Since before Christmas I'd been seeing lingerie pop up everywhere. It was featured prominently in the Frederiksberg Shopping Center's revolving door display. It was on billboards at the Metro station. It was being bought by the bagload at H&M's pre-Christmas sales.
And then we moved out to our new apartment across from Northern Europe's largest shopping mall, Field's. There are at least three stores devoted exclusively to lingerie as well as bigger department stores like H&M and Magasin which have lingerie departments. And boy is the selection extensive! You can find everything from granny panties to risque ensembles all in your average, run of the mill shops.
And then there's this...
As if I needed any more confirmation that I now live in a country with a more permissive, open attitude toward sexuality. We Americans tend to like these kind of shops relegated to lonely industrial roads and major highway truck stops. Or we make them stand alone so it's clearly obvious to everyone where you are headed and there's no possibility that you got lost on the way to Barnes & Noble.
This particular store is located directly across the way from the entrance to Magasin in the mall. I will attempt to translate this into American-speak. Imagine, if you will, the nicest, most upscale shopping center in your tri-state area. Now imagine right across the entrance to Nordstrom's there is a Frederick's of Hollywood. I challenge anyone to show me a mall in the U.S. that devotes this kind of prime retail space to this pursuit.
This particular store is located directly across the way from the entrance to Magasin in the mall. I will attempt to translate this into American-speak. Imagine, if you will, the nicest, most upscale shopping center in your tri-state area. Now imagine right across the entrance to Nordstrom's there is a Frederick's of Hollywood. I challenge anyone to show me a mall in the U.S. that devotes this kind of prime retail space to this pursuit.
Lesson of the day: Don't run. Don't hide. Get used to it. Naked old couples in bed can sell you cell phones, the weather report can occassionally be delivered without a top, and stores at the mall can lead to fruitful discussions with your children on anatomy and human behaivor.
