SecondSkinFetish

Shaving

2006-03-15T21:32:00.000-08:00

Ok, slight departure here. I wanted to do a little write-up of a body-hair shaving tip that I read somewhere a long time ago that seemed worth sharing or at least preserving for future reference. I'm sorry that I can't remember or link to the original source of this tip, because it really works well. If anyone knows or is the originator of this tip, please let me know and I'll post the proper attribution!

So first off, why would you want to shave your body hair? As a rubber or lycra fetishist, the fetish is, to a large degree, about the feel of the material against your skin. Body hair essentially interferes in the sensations of feeling rubber or lycra against bare skin, to a degree that isn't even that apparent until you've tried shaving your legs / chest / privates and experienced the same material with bare skin contact. Which isn't to say its something that I do constantly or regularly, but as an occasional treat or experiment, its really worthwhile. I think if I had the energy level to stick to a constant regimen of shaving I would, but for now I settle for the occasional special occasion to shave down and put on some tight rubber gear and enjoy the feeling!

So here is the best method I've found to shave your entire body hair quickly and fully. If done properly, this can be completely in about 15 minutes total and results in a perfect close shave. Most importantly, if done correctly you won't have the typical problem with those anoying "bumps" from in-grown hairs.

The trick is to use a product called "Magic Shave". It comes in a small can (see pic) and can be found in just about any decent-size drugstore. Locally I usually pick it up at Target. This product is actually designed as a face shaving alternative to razors for black men, which apparently suffer from a higher risk of razor bumps. It is incredibly cheap and goes a long way. The product comes (typically) in powdered form and must be mixed with water and then applied to the beard.

To use Magic Shave for body hair, here's my recommended method:

1) Find a large-size household bowl

2) Empty the entire can of Magic Shave into the bowl, that amount should be enough for your entire legs / crotch / chest.

3) Put a rubber glove on each hand. This is important because you'll be applying the mixture with your hands and your hands will be in contact with the material long enough to feel some burning sensation over that much time.

4) Put warm water into the bowl slowly, mixing with your gloved hand as you add water. You are trying to get a consistency that is somewhere between oatmeal and soup. The consistency is very important here, so take your time and try to get it right. When its correct, it should not drip off your fingers as you pull them out of the bowl, but should be almost thin enough to do so.

If you mix it too thick, you won't have enough to finish the job. Too thin, and it won't be effective and will drip all over the place.

5) Get naked, grab the bowl, and move into a shower stall or tub (water off, of course). Before you go into the shower or tub, grab a non-critical credit card or Safeway card or something and a washcloth.

6) Check a clock and note the time.

7) In the shower, start applying the mixture to your body, starting with your legs. Apply enough that your skin is entirely covered and the hair immersed, but not too liberally that you will run out. Hopefull the mixture isn't so thin that its dripping off onto the ground before it can be applied. Make sure you don't miss the area behind your knee-caps! Skip the area where the legs meet your groin for now.

8) After both legs are convered, move on to your buttocks, feel free to venture into the crack, it doesn't seem to react badly.

9) Now move onto the crotch & scrotum and shaft. Avoid the head of the penis, hopefully the mixture isn't so thin that it drips all over there. If it does get a bit, it doesn't seem to be the end of the world. Hit the 'taint' as well!

10) Do your chest (if desired) and finally end with the area between your legs and groin. Not sure what to call this, the "leg armpit"? Anyway, if there is no hair there, skip it entirely, its problematic. Also skip your armpits, seems overly sensitive for some reason (for me).

11) Now all the areas to be cleaned should be covered. Check the time and wait about 6 minutes, but not longer than 10 minutes since you started. Best to remain standing in the shower. If you have more leftover stuff, re-apply to your legs, especially to the knees or any areas that are getting dry.

12) Once time is up, turn on the shower and rinse the magic shave off. As you rinse, use the credit card as a squeegee and scrape lightly with the grain of your hair. If the mixture was correct and the time sufficient, the hair should literally wipe away like, well, magic! Be sure to do you best to squeegee your backside and other hidden areas (back of leg, back of knee, etc.)

13) If there are any areas that remain a bit stubborn, use a wash cloth and wipe them down with a bit of pressure.

14) Be sure all areas are completely rinsed and pat-dry yourself off.

That's it! Now you should be entirely hairless and free of razor bumps for the next several days. Go put on a nice pair of latex or lycra pants and enjoy. You'll probably notice a lot of new sensations on your legs, bum, and crotch as the air and clothing his bits of skin that normally don't get a lot of sensation.

The risks are basically that if you apply too long or to particular sensitive areas, you can get a bit of a chemical burn. I haven't had any problems except for two exceptions -- armpits and "leg armpits". Both of those areas give me problems consistently when I try to apply this method to them, so rather than deal with the hassle, I just handle those using more traditional methods.

The big advantage to this method is that its so much easier to get complete 100% coverage on tricky areas like legs and butt, and also its much faster than any other razor-based method. It also works pretty well on areas like the scrotum that is really tricky and risky to shave with other methods. Its cheaper than Nair, less smell, less cleanup, and less risk of razor bumps.

If any of the stuff spills onto the shower, it will turn back into powdered form. Just take a wet washcloth and wipe it away!

Enjoy - and thanks to whoever originated the tip, I love it and use it regularly!

Sports Gear #4 - Skimpy Speedos

2006-03-09T22:11:00.000-08:00

Hmmm.. Having such a good time going through my sports-gear closet and digging up all these fond memories. My last entry on Speedos ran out of steam just by covering my favorite full-body swimsuits, and I left out some of the best parts - skimpy speedos!

These are a little outside my usual interest area; most of my real turn-ons come from full-body attire, as you can tell, but small speedos have two big advantages. First, they're dirt cheap. And second, they are (borderline) acceptable attire in public. Big win!

Of course I'm not talking about the bog standard $20 square-cut suits. Those are better than a pair of board shorts, sure, but the fun part is to push the envelope into more extreme speedo-type suits and see how much you can get away with in public. Maybe I have an exhibitionist streak I've been ignoring?

So first up is my favorite, and based on chats with other kinksters online, a pretty popular item world-wide; Japanese speedos! I get more questions on on-line sites asking "where can I get a speedo like that" than just about anything else. In Japan, the Speedo brand is actually manufactured by a company called Mizuno. Mizuno sells stuff here as well, baseball, volleyball, etc., but for whatever reason in Japan they also manufacture Speedo items you won't find for sale over here. Their best "racing" suits tend toward super-low cut and more interesting materials.

The gold standard for Japanese speedos is the "waterpolo" rubberized (pvc-coated lycra) Speedo. Sizes run very small on these, and they don't run any larger than size "O" (Japanese equivalent of "XL" but really more like "M" by pudgy American standards, right around 36" waist. Two things make this design unbearable hot - the rubberized surface of the suit, and the unique cut & stitching on the bum. If you look closely, you can see the backside features a seam down the crack, and in the seam is a small dart of semi-transparent fabric. Why? Who the hell knows. The butt also has nicely shaped colored inserts that add a bit of flair & style. You cannot tell me the person who designed this suit was not a fetish fan!

Another hot Japanese style is the Arena racing suits. They make use of a low-cut waistband and interesting paneling and stitching. They don't offer a mostly-rubberized suit like Speedo, but they do make a very hot suit line called "Nux" which has small brightly colored pvc inserts, including some very cool colors like silver, gold, and bright orange. The placement of the rubberized insert panels really give the suit a cool, space-age look and it enhances the, ahem, package. Keep in mind that none of the suits are exactly cut for maximum package; they are real racing suits and are super tight up front, but whatever room you can find in a Nux suit is well displayed, anyway. The fabrics are pretty similar to what speedo uses in their FastSkin suits, a bit of a textured, water-repellant surface. Nux suits come in briefs, jammers, and leg-skins, but they don't (yet?) make a full-body suit to compete with Speedo FastSkin. I like the Arena Nux suits, they are a close second place to the Japanese Waterpolo speedos.

So moving out of Japan, the one last skimpy suit worth noting takes a much different angle. Instead of being super-tight-fitting and revealing, its acutally cut to be quite loose and almost saggy. But still, somehow, it ends up being very hot and fetishy. These are the "Aussiebum" suits. I think I like them because they are (mostly) quite low-cut and they use more of a nylon fabric instead of the typical US lycra/nylon blends. There's something hot about a lycra blend with a geater percentage of nylon I guess. Underarmour sort of does a similar thing, I think.

I've bought a few Aussiebums but never quite like them as much as I hope I will. I think they look a lot better in pictures than they look in real life, if that makes any sense. I think they're worth checking out, and cheap, but definitely a distant third to the hot items from Japan.

Who knew the Japanese were the kinkiest when it comes to revealing swimwear for men?

Sports Gear #3 - Full Body Swimsuits

2006-03-03T23:25:00.000-08:00

There isn't a world of difference between Wetsuits and swimsuits, but I figured the wetsuit post was rambling on long enough that I needed to cut it off and start a new one.

So what makes a fetishy swimsuit? The first thing that jumps to mind are speedos, obviously. They're skimpy, the expose a lot of skin, and they don't leave a lot to the imagine. They are also, barely, acceptable attire throughout most of the world.

Ok - off on a tangent here - this is just one of the myriad of ways the United States is fucked up. In most of Europe, you'd see speedo-type swimsuits at least on about 50% of the folks at the beach or at a pool, right? Hell, in Japan you can't even find a baggy knee-length swimsuit to save your life. But here in the US, speedos are pretty much confined to professionals or lap-swimmers at the Y. That's just a shame!

I never got too excited about swimsuits until, I think, the 2000 summer Olympics when Speedo introduced the FastSkin full-body swimsuits. These looked so incredibly hot and tight I knew I couldn't rest until I was able to get one. For a while it seemed they were impossible to get unless you were a professional athlete, but slowly Speedo started to sell them (at significant cost, of course) to the general public. I got my first FastSkin suit probably in 2002 or so, in basic black, and then in 2005 I just had to experience the newer FastSkinII from the 2004 Olympics in a nice grey/white combo color.

Both suits are incredibly hot. They are very tight-fitting, and they literally compress every muscle of your body when worn. The lycra used is less stretchy than normal, and the cut of the suit is very slim throughout. After pulling the suit on, it really makes the wearer look about 15 pounds lighter, its amazing.

The fabric of the suit also has a unique texture to it. Both versions feature a textured lycra fabric with a sort of herringbone or fish-scale like texture to it. Its very subtle but visible up close. But the real trick is how the fabric sheds water. When the suit enters the water, some sort of coating on the fabric actually causes water to avoid saturating certain parts of the fabric. When submerged, it seems as if a thin coating of air bubbles is trapped between the suit and the water. Its quite remarkable. And when the suit is removed from the water, the water-phobic parts of the suit dry quickly while other parts remain saturated and dark, which makes the scale-texture of the suit visible in the light (dry) and wet (dark) parts of the fabric. Cool magic trick.

Of course the point of all this muscle-compression and water-phobic fabric is to improve aquadynamics, but it also makes the suit a real treat for the fetishist. As you might guess, the best suits are the full-coverage full-leg, full-arm suits. The combination of the full coverage, the super-tight fit, unique texture, and combination of colored panels and muscle-hugging seams make these suits really unique in my collection.

There are other companies that make full-body swimsuits. Adidas makes a somewhat less-exotic suit using a more traditional lycra fabric and subtler styling; most of their models are basic black with some contrast striping in yellow or silver. These are actually fairly hard to find and sell for a premium on ebay when you can find them. I don't find them nearly as kinky as the FastSkin suits, but they are pretty popular in the fetish community, I think.

There's another, lesser-known brand of full-coverage suit which falls somewhere in-between a swimsuit and wetsuit, from a company called Aquasphere. These are relatively cheap and are interesting because they are constructed from a combination of very thin neoprene panels and spandex/lycra panels. Depending on the water temperature, they make models with more or less neoprene composition, and probably with different thicknesses of neoprene. I like their choice of colors, using high-contrast grey and black panels with prominent logos. These suits can heat up quickly, much like wetsuits, but I like the look of them when on. I've not seen this as being widespread in popularity with lycra or swimsuit fetishists, but I like them quite a bit.

So that covers it for full-body suits. Even in places where speedo suits are pretty commonplace, you wouldn't see a lot of full-body swimsuits being worn. They tend to be confined to competitive swimming or triathalons.

In the next update, I'll review a few brief-style swimsuits that might be more passable at your local pool (but not much!)

Sports Gear #2 - Wetsuits!

2006-03-02T22:57:00.000-08:00

Ok, so luge suits are hot, but pretty rare. And unless you live in the Swiss Alps, you're not likely to see them in public.

But wetsuits, on the other hand... All you need to do is pick up a surf board or a mask & fins and a wetsuit is completely socially acceptable. Even moreso than a Speedo or something here in the U.S. Of all the fetish gear I own, my wetsuits are the one thing that I can store in my closet and not worry about who might poke around and find them. That's part of their appeal.

For fetishists, not all wetsuits are created equal. For me, at least, what makes a wetsuit appealing is the use of a "smoothskin" surface on as much of the suit as possible. The shiny, glossy surface of the smoothskin neoprene has a lot of the same tactile properties of latex rubber suits, but the inside neoprene surface makes the suit much easier to wear, and makes the suit significantly more durable, and less of a hassle to clean and maintain.

So which are the kinkiest wetsuits on the market? By far the most common fetishist wetsuits are Triathalon suits, such as those manufactured and sold by the company Quintana Roo. These suits are sold at both triathalon stores as well as at hard-core fetish shops like Mr. S. These suits are generally entirely smoothskin neoprene and use vivid colors including silver and blue as well as the standard black. These suits are also made from a higher-grade of neoprene than a typical surf or diving suit, which means the material stretches further and therefore can be cut tighter, resulting in a very close, glove-like fit.

I also like the fact that QR suits sometime mix neoprene of different textures. In the suit pictured above, areas around the shoulder and elbow are made from a textured "ribbed" neoprene that allows more flexibility in the joint areas, but also adds to the novelty and uniqueness of the suit.

And again, as with other sports gear, the fact that the suits contain multiple colors and logos adds to their appeal. Whether its the superhero fetish aspect or just the fact that it is distinctly sports-related, I'm not sure, but I would prefer a suit with some logos to a suit that was un-labelled.

Another hot wetsuit maker, and a closer runner-up for me, is the Orca series of suits. Orca suits are also designed as Triathalon gear, but their color scheme tends toward more of a solid black look. I like their logos and the use extremely stretchy neoprene. I also like the fact that their color scheme and logos sort of resemble a killer whale, with high constrast white markings on a smooth black shiny surface.

Both the Orca and QR suits are pretty widely available. They are more expensive than the average wetsuit ($250 or higher) because they are designed for triathalon swims rather than for surfing.

All wetsuits have some inherent downsides for fetish play, however. The neoprene is designed primarily to insulate the wearer from cold water, and therefore will lead to rapid overheating when used out of the water. These tri suits are a bit thinner than deep-diving wetsuits, so the overheating problem isn't as severe, but still after wearing a wetsuit for fetish play for a while, you will work up quite a good sweat. Some people like this, of course! I find it a bit uncomfortable so I tend to find an excuse to get out of the wetsuit pretty quickly.

The other big downside is that, unlike custom-made latex suits, you're not likely to find a wetsuit with a crotch zip for "play" access. Some fetishists or fetish vendors remedy this problem by cutting a custom access hole in a strategic place on the suit. This is also something pretty easily done by the buyer at home. Because neoprene is stretchy, all you'd really need to do is cut a slit in the proper place in the suit and stretch the opening a bit to push through the naughty bits, and the neoprene will nicely accomodate this, and even act as a bit of a cock-ring in the process.

There are other more extreme wetsuit modifications out there for the hard-core fan. Rubberknite is well known within the fetish community for making customized versions of wetsuits that include attached hoods, feet, cock sheaths, and other modifications for men. I don't own one of these, but I find them very hot. His older suits were made from a somewhat more obscure brand of triathalon suit called X-Isle, but it seems he is now making non-logo suits. I sort of liked the older suits which, because they were cut & constructed from more than one suit, had logos placed at odd angles on the wearer's hood. I'd certainly like to try one out, they seem very pervy.

So QR and Orca are the most popular, but there are a few other vendors worth exploring. Camaro wetsuits, a company from Austria, makes a wide range of wetsuits, ranging from the incredibly tame to the pretty exotic. If you can find them, they tend to be much lower priced than triathalon suits, but the materials are not quite as high-end or exotic. But they do make a number of mostly smooth-skin wetsuits that have definite fetish appeal. Check out ebay.com or ebay.de for bargains. It helps to speak a bit of German to find the best items out there from the Camaro line, they are not well represented in the US market.

I find that more men than women are turned on by wetsuit play, like many other aspects of rubber fetishism. Therefore you see a lot more gear, pictures, stories, etc. with male-male orientation. There are plenty of men who enjoy viewing pictures of women in tight and smooth wetsuits, and the website FetishEyes is a good place to go, both for the custom-made smoothskin silver wetsuits, as well as for pictures of said suits on female models. Well worth a visit, although their website can be frustratingly slow. I suspect it dislikes my browser in some way...

There also seems to be some crossover between wetsuit play and "watersports", for reasons that seem pretty apparent. But for me personally its more about the tight fit, the smooth shiny appearance of the wearer, and the way the elasticity of the suit enhances the physique of the wearer. I'd be interested in finding out what wetsuit gear turns you on, or what sort of play experiences you've had with wetsuits... Please share your fetish wetsuit experiences here.

RubberPal

2006-02-24T21:41:00.000-08:00

I just wanted to post a quickie link to this site RubberPal. This is a really well done site and completely free.

I've had not much luck finding a site to discuss rubber fetish issues and meet other folks. Most sites are either re-badged personals ads sites (like www.alt.com) or porn pic exchange sites targeted mainly at the gay leather/rubber communities (ala www.rubberzone.com). Nothing wrong with either of those, of course, but there was sort of a gap left when the long-lived www.rubberist.net started to sort of fizzle out under the weight of its own overly-complex forum system and change of ownership.

RubberPal is a bit UK-centric, but has a nice forum, decent chat room, friendly folks, and totally free, just donations requested. It has a vibe similar to www.bondage.com, but less focused on up-selling paid subscriptions, and the community seems somewhat less jaded and insular.

Also, despite some occasional friction, it seems equally welcoming of gay, straight, bi, TG, TV, and all the other letter groups that tend to cross over with fetish play.

Sports gear fetishism

2006-02-23T22:47:00.000-08:00

Wow - been a long time since an update. Thanks to those who emailed to pester me about updating.

I realized that in all the entries so far I haven't even touched upon one of my favorite fetish areas - sports gear fetish! There are lots of flavors of this around the web; anything from sneakers, motorcycle leathers, full suits of armor, etc. My particular interest in sports gear however is closely tied to my fondness for rubber & lycra -- skin-tight body suits such as those worn for luge, speedskating, skiing, etc.

In some ways skin tight sports suits are even hotter than custom-made lycra outfits or rubber catsuits because its simultaneously incredibly kinky and socially acceptable. Granted, its only acceptable in that 1% of society who can attain the upper echelons of sports achievement and get into the Olympics or college sports. But the fact remains that in the right context, wearing sports gear in public is completely acceptable.

I think there's also an element of "superhero" fetish to this. The people you see in the winter Olympics wearing these skin-tight outfits who are incredibly fit, top athletes. So by wearing the same gear, you sort of put yourself into their shoes, and can have that same feeling of being "elite" or above the common folk. I don't think its much different than buying Air Jordan shoes to feel a little bit more like MJ, its just a bit more expensive and a bit more extreme.

So what specifically do I find hot in sports gear. Glad you asked.

#1 Luge Suits

This is my favorite probably because they are completely body-covering and tight, and also typically made of a rubberized-fabric. Similar (identical, practically) to the PVC-coated spandex suits I mentioned in previous entries, Luge suits are the most fetishy of sports apparel, but also the hardest to find (and hardest to wear in their proper context, since few of us have access to a nearby luge run). The first time I saw this type of suit it was actually in an Olympic speed-skiing event, and the overall effect of the rubberized suit and the crazy aerodynamic helmet was incredibly erotic.

Luge suits are somewhat hard to find even on the web, but there are several places that make them for around $200 or more. One of the better places to order from is RadicalSpeed in Canada, who make mostly rubberized bike gear (also hot!). They have two styles of winter sports suits. The suit itself is incredibly tight and shiny, just like I love it. It includes those cool thumb-loops to keep the arms properly in place, and extra-wide flaring at the ankle (which aren't particularly useful for the suits more fetishy uses, but you have to take the good with the bad).

Sports suits like this are also cool because they are frequently silk screened with letters or graphics for sponsors or the manufacturer. This to me adds to the kinkiness of the gear, making the sports-god fantasy more realistic, and making the gear stand out from the normal bespoke deviant-wear.

The bright color and shiny appearance really get my motor running. Most folks assume a suit like this is latex, but really the inside texture is exactly like any lycra garment, except a bit less stretchy, which means that an accurate fit is even more important. Because its designed to minimize wind drag, the zippers are usually also small and nicely hidden, giving an incredible smooth look to the suit and a nice tight feeling when worn.

More kinky sports gear in the next post!

San Francisco Fetish Ball 2005

2005-03-14T23:07:00.000-08:00

One thing I've never done, not really done, is wear latex in public.

It's definitely been a fantasy of mine, and I've dabbled in it occasionally. Once or twice I have worn a catsuit discretely under street clothes on small errands for an hour or two, but that hardly counts.

So for me, the last-minute discovery that the San Francisco Fetish Ball was being held that very Saturday was a good excuse to realize this long-term fantasy in a relatively safe setting. I figured if I was going to be surrounded by fellow fetishists, there was very little chance of any "negative" experience happening. And, for the most part, that was true.

For most of the Saturday before the event started, I chatted with folks online and searched around for any positive or negative reviews of the event. I found very little un-biased information of any sort, just the event notices on the websites of the major sponsors (unsurprisingly, positive!).

In the end, I convinced myself to give the event a try, if for no other reason than to have a public experience dressed in rubber. Even if the event sucked, I reasoned, I'd still remember it fondly.

Eventually, I decided to wear a thin, 2-tone catsuit I purchased a couple years back from House of Whacks via Ebay. I figured it would stay relatively cool in a potentially crowded event, and it was a bit more interesting than just basic black. A friend suggested perhaps a bright-yellow PVC number I purchased more recently, but I didn't want to blind people, but was hoping for a little attention at least.

I toyed with the idea of "accessorizing" a bit, like a collar, wrist cuffs, or even a "tail" perhaps. Eventually, however, I convinced myself that would be too extreme or provocative for that event. I actually "whimped out" a bit by opting to wear some leather pants over the catsuit bottom. This made the catsuit look more like a latex shirt coupled with standard pants. I figured this would have the positive effect of having pockets, and I'd always have the option to take them off if the event was more full of rubber-fans than I thought.

House of Whacks 2-tone suit

So I opted for some wet silicone lube, donned the suit and the leahter pants, and headed into the City. At least, I felt very conflicted while driving in exposed fetish gear. It was already dark out, but I could sense drivers in other cars looking at me at stoplights. I felt a bit sweaty and nervous while pulling onto the freeway. Turned on, for sure, but also nervous. As I got closer to the event, I become more and more comfortable with what I was wearing. When I got to the event location, I was emboldened by seeing a line of fellow pervs lined up outside the hall, waiting to get in. I drove around the block a few times to find a good parking spot and try to get a sense of how 'extreme' the wardrobe of the crowd was, and eventually parked and walked over.

Folks in line seemed very friendly -- pretty much every sort of attire was represented. I was happy to see someone hop in line right behind me in a full black catsuit, very tight and sexy. I immediately felt a tinge of regret for having opted to wear the leather pants. Leather is really not my thing and wearing them was sort of a cop-out, I think. Seeing others flaunting nothing-but-rubber made me feel bad for not going "all the way" so to speak.

The crowd was very mixed. I'd say approximately 20% of folks had some measure of rubber wear on, only about 5% were sporting full suits or anything I'd consider "extreme". At least half the folks in line and in the event seemed to be dressing mainly to the minimum to pass the dress code for the event. In this case minimum seemed to be leather pants or chaps and a T-shirt.

Once inside the event, the main thing to "do" was basically to mill about and check out all the other attendees. There was a huge variety of sights to see, the crowd was fairly evenly gender mixed, perhaps 60/40 M/F. The fetishes on display really ran the gamut. Slaves on leashes, costumes of all types, military uniforms, leather harnesses, doctors and nurses, rubber animals, police officers, full-coverage rubber with gas masks, techo-fetish robots, even a guy wrapped in a shower curtain.

I was a bit disappointed to not see a bit more full-coverage rubber and more extreme masks or restraints. There were definitely some displays that were real turn-ons, but the vast majority of people seemed somewhat tame, or just taking their fetish in a different direction than what gets me excited. But hey, c'est la vie, it really demonstrated the variety of the "scene" in general, and you have to like that.

So that was the good part. What about the bad part. Well, I personally think the event was not very well run, and not generally that much fun for me. Or at least not a good value for the money. Even though the event was billed as "4 stories", only those with VIP passes had access to anything but the ground floor. I really despise this sort of LA-style velvet-rope syndrome. I don't want bouncers checking the color of my wrist band and saying which stairs I can go up and so on, that's just lame.

Also the music selection and lighting just didn't do much for me. The DJ was mixing what I can only describe as "1980s gay disco" mixes, I expected Donna Summer to make an appearance. I would have felt a little hard-core industrial would have fit the mood better. The lighting was a bit too stark and direct for me too, it was nice to be able to clearly see what folks were wearing, but after a while it made the place seem less like a club and more like a High School prom. You remember that scene from the Matrix (2?) at the fetish club? I wanted a bit more of that and a bit less Studio 54...

I also expected a bit more of a "show" to be put on. Perhaps they did more later, the website certainly suggested they would, but I stayed until almost midnight and nothing was really changing, just folks milling around and looking at least other. Frankly, after being there for about two hours, it just got old. I think it was perhaps a lot more fun for folks that have been part of this social "scene" for many years and attend year after year. Or those attending as a couple, perhaps they could spice things up a bit by acting out some public master/slave displays. It definitely wasn't a "sex party" or anything that would encourage that.

In total, I'd say Folsom Street was a more exciting event for me to attend. The ratio of fetish-to-street-clothes was somewhat higher at this event, but the setup of the venue and the carefully-tiered pass/vip system gave it a much less open, communal vibe. A lot of the hottest outfits I saw on display here were the same ones that caught my eye at Folsom, in fact. And hell, Folsom is $5 or something instead of $25. It made me even more despondent that I wimped out and didn't wear rubber to Folsom this year and ensured I would not make that mistake again!

One footnote - a strange thing happened after I was at the event for a while. I actually forgot that I was wearing rubber. For better or worse, being in this environment actually de-sensitized me to what I was wearing. Oddly, I think this was a negative. I had built up this fantasy or fear about being in rubber in public, but when you take away the taboo by being in a room full of like-dressed people, it also removes the thrill of things.

I definitely wish I had dressed more extremely than I did -- lose the leather pants, add a tail or a gasmask, perhaps additional bondage bits and pieces, to try to feel a little bit more shocking amongst the crowd. As it was, I almost started to feel like the "tourist". I would estimate maybe only 10% of the folks there were dressed in a way I would term "extreme" in some way, I almost immediately felt envious of them, wishing I could join their number. Definitely if I were to attend again, I would try to push the limits as far as possible to get back the thrill of pushing the envelope in an environment where that is not at all easy.

Perfetct Entry-Level Suit?

2004-10-23T19:20:00.000-07:00

I always like to chat with other rubber fetish fans about what gear they own and what they like or dislike. One vendor that often came up when talking to men into rubber gear was Invincible Rubber out of London. I had never owned any gear from them, but I heard so many people recommend it, I had to check it out.

Invincible seems to sell batches of items periodically on Ebay, so I waiting until they had a few suits up for bid, and ended up getting the item for just over the reserve price of $150 UKP, or around $290 US. Not a bad price for a catsuit, significantly cheaper than others you'd get from the UK, particularly. When they sell stuff on EBay (unlike some vendors) they seem to be selling in-stock or overstock items, so they have a very specific size and style and ship it very quickly. I received the item about 2 weeks after the winning bid, not bad. Their list price is only slightly more than their ebay reserve price (170 UKP), so there's no huge advantage of waiting for them to hit ebay, other than perhaps easier payment than getting your credit card to not freak out over a big overseas purchase.

On the forum at www.rubberist.net, there was a long thread about building the perfect "VolkSuit" or "Volkswagon Suit". Basically, one that could be made cheaply but satisfies the basic needs of people for the least possible cash. I think the target on that thread was like $200 or less, but at $300, I think this suit may be the closest I have found to the ideal "everyday" suit maker.

The Invincible suit, for me at least, had a great off-the-rack fit. I ordered true-to-size according to their website, since that usually works for me for UK vendors. The suit, as delivered, had almost perfect sizing on all the tricky bits, arm length, leg, torso length, etc.

Invincible catsuit with separate mask

The suit itself was fairly basic, and there aren't nearly as many options with Invincible as with Cocoon or Libidex. The main decision is between back, front, or shoulder zips. I of course picked shoulder zip, as I feel it gives the best tradeoff between ease of use and appearance. The other option is whether or not to go with a cod-piece for genital access with the suit on. As usual, with a shoulder-zip, I opted for the cod piece version of the suit. Invincible also makes a number of neck-entry suits. Neck-entry is something I have not tried in a suit before, but I'm curious about. It may very well be a great and somewhat cheaper alterative to shoulder zips. I hope to try one at some point, I like the idea of a suit without any zippers.

The material was black. I like colored suits, but Invincible seems to be a mainly black shop, with a bit of red mixed in here and there. Normally when I've ordered suits lately, I've always opted for slightly thicker material. The Invicible suit, however, was of a fairly thin material. Out of the bag, the suit was quite dull and desperately needed a shine, but the medium-gauge rubber (I wouldn't call it THIN really, but it wasn't thick) took a shine quite well, just a few coats of Armour All and it was as shiny as anything else in my closet.

After wearing the suit several times, I have to say I like the thinner rubber! Its made me rethink my standard practice of ordering thicker material from most things I order. The thinner black rubber had a great, snug fit, but I was able to wear it quite a bit longer before there was an excessive build-up of sweat from the wrists or ankles. Normally I start perspiring even before I finish donning the suit! So I think the material thickness is perhaps more a positive than a negative here.

There are not too many obvious outward signs that this is a less expensive suit. There are still good-sized zipper protectors in the shoulders, and the seams and nicely done and look sturdy. They don't put an extra layer on the end of each cuff, for example, and their suit pattern is made from a minimum number of cut pieces (many fewer than libidex), but this doesn't seem to detract from the fit of the suit. This is one of the most comfortable suits to wear for longer durations.

About the only negative things I can say about the suit is that there are not a lot of options for the buyer. I'd like to add a butt zip to the cod-piece suit, but its not offered. It would be nice to have more color options as well. But the price, fit, and overall comfort make this a big win.

If price is no object, there are probably other places you could go to build the suit of your dreams, but if you are just starting out and want to spent your first $300 or so as wisely as possible, you won't go wrong here. For a price you may spend for an inferior molded suit, you get a well made glued latex suit that is 90% of the quality of something twice the price.

Kunzmann catsuit review

2004-09-27T23:49:00.000-07:00

Like most fetishists, I'm a sucker for EBay. Whenever I'm bored or have time to kill, fire off a couple of choice searches like "latex catsuit" or "lycra unitard" and you've got an hour of entertainment. Of course it also gets expensive!

I've found some great deals on EBay, and I think I've purchased about half my gear that way. Its always nice to feel like you're getting a bargain. House of Whacks often sells items on there (tends to go in spurts) with a reserve price of maybe 50-60% of their retail pricing, quite a deal and good quality stuff.

There's one vendor I've been curious about ever since I stumbled across their site on the internet - Kunzmann rubberwear out of Germany. Germans have a real knack and love for rubber (not sure why...) and Kunzmann seems to be one of the most profilic and creative vendors I've found in any country. They've got literally hundreds of items, it takes a good two hours just to go through their website.

Anyway, I've always been curious, but a bit reluctant to order from them; their website is a bit clunky and its not 100% translated into English, and my German is of the "Ein mas, bitte" variety. So when they started listing some items for auction, I decided to give it a try.

They seem to list just a smattering of their standard catalog items, at a slight discount, with Ebay listings that are a polyglot of German, English, and so on. The prices are not a huge discount off their website, but ordering is a bit more straightforward (paypal rules!). The "Buy it now" price is maybe 10-15% off retail, the reserve price isn't too much lower.

The particular item which caught my eye was a full-coverage suit that was available in green, black, or transparent latex. It had an attached hood with shoulder zips that go up and over the head, which is a somewhat unusual and cool look. The only other place I have seen that is the suit from StudioStrak in Australia. It was also a slightly heavier gauge of rubber than some of their items, which I like. The item also had attached gloves and feet, so it was to be my first FULL full coverage suit, which seemed like fun.

Once I won the auction (I always win!) it was time to place my specific order with them. They have an english-speaking email contact, which was nice. Figuring out the sizing table was a bit of a nightmare, however. It appears to be one of the few things on their website that is NOT translated into english. And the diagrams are not terribly helpful. Check it out and you will see what I mean..

Black full suit with hood from Kunzmann
(mask is not visible due to costume mask over the top, sorry!)

After careful examination, I had figured out how to translate the German sizes (4,5, 6, etc.) to our more familiar S, M, L, XL. Since I wanted a tight fitting suit, I started with what the website listed as the proper fit for my size, and then went down TWO sizes. I did this because on their website, I noticed that most of the models / suits appeared very loose-fitting, at least relative to my taste. I figured this meant the store owners so of prefer that type of fit, so the items are probably on the loose size. The german sizes also have a bit more steps, so it wasn't as if I went from L to S here, but two numerical steps. Since it was a shoulder-zip entry, I figured it would work out OK. I selected black, as well, since the green was semi-trans, and I was looking for a real encased look/feel for this.

I got the suit delivered in about 3-4 weeks--not bad. I anxiously unpacked the bundle and the suit flowed out onto the bed. On first look, it seemed pretty good. The black latex used seemed pretty much standard 4D variety, as best I could tell. One side smooth, one side rougher. An odd thing jumped out at me right away, wherever there was a suit zipper (shoulders, crotch) the zipper was both glued AND stitched into the suit with thread. First time I have seen that. I can see how it gives some strength advantage, although I have never had a zipper pull loose from a suit before.

The attached mask was nicely formed, with reinforced rings around the eyes and mouth, and two small nose holes. The hood fits the face reasonably well, which is tricky with off-the-rack stuff. The glued seams are about a half inch throughout the suit, a bit smaller in the hood. All the zips had generously-size zip protectors inside. The zippers themselves weren't the standard YKK you see on most suits, but they seemed equivalent in every way (plastic with metal runners). Everything seemed sturdy and ready for play!

Before I tried the suit on, I immediately noticed - no gloves! The Ebay listing definitely appeared to have attached gloves, but the suit I received did not. Not a huge deal, but the whole endeavor was to get a total enclosure suit, it was a bit of a let-down. When I tried the suit on, the first thing I noticed were that the attached feet were massive! Way too big for my feet. I wear size 10 US shoes, which seems pretty average. Based on this suit, Germany is a country of Sasquatch! These suckers are at least US 12 or 13. Maybe they mean for you to wear shoes inside the suit?

The overall fit of the suit was still a bit on the loose side for me, even after going down a couple sizes. I expected the opposite to be true. The shoulder zips go well down the sleeves and were easy to pull up unassisted. The over-the-head hood took a bit of experimentation, but went on easily as well, and was a nice feeling. Like the rest of the suit, the hood felt a bit loose, which for me took away a bit from the feeling I was after with a full suit. Another gripe, the wrist seals at the end of the arms (where the gloves should be, grumble..) were a bit loose themselves, which gave the feel of a slight "cuff" to the arms. Generally I like a rubber suit to have tighter wrists to give more of a wetsuit feel.

The crotch zip (don't leave home without it!) worked well; two zipper runners, front and back. Four would have been nice, but two will suffice.

After an email exchange with the english-language mailbox, they offered to send the gloves over in a separate parcel, and they did so in a timely manner. Its not quite as nice as actually having the attached gloves as depicted (or maybe I mis-translated, hard to say for sure), but it was nice they made the effort. If I had a home rubber gluing machine I could make the suit whole, but for now I'll have to settle for the detached gloves. The gloves were very nice, for what its worth, molded but much nicer than the typical cheap molded gloves.

Overall rating, not too bad. A nice diversion, but not likely to take its place among my favorite gear. I wish I had gone yet ANOTHER size smaller to see what a real snug fit would have been. Any fears about the workmanship of Kunzmann were put to rest, but concerns about sizing and fit were reinforced. I would not hesitate to order from them again, armed with the knowledge that I need to order significantly smaller than advertised. They have some very creative designs that I have never seen at another vendor, and after years of browsing rubber vendor sites with nearly identical offerings, its nice to know those kinky Germans are hard at work on some bizarre gear..

Catsuit from Libidex

2004-08-05T22:03:00.000-07:00

Going out of order a bit, I wanted to write up some impressions of the latest bit of gear to arrive on my doorstep, a brand new Libidex custom fix catsuit.

Ever since getting on the 'net, I've read about how Libidex supposedly makes the best-fitting suits. Finally I decided to give them a try, despite the high cost and longish delivery times.

I wanted to take what I had learned from my previous purchases to get something that would be fun and useful for everyday play. I also wanted to try a color that I had seen in several pics that really seemed appealing, Pearlsheen Pewter, which is a mixture of silver and a dark grey color. Not unlike the color that's really popular in cars lately.

I decided to go back to the "shoulder-zip" entry that I had on my first suit, since it was so easy to use and kept the rest of the suit zipper-free. In terms of "extras", I decided to opt for attached feet and a cock sheath, but no gloves or hood. The price was already quite high, with the bad dollar exchange rates, so I was somewhat constrained by price when adding options to the suit.

As I said, Libidex has a reputation for building very well-fitting suits, so to take advantage of that, I paid the extra 20% for the made-to-measure service. After taking the measurements (a fun ritual when ordering rubberwear, I'm sure you'll agree), I placed the order and the wait began.

After a quick confirmation email, I didn't get much more communication from them. Often when ordering a custom suit there ends up being an email or two to clarify stuff, but in this case nothing more. I was a bit worried about this, thinking maybe the order got lost or something, but then in only about 3.5 weeks, I got a package in the mail from Royal Post!

As usual, the time between receiving a new bit of gear and running into the house to open it could be measured in milliseconds. I took it out of the nicely-packaged envelope and started to unfold the suit - it was intoxicating. The color was exactly what I had hoped, a good cross between basic-black and a really exciting, glittery pearlsheen silver. Its a color I am definitely happy with.

Even though Libidex doesn't really allow ordering by material thickness like Cocoon, there was a checkbox or selection on the custom-order form for "thick" material. I checked that, even though I'm not sure how thick they even MAKE pearlsheen colors. When I got the suit, I'd say it feels thicker than my previous pearl blue suit from Cocoon, but not quite as thick as my first Mr. S suit. All in all, I felt it was a good thickness and feel. It didn't have that 'baloon' latex feel which I disliked from my last Pearlsheen suit. I suspect it is one notch up in thickness, but I have no good way to measure.

The cock sheath on the Libidex was superb. The cost of this add-on is, I must say, borderline exortion. But when seeing the finished product, I can understand somewhat why it costs more than most makers. Rather than attaching a molded sheath to the suit like Cocooon did, Libidex actually cut and glued many small pieces of latex, of the same thickness and color of the suit, to make a real sheath that is more a part of the suit than a traditional add-on. Its quite an impressive bit of engineering on their part. Their sheath design also has quite a bit of separation between the part intended for the balls and the cock. At first I thought this would be a problem, compared to the molded sheatths I had tried in the past, but in practice it works and fits (and looks) great. Their shaped/glued design even includes extra space for the head of the penis. One of a kind. I wonder since they seem to make them by hand if they could customize the length? It wasn't one of the requested measurements, but its worth a shot...

The rest of the suit was equally well-constructed. The main body of the suit seems to be made up of many more smaller glued panels than most similar suits. My Mr. S suit has some glued seams around the waistline, for example, and another suit I own has literally no horizontal seams from neckline to the ankle. The Libidex suit however has glued seams just below the chest level, at the waist, and so on. These don't detract from the design of the suit, since glued latex seams are really unnoticable for the most part, but I assume these extra panels allow them to shape the suit more accurately to the body which gives the suit the accurate fit for which they are known. This stands out as the biggest difference I saw between the design of this suit and similar ones.

Another nice surprise, I didn't specify anything special for the suit beyound shoulder zips and the sheath up front, and pretty much assumed that was all it would include. So it was a nice surprise to see that they added a small zip for the butt area at no extra cost. That gives the suit a little extra versatility for play.

I had to wait a few hours before I could have enough time to try it on, but the fit was great. The first time I donned the suit, I had a bit of a problem getting the air pushed out of the feet as I put my legs down. One downside of the tight/accurate fit is that its harder to release trapped air. I actually ended up cutting a tiny hole on the toes to allow air to escape for this reason. The rest of the suit fit perfectly. I had no problem with the torso length or sagging in the butt area, it all felt exactly right. The sheath design kept everything in well without popping out (or would that be popping in?). The shoulder zips worked great, very smooth, all the zips were protected by extra flaps of latex, and so on. It had a nice high collar-line for matching with a hood. The feet were nicely tailored.

The feel and fit of the suit were so great, immediately after taking it off after an hour or so, I wanted to put it back on again!

The total cost was high, over $700 when finally shipped, so I can't recommend it for everyone, there are definitely cheaper ways to get a good-fitting suit out there.

For more info: www.libidex.com

Origins and Nature of fetish

2004-07-31T10:37:00.000-07:00

This is a tough one to take on, but someone asked about this recently, and I was thinking about it myself, so I wanted to take a shot at explaining this fetish a little bit, if I can.

I think like a lot of behavioral traits, its either inborn or starts very early. A lot of folks I've talked to have similar stories. Certain images during youth that trigger a strong response. Not even a sexual response, at that age, but more of an emotion of envy -- "I want to be that person". But stronger than standard envy, more of a borderline compulsion. What this image is tends to differ quite a bit based on what the core fetish is.

For me, the first thing I can recall seeing as a kid was the TV show "Flipper". I didn't even see it that often (it was already old when I was a kid, I believe). The show had images of kids in wetsuits playing in the water. I was growing up far from the ocean, but yet I wanted to be that kid, wearing a tight wetsuit playing in the water.

Similar images in the future also reinforced this urge. The olympics were always a safe bet, speedos, downhill ski suits, etc. They all carried the connotation that the wearer was somehow transformed, improved, streamlined. It didn't hurt that these images were always on fit althletes and so on!

As soon as I had disposable income as a kid, I started to act on some of these urges. When I was quite young, we were in the local department store and for some reason they carried speedo-type swimsuits in kids sizes, and I practically begged my parents to buy me one, even though it was quite an odd choice in our area (wouldn't make sense to Euro folks reading, of course). Later I would buy (or more accurately collect) whatever lycra I could get my hands on - mainly bike shorts from sporting good stores.

As I got older, I took up hobbies that allowed me to reinforce my fetish. I started biking so I had a good excuse to buy lots of lycra shorts. When I finally moved to the coast, I took up diving and surfing. It took me something like 10-12 years to go from seeing wetsuits as a kid to finally wearing one, and that was a very strong emotional moment, first pulling on a wetsuit and looking at myself in a mirror. Mind blowing. It wasn't even a very sexy wetsuit, a rental 2-piece, but it was a feeling like transformation, no other good explanation for it.

Orca Triathalon Wetsuit

I think its a natural tendecy of fetishes of this sort to escalate over time. Once you've tried "A", that's no longer exciting enough and you have to go to "B". In that sense I guess that pair of Nike shorts is a "gateway garment". At some point when I was independent and on my own, I started to expand beyond basic sports gear that I could justify, and into new areas. Dance gear, for example. A triathalon wetsuit even though I had never competed in a triathalon. Once those experiences were exhausted, I moved on to fetish-specific garments -- rubber suits, lycra suits, masks, and so on. Starting tame and getting progressively more adventurous.

Its hard to say what is at the base of it. For me, I think its mainly a sense of transformation, feeling a bit more like an athlete or a superhero or even a different species. It makes you feel special, outside the mainstream, privileged, in some way. More powerful, more attractive, more everything. For rubber there is a bondage aspect as well, but I think that is separate, or at least tangental, to the core fetishism in the material itself. The main thing is covering your normal mundane skin with a more interesting one.

What I don't think it is -- I don't think its primarily a sexual fetish, although the strong feelings it produces are so strong that sex is the logical outcome. I definitely don't need to be geared up to have sex, so its not a necessity, but when geared up I get excited to the point that I want to have sex or get a sexual release. I think many folks erroneously see a fetishism as a pre-requisite to sex, I see it more as an enhancement. Given the choice between vanilla sex and geared-up sex, the increased pleasure of the latter will win every time, if its an option!

I suspect other fetishes follow a similar track. Furries probably get really excited the first time they go to Disneyland or see a character at a mall or something, and buy animal-themed streetwear as kids, eventually going to full-scale fursuits at an older age.

So what's next? For me, it would definitely be graduating from mainly solo play to going to group events or 'real time' play with others, whatever form that takes. More on that later.

Backing up a second, I often think about whether there was some traumatic or formative event when I was a kid that might have induced this or nurtured it, and for the life of me I cannot. I had a very vanilla childhood with no abuse, trauma, no divorce, nothing. Prior to seeing my first 'trigger images', I can't recall anything specifically related to rubber or wetsuits or lycra or anything. It seemed to be something I was, for lack of a better term, born with, just waiting to be triggered. I don't suspect there is much way to avoid it, nor any way to shut it off. I think it would be fairly easy to deny it and just ignore it, but it wouldn't be nearly as fun. Its like if you know you enjoy something, you can quite easily deny yourself that pleasure, but you're missing out. It probably does go beyond a "hobby", but I wouldn't say its an uncontrollable compulsion, either. It's not like smoking crack.

Despite this insight, I have quite a few open questions that I wonder about.

Why does it seem like far more men are pre-disposed toward these sort of "material" fetishes than women? Certainly there ARE women into this fetish, but the ratio must be like 2:1 at best. The motivation for women seems to be more consistently about dominance or fashion, but I'm only guessing and may be working from incomplete evidence. A lot of women that are into rubber seem to do so as part of S&M play, or to try to accomodate a partner. I've not run into many women with a pure lycra fetish, but they may be out there in some numbers.

What is the relationship between these fetishes and Asperger's syndrome? I've seen others citing this theory, and it does fit my profile pretty well, so perhaps there is something there. Of course since they don't know the cause of that either, its just swapping one label for another.

Why is this fetish mainly associated with certain ethnic groups? It seems that people with this fetish are largely of european / northern european / nordic descent, at least in my experience. There are exceptions, but I definitely see 10 Germans or German-Americans for every Spaniard or Italian I have met on-line. There is also a lot of Japanese involvement. I myself am of German descent, so I fit this mold as well. Is it actually linked more to certain ethnic groups, or is it just more tolerated/accepted in some areas as opposed to others?

I'd be interested in hearing comments from others about their take on these questions, or to hear if their stories are similar to mine. I have yet to meet someone who felt like their interest in rubber or lycra started at an older age, almost everyone has some childhood story to relate on this subject.

Catsuit #2

2004-07-31T02:48:00.000-07:00

After I got my first basic gear, I wanted to get something a little more risque. I might have gone too far, but that's getting ahead of myself.

One of the best vendors for truly fetish-specific gear is a UK based company called Cocoon. Their website is not too sexy, but they have a huge array of customization options for suits that make it a great site for going nuts. Inflatable suits, every possible sort of probe or hole, its like Wal-mart for pervs.

My first suit was great, but felt a little tame, so I went onto Cocoon's site and started playing with all their options and stuff. I went back to the site over and over again over the course of like a month, fantasizing about the utlimate bondage/play suit.

One of the first things I decided was to try a suit with an attached hood and feet. The fantasy of a more complete second-skin is very strong and even though it can be less practical, its a bit turn-on for me (and others). I debated about attached hands as well, but opted against it. The feet are pretty simple and hard to screw up, but there are a lot of options in terms of hoods. Cocoon offers lots of hood choices, some very cool. I ended up selecting an open-face hood for this suit.

The think in retrospect, the open-faced hood was a mistake. An open-faced hood has all the downsides of an attached hood without the real feeling of enclosure, bondage, or anonymity of a more closed hood. I'm not sure what I was thinking, maybe shaving a few $$ off the price? Anyway, I would recommend if you go with a hood, go all the way, or skip it and add your own.

Another downside of an attached hood is that its not compatible with shoulder zips (from most vendors, anyway). So I had to go with a back zip.

One thing Cocoon offers that most vendors do not is a big array of very kinky add-ons to suits. I found the idea of a suit with lots of "plumbing" to be very exciting, so I wanted to try some options here. I think most of these worked better in theory or fantasy stories than in reality.

First, I opted for an inflatable cock sheath. Basically this is a fairly standard thin black latex cock sheath from molded rubber attached to the suit, along with an outer, glued layer with an air-tight space in between that can be inflated/deflated with a bike-tire style tube. The idea is that the inflatable sheath gives both a pleasant feeling of pressure or denial of pleasure, and also is an extreme outward appearance without being nude. In reality, I found this to be more of a pain. In practice when inflated, the sheath puts pressure to push the wearer's tackle out of the inner sheath and back into the suit. The only way to make it work is to use a cock ring or something to counteract this. I think the better option would be to just get a normal sheath, or a cod-piece/hole and add your own.

The other downstairs customization option is to include some type of ass-toys in the suit. Again, this is something of a turn-on for a good many in the scene, the idea of a suit that "plugs in" to the wearer. A lot of the rubberist stories focus on such things. I opted for the relatively inexpensive option of adding an 'anal rod'. Sounds very clinical. Its basically a short dildo-type solid rubber piece, flat/smooth about 4 inches in length. Its not really a butt-plug since it has no real shape to it. It is glued to a reinforced panel near the bottom of the suit. Again, the reality falls short of the theory. Even though I got the suit custom-sized, for whatever reason, the positioning of the rod never really matched my anatomy, and because of the shape it tends to just slide out rather than stay put. To keep it positioned during a play session literally requires frequently pushing everything back in where you want it. My recommendation to others would be to, again, either go all the way or not bother. Cocoon also offers an inflatable rod which presumably could be inflated to lock itself in place better. They also offer the option of either a hole or a sheath of rubber to allow 'stuff' to be inserted externally. I think any of these three options would be better. The sheath idea sounds interesting if you want to maintain the 'total coverage' vibe but still allow for some butt play.

Ok, what's next? Color. I wanted to try something other than basic black, and the idea of a metallic color seemed cool to try. I had not seen any "pearlsheen" colors before, so wanted to see what they were like. I thought about silver or pewter (darker/grey silver), but opted for blue. Not sure why, I guess that's just where my mind was at when I finally pulled the trigger. Again, if I were doing it again, I would probably go for a silver metallic color, or perhaps a really vibrant color like yellow or orange to be as wild as possible. Blue was sort of luke-warm choice.

The material thickness for these colored/pearlsheen colors is generally limited to the lighter grades, I believe this is because the manufacturer doesn't offer them in some of the thicker grades. As soon as you opt for a thicker latex from a vendor like Cocoon, your color choices drop down to basically black, red, white, and transparent. I really wanted to try a pealsheen color, so I opted for the thinnest grade of latex.

So how did it turn out? Despite all the regrets on design, it actually still came out Ok. Not perfect and not all that I had hoped for. I found the material to be a bit too thin for my taste--I didn't realize, since my first suit was a mid-range weight, how different the thinner rubber would be. It is nice and light, but when pulled over the body, has a bit more tendency to create little folds, rather than lying smooth and flat. I like a suit best when it can achieve a totally smooth look over the body, and this was harder to do. And the thin latex does a bit less to shape the wearer, and there is less of a feeling of hands/pressure all around the body, which is arousing in and of itself.

The attached feet were a bit of a pain when donning the suit - air gets caught in the closed foot as the legs go in, so a bit of work is involved to push the air back up the leg. The fit overall was pretty good, particularly the legs and arms were perfect. The torso was a little long, I think. Might have been my measurements; not sure. That's a hard measurement to take when doing a bespoke garment. I'd recommend if you are measuring torso length for a suit, try to err on the smaller size, since smaller/stretched is a better mistake than longer/loose/bunched up. With the torso too long, the "seat" tends to drop with lots of motion, which is decidedly not sexy. The torso length might have contributed to the mis-positioning in the butt-toy department, too.

The back-zip was OK, I still prefer the shoulder zip, but it works. The vendors never seem to include a zipper pull like you'd find on a wetsuit, so plan ahead if you want to self-dress.

(In a pinch, grab a shoelace or something. My best zip pulls come from taking convention badge holders necklaces which usually are like long thick shoelaces with little metal spring clips on the ends, perfect! You owe me for that tip... )

The color was good -- but also felt more green/grey than blue. It was a nice change from black, either way.

So the verdict at the end of the day, I can't blame Cocoon for making the suit I requested, I think I should have either been more practical or less practical about the design of the suit. It could have turned out more as a functional play suit with a few cool options, or I could have gone all the way and had a full tailored bondage hood, inflatable plug, cod-piece, etc. I would definitely recommend that folks avoid specifically the options mentioned above as being a bit impractical.

The construction of the suit was very good. I've had it for quite some time now. While it doesn't see as much action as my basic black, it has not had any maintenance problems to date. I ended up cutting off the outer part of the inflatable front sheath myself with scissors, so now its just a standard molded cock sheath which is more practical. I also cut some tiny holes into the attached feet to make it a bit easier to avoid air pockets. I do like the feeling of the attached feet, I sort of wish I had opted for attached hands, at least on one suit, just to try it out.

Cocoon is definitely the go-to vendor if you want to get a wild tricked-out playsuit. I have not seen another site yet with as many crazy options. I would recommend if you use them, either go all out, or opt for just a more basic design with off-the-rack sizing. Their custom-size service doesn't seem so accurate that its worth bothering with unless the suit is already a pricey one.

Hopefully this advice can help others avoid a similar "sophomore slump". But again, nothing against Cocoon, they do good work and will make whatever suit you ask them for, so beware your own desires.

www.cocoon1.com

Blue metallic suit from Cocoon

Catsuit #1...

2004-07-31T02:25:00.000-07:00

One of the biggest investments with a rubber fetish is the basic catsuit. For anyone that's truly "into" this sort of thing, selecting the right combination of manufacturer, sizing, features, etc. is maddening. I got some positive feedback about the previous run-down on lycra suits, so this is the next logical step, I suppose.

Here's a quick run-down on the various suits I have tried. My first catsuit, and actually one of the best, was a off-the-rack black shoulder-zip catsuit from Mr. S, which is a local SF-based retailer of S&M gear catering to the gay community. Mr. S makes all their own stuff, but you can find very similar designs at most shops. Mr. S sells a lot of configurations for zipper/entry. I think zipper location/type is one of the key decisions.

The shoulder-zip style is good (IMO) for several reasons. First, zippers on latex suits don't stretch like the rest of the suit, so an "all around" zip can be limit how tight the overall suit can be without limiting mobility. Also if you want to dress yourself, shoulder zips are easier to access, since everything is up top at arm's length. It can still require a bit of contortion, but generally you won't need to be an escape artist to get in or out.

The other big decision for a more fetishy outfit and less "fashion-y" is whether to include some sort of access system for your naughty bits. This particular suit had a cod-piece, which basically means a well-positioned hole in the suit, surrounded by three metal snaps, and a separate triangle of rubber to fit those snaps and cover whatever happens to poke through the hole. The suit has no butt access, but I've seen suits that have both a cod-piece and a small zip further back. The cod-piece is a nice compromise, you can wear the suit in 'public' where nudity is a no-no, but still get easy access for play of any type. Being fully enclosed, yet utterly exposed down below is a great feeling. Choosing a zip rather than a codpiece gives access too, but with a bit more hassle. The crotch-zip or multiple runners on a "through" zip means you're dangling yourself through an opening that has nice plastic teeth on both sides, and zipping/unzipping can easily pinch skin. Unless of course pain/discomfort is the goal. I like the codpiece myself.

Next up, color. Black is the basic color that literally everyone has. Basic black. Mr. S sells 99% black, with a little red mixed in occasionally. So black it is. Can't go wrong with black for a first suit.

Latex material also comes in different weights. The thinnest materials are almost like baloon rubber, very thin and stretchy. The heaviest are basically unstretchable and very industrial-feeling. The Mr. S suit is about one or two steps above the standard "thin" latex used for garments. I didn't know that at the time, but found out later when trying other suits. The thicker the latex is, the more accurately it ideally would be sized to your body, because it won't stretch as much. The upside is that it applies more pressure WHEN stretched, which is a pleasurable feeling, and helps mold the body inside more to the shape of the suit. So love handles disappear like magic! Good for us Americans...

So the overall verdict, A+. This is my first suit and its still in great shape. Its common for suits to have problems over time, rubber can deteriorate, glues seams can burst under pressure, etc., but this suit is going strong. Its not custom-fit so it can sag a little bit in the crotch (torso is a bit too long for me), and the arms are cut a bit too small, so after wearing it for a while, the shoulder zips start to dig into the flesh a bit. After taking the suit off, I usually have like little zipper lines embossed into my biceps. The only other possible downside is that the suit doesn't have attached feet/gloves/hood, which can add to the full coverage aspect and is a definitely turn-on, but the more attached bits the suit has, the less flexible it is for play, so I think no hands/feet is good for a first/only suit (which this was, for a while at least).

The suit also has a nice high-neckline, like a turtle-neck on a shirt. This is nice because when worn with a hood, it has a great seamless look to it. With a wide T-shirt style neck, it wouldn't look as good.

Mr. S does do mail order. The suit was around $450 at the time. It would highly recommend this vendor and configuration if it meets your needs (and floats your boat)..

Black latex catsuit from Mr. S

New Toy

2004-06-15T00:55:00.000-07:00

About a week ago, I decided to try some experimentation with latex hoods. I already had a real simple molded "anatomical" latex hood, which was occasionally fun, but not something I was really "into". The nostril holes for air were a little small and mis-placed, so it ended up usually being a bit of a pain.

The hood I purchased was an inflatable 2-layer latex hood from Reactor Rubberwear in Australia. It has a back zipper and two clear plastic eyes, as well as a breathing tube that extends out of the mask about a foot, and has a few inches inside as well.

Reactor Rubberwear

The quality of the hood was excellent. The latex they used seemed like some of the best I have seen in any garment (4D rubber?). The smell was intoxicating and it came with a great shine, much much better than any molded gear I have dealt with. To inflate the hood, there is a small hand-pump that connects to a valve on the side of the hood, with a release valve near the base of the pump.

The mask is fairly snug even before inflation, and its a bit of work to pull the back zipper down without help (or persistence). With the mouth tube firmly in place and the hood unzipped, its a snug pull over the head, and then working the zipper down to the bottom, where it stays put pretty well. This being the first really good mask I used, even just wearing it without any inflation was great. The sense of encasement with the covered eyes and breathing being forced through the tube was great.

I started inflating the hood slowly at first. The hand pump isn't fast, so the sensations (other than the sounds) are pretty gradual. Because the nose is covered, you can sort of breathe in and out of your nose to get a sensation of changing pressure inside the hood, much like you would get with a scuba mask or something. As the hood inflates, you get a sense of gradually increasing pressure all around the head. Sounds also begin to fade into the background; all the external sounds become more distant and "ringing" as if you are hearing them through a tunnel.

While built the pressure higher, I was a bit concerned about busting the seams or something. No clear instructions or limits were specified, so not sure how close I got, but there were no problems with leakage or damage. When fully inflated, the hood takes on a bit of flattened, wide appearance, since the back zipper prevents the mask from growing outward behind your head, and the eye coverings create a connection in the front. So most of the inflation happens to the sides of the head. The pressure creates a very unusual, comforting sensation that is hard to describe. The combination of the pressure, the smell of the latex, and the breathing tube combine to make for an intense experience.

I am interested in hearing if others have tried this little experiment as well, and what they thought. I think it was a great gear purchase and something I plan to go back to often. It ran $175 Australian, which worked out to like $100 US. Delivery was very fast (especially given the distance) and the transaction was great. I've never tried an inflatable suit, and they're usually so expensive, I doubt I'd have the pleasure, but I wonder how that would compare. Does anyone have an inflatable suit they'd be willing to rent out for a few hours?

I'm curious to experiment with other interesting hood configurations, any recommendations?

Lycra Suits

2004-05-23T23:21:00.000-07:00

I think rubber/latex suits will always be my main obsession, but for reasons of cost and ease-of-use, a nice lycra suit can be a nice alternative. Sometimes the hassle of talc/lube, cleanup, sweat, etc., just isn't worth the effort. Since lycra suits are a lot cheaper, I've been able to sample quite a few more varieties than I have in rubberwear.

Here's a quick review/rundown:

My first lycra suit was a Red PVC suit from Spandexwear.com, which I purchased many moons ago. I chose PVC because it had roughly the look of latex, but at a fraction of the cost, about $100 is a good rule-of-thumb. The red suit was full-coverage, which meant it had attached feet, hands, and a hood with eye-holes and a mouth.

The PVC material is nice, but not quite as good as it appears visually. The back-side of the material is a rather rough nylon weave of some sort, basically white in color, and a little thick and stiff. The outer-layer, while a pretty good facsimilie of rubber, is not quite as smooth or tactile as the real deal. The PVC bonded surface actually as a little bit of a texture to it. But overall, its visually damn close from more than a couple inches away. The Spandexwear.com suit was custom-fit and took a few weeks to deliver, but I was pretty happy with the results. The fit was good, the seams were a little visible, and over the years, some of the tighted seams have started to work themselves loose a little bit. But the PVC surface has held its shine, and its still serviceable.

Some time later, I wanted to try a silver metallic suit, so I tried ordering from a couple vendors, just to see how the fabric differed from place to place. The first one I ordered was from an online site called IITYWYKM designs. A pretty simple model, with attached hands and feet, silver fabric, and no hood. The inside fabric was somewhat similar to the PVC suit, a white nylon backing which was a little rough and somewhat stiffer than standard thin lycra would be. The silver outer layer was well applied, it covered the surface fairly fully, with a bit of pattern evident on the surface, and the silver stuff seems, in general, to be a little bit more prone to wear. I had a nice high-band collar which looks nice. I got this custom fit as well, but the fit wasn't quite as good as some other's I've experienced. The glove fingers were a bit too long for me. The quality of the silver outer material in terms of shine and reflection are about the best I have purchased thus far.

My second silver suit, delivered at almost the same time, was from an online site called Maleskin. This was also custom-fit. The material they used was quite different from either of the other suits I experienced. Overall the material seems much thinner, and the inside material is very soft and light. The overall weight of the suit is much lighter, and it seems to cling better overall. It seems to have a much thinner weave. The inner material is still white in color, however. The silver exterior was similar, but not quite as brilliant as the previous suit. But it would be a close call. The maleskin suit silver has a bit less sparkle and a bit less reflectivity. Fit was good, although the zipper could have been made a bit longer to make it easier to pull on over the shoulders. The fit felt good, but not quite glove-fit custom as it could have. I didn't get attached hands with this one. Hands are a bit of a mixed blessing. I like the greater feeling of coverage, but gloves make various activities a lot harder, mainly because the seams are always pretty tricky in a lycra glove and tend to get stretched and ripped more easily.

My last contender came from a website named "Spandexman". This site has a lot of different cuts and colors, in general. In this case, I didn't do a custom fit and just got an off-the-rack Large. This material (a mixture of silver and blue) was a very different metallic fabric than either of the above suits. (So that's three vendors, three different fabrics so far..). The Spandexman suit has the reflective material applied more in a patterned layout, rather than trying to cover the fabric entirely. From a distance it might look similar, but up close its like a loose pattern of silver squares over a grey background of fabric. Overall, this pattern does not do much for me visually, it doesn't really approximate the look of rubber or metal. But the feel of the fabric, on the inside, was quite nice. Not quite as nice as the Maleskin fabric, but nicer than the IITYWYKM fabric. The inside of the fabric was also grey, whereas all the others were white. The grey on the backside is the same as the grey on the front that is visible in-between the silver pattern. The outer surface is the roughest of the three, however, and the metal squares are even more prone to flaking off than the others. Where the Spandexman suit really excelled was in the fit. For a non-custom suit, the fit was incredible. Maybe I just got lucky, but I felt it hug every curve and there were no loose or saggy parts to be found, once on.

So overall, the winner for best fabric, Maleskin. Best fit, Spandexman. Tough call to pick an ultimate winner.

As far as what I would try next in this area, Maleskin offers a "Pearlized rubber" suit surface that I have not seen listed elsewhere. If their "metalskin" fabric is any indication, it would probably be quite interesting (probably some type of PVC coating). I've also seen a few German-based sites that sell similar garments I would be interested to try or hear feedback on. (such as www.fets-fash.com). I'm also tempted to try some non-PVC/non-metallic suits to try and find a combination with a very smooth, thin fabric surface of some sort.

First Catsuit

2004-05-22T10:33:00.000-07:00

Ever since I realized I had an interest in latex and similar fetish clothing, I was always most interested in full-body coverage items like catsuits, etc. Something about the look of a clean unbroken rubber surface really seemed like the ultimate turn-on.

My first personal experience with a full latex catsuit was only about four years ago, give or take. Cost is obviously a big factor, but so is availability. About five years ago I moved to the bay area, which has a lot more fetish opportunities (most of which I have yet to explore, no doubt) than where I lived prior to '99. Once I got settled, I looked on the internet and found listings for a few fetish stores in this area, and started some window shopping.

Eventually I stumbled across a shop called "Mr. S" in the SOMA area of downtown S.F. This is not primarily a latex fetish shop like Demask, but primarily a gay-oriented leather shop with a moderate-sized latex section, maybe accounting for 20% of the floor space. The other stores I found that carried latex were primarily focused on women's items, so finding Mr. S was a welcome surprise.

Mr. S is definitely a big, impressive shop. If you're into the gay leather scene, I'd imagine its about the best in the world. Its in a quiet area of town (warehouses, etc.) so plenty of parking, quiet street, etc. When you come in, there is (or was) a huge wrought-iron cage right at the start with some suspension gear, harnesses, real wild stuff. The middle section of the store is dominated by leather items (pants, chaps, jackets, police gear, etc.), and the rear section has a mixture of latex, neoprene, and "toys".

For latex wear, it seems the Mr. S makes or at least re-labels their own in-store brand. They carry several rows of shirts, shorts, pants, and variations on those pieces, without getting too crazy. My main interest on this trip was the circular rack of "suits" which included full catsuits, sleep sacks, surf suits, and so on.

Generally Mr. S carries only items in black. I've seen a few items on occasion in a different color which were probably special-order items that were not picked up or something. They produce catsuits with a few variations in zipper placement. Although I did not know it at the time, they produce their catsuit garments in a somewhat thicker gauge of latex than some other shops (like Cocoon).

I selected a catsuit that had two shoulder zips and a cod-piece, rather than a zipper, for "quick access". To this day, even after trying suits in other configurations, I think this is my favorite. The shoulder zips allow the entire body of the suit to be completely devoid of zippers, which always impede the stretchiness of the suit and break the nice smooth lines you can get from a catsuit. I have never tried a neck-entry suit, and I think I would like to for the same reasons, but the shoulder-zips allow for a higher neck-line and (probably) thicker material than a neck-entry suit could.

This catsuit used the standard "4D" rubber, it seems, with a smooth outer surface and a slightly matte inner surface. I bought a size "L" even though I feared it might be a bit on the small size. I wanted to err on the side of a tight fit. I also bought some "Cult" lube at Mr. S which I had never tried before. As usual the most torturous part of the experience was the ride home to try it on...

Once home, I lubed up the inside of the suit with a generous (and expensive) layer of Cult lube, carefully turned it back right-side-out, and slipped in one leg at a time. It was amazing! The suit did not have attached feet, but the cut of the legs in the suit was prefectly shaped for the ankle and calf muscles, much better than my previous experience with non-shaped pants or leggings. As I pulled up the suit to my ass, my dick popped through the reinforced cod-piece hole perfectly, and allowed the suit to fit quite well all through the crotch. So now I had the entire lower-body pulled up, just a matter of the arms.

The catsuit did not have attached hands. The arms on this suit were probably cut a little too small (not short) for my body. It wasn't a custom fit, so all in all, it was remarkably close. The shoulder zips run from the exact side of the neck to the mid-upper-arm. I slipped my arm into the non-zipped portion of the suit's arm, and the wrist and forearm, while tight, slid over reasonably well because of the lube. But I could definitely feel the pressure across my arm. The most difficult phase was getting the shoulder zips pulled up. I've become fairly proficient at this now, but at the time, I wasn't sure the best way to do this. After perhaps 10-15 minutes of difficulty, I finally got one zip pulled up, then the other. The neck line on the suit is very high, so the zips go right up to the jawline. I love this fact becsause it looks great and seamless with a hood, etc.

So after I'm all in, time for the judgement. I was very impressed with the suit and the fit. For an off-the-rack purchase, I think I got incredibly lucky. The tosro height seemed perfect, no drooping in the knees or anything. The thicker latex had a great shaping effect on my body, and the shaped legs and tight arms really were transforming. The black material was pre-shined so looked great right out of the box. My only complaint at the time was the somewhat tight arms, and the seat of the suit isn't really cut to follow the shape of the ass; sort of flattens it out. That's something I've yet to find in any suit, however, so I can't dock points for that. When I take the suit off after a longer-term wearing, the tight arms definitely leave marks on my arms, especially where the zips are placed, little red "dents" on my arms that look odd, but are not long-term or painful.

I always gave a big thumbs-up to my first experience using Cult instead of talc. The whole thing felt so much better going on and stayed comfortable so much longer using the liquid lube, I was pretty addicted. Unfortunately it was an expensive habit, and I've since had to go back to talc on many occasions. Cult is also getting to be very hard to find, and none of the similar products I've tried have worked quite as well. I'd be interested to hear suggestions from people on what to try.

Since this was my first suit, I was still very curious about going to an even FULLER-coverage rubber skin. What about a suit that has attached hands or feet? Or an attached hood? I was definitely curious, but since Mr. S doesn't sell such a suit, I was content to leave that for a future experience. I was also interested in colors other than basic-black, but again, you have to start somewhere.

Over the years, the suit has held up really well and is still probably my favorite full suit. One strange effect I noticed is that over several years of occasional wear, the suit seems to have "grown" a bit. It no longer feels quite so tight in the arms, and the shoulder zips can now be pulled up without any special effort. The legs and crotch of the suit seem to tend to creep down a bit more than they used to, as well. I don't think I've gotten smaller (probably the opposite) so I have to assume the suit or the glue seams do grow or stretch gradually over time.

The cost of the suit was, at the time, about $375, I believe. They still sell similar suits for roughly the same price, and I'd highly recommend it. The sell this configuration on their website, I believe, but its a little hard to locate, their catalog system is not real great for browsing for a specific item.

3xL : Lust, Love & Latex!

2004-05-17T23:35:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to give a link to the first latex-based blog I stumbled across, which enticed me to give this a try... Thanks!

3xL : Lust, Love & Latex!

My first rubber

2004-05-17T23:03:00.000-07:00

So here's the story of my first-ever latex purchase.

Even though I would consider myself a fetishist since a young age, until I was I guess 22, I had never had the opportunity or the guts to do much about it. Even at a relatively young age I liked to purchase lycra bike shorts or tight swim suits, but rubber or latex was sort of the unreachable goal. I was afraid to have something mail ordered because I always had roommates while in college, etc.

So finally during a vacation, I found myself in Amsterdam on my own. Something about being in a foreign country with such a liberal atmosphere must have worn down my inhibitions, because I finally had the guts to go into a shop I noticed while wandering the "Red light" district area, which was a "Demask" store. To be totally honest, I actually walked past the door of the store maybe three or four times before I worked up the courage to go inside. I can't really explain it, but it was oddly frightening, even though it was a well lit store in the middle of the day, not exactly a risky proposition.

Once inside, I felt an immediate flush, a combination of excitement, being surrounded by rows and rows of these erotic, taboo, garments, and also the self-consciousness of being a street-clothed, wimpy American student who looked very out of place. I felt like I was on auto-pilot, just wandering the store a bit, browsing and trying to look "normal", whatever that meant. I finally I settled down a bit, and found my way downstairs to where the men's clothing was.

I had no idea what to buy, it was all equally enticing. I finally settled on a pair of latex jeans, pretty tick-gauge, jeans-style, and a plain long-sleeved, thin shirt. I figured the two together would be like a poor-man's catsuit. I've always been more excited by the notion of a single seamless sort of garment with full body coverage, but I was also on a bit of a budget and at this point, anything seemed pretty daring. I sheepishly brought the items back up to the cashier, a very beautiful, young sales girl, presumably dutch. I was terrified to the point of incoherence at the thought of being judged by this person for being weird or creepy, but I was past the point of no return and, to my relief, she was incredibly nice. She asked if I wanted to try something on and I just about lost it; politely declined.

After 'escaping' the store, I wanted nothing more than to get back to my hotel to try on my new outfit in front of a mirror. I knew I had to get some sort of talc or lubricant first to put it on, so I wandered around until I found a pharmacy. After an infuriating 15 minute search for "talc" in a languge I didn't speak a word of, I finally found some baby powder and headed back to my hotel.

It was quite exciting, wearing rubber for the first time ever. One thing that I like about rubber fetishism is that it doesn't really lose its appeal over time, its nearly as exciting each time I "suit up" as it was the first time. I say nearly, but probably not entirely. I was a little disappointed that the latex jeans I bought were a bit more of a loose-fit around the ankles, I probably would have enjoyed more of a "tights" sort of fit. The shirt was great and very form-fitting. Both were basic-black, of course. I didn't have the courage to do much else besides admire myself in private. I was tempted to wear one of the items out into the city, and in retrospect, what better place to do it, but I simply didn't have the confidence to leave the privacy of the hotel, even in Amsterdam.

I still have both items, although they are no longer my favorite garments, they have a sentimental attachment, I suppose.

Introduction

2004-05-17T22:42:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I'm totally new to this blogging thing, but I wanted to try it out and publish some information on a topic of personal interest.

This blog will be about my particular "fetish", which is, as near as I can tell, a passion for sleek, tight-fitting clothing for both women and men. I go throught various phases where my interest will focus on rubber or latex suits, lycra catsuits or lycra sports gear, pvc or vinyl suits, or even just form-fitting underwear.

As for myself, I am a 29-year-old straight male, living in Redwood City (San Francisco area), and single. I am hoping by sharing experiences in this blog, I will find others with similar interests and trade stories and information and grow closer to whatever "community" these interests encompass.

A quick summary for future expansion: As part of my fetish, I enjoy both watching others wear tight, sleek garments, wearing such garments myself, or (on rare occasions) wear such garments with others.

I own a small personal wardrobe of items. I have three full latex catsuits, four full-body lycra catsuits, a pair of latex pants, an older latex shirt, and countless pairs of commercial lycra bike shorts, lycra underwear, and so on. Also a cheap latex mask. I spend a decent amount of money finding and buying items that interest me, but also enjoy spending time just browsing for such items on the web.