Help is on hand for men who get in a panic over lingerie buying, as Dawn Collinson discovers

LIFE On Mars hardman detective Gene Hunt knows exactly what he wants for Christmas. “That girl prancing around in her underwear.”

But, while the Marks & Spencer advert might just be a cheeky festive tease, he’s certainly not alone with his wish list.

At this time, more than any other in the year, men are heading nervously into lingerie departments hoping to pick out something to impress their partners with on Christmas morning.

The problem is, unlike Gene, they don’t always have much of a clue where to start.

“Most men aren’t very confident when it comes to choosing underwear; the majority will linger around the fringes plucking up courage and there’s definitely a lack of understanding in terms of what they’re looking for,” says Lucy Purcell, lingerie manager at Liverpool’s Marks & Spencer.

“They have a general idea, but they’re short on detail and the confidence to make the final purchase. I think what holds most of them back is they’re scared of making a mistake.”

In a bid to ease men’s seasonal panic attack, M & S have again introduced their Stocking Fillies and Fellas into stores, to help with the minefield that is Christmas lingerie buying.

They will be on hand to offer advice on shapes, sizing and by asking a few simple questions can recommend the perfect lingerie gifts.

Men, of course, are notoriously reluctant to admit defeat and ask for help, but Lucy hopes the high- profile advisors will overcome the embarrassment factor.

Although, she adds, that doesn’t mean the bloke can just sit back and let someone else do all the work!

“It makes life a lot easier if men do their homework before they get to the shop,” she says. “We suggest that they have an idea of the kind of things their partner would like and the usual styles, colours and fabrics they wear.

“The biggest thing, though, is size. They need to be sure of the size, for bra and knickers if they’re buying a set, and not just guess. It is very hard to guess a bra size, particularly just by looking at someone, but we still have plenty who try. They’ll look around and spot a woman shopping and say ‘she’s roughly the same size as her’ and hope that will be good enough.