Men confess telling big fat lies when their partners try on clothes to avoid tearful rows outside the changing rooms.

Two-thirds say they try to avoid an explosive truth when asked such questions as “does my bum look big in this?”

But while most male shopping companions are comfortable with a little white lie, 70 per cent of women are convinced their partner is giving them an honest opinion.

Every UK woman has an average 104-pounds worth of ill-fitting, unflattering garments they have never worn, according to research by online clothing firm Very.

One in 10 men fear a row at the shops on a Saturday will cause such a stir the entire weekend will be ruined.

But 82 per cent of women say they would rather know the truth before heading to the tills with clothes that don’t suit.

“The ‘does my bum look big in this?’ question can be a tricky one for British men, particularly when it’s put to them just outside a busy changing room in a department store,” the Daily Express quoted Very’s Julie Donnelly as saying.