What's the best colour? The best make? The most arousing texture? The most offensive cuts? Should men ever buy underwear for their partners? Should women really care about what they wear down there?

Why does some lingerie scream "whore", some underdaks denote dags? And how does your reaction to someone's silky drawers define you as an individual?

Ever since folks began the often elaborate business of clothing human flesh, we've harboured a fascination with that final layer of concealment.

The last barrier between naked truth and engineered appearance - is it reasonable to suggest a correlation exists between what's under your clothes and what's under your skin?

For instance, dressing for a hot date and opting for frilly knickers over fat suckers might say a lot about a lady, as it would were a lad to don clean daks over day-olds.

And the gift of a black lace corset with garters, fishnets and crotchless panties might say more about the giver than the giftee - as would a male thong with a *ahem* cock-pocket (kinky sex anyone?).