Buying lingerie for your lover can be one of the most romantic things you can do. It's an intimate gift which, if you get it right, shows you really care, really do understand her and have put the effort in to really think about a gift they will like.

It's also one of the most stressful and dangerous gifts you can buy so don't rush in to it!

Get it right and there are some major brownie points to be earned here. You may even get to unwrap your present later...

Get it wrong however, and you will almost certainly live to regret it...

Before you even think about buying make sure you avoid the following pitfalls and take heed of the helpful lingerie buying advice for the chaps we provide here. A few minutes reading can save you hours of grief.

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Common Lingerie Buying Mistakes

The most important things to remember when buying lingerie as a present are these:

1) It's NOT for You! Remember who you are buying lingerie for and tailor your future choice to this. If you buy something in a style she doesn't usually wear then the chances are, you've got it wrong. If you buy it in a colour or design she doesn't usually wear then again, you've probably got it wrong. Buy something YOU like and the chances are...yup, you guessed it, you've got it wrong! The Golden Rule - You are buying lingerie for her...and NOT for yourself! Yes, those models look great in the skimpy, slutty lingerie and no doubt you'd love to see her in the same, but think of the message you are sending. Do you want your gift to say "You're special and I love you" or "Love? I just want to ... you!". Unless she likes it, opting for the leather, PVC, crotchless, cupless, peephole lingerie, French Maid or Naughty Nurse outfit and you'll no doubt be shown the front door. Go for something silky or lacey and you are more likely to be on the right track. 2) Do Your Research The second biggest mistake is buying blind. DO NOT try to guess her size, favourite style or for that matter, try to guess anything at all. You'll fail and fail miserably. Unfortunately, women don't work in S, M, L, and XL sizes, they have to make it more complicated. When you walk into a lingerie store prepare to be hit by a dizzying array of numbers and letters associated with an even more confusing selection of strange, fascinating and wonderful products which to the untrained eye, all look the same, but to her, are very, very different. Think push-up, plunge, balcony, gel filled, water filled, padded, unpadded, under wired, seamless, backless, boneless, strapless, open cup...with different cup sizes from A to JJ and not forgetting the numbers, different materials and designs...and that's just the bras! Basically, do your research first before you hit the shops or go shopping online and you've got a vastly better chance of getting it right. Wait until her back is turned and then raid her underwear drawer. Small note - please put things back exactly where you found them…she will know if you leave a mess!! Try to find things with the label in it and write down the numbers there. If they don’t have sizes inside, borrow one of her bra and pants sets and take it to a store and ask one of the sales staff...they've seen it all before, don't worry. Actually they will be most impressed that you took the time and risked the potential male embarrassment to take the trouble to do so. Make sure that the lingerie you take is on the new side or you risk buying something in the size she was rather than the size she is now...the very WORST thing you can do is buy something in the size she was before she went up a dress size or two! While you are rummaging around amongst her undies, make a note of the colours and styles she likes. Is there a particular colour she is particularly fond of? Does she like patterns or plain styles? Does she go for comfort or sex appeal? These are important things to note if you are going to buy something she will like rather than something which gets shoved to the bottom of the drawer. 3) Items To Avoid Now you know her size, the colours and styles she likes there's a few pitfalls to avoid: Avoid anything marked as "Control", "Reducing", etc. These are to suck in bellies and hide excess weight...unless you really want to send the message "suck it in fatty" you'd probably be best avoiding these! Gel filled, water filled and cleavage enhancing bras...again, unless this is what she prefers be careful what you might be viewed as hinting at with these. Kinky stuff in general doesn't generally work as an "I love you" kind of gift. If you are daring enough to buy it at all, then save it for the times in between birthdays, Christmas and Valentines Day... Anything else is probably safe. Final Tips Now you've got the majority of the pitfalls put to one side and hopefully avoided here are a few final tips: 1) Presentation An important part of your gift is the presentation. Most shops will professionally gift wrap your purchase for you if you ask for a small charge and this is well worth paying a little extra for. 2) Shop Online One of the glorious things about shopping for lingerie online is the wealth of information available to you that you simply will not find in a bricks and mortar lingerie retailer. Take a look at their gift ideas, top sellers list etc. for loads of ideas of what are popular choices. 3) Keep The Receipt! If worse comes to the worse, she can always swap it for something else. However, keep in mind that most internet retailers may take back certain lingerie items but will not accept returns on panties, thongs, G Strings, teddies or anything else of that nature. They are not being difficult; it’s just due to health laws.