Us romantics subscribe to the notion that lingerie is a window into a woman's soul. It shows how she feels about herself and how she wants to express herself to her lover. And while communication is essential for any relationship, nowhere does a lover risk potential miscommunication in gift-giving than in the purchase of lingerie!

Fortunately, over in England, a shop called John Lewis thoughtfully created a"lingerie academy" for men, complete with leather couches, Wii and free beer, to take the terror out of T&A gift-giving.

What are these daring men learning? We scoured the observations of the Times of London's brave reporter and here are the top tips for buying lingerie:

1. Above all, channel your lady's style. Don't know how? Just take a peek in her lingerie drawer.

Most men, we suspect, fear a slap in the face on Christmas morning (or the last night of Chanukah!) when that hotsy-totsy French Maid get-up is unwrapped. Spare the pain and poke around in your lady's real world lingerie drawer while she's in the shower. (That doesn't make you a perv! It's research!) Does she favor itchy frills or cotton comfort? Bright colors like hot pink and cantaloupe, or basic black and white? Matchy-matchy bra-and-panty sets or romantic slips? "The mistake men most commonly make is buying for themselves and not for their partners," Maria Walker, John Lewis' shopgirl says. "They buy something they would like to see their lady in and she wouldn't be seen dead in, usually something racy in red or black and lace." But you won't make that mistake, will you?

2. Have some idea of your lady's cup and bottom sizes. 

We don't blame you if you don't know the difference between a C cup or a D cup, a 34 or a 36. We barely do, either. But when your giftee is in the shower and you snoop around in her lingerie drawer for shopping hint, make sure to note which size she wears.  She might also own negligees or slips which come in sizes like "small," "medium" or "large," so make a note of that size, too.  The Times of London says it's okay to politely point out a shopgirl's cup or bottom size if it helps clarify the body type of the lady for whom you are shopping.

3. Just skip the thongs.

Unless your lady wears a thong every day, skip this potentially-problematic gift. Some women enjoy teeny-tiny thongs, but other women much prefer the comfort of bikini-cut panties. Take it from us, thongs are uncomfortable to the un-converted and your special girl likely will not start wearing oa piece of fabric up her crack just because you bought it for her.  And take the Times of London's advice, too: "If you even suspect that she thinks her bottom is too big, don't buy her a thong. Every bum looks big in a thong."