Lingerie For Christmas: Men’s Guide To Buying Underwear For West Coast …

In the lingerie business, there are many insider tips and observations that men searching for the perfect gift could learn from. Like West Coast women wear more thongs than anywhere else in North America.

“We’re more athletic, sporty,” explains Diane Thomson, who owns Dianes Lingerie in Vancouver. “It’s the Lululemon pants too.”

It’s a cheeky call only a lingerie expert like Thomson can make. After 30 years of seeing everything, Thomson’s South Granville store has launched a toll-free lingerie advice hotline — 1-877-458-BRAS (2727) — during business hours, seven days a week until Christmas Eve.

It’s been doing “very, very well,” Thomson told The Huffington Post B.C. in an interview. The store has also posted a helpful video to YouTube.

To lingerie store staffers, the holiday season is that time of the year when more men appear in stores by themselves, cluelessly — and awkwardly — shopping for sexy undergarments for their partners.

In previous years, as Christmas drew nearer, Thomson and her staff noticed more men looking in from outside, too chicken to enter the store.

“They look through the window to see if there’s another man in the store,” said Thomson. “If they haven’t been to the store before, they’ll take about four steps in and stop.”

For a few good men courageous enough to step inside, it can be a sexy sensory overload for those who don’t know where to start.

CUPPING THE AIR

Men not armed with the basics — or without knowledge of their partner’s size and style preference — risk committing two faux pas: cupping the air around them to mime the size of their partner’s breasts, or pointing to sales assistants’ bosoms declaring, “She’s that size.”

Often, and unsurprisingly, these unprepared men are wrong, says Thomson. After leaving confidently with their purchases, the men’s partners will often return days later to discreetly exchange sizes.

“Everyone wants lingerie,” said Thomson. “Everyone wants something pretty, something sexy. It just has to fit right.”

Check out Diane’s lingerie shopping advice for men:

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• Size Matters

  When it comes to lingerie, it’s all about the numbers. You can’t go into a store without knowing your partner’s size. Many moments have been ruined after buying lingerie that’s way too big or small.

• Size Matters

  Take a discreet peek in her underwear drawer for accurate bra and panty sizes.

• It’s All About Cups

  Cups, that’s the unit of measurement when it comes to breasts (read: not crude attempts to honk air boobs in front of salespeople).

• Cup Sizes

  A-cup is equivalent to lemons.

• Cup Sizes

  B-cup is equivalent to oranges.

• Cup Sizes

  C-cup is equivalent to grapefruits.

• Cup Sizes

  D-cup is equivalent to mini watermelons.

• Style

  Does she like colour, animal prints, lace, silk or cotton? Take a peek into her closet to see if there’s a strong preference of one style over others.

• Buy The Set

  You’re already there. Go for the whole set. It’s better than buying by piecemeal.

• Ask For Help

  Being surrounded by bras, panties and nighties can be overwhelming. There’s no shame in asking for help in a lingerie store. The staff are trained professionals and are there to help.

• When In Doubt, Choose Black

  Black bras and panties are what men end up buying “90 per cent of the time,” says lingerie store owner Diane Thomson.

  Pictured: Violette bra ($197) by Marie Jo.

Related on HuffPost:

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Lingerie hotline helps clueless gifters this Christmas

Credits: Dave Abel/QMI AGENCY

CAMERON MACLEOD | QMI AGENCY

Men, are you feeling the heat to find the perfect gift for your partner this year? A new lingerie hotline is here to help reveal the secrets of buying intimate apparel for her.

For more than 30 years, Dianes Lingerie has seen every hopeless faux-pas as men try to shop for undergarments at Christmas and walked generations of men through the murky waters of purchasing proper lingerie.

“We want to help give men confidence and ensure they’re armed with facts when walking into a lingerie store,” said Lynda Barr, director at Dianes Lingerie. This year they have created an informative video and set up a toll-free lingerie hotline at 1-877-458-BRAS (2727), operating during regular business hours seven days a week until Dec 24, to help answer questions and provide expert advice.

“We find that men struggle with these purchases from their 20s into their 60s,” observed Barr. “But men are definitely finding it easier to ask than in years past. When I started working here we’d see men walk by the store two or three times before coming in. Now they just walk straight in.”

And for those still too afraid or embarrassed to ask for help — don’t be. Lingerie experts love to provide you with the advice and expertise that you need, and whatever your concern they’ve heard it all before. In the words of Dianes Lingerie, “You have to ask yourself — would you rather look stupid buying lingerie or giving it?”

Pro-tips for our gentlemen readers:

Size matters (no matter what they say). Too small is as bad as too big.

It’s all about cups. Sneak into her room when she’s in the shower and get the right cup size … or, you know, you could just do her laundry.

Match her style not yours. Make sure it’s something she likes when matching colours and fabrics for outfits. A fantasy role-playing outfit that she would never wear isn’t much better than buying her that new Snap-on socket set you were sure she’d love.

Practicality. Guys, buying a practical bra is not romantic. If you do this, expect soap-on-a-rope for your next gift … at best.

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