The modern man's guide to buying Valentine’s Day lingerie

Here’s how to survive a trip to the lingerie store without making any cringe-worthy gestures about sizes to sale assistants – and come home with a gift your partner will actually/really love/wear

Firstly you need to get sneaky. That doesn’t mean that you should be trolling ex-rated sites for the fun of it to find a naughty piece of underwear from YOUR fantasy for HER. Remember the gift is for her!

story_article_left1

Instead, what you should do is try to find a way to rummage through her panty drawer - as creepy as it may seem – to find out what size she is.

There’s nothing worse than giving your other half underwear that’s a size too small – “Gee, really a peanut size?!” – Or too big – “Way to kill my self-esteem!” If you fail to find out her size, abort mission, we repeat, abort mission.

At the same time, try to get an idea of what styles and fabrics she may like.  Does she prefer cotton or lace? Is she a G-string kind of girl, or is she more into boyfriend briefs?

The bras and panties she already has in her underwear drawer should also be a key indication of dos and don’ts when it comes to the colours. Think about what’ll flatter her skin tone and keep the occasion in mind – let’s face, it canary yellow for Valetine’s Day, hu-uh! Stick to soft, romantic shades like pink and white, or sultry colours like black, maroon, red and navy.

How to choose lingerie to suit her style

If she’s sporty, she’ll most probably love T-bar shaped bras and boyfriend briefs or bikini-style panties. She may like to ‘Bend it like Beckham’, but the underwear you choose should still make her feel sexy, so be careful about getting the balance right.

Stylist’s choice: Sporty and sexy bra, R849, from Calvin Klein Underwear (021-418-1185).

If she’s a fashionista, it’s best to ask a sales assistant what the latest trends in underwear are or do some research on the internet before hitting the shops.

Stylist’s choice: Trendy bralette, R169, from Cotton On and Heidi Midi Brief, R499, from Superbalist.

story_article_right2

If she’s sweet and cute, why not try a babydoll nightgown? It’s both lady-like and flattering.

Stylist’s choice: Lingerie, R299, from H&M and Lingerie, R119.99, from Mr Price.

If she’s flirty and outgoing, underwear in a bold colour like red should go down well.

Stylist’s choice: After Eden bra, R499.95 and After Eden panty, R279.95, from Stuttafords.