Reveal my Bridget Jones knickers? Never! New survey reveals many would turn down intimacy based on their underwear

It's one of those movie scenes that resonates with all women.

But it seems most of us aren't as brave as Bridget Jones was when it came to showing Daniel Cleaver her slimming knickers, as it seems more than half are too embarrassed to flash our old pants.

In fact, a quarter of women have actually turned down a night of passion as a result of what underwear they've got on, in a desperate attempt to hide their less than flattering lingerie.

What we've got on underneath is hugely important when it comes to intimacy for many women, with a staggering 86 per cent consciously wearing luxury lingerie on a date just in case.

But while lingerie can indicate whether we're in 'the mood' of not, many of us feel it can hide some of our sins too.

Half of women have said they use luxury lingerie to hide their body insecurities - such as cellulite or a flabby tummy - with the type of undies we have a good indicator as to whether we're in the mood for intimacy.

The new findings, revealed today, also showed that nearly all women keep wearing old underwear they're secretly ashamed of - simply because they haven't got round to buying replacements.

And the situation is so bad in some underwear drawers, that one in six admitted that as much as 30 per cent of their underwear drawer needs a proper clear out.

According to Bluebella, who conducted the survey on 1,000 women, many women use luxury lingerie to signal sex to a partner and to hide their body hang-ups.

[New Bridget Jones novel causes fans to take to Twitter in outrage]
[Bridget Jones is mad about the boy... But who is he?]
[These books will ACTUALLY change your life]

The poll revealed that 92 per cent of women own at least one set of luxury lingerie, with a fifth boasting between three and five sets.

While most of us see wearing it as a treat, 10 per cent of women actually wear it everyday - meaning problems such as Bridget's aren't a possibility.

And a staggering nine out of 10 of us said if they showed their partner their best undies, they would instigate intimacy.

Speaking about the new findings, Emily Bendell, Bluebella founder, said: "What woman hasn't been guilty of holding onto old greying knickers that don’t make her feel very confident.

"The survey shows that millions of us are keeping old underwear we are a secretly ashamed of and know should be thrown away.

"It's great to hear luxury lingerie makes women feel special and gets such a positive reaction from their partners when they indicate they are wearing it."

The survey also revealed that almost 20 per cent of women wear their best lingerie to gain favours from their partners - such as approval for buying a new handbag or some expensive shoes.