Find yourself a perfect bikini at the best store
When the sky is bright blue and the air is hot, you cannot think of anything more pleasant than lounging on a sandy beach and taking a swim in cool water every now and then. The only thing that can keep you from this enjoyment is the absence of a perfect swimsuit. Some people don’t bother searching for a new swimsuit and just wear the one they wore last summer and the summer before. However, the truly stylish ladies and gents always make sure that their swimsuit corresponds with the latest fashion trends – after all it’s one of the elements that indicate your personal style. Not being a great fan of sun tanning at local beaches, I, nevertheless, have plans to go to the seaside this summer, and therefore a proper swimsuit is one of the things I’ll have to pack in my suitcase. So, to get myself properly equipped for my beach holidays, I decided to search Kyiv’s shop and find out which one of them is best for bikini shopping.
Undoubtedly, the widest assortment of swimsuit stores can be found at Metrograd shopping mall. Yet going through the rows of small shops, stuffed with all kinds of clothing items, I realized that only a limited number of swimsuits I found there fit my idea of a perfect bathing outfit. Everything that I saw at Metrograd was either of low quality or looked a little too kitsch, and I needed an outfit to look beautiful at the beach in, not to attend a carnival in.
Another shopping mall, which I decided to explore more thoroughly, was Globus, situated right on Maidan Nezalezhnosti, or, more accurately, right under it. Actually, this is the shopping center that I regularly visit when searching for clothes from new collections or checking out sales. And while most clothing stores offer at least a few swimwear items, I’ve noticed that the biggest selection of them can be usually found at lingerie stores, so I decided to check out the latter.
Women’s Secret and Atlantic, selling colorful, sporty-style underwear, are considered among the most democratically priced. The assortment of swimsuits at both stores sticks to the same design politics, with a price range of Hr 100 – 200. Actually, last year in Women’s Secret I found an original, two-piece bikini with embroidered elements that I really loved. Yet these shops offer only a limited choice of swimwear and only sell items for women.
Two other shops, Belle Femme and Bikini, offered a bit larger variety of swimsuits, most designed in a very feminine style. The price range there was also considerably higher – from approximately Hr 400 to Hr 1000. The selection of beach accessories, however, isn’t that wide. Taking into account the small size of these shops, I can say that lingerie, nevertheless, remains their basic merchandise.
Recalling what my friend told me about the assortment of swimwear and accessories at Sportmaster, I decided to drop by there on my way out of Globus. As I have suspected, the swimsuits offered there where all in a strictly sporty style, without any decoration, such as colorful flowers, beads or embroidery. And the choice wasn’t that impressive either.
Having visited quite a few swimwear stores and being unable to find what I needed in any of them, I finally came across Lingerie S, a shop on Volodymyrska street, right near Zoloti Vorota metro station. The shop is quite large in comparison with the lingerie shops in Globus and, what pleasantly surprised me upon entering, was that it is better air conditioned. Various kinds of swimsuits and bikinis of different colors and fabrics were hanging on the walls. Among all this variety, I also noticed different kinds of men’s swimsuits, which was indeed a big plus. In addition to swimwear, I spotted various types of dresses, skirts, shorts, slippers, caps, and bags, in other words – a selection of beach accessories large enough to satisfy anyone. As the shop claims to present authentic pieces from world famous designer brands, like D&G, Nina Ricci, Versace, etc., the prices vary accordingly – from approximately Hr 400 to Hr 1000 and higher.
Lingerie S (51/53 Volodymyrska, 279-6307; 1A Khoryva, 428-8330; 2A Shcherbakova, 443-9823)
