M&S survey shows men know lingerie
Most women wear what their partners buy
December 5 2002
British men know their way around the lingerie department, according to the findings of a survey from Marks & Spencer, the UK’s leading lingerie retailer.
Half of the men surveyed claimed to know their partners size and a resounding 85 per cent claimed that the last time they had bought lingerie as a gift their partner had liked it and worn it.
However, a quarter of men surveyed still claim they would feel embarrassed or uncomfortable when shopping for lingerie for a partner, and one in five feel they would be nervous and confused.
When it came to finding out a partners size, 15 per cent said that they would take time to check their partners underwear drawer for their size before they went shopping, 20 per cent said they would simply ask their partner.
Only 4 per cent said they would ask a shop assistant to guess the size, dispelling the myth of “she’s about your size” and only 3 per cent said they would gamble with a guess, once in the shop.
The most popular purchasing colour for men was black, at 33 per cent, also top with 29 per cent of women. The most popular colour with women was cream/white at 32 per cent. The biggest divergence of opinion was on the colour red, chosen by 16 per cent of men, but with just 7 per cent of women saying they would like to receive red lingerie.
In all, 80 per cent of women claimed that when they had received lingerie as a gift they had liked and worn it.
Only one in 10 women swapped their lingerie gift for something else, with 6 per cent of women lying to their partners and never wearing the gift.
Sarah Hawkins, marketing manager, for Marks & Spencer Lingerie said: “This survey has disproved a whole host of myths surrounding men and how they buy lingerie. It’s great to know that when men buy lingerie as a gift,
their partners like and wear what they buy. It looks like it’s going to be a very merry Christmas for women all around the country.”
