How to buy lingerie for a woman

Simon Kinnear looks back with amusement on the first time he decided to get some naughty lingerie for his girlfriend, “I walked into this department store in Los Angeles and was immediately struck with panic at the sight of loads of panties, thongs and the like. After tottering around for a bit, I decided to ask for help. The salespeople were quite friendly and came right out and asked some pretty direct questions about what I was looking for. In no time, I had selected a sexy baby doll nightdress for my girlfriend and I must say, both she and I were pretty satisfied with my selection”.

Simon’s case is no longer an isolated incident. Gifting one’s significant other some ‘come-hither’ lingerie is increasingly common, particularly on romantic occasions like one’s anniversary, Valentine’s Day and so on.

Since time immemorial, shopping has always seemed to be the preserve of the fairer sex. Even as children, while little boys would be picking fights on the baseball field, little girls would be accessorizing the Malibu Barbie’s wardrobe. Naturally, shopping for oneself has never been a comfortable area for men. Most men buy the first ‘fairly ok’ thing they find, while women are relentless in their pursuit of finding the ‘perfect’ outfit.

Shopping for oneself is one thing, buying something for someone else, is quite another. For those guys out there, who’ve never shopped for lingerie before - it’s fun, exciting and can even be a comfortable experience - provided you have come equipped with all the right information.

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What’s the right information, you may wonder?

1. Comfort

The first thing you need to know is – what your girl’s most comfortable in. Feeling sexy is all about feeling beautiful, looking beautiful and being comfortable. That doesn’t mean you need to go out and get her ‘granny panties’, it simply means you should take care to ensure that your lingerie purchase is in line with her style and preference. So you would need to know her bust, panty and cup size. Don’t know? No problem - you might have to orchestrate a peek into her underwear drawer. Make a mental note of all the stuff you find there- especially the colors and styles.

2. Her material preference 

When she dons some sexy lingerie- does she wear satin or silk or both? Perhaps your darling is a lace lover. Remember, success in this mission would require some pretty careful observation, on your part, of all the details.

3. Brands of lingerie she likes

The brands she likes best. Is she crazy about Victoria’s Secret? Or is she more an Agent Provocateur kinda girl? The sure shot way to know for sure is to take cues from her existing lingerie collection.

3. Her body type

Lastly, keep her body type in mind. The very word lingerie may trigger off images of Gisele Bundchen sashaying down the ramp with a demure pout - but you need to buy lingerie that best suits your woman and her body type. Her skin tone, figure and personality, all hold important clues which you will need to pick up on, while shopping for her.

Find out which are the lingerie stores in the area where you live. The best way to find out is to accompany your wife on a shopping spree or else you could browse the net or venture into your local mall. Once you’ve got a list of prospective lingerie stores, you can start narrowing them down based on what specifically you’re looking for. You can also shop online very conveninently. In fact, shopping online is usually less expensive because online stores offer the same brands at lower prices. Typically they save on rent because they don't need prime commercial space to stock up, so they pass on the savings to their customers.
 
Types of Lingerie - the long and short of it

Since the range of lingerie available to day is as wide as Julia Robert’s smile, it’s really no wonder men are overwhelmed when they attempt lingerie shopping for their wives.
Not to worry though- read on to get the whole picture:

The Bustier: These are generally rather tight upper body garments- as the name suggests- designed to accentuate the female bust. Typically, leggings or stockings may be attached to bustiers with the help of some straps.

The Chemise: These are light comfortable short dress like undergarments. They usually come complete with attractive necklines and spaghetti straps.

The Baby Doll: A baby doll is an extremely short night dress- which is just a tad bit longer than an average sized T-Shirt. Usually, baby dolls are sold with a matching panty set.

A Teddy: Nope we’re not talking about a little girl’s favourite toy- in lingerie a teddy is pretty much similar to a swim suit. It has a seamless fitting top and a panty type bottom.

Housecoats/Kimonos: The closest counterparts to these garments would be bathrobes or dressing gowns. While they don’t actually fall into the regular lingerie category, they come in handy to quickly cover up in case of an emergency.

The thong: No man who’s ever seen pics of Britney in the tabloids of late can say they haven’t seen a thong. A thong is basically in between a regular panty and a G- String. While a panty would provide full coverage at the back and a G-String would not, a thong would be the median between the two.

Man shorts: Although this particular type of lingerie- with its obviously masculine origin- may not fit the bill of the ‘perfect’ female lingerie- men just can’t seem to get enough of them. Especially when a woman teams a pair of man shorts with a lacy brasserie- you can be sure she’ll be beating them off with a stick.  

Always remember two key points that will almost always guarantee success- Her comfort is most important and salespeople are always there to help!