Models on hand to help men buy the right-sized lingerie
IT IS the Christmas shopping dilemma that leaves two-thirds of men red-faced and stuttering each Christmas... choosing lingerie for their partners.
One department store found a unique solution that saw male shoppers walking away with the perfect fit every time from 30 brands and 70 bra sizes on show.
Debenhams hired models with distinctive body shapes to walk around its lingerie department for a day so that men could pick out the girl whose curves most resembled those of their other half.
The girls boasted apple, pear and hourglass-shaped bodies in sizes 8, 12 and 16. And they were not shy about helping hapless men at the Oxford Street branch in London.
“The idea was a huge success, with our male shoppers commenting on what a great idea the event was at this time of year,” said Ruth Attridge, for Debenhams lingerie department.
Each year, shoppers range from the practical – women looking for slimming underwear to go under their party dress – to men and women looking for saucy underwear sets as gifts.
Research by Debenhams shows almost two-thirds of men do not know their partners’ bra or knicker size, meaning returns can flood in during January. “We often get lovely men who are eager to impress their partners with the right gift, but they come in with no clue at all,” said one member of staff.
“Sometimes they just point at someone on the shop floor and whisper that their wife is ‘about that size,’ or they just make a shape with their hands.”
