How To Buy Lingerie That She Will Love (And Wear Again And Again)

After fragrance, lingerie is the second most popular gift for Christmas.

Women love to receive gifts of luxury for Christmas.  After all, if they need a blender or vacuum, it's considered a necessity and they can buy what they need without guilt at any time of the year.

But fragrance and lingerie seems to whisper, "I love you" the moment she opens the package.  They are decadent gifts that she may not so readily indulge in for herself.

Here is part 1 of 2:  a guide for men on how to buy lingerie.  Part 2 on buying fragrance is coming in the near future.

Buying lingerie for your lady is intimidating for two reasons.  The first one is obvious -- it can be uncomfortable to walk into what seems like a ladies’ only store.  Lingerie stores are often pink, frilly places with only lady customers inside being served by (usually) youngish women.

The second reason buying lingerie for her is intimidating?  Lingerie you have purchased in the past has often ended up collecting dust in a drawer.

In reality, there is no need to fear the idea of walking into a lingerie store.  The sales ladies are used to helping men find something perfect for their special someone.  You may be the only male in the store at that moment, but lingerie sales peak before holidays such as Christmas and Valentine’s mainly because of thoughtful guys like you -- guys who are trying to do something nice for the woman they love. In fact, men make 20% of all lingerie purchases throughout the year.

So how do you buy lingerie that makes her feel both comfortable and beautiful?

It’s not as hard as it sounds.  A little research will get you (and ultimately her) what she really wants.

Start by looking in her closet.  What size is she?  Write down the sizes for her current lingerie, bras, dress pants or jeans, and tops.  This information will immensely help the sales lady find the correct size and shorten your shopping time. (Don’t make the classic mistake of eyeing the sales women and telling her your wife is about her size or just a little bigger.  There are a lot of sizes out there and being off by one or two makes the outfit unwearable.)

Go for something comfortable.  No one wants to wear scratchy, itchy fabric against their skin -- not even, as hard as this may be to comprehend, not even if it means a guaranteed night of bliss with you.  Rub the fabric against your inner wrist (this part of your skin is sensitive so it will give you a good reading).  If it’s scratchy, move on.

Yes, yes, we know comfort usually means flannel or some other matronly fabric.  Not exactly a turn on.  However, believe it or not, there are some sexy, beautiful pieces that feel great on.  You just have to spend a little extra time looking for them and make sure you are politely firm with the sales lady when you make this a requirement.  Remember, you want your lady to actually wear the lingerie, correct?

Look for something she will feel beautiful wearing.  If she feels beautiful, she’ll automatically feel sexy and you have got what you want, one happy, sexy woman.  To do this, refer back to what you saw in her closet.  What does she usually buy for herself now?  Take it one or two steps beyond.  Any more and she may not have the courage to put it on.  For instance, if she only wears plain cotton bras and panties, go for something close to that style, but with a beautiful colour, flirty ruffle, and/or a sexy animal print pattern.  Avoid anything with strategic cut outs in both the bra and panties.  You get the point.

Lingerie is a special, intimate gift that says, “I love you and think you are beautiful.”  Make sure you do the research first so you feel more comfortable while you are shopping and she feels comfortable, flattered, and very sexy when she’s wearing it.