What Katie Did: Valentine's Shopping Day

Yesterday I had the pleasure of popping along to the What Katie Did boutique's Valentine's Shopping Day. The email I received said that the event was "for men and couples", so the relationship anarchist in me felt an urge to suggest it to my primary partner and his other girlfriend* as a fun way to spend an afternoon and remind people that not everyone is or wants to follow our monogamous society's rules and be paired up. Of course, the fun of trying on lingerie and corsets (and perhaps getting a gift) did also cross my mind... plus, there was mention of gin and cupcakes. Not even the usual weekend public transport failures could prevent us from showing up at this, and so we drove from east to west for a spot of Sunday afternoon glamour.

As soon as the three of us entered the pretty shop, we were greeted by boutique manager, Vicky, and asked if we needed any help. Unlike some lingerie stores where you feel like you're being pressured into making a purchase, or made to feel like you're being so very awkward for being unsure what size you'll need, the What Katie Did experience is extremely warm and friendly. If you don't know what to try on first, they can suggest things, if you don't know what size corset you are, they can measure you. There's no need to be afraid of being a little bit indecisive, and definitely no need to think you'll be wasting their time, as everyone at WKD knows that their lingerie is different from the mainstream and therefore customers will need a bit more help than usual.

We disappeared into the fitting rooms with a selection of items that Vicky had helped us pick out, whilst our rather smug boyfriend relaxed on a chaise sipping a Hendrick's cocktail and waiting to offer his opinion. There was no need to get dressed to go and find more sizes either, as Vicky kept popping back to check we were OK and so was able to fetch more items for us to try when needed. Whilst I discovered that the Laurie corset I'd been drooling over online from months looked just as good on me as I'd hoped, my partner in crime found that the Swiss Dot lingerie set was not only a perfect fit for her but also the perfect colour. Now all she needed was some black seamed stockings!

We were lucky enough to be treated to an early Valentine's gift each, and so all three of us walked out of the boutique wearing our best smug faces, but some people prefer to buy surprise gifts and WKD has that covered too. They know that buying lingerie as a gift can be quite a stressful experience, so had enlisted the help of What Katie Did co-founder Richard Thomas to assist anyone buying something as a surprise yesterday. It is a lovely gesture, but I do hope anyone who tries that approach for Valentine's Day ensures they have their sweetheart's measurements to hand when they enter the store, wherever they're buying from! Sadly the knowledge that it's the thought that counts doesn't always help overcome a feeling of sadness when your gift doesn't fit, preventing you from wearing it straight away. Still, surprise or not, I would highly recommend What Katie Did for their products, customer service and overall shopping experience. If you want to feel like a pin-up on any occasion, this is definitely the place to visit.

Image via What Katie Did.

*I hate the phrase 'other girlfriend', but not quite as much as secondary partner. She's not second best, just more recent!