide variety of jeans, bras, and other lingerie at its Newburyport shop on State Street. Photo by Kevin Harkins
Gilda Tunney said Valentine’s Day is one of her busiest times of the year.
“I think we probably sell more than chocolate,” said the owner of this popular store located in historic downtown Newburyport, situated along a street packed with dozens of specialty shops that offer hard-to-find and unique items. “Men are last minute shoppers. We get at least two hundred men for those three days (before Valentine’s Day).”
What used to be exclusively a lingerie boutique, French Lessons, with additional locations in Concord, Winchester, and Hamilton, three years ago started to sell apparel— with an emphasis on jeans. Tunney, who opened the Newburyport store five years ago, explains that her customers were so happy with her taste in lingerie, they wanted her to expand the store’s offerings. The ratio of apparel to lingerie is now about 70 to 30, but during the busiest lingerie shopping seasons—such as Valentine’s Day and Christmas—Tunney bulks up the lingerie side.
“For me, it’s just natural that someone’s going to buy lingerie for Valentine’s Day,” she said. And so Tunney makes certain that the merchandise in her store is of the highest quality. She even travels to Europe three times a year to check out new lines. “What’s most important is the quality,” she said. “It has to be incredibly soft and feel great on the body.”
Notable designers available in her store include Cosabella, Chantelle, Hanky Panky, and Aubade. Like Tukiainen, Tunney and her staff make it as comfortable as possible for men to shop at French Lessons. Not only do they offer male customers camouflaged shopping bags so that they don’t have to walk the quaint streets of Newburyport advertising that they have just bought some lingerie, but they are also quick to guide them towards the right purchase.
“They know all these tricks that we do and they love it and that’s why they come back,” said Tunney, who once worked as an account executive for Lancome Cosmetics and received her degree from Parsons School for Design.
“We never let them stand there too long,” she said of the sometimes self-conscious male shopper, adding that they need not worry if they don’t know what to buy upon entering the store. “If they come to French Lessons, they really don’t need to know much,” she said.
Tunney too has a set of routine questions her salespeople ask of the men. Employees at French Lessons—all of whom go through a lingerie training session—ask their male shoppers, for example, how the woman is proportioned, her hair color and style, and, not least important, what his favorite color is.
But, “It’s not just about the bras and thongs and panties,” said Tunney about Valentine’s Day gifts. She explains the popularity of her fleece robes that she imports from France. “Women just grab it and go nuts.”
Tunney says that while she respects stores like Victoria’s Secret—which has made lingerie available to all women—“The price point is what it is, and the quality is what it is. Small lingerie stores like mine are for people looking for quality.”
French Lessons is located at 18 State Street. Contact them at (978)-499-0499.
Buy Local – Chic Lingerie – Winter 2007
Every February 14, sweethearts hit by Cupid’s arrow exchange tokens of fondness in honor of St. Valentine, the patron saint for whom the day is named. Though his history is up for debate—one story holds he was a priest who performed marriage ceremonies against a Roman Emperor’s wishes while another suggests that a love letter he wrote while imprisoned became the first “official” Valentine—the holiday has nonetheless become a widely recognized time for expressing appreciation for that special someone. From cards to chocolate and dinner to diamonds, they’ve all become mainstays in the art of amorous gift-giving.
No doubt, there are countless places in the Merrimack Valley where people can purchase these traditional gifts, but there are also a couple of hidden gems where shoppers can pick up another popular Valentine’s item—one that may prove to be as alluring for the gift-giver as it is for the person who receives it.
Night & Day – Andover, MA
Merit Tukiainen in the doorway of her classy lingerie shop, Night & Day. Courtesy Photo
Merit Tukiainen opened this cozy and tasteful lingerie shop in downtown Andover three years ago after a long career in the hospitality industry. One day during her commute into Boston, where she worked in management at the Four Seasons Hotel, a run in her pantyhose (and the frustrating experience of having nowhere to buy decent replacements in town) became the inspiration that led her to open the store in November of 2003.
Tukiainen’s store stocks something for every woman—from fluffy and cozy robes to teddies and bustiers from makers such as Scanty, Wendy Glez, Mary Green, Le Mystere (designers of the bra that topped Oprah’s list of favorite things), Chantelle, and Newburyport-based designer Jacalyn Bennett.
“It’s gorgeous,” said Tukiainen of the Merrimack Valley maker’s clothing. “She designs the lingerie keeping in mind what works for all women.”
Tukiainen’s philosophy works along those same lines, and when purchasing merchandise for the store, it is consistent regardless of whether it’s flannel pajamas or a lace chemise. “When I select even the coziest things, I keep what women want in mind,” she said.
The store offers two levels of shopping—apparel and accessories on the first floor and lingerie and sleepwear on the second. The second floor is divided into two halves: lacy and racy on one side, comfortable and cozy on the other. (For the comfort of her more modest male shoppers, Tukiainen said, “The front room is always designed so that there’s no lingerie there.”)
“What I see a lot of men doing is getting one comfortable and cozy, and one racy little thing,” she said of her male clientele. “Not all women can see themselves in a sexy piece of lingerie.”
But isn’t that what Valentine’s Day is all about?
Not necessarily, says Tukiainen. “A suitable gift for Valentine’s Day doesn’t have to be a racy little thing,” she said. “It doesn’t matter what you’re wearing, but how you feel.” If a woman feels good, she added, a nice pair of pajamas can be just as sexy.
To that end, the trained salespeople at Night & Day make it a priority to help men shopping for their wives or significant others. They ask questions about her style and physical appearance and what she likes. But if that doesn’t work, Night & Day has made it easy for them to shop for that hard-to-buy-for sweetheart. Prior to a special occasion or holiday such as Valentine’s Day, a woman can come in and fill out a “Wish List,” which will then be sent to the gift-giver as a handy shopping reference.
Night & Day also specializes in bra fittings, and if they don’t have a certain size, color, or style in stock, Tukiainen said they make it their mission to find it. When asked the advantage of shopping in a store such as hers, Tukiainen quickly answers, “The personalized service is the number one thing.”
Night & Day is located at 63 Park Street. Contact them at 978-475-0343 or on the Web at www.nightanddaylingerie.com.
French Lessons – Newburyport, MA
French Lessons offers a wide variety of jeans, bras, and other lingerie at its Newburyport shop on State Street. Photo by Kevin Harkins
Gilda Tunney said Valentine’s Day is one of her busiest times of the year.
“I think we probably sell more than chocolate,” said the owner of this popular store located in historic downtown Newburyport, situated along a street packed with dozens of specialty shops that offer hard-to-find and unique items. “Men are last minute shoppers. We get at least two hundred men for those three days (before Valentine’s Day).”
What used to be exclusively a lingerie boutique, French Lessons, with additional locations in Concord, Winchester, and Hamilton, three years ago started to sell apparel— with an emphasis on jeans. Tunney, who opened the Newburyport store five years ago, explains that her customers were so happy with her taste in lingerie, they wanted her to expand the store’s offerings. The ratio of apparel to lingerie is now about 70 to 30, but during the busiest lingerie shopping seasons—such as Valentine’s Day and Christmas—Tunney bulks up the lingerie side.
“For me, it’s just natural that someone’s going to buy lingerie for Valentine’s Day,” she said. And so Tunney makes certain that the merchandise in her store is of the highest quality. She even travels to Europe three times a year to check out new lines. “What’s most important is the quality,” she said. “It has to be incredibly soft and feel great on the body.”
Notable designers available in her store include Cosabella, Chantelle, Hanky Panky, and Aubade. Like Tukiainen, Tunney and her staff make it as comfortable as possible for men to shop at French Lessons. Not only do they offer male customers camouflaged shopping bags so that they don’t have to walk the quaint streets of Newburyport advertising that they have just bought some lingerie, but they are also quick to guide them towards the right purchase.
“They know all these tricks that we do and they love it and that’s why they come back,” said Tunney, who once worked as an account executive for Lancome Cosmetics and received her degree from Parsons School for Design.
“We never let them stand there too long,” she said of the sometimes self-conscious male shopper, adding that they need not worry if they don’t know what to buy upon entering the store. “If they come to French Lessons, they really don’t need to know much,” she said.
Tunney too has a set of routine questions her salespeople ask of the men. Employees at French Lessons—all of whom go through a lingerie training session—ask their male shoppers, for example, how the woman is proportioned, her hair color and style, and, not least important, what his favorite color is.
But, “It’s not just about the bras and thongs and panties,” said Tunney about Valentine’s Day gifts. She explains the popularity of her fleece robes that she imports from France. “Women just grab it and go nuts.”
Tunney says that while she respects stores like Victoria’s Secret—which has made lingerie available to all women—“The price point is what it is, and the quality is what it is. Small lingerie stores like mine are for people looking for quality.”
French Lessons is located at 18 State Street. Contact them at (978)-499-0499.