Many men would like to buy sexy lingerie for that special woman in their life, but unfortunately are not sure how to pick out the right lingerie for her. Before you head for the women's lingerie section at your neighborhood department store, or order from women's lingerie catalogs, it is important that you brush up on the ABCs of buying lingerie gifts first.

Though you may have seen pictures of women's lingerie in magazines and thought to yourself "wow this would look good on my girl!" the fact remains that the world of lingerie is divided into many sub-categories that you should familiarize yourself with.

First, we have the babydoll type of lingerie (sometimes also called baby-doll or baby doll.) The babydoll is a short type of nightgown that may start at the shoulder straps and terminate in a hem around the upper thigh area. Some babydoll negligees are sold with matching panties for a sleek look. The babydoll is usually used as nighttime wear, like regular nightgowns are.

Second, we have the bustier type of lingerie which is like a fusion of the bra and the old-fashioned corset. It accentuates the hourglass figure of a woman and may produce a waist-slimming effect that other types of lingerie may not have. Some women like to use a bustier because it provides support for their breasts, making these seem larger and more pronounced, especially when the bustier is worn under regular clothing.

Third, you could give your wife or girlfriend a camisole. A camisole might be designed either as another type of negligee or form of nightwear, or have a bra fused into the design so that the camisole can be used as an undergarment as well. It is a form-fitting type of lingerie but aims to keep the wearer relaxed anyway even when it is worn as an undergarment.

Fourth, you might opt to buy a chemise instead for that special girl in your life. You might find it funny, but in past centuries even men wore a chemise. Nowadays though, it is more accepted that women wear a chemise than for men to use one for themselves. Being loose and comfortable, women might opt to wear the chemise as an outer garment in warm weather or evening wear conditions. Many women use the chemise as an undergarment however. The male version of the chemise at present is the men's undershirt.

Fifth, have you ever considered buying a corset for you female partner? The corset is a rigid type of lingerie due to the hard plastic or metal boning that is fused into the skeletal structure of the corset. This is why the corset can pull in some sagging parts of the female torso to prevent the woman from looking frumpy. If your girl has a whistle-bait figure, then you can still buy a corset to accentuate her hourglass figure if she feels comfortable enough wearing a corset.

Lastly, your girl might be daring enough to wear a thong which is also known as a G-string. Some women opt to wear G-string panties because it allows them to wear tight-fitting pants without revealing a panty line through the pants. The end effect is the illusion that they are not wearing any underwear under their pants, giving the pants a smooth sleek look.

So which type of lingerie should you buy for your girl? That is strictly up to you, of course. You may need to get some clean underwear that your female partner does use when shopping for lingerie so that the staff can help you pick out the right lingerie in the right size. It would be nice as well if you could have the lingerie wrapped up nicely but some men prefer to buy a fancy type of shopping bag and place their purchase there.