‘WOULD your man wear a lace G-string for Valentine’s Day?’ a news website asked.

I can picture the scene: my husband opening a beautifully-wrapped parcel containing a scrap of stringy-looking material.

“Is this something to fasten up my runner beans?” he would probably ask.

In fact, having looked at men’s lace G-strings online (purely for research purposes, you understand), I could probably rustle up something similar and cheaper using a bit of garden twine and a strip of soft fruit netting.

I can’t think of many things less appealing than my husband in a lace G-string, but it appears there are thousands of people out there who can’t wait to see their partners in one. Searches for men’s lingerie on eBay have gone up by 60 per cent in the past month compared to January last year.

Dubbed the ‘men-gerie effect’, the sales trend started after popstar Rihanna launched a new range of men’s lingerie for her Savage X Fenty brand. Her collection includes a sold-out Glossy Flossy Crop Top, which from the look of it could also double up as a bit of fruit netting. Far from being a turn on, it has to be one of the most grotesque items of clothing I have ever seen. ‘Cut to above pec’ level’, I can’t imagine any man wearing it looking anything other than comical.

It’s all a far cry from the traditional white cotton Y-fronts and vests worn by my dad’s generation. When I was growing up in rural North Yorkshire, old men in the village would lean over their front gates wearing their vests. One man, Maurice Todd, wore his braces over his vest. I wonder what he would have made of a lacy G-string. He’d probably have used it as a catapult to keep pigeons off his veg patch.

Traditionally, it’s been men who have bought sexy undies for women. Not that I’ve ever been in receipt of any myself. My husband would rather abseil down The Shard in a hurricane than enter the likes of Victoria’s Secret. But I suppose that’s the beauty of the internet - blokes no longer have to suffer that embarrassing point-of-sale awkwardness long associated with shopping for women’s undies.

Valentine’s Day aside, my life has been completely free of lacy lingerie and at the age of 61 I can confidently say that it’s likely to remain so. I’m the female equivalent of the traditional Y-front brigade, with plain white, cotton Bridget Jones knickers filling my undies drawer. All selected and bought by me. I doubt any of it would even qualify as ‘lingerie.’

As for my husband. Like many women, I am the one who buys his underwear. It’s always the same - boxer shorts from M&S in large. Comfortable, roomy and practical. Always cotton, never silk or satin. Sexy doesn’t come into it. I normally buy him a multi-pack for Christmas and birthdays, and although it’s not the most exciting present, he is always pleased and grateful.

I’ve never been one for Valentine’s treats - neither of us have - but, having seen the vast range of ‘men-gerie’ on offer, I am having an epiphany. Life isn’t great at the moment and I could do with a really good laugh. It makes me grimace just to think of it, but for £2.99 you can snap up a men’s see-through thong on eBay. I might just surprise my husband on February 14.

*I was intrigued and amused to see to see a tablecloth among the deluge of Valentine’s gift ideas that have landed in my email box.

When I say deluge, I mean hundreds - the first arriving not long after Christmas.

Teddies, chocolates, candles, toiletries and flowers I can understand, but a tablecloth? It is covered with hearts which is a nice touch, but isn’t it a bit like buying your beloved an ironing board or a frying pan?

It would be the perfect present for a 1950’s ‘tea on’t table at five o’clock’ housewife, but I’d be surprised if many of today’s ruthlessly independent females even knew what a tablecloth was for.