The former, however, assume that

But, if there’s one brand that can entice any woman to throw away her fading, comfy undies then it is surely La Perla, makers of fine lingerie. Can the website keep abreast of developments or is it one cup too small?

From the outset it is clear that this is a website of class. The first image to appear on the screen is a photograph of a beautiful woman enticingly dressed. She gazes seductively at the viewer as soft melodious music plays in the background. Among the initial menu choices, the section that is a must-see is the catwalk site. Music pulsates as beautiful models float across the screen in seamless succession wearing luxuriously sensuous lingerie, swimwear or eveningwear. By double clicking, the image will stop and a descriptor of the item and detail on the fabric are provided.

What is slightly confusing is that there is another section called “brands” which is split into 6 different labels. It is unclear how this fits into the La Perla, Maliza, Marvel and GrigioPerla labels, however again each brand is clear in its role, whether it is contemporary or traditional, or even a collection for baby. Each design is strikingly modelled and beautifully shot.

La Perla clearly recognizes the importance of good media coverage – even as its success lies in ensuring women are barely covered at all. The Press Reviews section lists, by month, what coverage the labels have received. Not surprisingly, the list is impressive – Vogue, Elle, Marie Claire – all have taken a peek under the La Perla brand to savour the treats within. The news section also has a review of events such as the Autumn/Winter collection in Milan, and details on the film “Jazz Women,” produced by La Perla in co-operation with Tango.

The company information is extremely comprehensive. There are full details on each La Perla location, clearly describing the purpose of each division with text and photos. This is a company that knows how to present itself – both from the outside and in. The key issue for the site is one of size, manifested in two ways. First, the range is so enormous that it can be time consuming going through each design. This is not a problem if you know what you are looking for or are a prospective buyer (as it is a lovely site through which to browse). However swimwear alone is represented by each of the four labels, so wading through each one to find an ideal cossy would precipitate the need for a beach rest. The second problem is that there is a lot of imagery for each page to load; again it’s pretty to look at but frustrating and boring to wait for.

A lesser but more curious problem is that the “Italiano” and “English” choices yield the same site. As words are not really necessary to understand and appreciate the basic offerings on view, it’s not much of an issue, but one wonders why they bothered to offer two different languages, if English would be the only actual option.