What I'd Buy My Girlfriend if I was having a Last Minute Panic.

I don’t have a girlfriend/wife, but if I did then these are the things that I’d buy for her if I was in a last minute panic. This list is so good, so succinct-yet-thorough, that it’s a crying shame I don’t have a girlfriend, if I’m totally honest. I have no idea what to buy my husband. He already has a drill and a cool box and if I buy him yet another pair of slippers to store in the wardrobe “for when the current ones are dead” then I think he might divorce me.

Here we go with the things:

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The Underwear Thing:

Gifting sexy lingerie usually turns out to be a total disaster. Scratchy lace thongs. Weird feather-trimmed things. Many lingerie-buyers seem to have this insatiable desire to buy underwear that is completely see-through, or to choose undergarments that are missing one of their essential sections, like - I don’t know - the gusset.

Here’s the thing: if we wanted a bra formed from transparent mesh that made us look like we had our boobs pressed up against a window then we would go and try one on ourselves, to make sure we had the right fit. Ditto anything with peep holes or “open” bits: these are the sorts of situations where accurate sizing becomes paramount. Nobody wants an open gusset in the wrong place, let me tell you. You could be inviting all sorts of things in through the back door!

But do we go and try these things on for size? No we do not. Because generally we do not want them. Those in the throes of new passion might don a peekaboo bra and lace-up pants but a vast proportion of us just yearn for comfort and effective air circulation in the undercarriage region. If you can throw in some colour and fun at the same time then you’ve hit the mark.

Which is why these:

are my favourite, favourite underwear thing. Sets of the brightest, softest knickers known to man, neatly folded into a pleasing little recycled box. They are one of my daily little pockets of joy, these neon knickers, and I highly recommend them. Cute gift. Get 20% off with RUTH20 if you’re shopping online. See also these:

for uplifting colour bursts! Find them online here.

The Iconic Thing:

You’re sweating now, thinking Louis Vuitton handbag! Oh God! Chanel purse! Gucci belt? How much is this going to cost me?

Well I don’t know about you, my (imaginary) girlfriend is worth any amount of money! But calm down. It’s none of these things. Far more quietly stylish. I present you with an iconic gift that whispers pure luxury whilst being perfectly usable on a daily basis: the Liberty Robe.

Nothing makes you feel fancier, I can tell you. Unless you go for the silk robe rather than the cotton, but I like the way the cotton one is a bit more structured on the shoulders - you really do feel immediately very stylish and swish when you put it on. A proper little treasure, this one, and all of the prints are so beautiful that it’s hard to go wrong.

Find the robes here online. I’m a UK10-12 and wear a size S.

The Thoughtful Thing: