Lingerie and homewear stores in Saint-Petersburg

A guide to the best lingerie stores in Saint Petersburg

It remains a formidable task in Russia to find attractive, unconventional, and yet reasonably-priced lingerie. If you don't care much about lacework and the hand of fabrics, go no further than the Galeria shopping centre with tons of basic cotton panties by Tezenis and Etam. Add to this, semi-sportswear-turned-modern-classic Calvin Klein Underwear. 152 Nevsky Prospect is home to the Eres store, a French label worth to pass by when looking for understated underwear essentials. Basic underwear by local labels from the West are available at Mox Store, an online multi-label retailer.

Even if you advocate an altogether different approach to wearing lingerie, that is if you like it to look delicate or, on the contrary, controversial, yet anything but no frills, just about any shopping centre in the city will still be able to meet your demands. Oysho, part of Inditex, have long succeeded in making relatively affordable yet cute lace lingerie items. Zara Home is a go-to for weightless white cotton nightdresses. Intimissimi make both lace and basic styles of lingerie. Women's secret would appeal to those who favour somewhat 'infantile'-looking underwear. The same holds true for Topshop. Perhaps the most inexpensive lingerie is sold by Défilé, but expect unassuming designs and cheap quality as well.

The most exquisite lingerie is available at DLT: think La Perla, Fleur of England, and Bordelle. Their products are priced accordingly, however. Of upscale lingerie brands, it's also worth highlighting Agent Provocateur. This is not a brand for everybody: some pieces, luxurious as they are, teeter on the brink of looking blatantly lewd.

At the intersection of Moika embankment and Nevsky Prospekt, just left of the 'Volkonsky' confectionery, is situated Museum, a notable multi-brand store. The great bulk of their product range is made up of South Korean clothing imports, but the store is also remarkable for a dedicated lingerie section. It's dominated by creations of Russian designers with Corporelle Lingerie as the brand that we find standing out from the competition.