The way to a man’s heart may be through his underpants. Wait, it’s not what you’re thinking.

According to a new poll by British retailer Debenhams, if a man lets you buy his underwear, he feels very stable and secure in your relationship. If, however, you find brand new drawers in his dresser drawers, he may be on the hunt for a new honey.

"Our research shows that you can tell when a man is looking for a partner by the number of new underpants they buy for themselves," Debenhams’ buyer Rob Faucherand tells Retuers.

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Apparently there’s a predictable timeline to men’s underwear buying habits. They don’t begin purchasing their own undies until around age 18, leaving the dirty work (so to speak) prior to that to their mothers. Most women, on the other hand, pick out their own panties by age 13.

Between the ages 19 and 23, dudes go on a boxers buying bonanza – in the hopes that new underthings will help them attract pretty young things. Men may buy up to 31 pairs per year during this prime mating time.

Thirty-one pairs? Is this day-of-the-month underwear? Either guys are really, really into their underwear … or they really, really don’t want to do laundry. You be the judge.

According to the survey, when men hit the 23- to 33-year-old age zone, their underwear purchasing plummets. Presumably, that’s when they’ve found a partner to do their tighty-whities buying for them.

"Never bought underwear in my life," says a married guy from Nebraska. "True story. My wife buys them."

His mother must have been happy to marry him off.