Valentines day present guide

Chocolates, lingerie, perfume and flowers have been outed for years, having earned the reputation of being the typically cliché valentines day present. In their absence, new cliches have arisen, such as the ‘stars registry’, which basically means ‘buying’ a star and naming after your loved one. Let’s get one thing straight guys, most girls do not want a to adopt a star, and let’s be frank about it, wouldn’t you prefer to see your lady prance around in a nice new pair of sexy knickers rather than spend the night looking through a telescope to find a star in the sky that will probably burn out in a couple of years anyway?

Gentlemen, please invest in sexy silky lacy lingerie for Valentines day – trust me it is a wise investment.

I say bring back the romance. True, if you are new to your relationship, bras and knickers might be taking it too far and too intimate too soon. Many women are particular about their undergarments and of course, nothing puts a sour taste on a hopefully romantic evening than the rookie error of buying the wrong sized underwear. So if you don’t have frequent access to her lingerie drawer yet, avoid anything with a size and go for some lovely chocolates or a bottle of perfume and a warm cashmere robe and cute slippers.

If you are the kind of guy who has made it to ‘underwear drawer base’, then try and get your mitts on a bra you know your lady wears frequently, as this will give you the correct size. I would really love to assume that men know this but they don’t, so guys, look for numbers and letters next to each other, for example 32A 32B – 38C – 40D. Any number and letter combination. This is your lady’s cup size.

For knickers it is a bit different, so look for dress sizes, which could be anything from a 4 to a 30. These numbers go up in even numbers, and common sizes are 10,12,14.

Right, so you have a cup size and a knicker size, let’s shop!

Here are my top tips for men who plan to shop online for lingerie for Valentines day:

Be Tasteful
All women know that lingerie sites are considered soft porn for men. When picking out a lingerie set, be tasteful. All lingerie sites have nippleless bras and crotchless panties and whilst some women love this, nothing screams ‘you are a total dirty bastard’ if you picki out this kind of lingerie when you are aiming to be romantic. Remember there is a time and place where ‘less is more’. V’day is not that day.

Sexy not Slutty

Browse wisely
Just because you are doing your shopping online doesn’t mean that others will not see. Ideally, you should surf away from work and when your lady is not around. Let’s be frank, you boss or colleague finding you looking and leatherette whips and fluffy handcuffs (yes, also found on most lingerie sites) may get you some high fives from the boys but it will hardly leave you looking like a respectful colleague to any females around the office.

Be Stylish
If the site says it is ‘this season’ or ‘new arrivals’ then click on it! Most women have the basic bras. Make your gift something special by something a little more unique than an every day bra and pantie set. Following seasonal fashions will ensure you are buying something she definitely doesn’t already have, or worse, is completely out of season.

Go for colour
A surprising fact is that most woman love funky colourful underwear and will wear hott pink bras or leopard print baby doll but never a hot pink or leopard print top.

Weird? Yes I know. It is one of those Venus things and probably has something to do with the desire to be adventurous but being too afraid to overdoing it. That said, if you want to go for safe colours, I recommend black lace or dark purple. Black lace bras are always appreciated and purple is really ‘in’ right now.

Is it popular?
Most lingerie sites have likes and comments and product reviews integrated into their sites nowadays. Before purchasing take a look at how many likes it has or even better check out what other women are saying about the item.

Sets make great gifts
If you are looking for at a really stylish bra, see if you can match it up with a pair of knickers. Most lingerie sites link immediately to matching knickers and even robes and other accessories which is always an added extra surprise.

Size
We went through this already. Make sure you know the right size! The worst thing is that she loves the set and can’t wear it. This happened to me once with an adorable pair of slippers, when I tried to return it and get a bigger size, there were none left so it was always ‘the awesome present I never got in my mind!’

Timing
There is no special shipping fairy. If you want something special for Valentines day, you need to plan it. Shipping can take anything from 3-10 days locally and 5-15 days internationally. Be sure to check the online shop’s shipping page to be sure your gift is going to get there on time.

Gift vouchers
It may not be as personal but it is the thought that counts. Is there a woman who doesn’t like shopping? Some women do prefer picking out their own lingerie, because they feel more comfortable in certain cup cuts etc. If you do decide to go for a gift voucher, the surprise will end up in your court, you can always ask her to model what she decided to buy at a later date!

Giving the gift
If you are buying your lady lingerie, do not give it to her over the table at dinner in some restaurant. She might wonder where her gift is but will be forever grateful that you picked a better time and place.