The Best of Intima Award’s Finalists 2017

By allowing past stores to re-enter the competition, we truly brought the leading stores of the industry together with the most exciting newcomers. In particular the Reference Shop category shone, filled with all of North America’s most iconic stores. We were in love with all of the stores who took part this year, but a competition isn’t a competition without a winner. In a turn up for the books, the Reference Shop award has a whopping twelve finalists while our other five categories have six each making an amazing total of 36 finalists!

Shops in the Reference category are known for providing the go-to service for intimates in their local area. You can expect to find more than you knew existed in these diverse stores. Bringing international lingerie to the Mid-West is a gamble that paid off for Allure Intimate Apparel, who in fifteen years has grown from their flagship store in Mequon to five stores serving women across Minnesota and Wisconsin. Turning 90 this year, Blum’s certainly has a lot to celebrate! Developing from a corset store to stock a wide range of lingerie, nightwear, swimwear and shapewear, displayed in their beautiful store, under the light of their traditional chandeliers. With its wide range of intimates, sleepwear and bridal trousseau, Lace Silhouettes has become an absolute must for shoppers visiting the Peddler’s village shopping destination, and their elegant products look right at home in the historic village. Calling into Linea Intima is less like shopping, but more like going to see a glamorous friend for fashion advice. It is this comfortable atmosphere alongside a product offer that promises to have something for everyone that the store is known for. Working in the lingerie industry since her teens, Emma Dunn of Lingerie Emma has gained a vast expertise, which she is always keen to share: from TV appearances to magazine articles, Emma is Quebec’s go-to expert on intimate apparel. Having listened to the needs of women and learned the secret of great customer service in their family salon, My Top Drawer was created to provide exactly what local women wanted: great fitting lingerie in a beautiful store!

Cute and kitsch, Necessary Secrets seeks to give intimate apparel shopping a fun side with a fabulous collection of accessories and gifts which complement perfectly their diverse offer of intimates. Not to forget their super-friendly staff! Offering a full range of intimate apparel, Petticoat Fair pride themselves on their great fitting -inspired by the founder’s background in corsetry- and offer a light and spacious store in which their wide range is fully displayed. With their full range of lingerie, swim and ready to wear, The Dain Shoppe can dress a customer from head to toe, and provide foundations for any occasion. For something a little more risqué, customers are invited to step into the back closet… With a minimalist decoration style, it is the products themselves that adorn the walls of Top Drawer Lingerie, and with such a product range to choose from, every wall and every corner of the store is colorful and exciting. Serving New York City since 1888, Town Shop is a semilegendary store, with a reputation for its wide range of products, excellent customer service, and strong Manhattan heritage. It may have started as a bridal accessories store, but the lingerie add-on proved a hit with the local ladies due to its expert fitting and range of products, and Trousseau soon found itself growing into the local go-to for all intimate apparel!

Stores in this category carry a philosophy that puts the customer first, and great customer service is at the very heart of the shopping experience. At Bra Genie, you’ll find fitters on a search for true perfection. In their beautiful store, customers can’t help but feel sexy, and with a great fitting service offer and brand portfolio, they can take this feeling away with them! Throughout a customer’s visit to Bra-la-la they are accompanied by a bra fit specialist to ensure they find products that work for them. This high level of service, and their involvement in the local community make the boutique a favorite around Baltimore. Chantilly Lace Lingerie is not just a lingerie store, but also the center of its own community of ‘Chantilly Angels’. Larisa and Bella keep their customers updated on things such as charity events and trunk shows through their charming newsletters. Everything is intimate at Ladybird Lingerie: from its location in quaint Nantucket to its homely store interior and friendly staff. Providing for Nantucket’s holidaymakers doesn’t stop it from keeping a neighborhood vibe and loyal clientele. The team at LiviRae Lingerie are dedicated to making the lingerie world more welcoming to women of all shapes, sizes and backgrounds. Their clear passion makes bra fitting a great experience even for those who don’t usually feel comfortable in their underwear. Stocking only a D-cup and above, The Pencil Test creates and inviting, inclusive atmosphere for those shoppers who might not find what they need on the high street. Helping women both in store and out, they are also heavily involved in local charities.

Stores with European Flair manage to take their customers on a journey back to the historic home of lingerie through their brand selection, décor and style. Vive la lingerie! There is a touch of Scandanavian simplicity to Giorgia Lingerie. As well as the beautiful product offer, the store is a space that welcomes the customer, but its understated layout lets the products speak for themselves. Opened in January 2017, Knickers has already established a great reputation in the industry. The use of traditional furniture as display racks makes the store feel like the ideal closet while soft jazz music and a fresh scent only add to this illusion. Stephanie Jacek founded Le Bustiere Boutique to bring a touch of French decadence to the more reserved city of Washington DC. With a diverse product offer, arranged in neat vertical displays, Le Bustière gives shoppers a taste of European sexiness in the US capital. Les Boudoirs sources not only its lingerie, but also its ambience from Europe, with crystal chandeliers and an indulgent color scheme of gold, black and deep purple. Even at their home fitting parties, a bottle of champagne brings the French touch! The smooth lilac color scheme of Sweet Blossoms Lingerie transforms the store into a comfortable space for intimates shopping, so much so that customers return time and time again, making their ‘buy ten bras get one free’ card a very popular scheme! A series of mesmerizing displays lead you through the store at Vicanie’s. Though the pieces displayed vary regularly, they always demonstrate the class and elegance of the products on offer, and stone urns give the styles a timeless feel.

Stores in the Concept category show a strong theme, an attitude that brings together all the vital elements of the lingerie shopping experience – service, décor and product offering- to create an all-encompassing philosophy. The newly renovated Diane’s Lingerie has integrated its community into the very essence of the store itself, with body prints from their own customers adorning the walls in a series of vibrant colors. After all, it’s the customers who count! Jenette Bras is not just a lingerie store, its displays and windows are also a canvas for Jenette’s artist husband, Aaron. The relaxed feel of the store coupled with its dynamic artwork makes for a relaxing shopping experience with a dash of glamour. Through its store ambiance, JOY All Things Underthings manages to be simultaneously upscale and welcoming, with a glamorous atmosphere which allows customers from all demographics to relax and find pieces that are right for them. All of the beautiful pieces displayed in Knickers of Hyde Park seem absolutely at home alongside the traditional wooden furniture and the soft lighting. This tranquil, unrushed atmosphere is perfect for shopping for the perfect piece of lingerie! From its neo-Victorian furniture to its brass chandeliers, Revelation in Fit pulls out all the stops to create a luxurious, elegant shopping experience and owner Robynne Winchester’s career history in corsetiere completes the package! Thee Lingerie Shoppe boasts a bright, beautiful space that customers will never want to leave. Perhaps that’s why it has stayed in the Bell family for three generations since being founded by Laurette Bell and her partner in 1979, with Laurette’s granddaughter recently opening a brand new branch!

This special category gives the new kids on the block or those smaller stores a chance to shine. While perhaps they didn’t get the most votes, they won the hearts of our editorial team who felt that they all had that a special something that we just had to share with you! Girls really do run the world at Best Rack Around. Inspired to ‘raise racks and lift spirits’ after seeing many women close to her suffer from breast cancer, Nanette is now involved in a multitude of women’s causes and works with other local women-owned businesses. Bright and spacious, the minimalistic décor of Diva Lingerie allows the beautiful, colorful products to really stand out. Both modern and with a classic elegance, the store offers a high-end shopping experience to all of its customers. Focusing on providing a truly inclusive atmosphere for people of all shapes, sizes and genders, Étaín recognizes the important role of underwear in self-expression. Whilst being determinedly forward-thinking, the charming store stays true to its Maine roots Fun and flirty from the name to the hot pink décor, I.C. London has been serving Charlottesville for almost 25 years, and owner Shelley has worked her entire career in lingerie – a true labor of love! Specializing in unique and collector pieces, Musée Lingerie brings the best bits of the high-end art world and applies them to lingerie through wine tastings, boudoir painting sessions, and their regularly updated display art. Having recently moved to a new location, Sugar Cookies are sweeter than ever. Their new store boasts a beautiful sales floor that accentuates the elegance of the products on display. Store dog Kodi is always around for those who need a bit of reassurance!