Who would have guessed it, but, women over 35 are driving a boom in sales of sexy underwear in what Australian retailers have dubbed the “cougar effect”.

In Australia, retailers say that purchases have skyrocketed over the last year as ever increasing numbers of older women are stocking their wardrobes with eye-catching, sexy items.

Shows such as Cougar Town are being credited for inspiring the trend.

“It’s fantastic and we’re catering to it,” said Sirie Palmos, spokeswoman for online lingerie retailer hottie.com.au.

“It was the same when Sex and the City came out … and Ally McBeal.”

This trend is mirroring similar patterns in Great Britain, where department store Debenhams recently revealed its lingerie sales amongst 40-something women has risen 117 percent in six months.

The store has also attributed to much of the increase to pop culture role models like Courteney Cox’s character Jules Cobb in Cougar Town and Kim Cattrall’s Samantha Jones from Sex and the City.

Kiss, kiss…

Shele Belle