Debenhams is reporting sales of sultry lingerie among women of a 'certain age' are booming thanks to the glamorous 40-somethings of Sex and the City 2 and Cougar Town.
The hit TV show and the forthcoming movie, showing the bedroom antics of women in their 40s and 50s and their much younger partners, is being credited by Debenhams with the rise in demand from women of the same age.
A nationwide analysis of the most popular lingerie styles from October 2009 to April 2010, by the high street store, revealed that empowered 40-plus women have given the more seductive side of the lingerie industry a big boost.
These women are rediscovering their figures, often after having children or getting divorced, and are enjoying the confidence boost that a great-fitting bra can give.
Previously the peak purchasers of cleavage-enhancing bras, basques, thongs, stockings and suspenders, have been women in their early 20s. However, the survey showed that women aged 40-plus are spending more time and money in the lingerie department.
Head Lingerie Buyer for Debenhams, Annette Warburton said: "It's important that women at any age feel fantastic in their underwear.
"Over the last six months, our lingerie fitters have reported a sharp rise in the number of women in their 40s and 50s booking consultations to overhaul their lingerie wardrobes.
"We currently bra fit over 250,000 women a year and the 40-plus age group is now our fastest growing market.
"Positive female role models in this age group such as the women in the Sex and the City movies and Courtney Cox in TV's Cougar Town are giving the women confidence to splash out on themselves.
"With women's 40s being touted as the new 20s, and lingerie designers stepping up to the mark to feed this demand, it's a market we expect to see grow further in the future."
According to Debenhams, the top cities for sexy lingerie sales among women in their 40s and 50s are London, Edinburgh and Brighton.
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