Dear AA,

My friend says that underwear is not an appropriate present for a guy. 

Charlotte, by email 

Ah, an interesting distaff take on the old Valentine chestnut: should you buy your girlfriend hooker's underwear? The answer by the way is no, nay, never. No, nay, never, no more. Not least because you'll always get the wrong size.

But a girl I know did have an inventive ruse to part her boyfriend from his disgusting collection of pants, which ranged from Result Tangas (surely an oxymoron) to Lucky Match Day Keks.

Instead of just confronting him with a collection of white cotton boxer shorts, which would have led to sulking and impotence, she put on an impromptu Sunday morning bedroom fashion show, modelling a lot of men's underwear for him. Inventive, fun and chubbylicious.

As any man will tell you, nothing looks as good on your girlfriend as your poplin boxer shorts. Well, the bloke was begging her to wear his undercrackers and went out and bought a dozen the next day. Mind you, I don't think this would work the other way round.