I was recently having a casual conversation and was absent-mindedly swinging around a knit hat when the guy I was talking to gave me an incredulous look and asked: “are you swinging around your intimates?!” This got me thinking: if a magenta knit hat can pass off as intimates, London really needs some more options in terms of lingerie stores.

Although Toronto is just a skip and hop away and many alternative collections are available there, New York has THE best lingerie store on this side of the pond, Kiki De Montparnasse. Named after Man Ray's mistress, the shop is slightly pretentious, shamelessly kinky, super sexy and tremendously luxurious.

The affectionately nicknamed Kiki DM houses the finest French lingerie, bath and body products, art, and what they call “instruments of pleasure.” The flagship New York store oozes sex appeal and looks very much like a Parisian boudoir with its plush cream carpets, chandeliers, sheer black curtains, a huge bed dressed in burgundy silk and gold sheets and pillows, and a minimalist approach to displaying their merchandise.

Their second store in Los Angeles is a bit flashier to match the dazzling lights of Hollywood and is brighter and more modern, but just as seductive as its New York counterpart. Marble floors, velvet drapes, a fireplace, candles and a 1,000 square foot garden with a courtyard fountain keep with the theme of absolute luxury.

The merchandise is just as sexy and luxurious as the actual stores are. Their lingerie is designed with the art of seduction in mind, and only the finest silk and French laces are used in each collection. Kiki DM also creates loungewear, but they're a far cry from the average sweats so commonly lounged in. Sheer baby dolls, body conscience body suits, rompers, corsets and tank and boy short combos ensure you're not lounging for long.

Despite their seriously sexy lingerie, their less than serious French lesson panties are their top sellers. Not your average French tutorial, these panties come in five “lessons” and read, “mange-moi “ (eat me), “baise-moi” (fuck me), “ aime-moi” (love me), “fesse-moi” (spank me) and “attache-moi” (tie me up). Best paired with their silk blindfolds and 24K gold handcuffs, Kiki DM is not afraid to show their kinky side.

Putting just as much thought into their bath and body collections as their lingerie, the lotions and potions have “been developed to embrace and expand sensual discovery on every level”. Each limited edition scent is formulated with the most refined and natural ingredients, and all bath and body lotions have aphrodisiac scents. Candles, triple milled French soaps, body shimmer and massage oil among other products are all a part of the Kiki DM lifestyle as “sensual pleasure and fulfillment are paramount to a well-lived life”. Those may just be the sexiest words to live by Ever.