Two women in handcuffs and latex miniskirts and tops

Latex fetishism is the fetishistic attraction to people wearing latex clothing, or in certain cases, to the garments themselves. Sexual fetishism, or erotic fetishism, is the Sexual attraction to materials and objects not conventionally viewed as being sexual in nature Latex Rubber is used in many types of clothing. Rubber has traditionally been used in protective clothing including Gas masks and Wellington boots Sometimes this is called rubber fetishism also, as latex is closely-related to rubber (the latter usually being thicker and less shiny, more matte). Latex or rubber fetishists sometimes refer to themselves as "Rubberists". Gay Rubberists tend to call themselves "Rubbermen".

PVC fetishism is closely related to latex fetishism and refers to shiny clothes made of the synthetic plastic polyvinyl chloride (PVC). This is sometimes confused with the similarly-shiny patent leather, which is also a fetish material. Patent leather is Leather that has been given a high gloss shiny finish

The terms "PVC", "vinyl" and "PU" tend to be used interchangeably by retailers for clothing made from shiny plastic-coated fabrics. These fabrics usually consist of a backing woven from polyester fibers with a surface coating of shiny plastic. Polyester is a category of Polymers which contain the Ester Functional group in their main chain The plastic layer itself is typically a blend of PVC and polyurethane (PU), with 100% PVC producing a stiff fabric with a glossy shine and 100% PU producing a stretchy fabric with a silky shine. A polyurethane, commonly abbreviated PU, is any Polymer consisting of a chain of organic units joined by urethane links A manufacturer's label may say, for example, 67% polyester, 33% polyurethane for a fabric that contains no PVC; or 80% polyvinyl chloride, 20% polyurethane with mention of the polyester backing omitted. Manufacturing (from Latin manu factura, "making by hand" is the use of tools and labor to make things for use or sale To add to the confusion, the plastic layer is often textured to look like leather ("leatherlook", "pleather"), as opposed to smooth ("wetlook", "patent"). Artificial Leather is a fabric of finish intended to substitute for leather in fields such as Upholstery, Clothing and Fabrics, and other Wetlook originally means the scene of a person or people wearing wet Clothing; it can also refer to the act of getting wet while wearing clothing and having fun either in doing

Motives

One reason why latex, and other tight shiny fabrics may be fetishised is perhaps that the garment forms a "second skin" that acts as a fetishistic surrogate for the wearer's own skin. Second Skin (es ''Segunda Piel'' is a 2000 Gay film by Spanish director Gerardo Vera, starring Jordi Molla, Thus, wearers of skin-tight latex or PVC garments may be perceived by the viewer as being naked, or simply coated in a shiny substance like paint. Latex and PVC can also be polished to be shiny and can also be produced in bright colours, adding further visual stimulus to add to the physical sensations produced by the material. The tightness of the garments may also be viewed as a kind of sexual bondage. In the context of BDSM, bondage involves people being tied up or otherwise restrained for pleasure The smell of latex rubber is also a turn-on for some rubber fetishists, and such garments are usually impregnated with chemicals to enhance the odour. Rubberists also enjoy the idea of exhibitionism and some fantasise about going out in public wearing fetish attire. Some do this, especially in the more liberal areas (Berlin, New York, Montreal, San Francisco, etc). Berlin is the capital city and one of sixteen states of Germany. New York ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous Montreal, or Montréal in French ( pronounced in French, in English) is the largest city in the Canadian province of Quebec The City and County of San Francisco is the fourth most populous city

A compelling reason that people are turned on by wearing rubber is its transformative abilities. As with any costume, a rubberist can imagine themselves having a new identity, especially one that permits a different code of behavior.

Practices

Latex fetishism often involves dressing up in the material, or looking at it worn by sexual partners, or fantasies about wearers of skin-tight or other latex garments, such as divers and workers wearing industrial protective clothing. A skin-tight garment is a Garment that is held to the skin by elastic tension. Another common stereotype of is the image of a dominatrix wearing a skin-tight latex or PVC catsuit, usually jet-black. A dominatrix (from the Latin dominatrix, meaning a female ruler or Mistress plural dominatrices or dominatrixes) or Mistress is a woman who A catsuit is a skin-tight one-piece garment usually with long sleeves and leggings mostly used in Fashion, fetish and Erotic context

Some latex enthusiasts are also turned on by the wearing of draped latex garments such as cloaks. Other rubber paraphernalia, such as wet suits, gas masks, splash suits, Mackintoshes, galoshes and Wellington boots, rubber/plastic pants, and diapers are also often added to the scenario. A wetsuit is a protective garment used for watersports such as Scuba diving, Surfing, Windsurfing, Kitesurfing, and Triathlon A gas mask is a Mask worn over the face to protect the wearer from inhaling airborne Pollutants and Toxic materials A hazmat suit is a garment worn as protection from '''haz'''ardous '''mat'''erials or substances The Mackintosh or Macintosh (abbreviated as mac or mack) is a form of waterproof Raincoat, first sold in 1824 made out of Rubberized Galoshes (from galoches also known as gumshoes, dickersons, or overshoes, are a type of Rubber The Wellington boot, also known as a wellie, a topboot, a gumboot, or a rubber boot, is a type of Boot based upon Hessian Rubber pants or rubber panties were the predecessor to Plastic pants and served the purpose of a Diaper cover replacing the woolen garment Plastic pants, plastic panties and diaper covers are all basically the same thing "Nappy" redirects here For other uses see Nappy (disambiguation and Diaper (disambiguation. Heavier fetishists often attempt duplicating all kinds of "everyday wear" into a rubber counterpart. Some PVC enthusiasts are turned on by PVC Hazmat suits and other forms of industrial protective clothing. A hazmat suit is a garment worn as protection from '''haz'''ardous '''mat'''erials or substances Personal protective equipment (PPE refers to protective Clothing, Helmets, Goggles, or other garment designed to protect the wearer's body or

For hygienic reasons, many sex toys such as dildos and butt plugs are made from rubber or similar materials, and this is also a factor in rubber fetishism. A sex toy is an object or device that is primarily used in facilitating human sexual pleasure. A dildo is a Sex toy, often explicitly Phallic in appearance intended for bodily penetration during self-administered Masturbation Butt plugs (or anal plugs) are Sex toys designed to be inserted in the Anus and Rectum for sexual pleasure. Some rubber fetishists are also medical fetishists or have an interest in klismaphilia - medical gloves and catheters are made from latex, as well as condoms. Medical fetishism refers to a collection of sexual fetishes for objects practices environments and situations of a medical or clinical nature Klismaphilia (sometimes spelled Klysmaphilia) is a Paraphilia involving Enemas (introducing liquids into the rectum and colon via the anus In Medicine a catheter is a tube that can be inserted into a body cavity duct or vessel A condom is a device most commonly used during Sexual intercourse.

A substantial industry exists to produce specialist latex or rubber fetish clothing garments for rubber enthusiasts. Fetish fashion is a type of clothing usually created to be extreme or provocative

Lots of latex or rubber clothes appear on websites such as eBay, and in recent years clothes made in PVC have been prevalent in young people's fashions, particularly in jackets, skirts and trousers. Several mainstream designers have made latex clothing. As fashions come round and round again it would seem that PVC, latex and similar materials will appear again in mainstream street fashions as well as continuing to be central to the fetish scene.

Among the numerous specialist rubberist magazines devoted to this fetish are AtomAge, Dressing for Pleasure, Marquis, «O», Shiny International, and Skin Two. AtomAge magazine (later AtomAge International magazine was a Fetish magazine published in Britain by the clothes designer John Sutcliffe Marquis is a Fetish magazine owned operated published and primarily photographed by Peter W «O» was the name of an international Fetish magazine published in Germany by Peter W Skin Two is a Fetish magazine covering aspects of the worldwide fetish Subculture.

In popular culture

• In the Batman film series, Batman's costume is of rubber; in Batman Returns, Catwoman wears PVC. Batman (originally referred to as the Bat-Man and still referred to at times as the Batman) is a fictional Comic book Superhero co-created Catwoman is a Fictional character associated with DC Comics ' Batman franchise.

• The artwork of Allen Jones has been strongly influenced by the imagery of rubber fetishism and BDSM. Allen Jones RA (born 1 September 1937) is a British Pop artist best known for his sculptures but also a graphic artist

Worldwide Fetish Scenes

Latex clothing plays an important part in the worldwide BDSM and Fetish scenes, with its slick look and aesthetic appeal adopted by many to fit with the liberated, performance-oriented, and often overtly-sexual nature of the scenes. While not necessarily transgressive in nature, Latex is often used to accentuate performances and outfits that strive to be so.

Latex & Fashion

Given the increasing popularity of Latex, and its continual presence in the media, an industry of Fetish Fashion makers has evolved to accommodate the demand.

See also

• Dry suit
• Leather fetishism
• Neoprene
• Sexual fetishism
• Spandex fetishism
• Total enclosure fetishism
• Wetsuit