Shopping Guide for Men

Shopping Guide for men

Lingerie is a great gift for with its unique ability to bring fun and enjoyment to both of you, for far less than the cost of a dinner and night in a fancy hotel! It’s great value for money when bought on its own, or as an accompaniment to another treat!

Men’s Guide for Buying the Perfect Lingerie.
The secret to making sure your lingerie gift is well received can be achieved by following the rules in 4 key areas:

> Size
> Style
> Personality
> Colour
> Valentines Checklist

There’s a checklist at the bottom of the page which you can print and keep with you to make sure you stay on track when browsing for lingerie, that way you’ll be sure to choose something she will love. But don’t rush off just yet… you’ll find it’s useful to read through this guide to get the most out of it as it’s filled with useful tips and advice.

To begin…
To get your lingerie gift right requires a bit of research to get to the heart of each of these 4 key areas, so be cheeky and take a careful peek through her lingerie drawer when she is not around.

Pick out the pieces you remember her wearing recently, both her ‘everyday’ lingerie and lingerie which she saves for the boudoir. Remember that this is meant to be mostly a gift for her, so stick within the limits of what you have found in her lingerie drawers and you’ll be onto a good start! Ideally, it should be a bit more special than her day to day lingerie, but not beyond the boundaries of what she has chosen to be her ‘special’ lingerie.

In order to avoid ending up in the dog house, aim to get lingerie that will be a good compromise for both of you, ideally you want to find lingerie that she can wear more than once and will be comfortable and confident in, and which won’t make her think you have mistaken her for a porn star!

Once you have found a few lingerie pieces you know you both like, you’ll need to consider the following:

Size

This is the important one - but its quite easy to get the right size if you follow a few basic rules. Getting lingerie too big could potentially lead to tears and too small also posses the risk of embarrassment and tears, so it’s much better to get it right first time or risk spending time in the spare room!

Bras:
Bra sizes are generally printed as a combination of a number and letter – i.e., 36C and can normally be found on the lingerie wash care label on the bra.

The number signifies the size of the band to wrap around to the back, while the letter represents the size of the cup needed to support the bust at the front. The further through the alphabet, the letter is, the larger her bust is.

As different styles and brands can vary, you may notice a few sizes which are a bit different (ie a 36C may also comfortably wear a 34D or a 38B in some styles).

Tip: Find a bra you know is new so that you can be sure it is her most up to date bra size. (Plus there is less chance of the print having faded in the wash!)

Tip: Take a note of the bra size which crops up the most and stick with that.

Tip: Only refer back to these other bra sizes you’ve found if you discover her usual bra size has sold out in the style that you have selected for the perfect Valentine gift. If you can’t find another item in her size that you like, then choose the bra in her next most popular bra size. Generally, it is better to go to the next size down in the back measurement and go up 1 letter in the cup size, but this is a little bit risky, so only do as a last resort! Don’t worry too much though, we’re happy to exchange or refund items – have a look at our returns page.

Knickers/Thongs/Boyshorts:
Knickers, thongs and boyshorts tend to be sized by the general UK dress sizes of 10, 12, 14 etc, although can be sized by Small, Medium and Large.

Tip: Once again, rifle through her lingerie drawer and take a note of the size of any new purchases or lingerie she wears often to maximise your chances of getting the right size.

Tip: Top lingerie designers and non-UK fashion houses tend to be cut a little smaller, so it might be worth buying a larger size if you know she can be between sizes. French brands such as Lola Luna and Luxxa can all come up a little small so please bear that in mind when selecting the size. If you would like more help on the sizing of a particular brand stocked by BeCheeky.com you can always ring our dedicated Customer Services helpline number: 01202 545 999.

Style

Talking of knickers, thongs and boyshorts, understanding her style is important when it comes to choosing a gift, or if you are selecting a cheeky item to compliment other gifts you may have chosen for her. Some women love thongs while others detest them, while boyshorts and French knickers have been back in fashion for a few seasons now so are a popular alternative and just as sexy.

A good starting point to aid this decision is to take stock of what you’ve seen her wearing and use that as your guide.

Tip: If there are lots of thongs in her lingerie drawer then you know you are onto a winner! If there are none then it’s a pretty clear sign she may not be a fan so avoid at all costs. The same rules apply for boyshorts, French knickers and other kinds of briefs.

Tip: Many of our brands offer the option of both a matching thong and brief to go with the bra to complete the set, so if you know she prefers one over the other then choose that. If she doesn’t seem to have a preference, why not treat her to one of each and make her feel extra special?

The style of bra is important too as it can have a dramatic impact on the look, shape and support offered. As there are hundreds of different bra styles to choose from, we’ve tried our best to keep our advice as simple as possible so it doesn’t get too confusing for you.

The size of bust is an important consideration when choosing styles of bras.

Tip: Often smaller busts (typically AA to B/C cups) can benefit from a little padding to enhance their curves and produce a fuller looking bust, where as larger busts (D’s and over) may prefer the support and lift offered by underwiring and slightly wider shoulder straps for added comfort.

Personality

Personality and style often go hand in hand and can shed useful insight into what she may like to receive as a lingerie gift.

Although each woman’s tastes and style are unique (we never said this was going to be easy!), these profiles should provide a good general guide for buying to suit the personality type.

Romantic and Girlie

This female is young at heart and loves the idea of being whisked off her feet by her knight in shining armour for a traditional night of romance.
She will love a romantic candle lit dinner for two with roses and Champagne. Finish the night off perfectly by surprising her with romantic, feminine lingerie in her favourite shade of pink.
She may also enjoy receiving a feminine perfume or jewellery which she can wear daily to remind herself of you!
She often goes for matching lingerie sets and will love something with a touch of sparkle or with bows and frills to show off her girlie side.
Princess, By Caprice, Jolidon and Princesse Tam Tam are all great lingerie brands for the romantic and girlie woman.

Classic and Sophisticated

The classic and sophisticated woman loves classic, chic designs and prefers her lingerie to be beautiful yet understated.
Pick the right lingerie or nightwear to match this classy woman and she will be very impressed! However gain bonus points by treating her to a non-lingerie present too, as this kind of woman will definitely appreciate receiving a less obvious giftwhich show's a bit of originality in your gift choices.
Chocolate brown, ivory, classic black and burgundy would all make great lingerie colour choices for the sophisticated woman.
She is a fan of high quality fabrics such as silk, satin and French Lace and is likely to enjoy things along the line of: a satin bustier by Simone Perele, an exclusive lace set by Carole Malony, silk nightwear or chemises by Lepel or a classic lingerie set by Passionata or Valisere.
A nightwear choice is likely to be very well received by this woman and would be the safest lingerie choice to go for if you are in any doubt.

Elegant Luxury

This woman appreciates the finer things in life and loves to be pampered, no expense spared!
She loves all things sensual so silky fabrics and hand finished lingerie pieces will be great for bringing a smile to her face at any time of the year.
She is appreciates quality and design, like classic and sophisticated woman, but may be more daring with her colours and enjoy jewel coloured lingerie as much as more muted or natural shades.
She is often impressed by designer brands and exclusive items, so surprise her by treating her to lingerie by the up and coming young British designer Ayten Gasson, whose hand finished, faux vintage designs will provide her with the perfect combination of luxurious elegance.
Spoylt, Simone Perele, Luna di seta, Lepel and Madame V would all be equally good brands to visit to find the perfect gift for this woman.
Treat her to a new perfume and stunning piece of jewellery and she will feel like a million dollars!

Fun and Flirty

The fun and flirty lady is as she sounds – fun and flirtatious! She has a good sense of humour and is likely to really enjoy being given lingerie as a present - so go on and spoil her!.
She is confident and a bit cheeky at times which is reflected in her love of bold underwear choices. She likes fun, bright colours and prints and may enjoy experimenting with her look. Be careful not to get too carried away with your lingerie choice for this personality type as she may be offended if you opt for anything too risqué.
Boyshorts or flirty knickers are likely to be more popular than thongs amongst this type of woman.
She would love to receive a colourful lingerie set this Valentines so go for a bright colour or fun print. The candy coloured satins of Bedtime Flirt, animal print designs by Sielei and Morgan, or the fun and flirty designs of Mademoiselle, Playful Promises and By Caprice epitomise this woman’s look.
The fun and flirty woman would also be happy with a lingerie gift by Damaris or The Modern Courtesan who are also famed for their playful designs.

Daring and Risqué

There are two types of the daring and risqué woman. One is naturally quite expressive in all aspects of her character and dress and may enjoy regularly changing her look. The other, meanwhile, gets her thrills by being secretly daring and risqué. You wouldn’t know from her outward appearance that she gets a secret thrill out of wearing naughty lingerie in public and she is a minx in the bedroom...unless you are her partner of course!

Both appreciate daring designs – be it micro g-strings, open thongs or semi-transparent fabrics such as lace or fine mesh.
She may be interested in matching lingerie sets – perhaps enjoying half or quarter cup bras, or she may prefer the high quality yet daring one-piece bodies offered by top brands such as Luxxa. However she may be just as happy to receive a selection of carefully chosen naughty knickers or thongs.
One thing is sure though, she appreciates attention to detail! Soft lace, embellishments and embroidery, tie-sides, sparkles, tassels and ribbons help her to show off her expressive personality.
Sensualle is a great brand to start with if you like micro thongs and cheeky designs, whilst Lola Luna can’t be beaten when it comes to stylish open or closed daring thongs. If you are after a whole set or racy body, then look no further than the French brand, Luxxa!

Colours

Identify what colours she wears often. If you find she only has soft, romantic pastel colours then buying a post box red lingerie set may not go down too well with her! Likewise, if she loves bright and vivid colours then stick to those you’ve seen in her lingerie drawer when considering your lingerie purchase, and steer clear of muted tones.

Tip: Red and pinks are popular choices for lingerie gifts due to their romantic associations, however many shades are available in each so pick carefully to match her personality and style. Pinks may be soft and romantic, toned down with dusty undertones or candy bright shades, whilst reds may be sophisticated shades of cherry, ruby red and burgundy or much bolder post box reds, plus everything in between.

Getting the right shade can make all the difference between your gift being perceived as something thoughtless, and something that shows real effort has been put in.

Tip: To be part of the successful latter group, try to find something that would fit in well with what she has in her lingerie drawer or a colour she wears regularly in her general clothing.

Tip: If you can’t see lingerie or clothing in her wardrobe in a very similar shade to something you are considering buying as a gift for her, it would be worth considering something else! The reason for this is that she may have avoided this colour as she doesn’t like it or she thinks it doesn’t suit her.

The Ultimate Lingerie Checklist

Right, now you should have a good idea on what you need to be looking for, so print this checklist and keep it by your side to keep you on track.

Size

Find a bra she wears often or is new in her lingerie drawer
Find the wash care label on the bra and look for:
Double digit number (i.e. 36) _____
Letter (Typically AA-J) _____
Double check the size against a few other bras in her drawer to check this is her general size. There may be some variations so go for the size that crops up the most.
Find her favourite knicker/thong/boyshort and take a note of the size_____

Colour, Looking at her special/boudoir lingerie, are the colours mostly:

Brights
Pale/Pastel shades
Dark colours (black, brown, burgundy, navy, dark purple etc)
White and black only
A mix
Patterns
Plain

Remember to get something in a similar colour when choosing her Valentines lingerie gift.

Style
1. What does she wear mostly on her bottom half?
  - G-Strings/thongs (virtually all the bottom is on display)
  - Boyshorts (a shorty style often in cotton covering most of the bottom)
  - French Knickers (a shorty style often in lace or satins/silks)
  - Knickers/ briefs (regular cut)
  - Brazilian briefs (cut to reveal more of the bottom than a knicker but less than a thong)
  - Equal mix of everything
2. What fabrics are most common to her special lingerie?
  - Cotton
  - Silk
  - Satin
  - Lace
  - Mesh
  - Bit of everything