Buying lingerie for your wife or girlfriend is something that often pops into the male mind as being "a good idea" for a whole multitude of reasons.   It shows that you've put thought into buying her a gift that you've chosen yourself.  It gives you the chance to buy something that she'll enjoy and find useful.  A gift  that tells her "I love you".  Something that can be given for anniversaries and birthdays, or just because you felt like it.  Plus you get to see her wear it, and then rip it off her. What's not to like?

First there's some research that you need to do, and some decisions that you need to make. 

Face it, this is a gift for you as well as for her, but if she doesn't like it then she won't wear it, and you lose, too.

Not every woman feels comfortable with baring her bottom in a sexy thong.

Put some thought into what body parts she feels most comfortable with and choose lingerie to complement.

A few ideas:

• Show off nice legs in something short like a baby doll or short chemise.
• Play up good cleavage with a halter or bustier style.
• Display toned arms with a camisole.

Do you know her bra size?

Get this wrong, and you may as well just slap yourself and save her the effort.  Maybe you already know her bra size, because you're just that kind of couple, but it always pays to check these things. It's as easy as going to her underwear drawer, picking up a few bras, and looking to see what the size on the label is.  For a bra size, look at the labels on the bras she has now. The label will have the size printed on it, usually in bigger numbers and letters than the other information. You'll be looking for a two digit number followed by a letter or set of letters-something like 38C or 42DD. (The numbers refer to how big around she is, so if you are looking at something like "75" chances are you're looking at the wrong thing.  If you don't know her bra size, and you have no access to her underwear drawer, get her best girl friend in on the deal.

 

What's her hip / waist measurement?

Now, look in her underwear drawer again to see what size panties she wears... and then be honest.  Have you noticed that they might be a little... tight?  If they fit fine, then you're on easy street.  However, plenty of women live in the delusion that if they buy size 6 panties  then that means they are a size 6, when actually, they're a size 10.  Expensive lingerie can be fairly unforgiving in the stretching department, so you have to think what's going to be worse: buying size 12 and having her not being able to get into them, or buying her size 14, and having them fit, but her sulking because she thinks that you think that she's fat, and it's turned out that she 'is'.  It's okay, do not panic, you have a get-out clause: "The shop assistant advised that I buy a size up, because apparently these guys skimp a little on the sizing."  This is only going to backfire if the manufacturer really do skimp a little on sizing, and you have to buy her a 16.  Then just substitute the word 'little' for 'lot'.

What type of lingerie do you want to buy her?

Babydoll - A short gown that fits around the bust, flares toward hemline.  Usually sold with matching thong or panties.

Negligee - A loose, usually sheer, gown.  Peignoir Set, a negligee that includes a matching sheer robe.

Pajamas - Pants or shorts with matching top.

Camisole - a camisole is a waist-length fitted top held up by shoulder straps that can either be paired with matching undies for nighttime or worn under a jacket for daywear. Some are very obviously daywear, some are very obviously for seducing and sleeping in.   Camisoles sometimes have under wires in them. 

Chemise - a chemise is a slightly looser version of a camisole that comes down to the tops of the thighs, usually sold with matching thong or panties.   A lot of the newer styles have under wires in them. 

Bustier - tread ever, ever so carefully if you're thinking of buying her one of these.  It might not go down well; if in any doubt whatsoever, don't do it. A bustier is close-fitting and (usually) strapless top that pinches the waist while pushing up the breasts. They are usually worn as a top; one of those simultaneous 'clothing and underwear' things, but can also be used underneath clothing.

Teddy - A one-piece style, similar to a bodysuit

Garter Belt -The garter belt is worn around the waist. Sexy stockings or thigh-highs can be attached to the belt with the  straps that dangle from this exotic item.  Complement this exotic, erotic lingerie look, by wearing a sexy matching bra.

What style of lingerie should you buy?

Back to the underwear drawer.  What patterns and trends do you see in her choice of self-bought underwear?  At no time should your gift give her the wrong idea about how you think of her. For a more quiet lady, an item in blush pink may seem elegant and sexy while the same item in red or black seems trampy. And how she perceives the item is how she'll think you perceive her! When in doubt, be a little more conservative; and then when she loves what you got her this time, you can get an idea of whether she'd be interested in something a little more risqué.
If you like touching it, she'll like wearing it.  Velvet, silk and satin have lots of appeal.  If you're buying online, stick with fabrics that you already know what they feel like.  If she's got a lot of lacy stuff, that probably means she likes lacy underwear.  No lace at all means you probably shouldn't go there.  Look at the style of bras and panties that she likes wearing - if she has no thongs in sight, she is really not going to appreciate you buying her a g-string, even if it is jewel-encrusted.  On the other hand, if she has a lot of padded bras, then she's probably not going to be offended if you buy her a padded bra.  Then there's the matter of color.  Black, red and white look good on almost everyone.  Blondes look great in pastels, and brunettes can carry off stronger colors like green and purple.  Redheads do best with greens, blues and earthy tones.  Some people don't like colorful underwear.  There is a whole range of lingerie out there, some of it in simple, tasteful colors (the standard white, ivory, black); others in beautiful prints that are bright and sexy and are too pretty be hid under clothing.   If there's a lot of black and not much white underwear in her drawer, it probably means she doesn't like white, but that doesn't mean that she wouldn't like a pale pink with black-mesh detail and ribbons.

Buying The Lingerie

Assuming you've done the groundwork, actually choosing what lingerie to buy her shouldn't be too stressful; you've already done a lot of the work.  You know kind-of what you're looking for.  If you're really lucky, she's also done a lot of the work for you by dropping lots of hints at you for the last two weeks, and that's why you went looking for this guide  in the first place. All you've got to do now is go out and find something that you like the look of and that, more importantly, you think she'll like the look of. You can now either browse on the internet, or go out into the real world. Both have their advantages and disadvantages.

Internet:

• Don't have to leave the comfort of your home or office - plus it'll be delivered to your door.
• Bigger choice, especially for those of you who don't live near a larger sized town or city. There are a large number of internet sites that sell lingerie, so finding what you need should be fairly simple.
• Less intimidation.  No going in a store full of women and they are all looking at you like you are a pervert. 
• Keep in mind that sometimes quality is hard to determine online and you've got no idea what the material itself feels like.

 

Real life:

If the thought of walking into the lingerie section of a department store or a lingerie shop is just too terrifying for you to think of, ask a female friend to shop with you.  Apart from anything, she'll be able to offer good advice with regard to what to look for, where to find it (some department store lingerie floors are huge), what looks good, what would be comfortable to wear, what wouldn't be.... Keep in mind, she is along to help you, not pick it out.  Most women won't be happy to find out her lingerie was picked out by another female! If you do decide to go alone, then most sales assistants, especially in specialty lingerie shops, are trained in the art of guiding a confused  male through the purchase of  lingerie.  However, if you're one of those men who just don't like to ask sales assistants for assistance, then here's a  guide of what you'll be running in to.

Bra types:

• Full Coverage - a full-cup bra covers the whole of the breast. Available for all breast sizes, but will be the best (and often only) choice for women over a D cup as they offer a lot of support.  
• Demi Bra - Half-cup bras.  They do not cover the entire breast to create a bare minimum look.  Most demi bras are push up bras that create flattering cleavage.
• Plunge Bra - a plunge bra is merely a bra where the band that connects the cups is a thin strip below the line of the nipples, allowing the woman to wear very low-cut tops. Plunge bras can usually be found up to quite large sizes.
• Push-up Bra - Gives the breasts a natural lift while pushing them together.  Push-up bras are great for a smaller bust because they can add cleavage where there wasn't any before.
• Padded Bra - Bras to help add a natural enhancement to the bust.  Many push bras are padded.  Sometimes the pads are removable. 
• Minimizer Bra - Bras designed for full figures to reduce the bust line.  They reduce the bosom and create a more rounded shape.  These bras can be very slimming. 

 

Panty types:

• Brief - The classic style, briefs give whole coverage of both the front and buttocks. They may be further described as being low-rise (the waistband sits on or below the hips) or high-legged (the cut of the leg finishes high on the hips).
• Thong - Thongs have full coverage at the front, no back coverage. Makes a great choice for no-show panty lines.  Also available as a low-rise version.
• G-String - A g-string is the barest of bare underwear, composed only of string apart from a small triangle at the front to preserve modesty.
• Boy Shorts -  A feminine twist on the classic boy style.  These briefs hit under the waistline for a low-rise fit.  With hems that come just below the natural leg curve. 
• String Bikini - A sassy alternative to the original bikini style.  Has the same fit and style as a bikini with one exception, thin strips of fabric on the sides that connect the front and back piece. 
• Bikini - This style fits just like swimsuit bottoms.  Featuring a low-rise, elasticized waistband.
• Hipster- A hip style that is comfortable and stylish.  Low rise waistband and full seat coverage. 

 

In my opinion, the best thing would be to combine the two. First, research  various sites on the internet. If you don't live near a town or city, then at this point you have no choice, and a lot of lingerie sites have a free returns service, so you're not completely losing out. But if you research first, and then go out into the real world armed with a list and a willing female friend  you can actually see and feel the items you are considering. 

If all is good,  hand over your credit card.

Don't forget to have the lingerie wrapped with beautiful paper and lots of tissue paper. You can get creative and make bags or baskets with related items, like a book of poetry, a bottle of champagne or great-smelling body products and candle. 

Last, but just as important, don't tear the new lingerie off like you're a greyhound chasing the rabbit at the dog track. Take time to enjoy them and to admire her in them. You wanted to make her feel sexy, and a big part of that depends on you.