Paris and I have teamed up with FIGLEAVES to not only share our favourite cosy outfits and cute lingerie, but we also want to encourage your partners to choose gifts for you which you will love. We all love receiving surprises but we usually fear that the gifts will be wrong, we won’t wear them or maybe they’re nice but the wrong size. I love it when Paris takes the time to choose a gift for me, I actually enjoy the thought of that more than the gift, it is very romantic. I remember when I worked at Harrods I use to feel so happy when I would see men shopping for their partners, the time and effort spent are so thoughtful. Hopefully, we can share some tips which will allow you to get what you love for Christmas, birthdays, anniversaries and Valentine’s day! Imagine getting a surprise that you love and it fits?! By the end of this blog post, hopefully, this is the case.
If you would like to see what Paris picked for me, you can watch the haul video we filmed here. I put Paris to the test, I wanted to see if all my years of subtle training had worked.
I have wanted to film and discuss something like this for a long time and I know so many of you have requested to see Paris style me. We chose to style items from FIGLEAVES because it is a website we both love and it is my go-to website for loungewear, nightwear and lingerie. This is related to one of my tips, but more of that later. It is the perfect website for Christmas gifts and presents from your partner. We thought lingerie and PJs were the best gifts to discuss because they are one of the hardest gifts to buy and often get returned. They often go wrong for three reasons. The first being sizing. I cannot tell you how many times a man would say to me “oh my wife is about your size”. I once had “your size but you’re bigger”. The comments made me laugh. Basically, if they can get your underwear size right and they know your knicker and bra size, they can for sure buy you the correct dress or pair of jeans! The lingerie is the hard part. The second and most common factor the men get wrong is “selfish gifts”. This would be when a man buys you a lingerie set he will enjoy and you won’t. How many of you have been there? We want them to enjoy the gifts but they need to know that we need to feel comfortable, confident and also like it!
MEN’S BUYING GUIDE TO SHOP LINGERIE
WOMEN’S TRAINING TIPS
1. If you have a little bit of confidence in your man and think he just needs a little bit of guidance, I suggest giving him the link to your favourite brand/website. I feel like this with FIGLEAVES. I love the brand so he cannot really buy anything majorly wrong. I would just hint and remind him of my size.
2. Men are pretty visual so you are better off showing them as opposed to talking. They suffer from a serious illness of “selective hearing” so you are at risk they will only listen to half of what you are saying. In some cases, they only pick out and remember the odd word like “bra” or “pink”. Next time you wear your favourite bra or PJs, show him.
3. HINT! If you think you have hinted, think again and hint some more. Make your hints pretty direct too.
4. Have a chat with your man, tell him what you like. Let him know what you like and remind him that if you feel comfortable, confident and sexy; he is likely to actually see you wear it. Men like to know they are going to get something out of this deal.
5. Don’t knock their confidence. Hint a little but make sure you email him your size with the subject “bra size”. This way he can find the information quickly and easily. Paris has bought me a few things I would not buy or not my style, however, I really like it because that is how he sees me and that is what he likes. As long as it fits, I am happy to wear it. Of course within reason but my point is, I think it is important to allow them to be creative and feel proud of their pick. Relationships are two ways so appreciate his efforts even if he did get it wrong. Explain what you did like about the item and you could see where he was going. If his confidence is knocked he will just give you the money to go buy it and it is not as special. Paris is super proud of himself when he gets it right and that makes me happy.
MY TOP TIP FOR BUYING UNDERWEAR/SLEEPWEAR FOR YOUR MAN
In the YouTube haul, I mention that when you are picking underwear to wear for a special occasion, think “cute and sexy”. This is the best combination for girlfriend/wifey material. Okay, a little bit stereotypical and I am going with the general statistic but you cannot go wrong with “cute sexy”. There is nothing wrong with other styles and if you know exactly what your man likes, great! But try cute and sexy, then thank me later. Here are some examples of cute and sexy.
Think babydoll. Think sexy silk and lace but make it cutesie with a pastel colour. Adding some cute socks (not stocking socks) which I am sure you all have at home. You could buy a sexy set like this and then make it cute with the socks.
THE MAN GUIDE
1. Do not be scared to go lingerie shopping, it’s normal but I advise buying online. It’s quick, easy and avoids any awkwardness. If you really would like your gift to be a surprise, do not be scared to have a little snoop in your partner’s underwear drawer. You can see what she usually wear and more importantly what size she is.
2. Start paying attention to what she wears. What is she wearing when she goes to bed? This may be shocking news but most women have three types of sleepwear. The first is their everyday sleepwear, their comfiest. The second will be her fancy PJs, these she will wear if she has a cosy night in, after a bath or maybe to wear Christmas night or Boxing Day. The third is the “sexy” sleepwear. Yep, we all have something at the back of our wardrobe! See the list below for your checklist.
3. Do not be too selfish with your picks. Do not just buy something you like, think what she would like and compromise. Paris is pretty good at this. He will pick styles he likes but considers a colour I like or vice versa. If he really loves a lingerie set that he knows is totally sexy, he will balance this out with another gift that I can wear every day. It is a good compromise! If you talk to your partner and just look at a few lingerie sets online, you can see what you both like and there is no need to compromise, you can both love it!
4. The most important factor you need to know is her size. If the gift you bought is not 100% her style, trust me she will appreciate the thought and if it fits, she may actually like it and be happy to wear it. Make sure you ask her for her size, you cannot guess a bra size.
5. Pick a set that is wearable. It is better for your investment if she can wear lingerie most days. Try to pick something that you like, maybe a bra set (like this, the one we featured in the video) and then buy suspenders (like Paris did) or add in an extra pair of knickers. Buy her knickers for every day and a thong, buying two styles of knickers to match the bra is a good idea.
MENS CHECKLIST:
1. Look at what she wears.
What is she wearing most nights to bed?
Is she wearing nighties, shorts, trousers, fluffy, black, bright colours? She will love a fresh new pair of PJs to sleep in and you can just take a hint from what she usually wears.
2. Take into consideration the house/room decor to understand what colours she likes. If your/her lounge is grey and white, I bet she will love a grey robe and PJs. Does she love black or pastel pink accents (cushions, throws, flamingos?). If so take inspiration from these colours, if she likes them around her house, she will like to wear them. When she asks you “how did you know I would love a navy robe?” You can answer “because I noticed the lounge cushions and blanket are navy and it would all match well.” She will be so impressed!
3. If you want to go for something revealing and super sexy, make sure it’s good quality such as silk or a good brand. Sexy outfits in poor quality are often associated with fantasy costumes and it will not make your partner feel special. Use trusted websites such as FIGLEAVES.
4. When she talks to you, try and listen now and then 🙂
I hope this guide gives you hope and you share this with your man. Or just tell him a few of the tips and maybe just maybe, you will receive the perfect gift this Christmas which you do not need to return. Do not forget we have our video, which you can see here. You can see what Paris chose for me and listen to all the horror stories of what he bought me when we first met! I would love to know if this guide helped and what results it achieved.
I hope this guide gives you hope and you share this with your man. Or just tell him a few of the tips and maybe just maybe, you will receive the perfect gift this Christmas which you do not need to return. Do not forget we have our video, which you can see here. You can see what Paris chose for me and listen to all the horror stories of what he bought me when we first met! I would love to know if this guide helped and what results it achieved.
DO NOT FORGET TO USE THE CODE “CLAIRE15” FOR 15% OFF
SLIPPERS
CASH ROBE
SILK
UNDIES
1 comment
Oh I want all of these now!
x Lisa | lisaautumn.com