Men like lingerie, we just don’t enjoy buying them. For starters, men share a common belief, an understandable one, that ladies’ stores are women’s territory, setting foot beyond that border is considered trespassing or plain perversity. For most of us, shopping for lingerie for our partners is akin to walking on black ice in a heavy mist – our confused minds are incapable of figuring out what’s ahead of us. But since our counterparts have never had problem purchasing undergarments for us, and because every woman deserves a little pampering come Valentine’s day or anniversaries, we decide it is time to tread carefully into that unknown territory.

Here are some tips on how to find the right bra for maximum comfort and appeal.

And to shed some light on this courageous act, we ask Anne Sophie, regional marketing manager of La Perla, one of the world's best-known luxury lingerie brands, for some help. From what men should know before walking into a lingerie store to what the fail-proof styles are, we, with the help of La Perla, give you a male crash course on lingerie 101.

HongKongTatler.com: Is men buying lingerie for women a good idea or just embarassing?
Anne Sophie: It is definitely a good idea. Men should never be embarrassed when buying lingerie.

HKT.com: What are some common mistakes men make when buying lingerie for women?
AS: Men tend to remember their previous sizes rather than new ones. Sizes can vary all the time depending on the type of bra you buy. Our advice: Take a tag from a current set that your partner has. Just to make sure!

HKT.com: Apart from the obvious measurements, what else should we know about our significant half before the shopping begins?
AS: Her favourite colour or style. Styles from padded to non-padded or making sure you don’t buy something similar in the same colour that she already has is really important. Some prefer really sexy items while others not so much. So this is something you must take note of. You may like to see her wearing it in the bedroom but she has to feel comfortable in it, too.

HKT.com: Is a matching set always the best?
AS: Always, yes. We would never recommend to a customer to buy anything that was mismatched.

HKT.com: From corsets to bras to French knickers, where should we begin?
AS: It’s always safe to start with a slip or baby doll. You’ll find it easier with sizing. Unless you are confident in what you are buying, then you can try a set of lingerie.

HKT.com: What about materials? Are there any unusually good lingerie items that aren't, say, made of silk and are more versatile?
AS: The most interesting pieces are when we mix different fabrics and craftsmanship together to make a more precious unique design. This we do with our limited edition collections that can be seen in our FW 12 collection.

HKT.com: Are black and lace really fail-proof?
AS: Yes, that is almost always the case, about 70 per cent of the time.

We also look at men’s swimwear brands favoured by the crème de la crème of Hong Kong’s most fashionable.