What's point of buying him a designer bath set when he'd rather have a new pair of running shoes?

After all, idea behind gift giving is that you give person something they'll treasure, or at least appreciate. And while it might not be what you'd want for yourself, this is about him. So maybe it's time to expand definition of a romantic gift.

So what do men want?

We once overheard a male friend complaining, ”Just once I'd like to open a Christmas gift and find a great set of wrenches instead of socks and a silk bathrobe!”

Another man we read about lamented, “Wouldn't it be great to have my girlfriend say to me, 'I love it when you turn up for dinner with grease under your fingernails after working in your garage. And I hope you realize that I don't mind how long you spend in there because I know how much you enjoy it.' If she said something like that instead of carping at me for wasting time in garage, I'd know she accepts me for who I am.”

Chocolates Flowers Jewelry Lingerie Perfume Candles Soft Toys Clothes

But on other hand we're difficult to buy for. We know what we like, and we don't want to settle for less. We pay attention to little things, so we appreciate it when you give us a gift in our favorite color, or one that has special meaning.

We love romantic gestures, like poetry, love letters and romantic music. Men often consider us gullible when they see us being 'taken in' by another man's soft words and candlelight dinners. The truth is, we often know when we're being played, but we can't help responding to gesture. We'd like it to be sincere so we convince ourselves that it is. And occasionally, manipulative male becomes a victim of his own techniques and falls for woman he set out to victimize.

But falling for romantic gestures isn't a sign of weakness. A woman can muster huge wells of strength and resourcefulness when situation calls for it. Some women get addicted to this power and let go of so-called feminine side of their natures. Others realize that you can have both.