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Fetish fashion is any style or appearance in the form of a type of clothing or accessory, created to be extreme, revealing, skimpy, or provocative in a fetishistic manner. By definition, most people do not wear these styles; if everyone wears an item, it cannot have a fetishistic, special nature. They are usually made of materials such as leather, latex or synthetic rubber or plastic, nylon, PVC, spandex, fishnet, and stainless steel. Some fetish fashion items include: stiletto heel shoes and boots (most notably the ballet boot), hobble skirts, corsets, collars, full-body latex catsuits, stockings, miniskirt, crotchless underwear, jockstraps, diapers, garters, locks, rings, zippers, eyewear, handcuffs, and stylized costumes based on more traditional outfits, such as wedding dresses that are almost completely see-through lace, or lingerie for men.
Fetish fashions should not be confused with costuming. They both involve clothing and intend to present an image, but a costume is, by definition, something for public view without sexual implications. Fetish fashion is usually for an intimate setting, with sexual implications.
Fetish fashions are usually considered to be separate from those clothing items used in cosplay, whereby these exotic fashions are specifically used as costuming to effect a certain situation rather than to be merely worn, such as the creation of a character for picture play. However, sometimes the two areas do overlap. For example, in Japan, some themed restaurants have waitresses who wear costumes such as a suit made of latex or a stylized French maid or Playboy bunny outfit.
Specialist fetish models often model fashionable clothing.
Some types of garments that women wear to routinely improve their appearance are thought of as erotic and qualify as fetish wear: corsets and high heels. Most fetish wear is not practical enough for routine daily wear. An example of a fetish costume worn by women is the dominatrix costume. This costume typically consists of dark or black garments, including a corset or bustier, stockings, and high-heeled footwear such as thigh-high boots to enhance the dominating appearance. An accessory such as a whip or a riding crop is often carried.
Fetish fashion has no specific origin point because certain fashions appreciated specifically for themselves or worn as part of a specific subculture have been noted since the earliest days of clothing. Some scholars, like Michael Hayworth, argue that the use of corsetry and hobble skirts back in the late 19th century was the first mainstream note of fetish fashions because the majority of society did not have access to these articles. [1] These items were specifically appreciated for themselves (i.e. the person liked the woman wearing the corset rather than just the woman by herself).
In 1914 a few weeks before World War One, L. Richard and his wife Nativa founded their lingerie firm, Yva Richard, in Paris. [2] Their custom made unique creations became increasingly daring and avant-garde, and by the late 1920s, they had highly successful international mail-order business. Richard took most of the photographs for their catalogue, and Nativa would sometimes model. One of their most iconic designs was a studded steel cone bra and chastity belt with a plumed headdress. [3] Their success encouraged the tailor Léon Vidal, who owned a chain of erotic bookshops, to open a luxurious lingerie boutique called Diana Slip. [4]
A leather subculture appeared amongst the underground gay community in the United States, with the first gay leather bar opening in 1958 in Chicago. This culture quickly spread worldwide, and became more mainstream in the 1960s due to the influence of rock musicians and television performers such as Diana Rigg and Honor Blackman in The Avengers , who wore full body leather catsuits and full limb-covering leather and latex gloves and boots.
Many fashion designers incorporate elements of the fetish subculture into their creations or directly create products based on elements that the mainstream does not accept. Malcolm McLaren and Vivienne Westwood created several restrictive BDSM-inspired clothing items of punk fashion for the 1970s punk subculture; in particular bondage trousers, which connect the wearer's legs with straps. The more recent fetish clothing makers House of Harlot and Torture Garden Clothing, Breathless of London, Vex Latex Clothing, and Madame S of California focus on using latex and leather as the base material for their creations, rather than as an accessory.
Fetish fashions became popularized in the United States during the 1950s through books and magazines such as Bizarre and many other underground publications. Skin Two is a contemporary fetish magazine covering many aspects of the worldwide fetish subculture. The name is a reference to fetish clothing as a second skin.
Fetish fashion has influenced mainstream fashion, both on and off the runway. Many well-known designers have used fetish wear as an inspiration, borrowing details and incorporating materials such as latex, PVC, lace, vinyl and patent leather. Such designers include Thierry Mugler, Jonathan Saunders, Alexander McQueen, Christian Dior, Chanel and Nicholas Kirkwood. The Alexander McQueen Autumn/Winter 2016 ready-to-wear collection was influenced by fetish fashion, and the inspiration for materials and pieces such as harnesses and corsets can be seen in most of the looks. [6]
Other brands have been created specifically for the fetish clothing luxury market. Fleet Ilya, headed by the husband and wife team Ilya Fleet and Resha Sharma, began promoting the co-existence of fashion and BDSM as a symbiotic concept. Early adaptation of their leather harnesses by Sienna Miller in 2006 and Rihanna in 2009 led to an Autumn/Winter 2009 eponymous collection that featured fashion pieces and bondage tools alike. [7] [8] The Restraint by Fleet Ilya exhibition and pop-up shop in collaboration with Rankin followed in 2010. [9] [10] Subsequent collaborations with mainstream brands include Comme des Garçons, Jonathan Saunders and Dion Lee, establishing Fleet Ilya's dedication to blurring the lines between high fashion and fetish wear. [11] Zana Bayne, a post-fetish leather brand based in New York City was founded by Zana Bayne in 2010. Their work has been worn by celebrities such as Beyoncé and Lady Gaga. Zana Bayne has also collaborated with other brands such as Marc Jacobs and Comme des Garçons. Todd Pendu began working with Zana Bayne when he was at Comme des Garçons before becoming a full-time creative partner at Zana Bayne in 2012. [12] Atsuko Kudo is another brand explicitly influenced by fetish fashion, who design and manufacture ladies wear made entirely in latex rubber.
Street fashion has also been influenced by fetish fashion. By late 2016 and through 2017, some fetish fashion elements had appeared in ready-to-wear and streetwear around the world. These elements include items such as chokers, fishnets, corsets, and thigh-high boots; details such as straps, buckles, pierced ring hardware, and chains; and materials like patent leather and vinyl. [13]
A fetish model is a model who models fetish clothing or accessories that augment their body in a fetish-like manner or in fetishistic situations. Fetish models do not necessarily work exclusively in that form of modeling.
Gothic fashion is a clothing style worn by members of the goth subculture. A dark, sometimes morbid, fashion and style of dress, typical gothic fashion includes black dyed hair and black clothes. Both male and female goths can wear dark eyeliner, dark nail polish and lipstick, and dramatic makeup. Styles are often borrowed from the Elizabethans and Victorians. BDSM imagery and paraphernalia are also common. Gothic fashion is sometimes confused with heavy metal fashion and emo fashion.
Punk fashion is the clothing, hairstyles, cosmetics, jewellery, and body modifications of the punk counterculture. Punk fashion varies widely, ranging from Vivienne Westwood designs to styles modeled on bands like The Exploited to the dressed-down look of North American hardcore. The distinct social dress of other subcultures and art movements, including glam rock, skinheads, greasers, and mods have influenced punk fashion. Punk fashion has likewise influenced the styles of these groups, as well as those of popular culture. Many punks use clothing as a way of making a statement.
Rubber fetishism, or latex fetishism, is the fetishistic attraction to people wearing latex clothing or, in certain cases, to the garments themselves. PVC fetishism is closely related to rubber fetishism, with the former referring to shiny clothes made of the synthetic plastic polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and the latter referring to clothes made of rubber, which is generally thicker, less shiny, and more matte than latex. PVC is sometimes confused with the similarly shiny patent leather, which is also a fetish material. Latex or rubber fetishists sometimes refer to themselves as "rubberists". Male rubberists tend to call themselves "rubbermen".
A catsuit is a one-piece form-fitting garment that covers the torso and the legs, and frequently the arms. They are usually made from stretchable material, such as lycra, chiffon, spandex, latex, or velour, but may use less elastic materials, such as leather or PVC. Catsuits frequently close by means of a zipper at the front or back. A catsuit is regarded as outerwear, but not normally street wear. Catsuits are also used for sexualization or other types of sexuality.
A bodysuit is a one-piece form-fitting or skin-tight garment that covers the torso and the crotch. The design of a basic bodysuit is similar to a one-piece swimsuit and a leotard, though the materials may vary. Thong or T-front thong bodysuits usually have the crotch opening moved up to the front to underbelly area to increase the wearer's comfort. A bodysuit may have sleeves and varying shoulder strap and collar. Bodysuits can be made from a number of fabrics, including cotton, lace, nylon, etc. In general, textile bodysuits include expandable fiber such as spandex for a better fit to the shape of the body.
Wet and messy fetishism (WAM), also known as sploshing, is a form of sexual fetishism consisting of a person or persons getting messy with a variety of materials, such as food, mud, chemicals, and water. The word "sploshing" originates from a defunct UK fetish magazine named "Splosh!".
Thigh-high boots, known also as thigh-length boots or simply thigh boots, are boots that extend above the knees to at least mid-thigh. Other terms for this footwear include over-the-knee boots, a name originally used for 15th century riding boots for men. These are sometimes called pirate boots, especially when cuffed. Over-the-knee boots are sometimes abbreviated to OTK boots. Lengths vary from reaching just over the knee to reaching almost to the crotch.
John Sutcliffe was a British fashion designer and fetish photographer, famous in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s as a designer of clothes for aficionados of leather, rubber and PVC fetishism, with an emphasis on rubber and leather catsuits, cloaks, and gasmasks.
Glove fetishism is a form of sexual fetishism referring to a sexual preoccupation with gloves of various kinds. People with this fetish may be aroused by visualizing, wearing, or interacting with gloves or gloved hands. The fetish can be enhanced by the material of the glove.
Boot fetishism is a sexual fetish focused on boots. Boots have become the object of sexual attraction amounting to fetishism for some people and they have become a standard accessory in BDSM scenes and a fashion accessory in music videos. Boots are seen as perhaps the most fetishistic of all footwear and boots are the most popular fetish clothing attire.
Latex rubber is used in the manufacture of many types of clothing. It has traditionally been used to make protective clothing, including gas masks and Wellington boots. Mackintoshes have traditionally been made from rubberized cloth. However, rubber has now generally been replaced in these applications by synthetic polymers.
Uniform fetishism is a particular type of clothing fetishism in which an individual is sexually aroused by uniforms. It is a form of sexual fetishism. Uniform fetishism has been associated with a variety of different uniforms, including schoolgirl and cheerleader uniforms, French maid uniforms, and uniforms associated with police or military organisations.
Fashion in the period 1900–1909 in the Western world continued the severe, long and elegant lines of the late 1890s. Tall, stiff collars characterize the period, as do women's broad hats and full "Gibson Girl" hairstyles. A new, columnar silhouette introduced by the couturiers of Paris late in the decade signaled the approaching abandonment of the corset as an indispensable garment.
Clothing fetishism or garment fetishism is a sexual fetish that revolves around a fixation upon a particular article or type of clothing, a particular fashion or uniform, or a person dressed in such a style.
Catsuits are a recurring costume for fictional characters in various media, as well as for entertainers, especially for use in musical performances. They are sometimes referred to as "bodysuits", especially in reference to a full-body suit worn by a man ; catsuit is typically used only in reference to women.
Anti-fashion is an umbrella term for various styles of dress that are explicitly contrary to the fashion of the day. Anti-fashion styles may represent an attitude of indifference or may arise from political or practical goals which make fashion a secondary priority. The term is sometimes even used for styles championed by high-profile designers, when they encourage or create trends that do not follow the mainstream fashion of the time.
Wearing underwear as outerwear is a fashion trend popularized by celebrities, sports and media. It began as a practical and comfortable variation of clothing, such as the T-shirt and the sleeveless shirt, but later evolved into provocative, controversial fashion statements. 21st century versions include the display of thongs and bras in women's clothing, and the display of underpants under low-slung pants in men. Wearing underwear as outerwear has historical antecedents in the display of undergarments in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries.
Underwear fetishism is a sexual fetishism relating to undergarments, and refers to preoccupation with the sexual excitement of certain types of underwear, including panties, stockings, pantyhose, bras, or other items. Some people can experience sexual excitement from wearing, while others get their excitement when observing, handling, or smelling the underwear worn by another, or watching somebody putting underwear on or taking it off.
PVC clothing is shiny clothing made from the plastic polyvinyl chloride (PVC). PVC plastic is often called "vinyl" and this type of clothing is commonly known as "vinyl clothing". PVC is sometimes confused with the similarly shiny patent leather.