Wetlook

Last updated
A pool party Getting wet with clothes on - pool party - wetlook.jpg
A pool party

Wetlook consists of enjoying bathing or showering while dressed, and more generally, enjoying wearing wet clothes, whether in the water or out of it.

Contents

In the Western world, where swimsuits are often tight-fitting and revealing, wetlook can be seen as a regular or occasional leisure activity, a peculiarity, or fetish, although it can objectively provide relaxation or even self-confidence. Wetlook can be practiced in multiple ways, and in fact, many people enjoy one or more forms of it without necessarily knowing that there is a term for it.

Vocabulary

In the community of wetters ("those who get wet"), there is no widely accepted generic term for this taste for "dressed aquatic activities," or even for being fully dressed in everyday attire (including shoes, jackets...). The following two or three expressions exist but are not synonymous.

Phat dipping

Clothed jump into a river, Belgium. Big Jump Leuven 2007 Wikinews.jpg
Clothed jump into a river, Belgium.

This term, literally meaning "sexy immersion" [note 1] , comes from a sound from American rap by Rhett McLaughlin and Link Neal [1] , released on March 24, 2009 on YouTube, showing people jumping fully clothed into a pool. The lyrics of "Phatdippin’ Rap" also refer to and encourage people to jump into the water with their clothes on rather than a swimsuit [1] . The neologism became popular [2] , especially in the United States thanks to the contest organized upon the release of the song for its promotion [3] . The rap duo invites internet users to make their own version, which has led to numerous videos where ordinary people film themselves jumping or diving fully clothed into a pool, a hot tub… Since then, the expression "phat dipping" refers to the pleasure of jumping or diving (all) dressed [4] . The sense of phat dipping seems relatively restricted to the action of going into the water, excluding water fights, swimming, christening, showering…

wetlook (or wetfun)

Literally "wet appearance" or "wet look" [note 2] for the former. Its meaning is much broader and more inclusive than phat dipping (bathing, swimming...) but appears ambiguous.

The sight of clothes clinging to the skin or being wet and dressed at the same time can cause shivers or sexual excitement in some people. (Read the dedicated chapter on sexual connotation.) It's a fetishistic conception, a perspective on wetlook that is not shared by the majority of people who simply enjoy swimming or having fun while dressed [5] [6] [3] . Aquatic leisure activities cannot be reduced to the sexual pleasure some people feel; there is no possible amalgamation.

On the web, the word wetlook is thus associated with this partial (and therefore biased) view of wetlook, so much so that many websites or individuals use other expressions to refer to this activity, such as:

Moreover, some enthusiasts among friends do not use a generic term to describe their passion but may use more specific terms to evoke their appointments, such as pool party (a half-day devoted to clothed swimming in a swimming pool).

As sexual stimuli

Alex Comfort writing in The Joy of Sex suggested that wetlook clothing functions as a kind of superskin, enhancing the visual and tactile qualities of shininess and tightness. [8] He offered the 1970s-style advice that if your lover "likes you to look like a cross between a snake and a seal, wear what he gives you". [9]

For Desmond Morris, water on the skin is seen as mimicking the sweat of sexual arousal. [10]

On the Internet, several companies sell images or videos of hobbyists or models practicing wetlook. There are two types: sites that sell erotic content and sites that target the general public that sell soft images suitable for any audience.[ citation needed ]

Fashion and pop

Gautschfeier (traditional public baptism in the German edition ). Gautschfeier.jpg
Gautschfeier (traditional public baptism in the German edition ).

Some people enjoy jumping into the water fully clothed on occasions such as the last day of school, national holiday, wedding, sports victory... or when challenged by a friend, for fun, as a "craze" or due to intoxication.

Throwing someone into the water against their will is also sometimes seen as a game, a way of joking, playing, teasing, annoying, or even punishing. It can be perceived as a physical assault or, conversely, as a fun or friendly practice. Schools, universities, or student clubs practice this "baptism" during integration sessions or hazing rituals. Some professions incorporate it into their customs, such as civilian or military airplane pilots (after their first solo flight) or firefighters[ citation needed ]. It is also a tradition in the paper and publishing industry in Germany[ citation needed ].

In summer, firefighters and lifeguards sometimes use fire hoses to spray the public during a concert or other event, to refresh and entertain them[ citation needed ]. Several amusement parks offer the opportunity to get sprayed in various water attractions: splashing rafts on rough rivers, passage of a boat falling down a slide creating a spray several meters high [13]  · [14] … In southern France, there are events called "Toro Piscine" (Bull Pool): in a bullfighting arena, a small pool filled with water is placed. Young people run around, in front of, or provoke a heifer, trying not to step into the central pool but sometimes taking refuge by immersing themselves in it.

In the media

Some advertisements use the imagery of wetlook, starting with the textile industry [15] : clothing clinging to the skin or changing color when soaked, prominent muscles due to "molding," play of reflections with water and light, exploitation of the "victim" status of a person fallen into the water (pathos, pity) or the courage of a person jumping in (to save someone) and emerging looking injured, tired, uncomfortable due to a less neat, less comfortable outfit, which will make them cold...

Several game shows include or rely on challenges where participants fall into the water if they fail: Intervilles,Le Bigdil,ter Land, ter Zee en in de Lucht [16] (for almost 40 years) [17] .

Cultural aspects

Netherlands

Games during Queen's Day . Koninginnedag 2011 Eefde.jpg
Games during Queen's Day .

Opportunities to be in the water abound in this country, one of the few whose territory is partially located below sea level. The country is crisscrossed with canals, small ponds, lakes, rivers. When it's cold, people go ice skating on natural ice.

Numerous entertainments or sports around water take place throughout the year: Sprietlopen (crossing a watercourse while balancing on a beam) [18] , Koninginnedag (Queen's Day) , Overvliegen (overcoming a high obstacle), Tonnetjesteken (aiming and tipping a barrel of water over oneself), Spuitvoetbal (kicking a ball with a water jet)...

Some activities seem reserved for children or teenagers: Balkvechten (dueling on a beam, bare-handed or with a sack), Jeugdsurvival (floating obstacle course), Vlottentocht (rafting on a river). [19]

Dutch swimming certificates are adapted so that one can rescue someone on the street, fully clothed. There are more water-related accidents simply because there is more water. Society has adapted, and so have lifeguards.

There are also Schuimfuif (foam parties), a term also used in Belgium. The foam is wet because it contains water. These parties sometimes include shallow above-ground inflatable pools (inflatable pool in English) for rinsing off or immersion [20] .

United States

Woman on a dunk tank board. Wetlook dunk tank soaked woman charity.jpg
Woman on a dunk tank board.

A popular game is the dunk tank (literally the "tank where someone is submerged"): a willing person sits on a seat suspended above a tank filled with water (about 1 meter in diameter or side, about 1.3 meters high). The objective is to throw a ball at a target, connected to a mechanism that releases the seat or board and drops the "willing victim" into the tank. A small ladder allows them to get out or climb back onto the board.

The mechanism can also be manually activated, for rinsing off after a foam party or just for the simple pleasure of being "dunked," for example (meaning to let oneself fall into the water or be plunged into it by a third party). The dunk tank is used, among other things, for fundraising and televised entertainment. In all cases, the willing person is directly exposed to the public's eyes, being placed at a height, except for a mesh that protects them from poorly thrown balls.

Other Western regions

In Denmark and especially in Germany, wetlook enjoys the status of a cultural movement [6] . Meeting groups [21] or associations organize events [12] . The annual end-of-summer beach party in Borgentreich (North Rhine-Westphalia) [22]  · [23] is a major event for wetters, and some people travel hundreds of kilometers to participate. Similar events take place regularly [24] .

On Easter Monday in Poland, women of all ages are sprayed with water by men and boys, according to the tradition called Śmigus-dyngus [ citation needed ].

In Spain, there is an annual water festival [25] .

Other geographical areas

In the countries of Southeast Asia with Theravāda Buddhism tradition, the Buddhist New Year is an occasion for people to splash each other with water and sometimes with talcum powder, as a sign of respect and blessing. Westerners call this the "Water Festival" (article in English: Water Festival ), although this tradition is often associated with the Thai term สงกรานต์ (Songkran)[ citation needed ].

Self-confidence and mental health

In Western culture, swimming fully clothed is often prohibited in public places [26] and considered socially abnormal, incorrect [6] , non-conformist, or even a ridiculous hobby [27] ... Asserting that one likes or practices wetlook, defying or transgressing this social "ban," improves self-confidence. Experimenting with wetlook allows for the discovery of new sensations, which is stimulating for the brain because it breaks the routine.

Furthermore, the practice of clothed swimming contributes to an acclimatization to accidental submersion (i.e., falling into the water unintentionally) and thus reduces the risk of drowning.

A Fetish Branch

On the Internet, search engines most often redirect to sites or documents showing wet women, dressed and all wet, striking suggestive or lascivious poses [28] [29] . Many commercial websites sell galleries of photos or videos of these shoots. There are also some commercial sites that are "family-friendly." (Read more in the dedicated section on the economic activity surrounding wetlook.) Some people consider wetlook to be a form of fetishism, related to aquaphilia, salirophilia, the fetishism of tight clothing, or that of feet, socks, or sneakers… Some individuals feel excitement at the sight of people in soaked clothes or swimming fully clothed [3] . The excitement can also be felt by getting oneself wet while fully clothed, regardless of the context: showering, bathing, swimming in open or flowing water [11] …

The term wetlook can also be interpreted as the erotic branch of phat dipping, somewhat akin to yiff, which is the erotic art of the furry fandom.

A "liquid dirt" pool, a typical obstacle in a "mud run". US Navy 080607-N-5191L-007 Participants of the 15 Annual Mud Run cross the final challenge after encountering several.jpg
A "liquid dirt" pool, a typical obstacle in a "mud run".

Some activities or events are similar to wetlook, in the sense of currents, branches, or variations:

A business

Several companies sell images or videos of amateurs or models practicing wetlook on the Web. This often involves staged scenes since, in the context of couple photoshoots, the same person changes partners from one series of photos to another. There are two schools of thought: sites selling erotic content and those targeting the general public, which sell "soft" images suitable for all audiences. This latter point is sometimes explicitly stated to dispel any doubt about the precise nature of the audience targeted by the publisher [30]  · [31] .

Classical prototypes

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ In English, the adjective phat comes from fat ("fat" or "corpulent") but retains no connotation. The practice of phat dipping has no connection to overweight people.
  2. ↑ This article deals with the pleasure of getting wet while remaining dressed, a practice that is always written as one word, wetfun. Several similar and homophonous spellings exist (wet look, wet-look), for example, they qualify permanent "wet look" hair gels or clothes whose fabric creates shiny reflections (shiny or sleek in English) reminiscent of the appearance of wet clothing.

Related Research Articles

Conventional sex, colloquially known as vanilla sex, is sexual behavior that is within the range of normality for a culture or subculture, and typically involves sex which does not include elements of BDSM, kink, fetishism, and/or happens within a marriage or relationship.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Urolagnia</span> Paraphilia associated with urine or urination

Urolagnia is a paraphilia in which sexual excitement is associated with the sight or thought of urine or urination. The term has origins in the Greek language. Golden shower is slang for the practice of urinating on another person for sexual pleasure.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rubber and PVC fetishism</span> Type of fetish towards latex clothing

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".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sexual fetishism</span> Sexual arousal a person receives from an object or situation

Sexual fetishism or erotic fetishism is a sexual fixation on a nonliving object or nongenital body part. The object of interest is called the fetish; the person who has a fetish for that object is a fetishist. A sexual fetish may be regarded as a non-pathological aid to sexual excitement, or as a mental disorder if it causes significant psychosocial distress for the person or has detrimental effects on important areas of their life. Sexual arousal from a particular body part can be further classified as partialism.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Swimsuit</span> Clothing worn for swimming

A swimsuit is an item of clothing designed to be worn by people engaging in a water-based activity or water sports, such as swimming, diving and surfing, or sun-orientated activities, such as sun bathing. Different types may be worn by men, women, and children. A swimsuit can be described by various names, some of which are used only in particular locations or for particular types of suit, including swimwear, bathing suit, bathing attire, swimming costume, bathing costume, swimming suit, swimmers, swimming togs, bathers, cossie, or swimming trunks, besides others.

Medical fetishism refers to several sexual fetishes in which participants derive sexual pleasure from medical scenarios including objects, practices, environments, and situations of a medical or clinical nature. In sexual roleplay, a hospital or medical scene involves the sex partners assuming the roles of doctors, nurses, surgeons and patients to act out specific or general medical fetishes. Medical fantasy is a genre in pornography, though the fantasy may not necessarily involve pornography or sexual activity.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wet and messy fetishism</span> Type of sexual fetish

Wet and messy fetishism (WAM), also known as sploshing, is a form of sexual fetishism whereby a person becomes aroused when copious amounts of a substance are applied to the naked skin, face, or to clothing.

Ciao Darwin is a variety game show format created and hosted by Paolo Bonolis, and produced by the Italian mass media company Mediaset.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Breast fetishism</span> Sexual interest focused on female breasts

As a paraphilia, breast fetishism is a sexual interest that focuses exclusively on the female breasts, and is a type of partialism. The term breast fetishism is also used in the non-paraphilic sense, to refer to cultural attention to female breasts and the sexuality they represent.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nude swimming</span> Swimming without clothing

Nude swimming is the practice of swimming without clothing, whether in natural bodies of water or in swimming pools. A colloquial term for nude swimming is "skinny dipping".

Fat fetishism or adipophilia is a sexual attraction directed towards overweight or obese people due primarily to their weight and size.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Erotic humiliation</span> Consensual use of humiliation in a sexual context

Erotic humiliation is a consensual psychological humiliation performed in order to produce erotic excitement or sexual arousal. This can be for either the person(s) being humiliated and demeaned or the person(s) humiliating, or both. It is sometimes performed before spectators, including through pornography and webcam modeling. It may be part of BDSM and other sexual roleplay, or accompanied by the sexual stimulation of the genitals of one or both parties in the activity.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hair fetishism</span> Sexual attraction to hair

Hair fetishism, also known as hair partialism and trichophilia, is a partialism in which a person sees hair – most commonly, head hair – as particularly erotic and sexually arousing. Arousal may occur from seeing or touching hair, whether head hair, armpit hair, chest hair or fur. Head-hair arousal may come from seeing or touching very long or short hair, wet hair, certain colors of hair or a particular hairstyle.

Paraphilic infantilism, also known as autonepiophilia and adult baby, is a sexual fetish or non-sexual fetish that may involve role-playing a regression to an infant-like state. Paraphilic infantilism is a form of ageplay. People who practice paraphilic infantilism are often colloquially referred to as "adult babies", or "ABs".

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hand fetishism</span> Sexual fascination with hands

Hand fetishism, hand partialism or cheirophilia is the sexual fetish for hands. This may include the sexual attraction to a specific area such as the fingers, palm, back of the hand and/or nails, or the attraction to a specific action performed by the hands; which may otherwise be considered non-sexual—such as washing and drying dishes, painting of the fingernails and nail-biting. This fetish may manifest itself as a desire to experience physical interaction, or as a source of sexual fantasy.

Omorashi, sometimes abbreviated as simply "omo", is a form of fetish subculture first categorized and predominately recognized in Japan, in which a person experiences arousal from the idea or feeling of having a full bladder and potentially wetting themselves, or from witnessing another person in that situation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Clothing fetish</span> Sexual fetish relating to particular type of clothing

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Feminization (activity)</span> Submissive sexual practice

Feminization or feminisation, sometimes forced feminization, and also known as sissification, is a practice in dominance and submission or kink subcultures, involving reversal of gender roles and making a submissive male take on a feminine role, which includes cross-dressing. Subsets of the practice include "sissy training" and variations thereof, where the submissive male is "trained" to become feminine.

Diaper fetishism, nappy fetishism, or diaperism is a type of garment fetish in which a person derives pleasure from wearing or using a diaper. Though separate and distinct, diaper fetishism can also be used as a component of various other kinks, such as ageplay or paraphilic infantilism, which together form a spectrum of practices colloquially referred to as "adult baby/diaper lover" or "AB/DL".

References

  1. 1 2 McLaughlin, Rhett; Neal, Link. "Phatdippin' Rap" . Retrieved April 5, 2013.
  2. ↑ "phat dipping". www.urbandictionary.com. March 25, 2009. Retrieved April 5, 2013.
  3. 1 2 3 Chappel, Arthur. "PHAT-DIPPING – IS IT JUST WETLOOK?". arthurchappel.me.uk. Retrieved April 5, 2013.
  4. 1 2 "Phat Dipping - Swim in Your Clothes for Fun". wackywet.com. Interaliant. Retrieved December 31, 2014.
  5. ↑ "Swimming fully clothed" . Retrieved April 5, 2013.
  6. 1 2 3 "What is Wetlook? Fetish, cultural movement or hobby?" . Retrieved April 5, 2013.
  7. ↑ A testimony "Practice of wet," on www.za-gay.org/forum/.
  8. ↑ Alex Comfort, The Joy of Sex (London, 1972), pp. 21–22
  9. ↑ Alex Comfort, The Joy of Sex (London, 1972), p. 23
  10. ↑ D. Morris, The Naked Ape Trilogy (London, 1988), p. p. 377
  11. 1 2 3 "Wetlook paraphilia - aspects of a sexual variation". www2.hu-berlin.de. Humboldt University of Berlin's Magnus Hirschfeld Archive for Sexology. July 1, 2000. Retrieved April 12, 2013.
  12. 1 2 "Introduction". njco_intro_english.
  13. ↑ "Divertissement aquatique". www.europapark.de. Europa-Park GmbH & Co Mack KG. Retrieved April 5, 2013.
  14. ↑ "Adja River • parc d'attractions Walibi Belgium". www.walibi.com. Retrieved April 5, 2013.
  15. ↑ "My man is JULES !". YouTube . Retrieved April 5, 2013.
  16. ↑ Ter Land, ter Zee in de Lucht.
  17. ↑ "Land, Sea and Air - Tros Television" . Retrieved April 5, 2013.
  18. ↑ "Sprietlopen.nl". www.sprietlopen.nl. Retrieved April 6, 2013.
  19. ↑ "Waterspelen". www.luteyn.net (personal site). Retrieved April 6, 2013.
  20. ↑ "Zita Foto Albums - 2006 Schuimfuif". www.zita.be. Telenet. Retrieved April 6, 2013..
  21. ↑ "Nass mit Spaß in Lünen". www.wetfans-luenen.de. Radöli. Retrieved April 6, 2013.
  22. ↑ "16. Beach Party im Borgentreicher Freibad". www.dtoday.de. Deutschland Today. August 8, 2012. Retrieved April 5, 2013.
  23. ↑ "BORGENTREICH: Im Anzug baden gehen". www.nw-news.de. August 20, 2012. Retrieved April 5, 2013.
  24. ↑ "Klamottenschwimmen im Freibad Gärtringen". www.gaeubote.de. die Herreberger Zeitung. September 17, 2011. Retrieved April 4, 2013.
  25. ↑ "La Fiesta del Agua". www.lariadearosa.com. Retrieved April 6, 2013.
  26. ↑ "In Defense of the Wetlook Fetish". www.arhurchappel.me.uk. Archived from the original on January 6, 2014. Retrieved April 6, 2013.
  27. ↑ "Intentionally Soaked Fashion - Swimming Fully Clothed (GALLERY)". www.trendhunter.com. Trend Hunter. November 24, 2008. Retrieved April 4, 2013.
  28. ↑ "Wetlook, DuckDuckGo". DuckDuckGo . Retrieved April 12, 2013.
  29. ↑ "Wetlook". IxQuick . Retrieved April 12, 2013.
  30. ↑ "Splat! HQ". P A W Media UK. Retrieved April 12, 2013.
  31. ↑ "Nass mit Spaß in Lünen". wetfans-luenen.de. Radöli. Retrieved April 6, 2013.
  32. ↑ Quoted in L. Cottrell, Queens of the Pharaohs (London 1966), p. 75
  33. ↑ F Guirand ed., New Larouse Encyclopedia of Mythology (London 1068) p. 130

Further reading

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.