Lingerie Shopping Parisian Style

Agent Provocateur
Ivana Corset

Paris is the lingerie capital of the world. Parisiennes take their underthings seriously.

91% of French women and 83% of French men believe that lingerie is an important part of life.

To every true Parisienne...what she wears under her carefully crafted ensemble is essential. French women spend 20% of their clothing budget on beautiful underthings. Faded cotton panties and functional athletic bras will simply not do.

Explore more secrets for the sexiest panties here.

Your Inner Seductress

Feeling and looking beautiful is about the ornamentation of the object of desire...YOU.

It is all about anticipation and temptation...even before you undress. A man enjoys imagining what you are wearing underneath your clothes...something the rest of the world isn't allowed to see.

The word caché means hidden...in the sense that lingerie conceals and reveals at the same time...your secret life hidden from the world.

Seduce with a Whisper

Mystery increases the thrill of conquest. It's about hiding and revealing and delaying the reveal.

Fine lingerie is sexy and erotic without being vulgar. Knowing what to withhold and how much to reveal works every time.

The secret to a tantalizing allure in your underthings is a rich, but subtle whisper of trim or embroidery. Keep it subtle and keep it classy.

Underneath it All

Fine lingerie is not a "guilty pleasure"...just a pleasure. Beautiful underthings are for more than support and modesty...it is to be seen and admired.

Do you have plain underwear for
"every day"?

A Parisienne doesn't save the good stuff for special occasions. Every day of living is a special occasion. Wear your lacy best every day...and night. Wear beautiful underthings to please yourself...it just makes you feel good. But if it also pleases a man...all the better!

Every day deserves your finest.

Many American women have two sets of underwear...plain for everyday and a few prettier pieces for "special occasions".

Why settle for basic "underwear" when you can have exquisite, heavenly underthings every day?

Wearing something beautiful under your clothes is a pleasure...even if no one else is going to see it...your well-deserved secret pleasure. Parisiennes wear beautiful underthings for themselves as much as for their men.

A Connoisseur of Finery

Parisian women...well, all women really...enjoy beautiful lace lingerie. But not cheaply made or scratchy lace.

Fine lace making is complicated and expensive process. The best French lingerie is made with Leavers lace from Calais and the finest Swiss guipure.

Luxurious fabrics and exquisite styling are a sensual treat in fine lingerie. Meticulous detailing can be pricey, however. Clothing tends to be more expensive...much more expensive...in Paris than in the U.S.

Virtual Tour of
Parisian Boutiques

A Parisian lingerie boutique can be an eye opening and overwhelming experience.

Treat yourself to a tour of French lingerie boutiques...online. Even if you don't buy the expensive stuff...you'll "educate your eye" as they say in France.

If a trip to Paris isn't in your immediate future...explore some chic French brands online. You may want to try using Chrome as your browser for this because it is easier to translate a French webpage into English with the Chrome toolbar.

Agent Provocateur
Caisey Bra

Expensive, but some must see items at Agent Provocateur.

Aubade ("dawn serenade" in English) The high quality selections here are high quality, sexy and stunningly beautiful and its "lessons in seduction" don't need to go much farther than wearing it.

You will find cutting-edge Parisian chic and haute couture underthings at Chantal Thomass. Chantal Thomass started the trend of wearing innerwear as outerwear. Creative fabrics, bright colors, and fabulous trim (tulle, lace, ribbons, flounces) are her trademarks.

Lovely designer things, more affordable than those above can be found at Chantelle. Chantelle presents a collection of ridiculously sexy...and very Parisian...delights. You may find this jaw-dropping site more useful for ideas...rather than for online shopping.

You will find a decadent selection of at Frou Frou Lingerie.

Fun and more affordable French underthings are available at the French Lingerie Outlet. They also have a lovely selection in plus sizes.

LaPerla is gold standard in luxury lingerie. Feast your eyes for a sense of possibilities. You will some gold to purchase it...it is expensive. Budget around $300 for a bra, and $100 for the matching panties.

Specializing in comfortable cotton...but sexy...underwear... Princess Tam Tam is a beautiful and smart boutique that offers more affordable items.

Selections from Simone Pérèle can be found at Barenecessities.

Not French, but Victoria's Secret is available in American malls everywhere.

Galeries Lafayette in Paris

And when you are in Paris...Galeries Lafayette...is a Parisian department store extraordinaire with the best unmentionables Paris has to offer. You will be stunned at the size of the selection.

Parisian Trends

Parisiennes buy bras and panties in carefully and artistically coordinated matched sets.

Boyshorts are the hottest trend in panties in Paris.

Boyshorts are popular in Paris right now. They are coordinated to lacy bras...and can be more comfortable than thongs.

Beautiful corsets are also a long tradition in Paris. A well fitted corset or bustier can be very flattering. A bustier has straps...and a corset is strapless.

A well-fitted bustier is like a pretty little cage for your breasts. A bustier that accentuates your curves may make you feel like a sex siren. Think of how easy it would be to seduce him while wearing it.

Stockings and garters immediately suggest an interior life of romance and passion. Panty hose...not so much.

Size of the Matter

You can have seductive and stunning underthings that are also comfortable. Perfect fit...and quality materials...are the solution to finding the most comfortable lingerie.

Discover the Secrets to the Sexiest Bra to get the most flattering fit before you buy another bra.

A professional bra fitting is a worthwhile investment.

Ill-fitting clothing is never flattering. Specially trained lingerie fitters are de rigueur in the finest boutiques in Paris. You owe it to yourself to have a professional bra fitting every year or so.

Sizing in Parisian boutiques seems very small compared to that in the U.S. A "large" in Paris seems to be the size of a "small" in the U.S. Even before a trip to the patisserie.