The first time I ever walked into Lotus Blooms, I was going to visit my friend Eva while she worked, and I had no idea what to expect. In fact, I remember thinking that while I was there, I’d pick up a cheap dildo for a burlesque act prop I was building. (Filed under: “Errands normal people do not have to run”.)
I walked in the door and stood there stunned like I’d just been smacked in the face with a velvet bolster cushion. It was pure sensory overwhelm. Everywhere I looked, everything was beautiful. The furniture looked antique. The lights sparkled. The product displays were works of art, arranged against flowers and feathers. Music played softly. While Eva welcomed a customer and instantly put them at ease with warmth and friendliness, I wandered past racks of corsets, tables displaying ropes and cuffs, and shelves of bejeweled steel butt plugs and high-end vibrators, all of it enticing me to indulge myself in sheer pleasure. Needless to say, I realized this was NOT the kind of place I was going to find a novelty sex toy! I was dazzled. I spent the entire car ride home thinking about how much I wanted to show that store to the world and share the delicious, inviting experience of it. I haven’t lost any of that passion for our beautiful space or my delight every time someone comes in for the first time and feels like they’re giving themselves an amazing gift that makes their life better.
Glass door with white frame with "Lotus Blooms Hours" stickered to the front. Door is cracked open, welcoming guests inside
Wall showing off the brightest colors of pink, orange, periwinkle, and blue lingerie, with three corset-wearing mannequins on top
So as I thought about this week’s blog post, I decided I wanted to share some of our photos of the inside of the store and tell you all a bit about what it’s like to visit us in person. I also remember how nervous I was the very first time I ever visited a sex shop, so hopefully if you’re also having some jitters, this little photo tour will help you get excited about coming to see us instead!
Beautifying King Street We’re lucky to have a creative staff that creates artistic window displays that draw you in right away when you’re strolling down the cobblestoned streets of Old Town Alexandria’s charming Boutique District.
a white mannequin is wearing a bright teal lace teddy with a complimentary floral robe with magenta and golden flowers
pvc and faux leather lingerie hangs next to a rainbow blanket
A Space for Sex Education Right away, you’ll see that this is a space designed to make you feel great about yourself and to embrace having a sex life full of pleasure and joy. We’ve always got our upcoming workshops on our chalkboard—as you can see, we tackle a wide range of topics! We have workshops almost every Sunday from 7-9 PM on everything from oral sex to kink to specialized topics like dealing with pelvic pain.
The Lotus Blooms Educator Family Here are some of the friendly faces that welcome you when you come in! Everyone who works with us is deeply dedicated to sex education and to working at Lotus Blooms, and I think you can really tell that you’re going to feel comfortable and respected as soon as you walk in the door. We all have a great time working together, and there’s always a lot of laughter and energy because of it.
Sexual Health, Front and Center We put all our health and hygiene products right up front so you’ll never forget to include lube, toy cleaners, and condoms. You’ll also find massage candles (some of them edible!) and other pleasure-enhancing items that make bodies feel wonderful. Did you know that all lubes are NOT alike? Even the high-quality ones like the ones we carry differ in their “cushion”, texture, and base (silicone, water, or aloe), and they all have their best uses. Ask any of us for help choosing the right one for you, and we’ll be glad to show you the differences. Also, many of our candles, oils, and dusts are made by independent, local, and queer-owned companies. We make an effort to seek out and support other small businesses whose values align with ours.
Floor to ceiling shelves are lined with body-safe lubrications and all sorts of educational books
Indulge Your Corset Fantasy with Bound Boutique Browse our extensive corset collection as well as our other lingerie and apparel, and you’re sure to find something that’s your flavor of sexy. We make our steel-boned, high-quality corsets through our Bound Boutique in-house label, and every last touch is considered, from the steel (not plastic) garter clips to the sturdy, extra-long laces. Ask us to help you get fitted properly and to show you how to correctly lace, unlace, and break in a corset if you’ve never worn one.
wall of jewel toned lingerie
Pleasure– and Apparel– for Every Body Imagine trying on beautiful lingerie in these luxe little rooms! Talk about a “treat yourself” experience. (I should know, I buy things here all the time!) Also, did you know that we carry a full range of sizes from XS to 4X in just about every piece—and that every size is priced the same? We want you to feel great about trying things on, regardless of the size or shape of your body or your gender expression. Does this make you want to do a boudoir photo shoot? Feel free to dress up a bit and snap some selfies! We love when our customers are feeling glam enough to capture the moment.
pale pink curtains cover the beautiful dressing rooms
Walk on the Wild Side Looking for something a little spicier? The back area of the store is where you’ll find our impact toys, restraints, and other sensory-play items for kinky exploration. We also manufacture a lot of these items through our BoundOne brands, which allows us to make them to our standards for materials, ease of use, balance, and other factors that go into quality toys. We carry a large number of Liberator sex supports as well to not only enhance play, but also to help our customers with disabilities and special physical needs to enjoy sex more easily.
brightly colored floggers hang on pipes between two bookshelves full of more bdsm products
Everything You Need for a Great Night In There’s a little something for everyone here, and all of it is body-safe, high-quality, and curated very carefully by our staff to meet our customers’ needs and to make sure it’s among the best products available. You’ll find many types of vibrators, a wide selection of anal play toys, top-notch books by the sex industry’s best authors and educators, strap-on gear, and even erotic jewelry.
View from the back of the store looking to the front
beautifully embroidered white lingerie on a black mannequin
Your Party Here Can you picture yourself, sitting here with your BFFs sipping champagne and eating pastel-colored macarons like that “I Want Candy” scene from Marie Antoinette? You can! Plan your private party here, whether it’s a shower, a corset-fitting party, a private workshop, or a meet & greet brunch for your group. Contact us and let us help you plan something unique and fabulous.
Come Back Soon! When you’re ready to check out, we’ll pack up all your treasures in a discreet white shopping bag with tissue wrapping. Don’t forget to sign up for our mailing list before you go, and grab cards for sex-positive events in the area that you might enjoy.
a massive black shelf has cubbyholes full of body-safe sex toys of all different colors
Hat tip to my colleague Sam for taking all these amazing photos! I hope this little swing around our store has tempted you to come check us out when you’re in the area, and that even if you’ve been to see us before, you’ve discovered something new about who we are. We can’t wait to welcome you!
image looks down the length of a shiplap wall with brightly colored lingerie hanging on the walls. shows the length and brightness of the Lotus Blooms Shop

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