Right about now, there are thousands of men up and down the country, of all ages, contemplating a certain type of purchase as a nice little Christmas extra for their partner.
Inevitably, the dreaded ‘Christmas lingerie purchase’ tends to present several problems for the anxious male buyer, not least of which is the embarrassment of walking into a lingerie store (or the lingerie section of a department store) and hanging around the bras in the hope that inspiration (and not perspiration) will come their way.
I have personal experience of being on the receiving end of several lingerie Christmas gifts over the years, and they’ve not always been a success. The results tend to vary from ill-fitting bras to dental floss-like thongs, impractical lacy basques with suspenders – or worse, a contraption from Anne Summers that would generally only be worn on the late shift at a torture dungeon.
Of course, online shopping is much easier – which is why you should considerBrastop.com this year for your special purchase – not only will it be cheaper, but we’re pretty much a contraption-free zone when it comes to lingerie. And, of course, we specialise in big cup sizes.
The secret to buying underwear for your partner is not to buy something for yourself (and I don’t mean somethingyou’ll wear, I mean something you want to see your partner wearing), but to buy something for her.
This really isn’t as difficult as it sounds – and a good compromise can often be found by making sure you startout by picking out the correct size and style in the first place.
The all-important rule to adhere to when buying lingerie for your partner is to get the correct size – not just her bra size, but her knicker size too. There’s really only one way to do this (unless you ask her and spoil the surprise) – and that’s look in her underwear drawer and locate the items that she wears most often. But try not to get caught – and put things back the way you found them.
Take a note of the sizes you find – bra sizes are usually a number followed by a letter – such as 36D, 32FF, 40G and so on. Knickers are usually sized: small, medium, large etc. or are in dress sizes, like: 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18.
After that, make sure you get the right style. Some women prefer big pants, some prefer thongs – but most prefer something in-between.
In terms of bras, you need to make sure you get the right style – or it could drastically backfire on you. Some women prefer plunge bras, some prefer a full-cup, some like t-shirt bras, some like push-ups.
If you’re in any doubt about what style of bra your partner likes to wear – check out our guide to bra styles and make a comparison. Usually, you can’t go wrong with a full-cup bra.
The last thing to consider is colour. Most women tend to rely on white, black or nude bras for general everyday wear, so if your aim is to purchase something that might spice up your boudoir (that’s French for ‘bedroom’ guys), consider something in a nice colour, or made from satin – or something in a nice pattern.
Whatever you do, resist the temptation to purchase the most elaborate contraption on the rack – basques, corsets and bodies have their place, but most women prefer a nice, well-fitting bra set or a comfy bodyshaper.
If you’re in any doubt, have a look at our lingerie buying guide for men.
