For many of us, fashion is a big part of our lives. We’re always searching to add that extra touch to our wardrobe to make us feel like a million dollars, and whether that item is chosen because of the brand name or the style of the piece, we get a real buzz when we put it on and step out onto our own personal catwalk.
Fashion is always changing and fusing new elements and ideas together to create standout, striking looks, designed to turn heads. Recently in the fast fashion world in Europe, we’ve seen a noticeable increase in fetish elements within garments and accessories. From buckles to padlocks, thick straps to lace and even leather chest harnesses, fetish themes are slowly creeping into our everyday wardrobes. Designers are now even making garments from materials like PVC, rubber, skintight Lycra and leather, making this movement within the industry even more evident.
If fetish branded items had a fashion label on them, would you still class them as being fetish products?
I have to admit that some of these elements have already found their way into my wardrobe. As I flick though my own Narnia of clothes, I find ultra-reflective tracksuits, shiny PVC overcoats and a number of fashion harnesses and belt bags, many with a “kinky” style design. I really like to go for clothing that stands out and makes a statement, so I tend to buy unusual, bold, out-there outfits. I suppose the fact that these items are branded as fashion items and not as fetish items makes wearing them acceptable in modern society. It does make me wonder however, where the crossover is of being able to wear something because you like the look of it or because it turns you on.
Some would frown if you were to wear a rubber suit on the street. But if it had a fashion label on it, I can guarantee that many of those people would quickly change their minds.
So we all know that there is an element to fashion within the fetish world too. It almost works in the opposite way to the fashion world, as adult companies are bringing out “everyday” garments with just their branding on, designed to almost dilute the sexual side to their brand. From plain t-shirts with a logo on, to socks with hidden messages on the soles and accessories like wristbands and wallets, consumers enjoy having the option to wear their favorite labels without the worry of being judged for wearing overly sexual garments in their everyday lives. I can see both points of view, and to me, they are both completely understandable and make perfect sense. Fashion pushes boundaries. It tries to provoke reactions, tries to be bold. You wear these garments and people will take notice of them.
Fetishwear is generally seen to only be acceptable in certain situations, and therefore fetish brands want to introduce to the consumer a way of wearing their brands more often and feeling the confidence to do so, but without the judgment from others on the street. So what will happen as time goes on? This fusion of both worlds has been evident for a number of years now. Recently I’ve noticed Adidas offering latex clothing for women. I’ve seen ASOS and BoohooMan styling leather-look chest harnesses for men, many of which have pouches for accessories and come in black, red and yellow rubber.
I’ve observed fetish brands in Europe launching ranges of vest tops with their logos on. Skintight lycra outfits are appearing on the scene from companies who previously only made extreme bondage gear. Jockstraps and socks with slogans and phrases like “sniff me” and “pig” are popping up in the market.
So think about this. If these types of fetish branded items had a fashion label on them, would you still class them as being fetish products?
If your favorite fashion label launched a line of latex garments, would you class it as fashion or fetish?
Is fashion fetish? I’ll let you decide…
Daniel Miller has worked in the industry for over 10 years and specializes in adult retail and wholesale.
