There is a tack that many women employ when buying for the important men in their life, and that is choosing things for them that they think they should want. This is especially the case when it comes to clothes and accessories. You wouldn’t pick out a mobile phone or gadget without careful research, so make sure you apply the same process to choosing the right clothing if you want a satisfying reaction.

Choosing a present you know will suit your man’s looks can be a great, but it has the tendency to backfire when you are thinking too hard about how you would like them to look rather than what they like to wear. For example, you might think that a cardigan will suit your man perfectly, but if they can’t get their head around the trend, then they might have a problem with the idea of popping one on over their favourite T-shirt.

The best line of attack is to ensure you have a firm grip on the kind of clothes he already likes to wear. You may despair of the baggy jeans he seems to have on day in and day out, but buying skinny jeans isn’t likely to solve that problem. Instead, if you want to buy him jeans you should choose ones that have some of the same attributes as the ones he owns already. That way, you can be sure that he will be comfortable in the style and is certain to enjoy having them in his wardrobe. If you want to introduce some new looks to your man’s wardrobe, make sure you introduce small changes and keep some of the main attributes similar. For instance, if you want to see your man in briefs but he wears boxers, try a few pairs of tight trunks, in his favourite brand. Changes are best made in steps with plenty of compliments.

The other important thing to remember when shopping for guys is how widely clothing sizes can differ. Make sure you take a sneaky note of his chest, waist and inner leg measurements but also be prepared for finding that many items of clothing only come marked in small, large or extra large. If in doubt, the best thing you can do is check the return policy and hang onto the receipt. Also, it’s usually a good idea to make sure you buy one size larger than you suspect to avoid any hurt feelings when the wrapping paper is undone.

As a rule, don’t fall into the present trap when buying clothes for your boyfriend. You’re best to choose the mens fashion items you know he’ll like rather than ones you’d like to see him in.

Jonathan Wallace writes for a digital marketing agency. This article has been commissioned by a client of said agency. This article is not designed to promote, but should be considered professional content.