When asked "What is Fetish Fashion?" Most people picture a stereotypical gay bear clad in leather, or a pierced and tattooed woman who's been gagged and hog tied. These types of 'fashion', still viewed as taboo, have not been fetishised by nearly as many people as certain types of fetish attire that's seen in every day life. A police officer probably does not think about how many panties he'll wet just by wearing his uniform when he dresses in the morning. Few women realize the fantasies they inspire when adorning their legs with pantyhose and feet with high heels. Any article of clothing (or inanimate object, or role to be played) can be and probably has been turned into the object of someone's sexual desire. Although many regular clothing styles and uniforms are commonly fetishised, they are not usually categorized as such because the reason they are worn is not to arouse sexual thoughts and behaviors. Fetishistic behavior was, up until recently, rarely spoken of and thus has very little recorded past, although there is an undoubtedly long history. Because of this, the origin of fetish fashion is nearly impossible to determine.
Many claim that the restrictive corsets and hobble skirts of the Victorian Era were humanity's first taste of fetish fashion. Both items have drifted in and out of popular style throughout the ages. The corset, a wedding staple and beloved item of BDSM practitioners, has only been adopted as both a kinky bondage item as well as an aesthetically pleasing outer garment, in the past 3 decades. Hobble skirts, named aptly for their strict hemline, cause the wearer to hobble or take tiny steps. They first appeared in the 1880's and have been resurrected as the 1950's pencil skirt and more recently as a popular style of wedding dress. The restrictive nature of the hobble skirt makes it an ideal bondage item.
It is also often speculated that the original fetish fashion statement was that of the post WWII biker subculture, who's leather and denim clothing didn't take long to be adopted by homosexuals. Leather and denim was worn by many gay men to affirm and proclaim their masculinity and toughness in a society where homosexual men were stereotyped as effeminate. By the 1960's leather culture was beginning to become popular in Britain by the hand of popular musicians such as The Who and The Rolling Stones. In the early 1970's the (still very underground at the time) BDSM community began to take on leather culture and fashion. To this day, leather is a major part of both the BDSM and Gay communities. "Mr Leather" competitions are held annually in many cities, including Ottawa, and draw in crowds of all kinds of people, from avid participants to curious voyeurs.
The most common reported fetish is, and has been for centuries, the foot/shoe fetish. Shoes in many different styles are available in an array of sizes for men and women of all foot-sizes to enjoy, relish and worship. Foot fetishism is more common in men than women. Practicing foot fetishists generally enjoy to lick, suck, be trod on by and humiliated with a pair of high heels worn by a woman. Some foot fetishists prefer to wear the shoes while others aren't even interested in shoes but just the feet. Arguably the most extreme of the fetish shoe is the pointe heel. Similar in design to ballet points but with spike heels to support the heel of the foot, alleviating the pressure on the toes ever so slightly. Pointe heels are usually ankle height but are available in the even more restrictive thigh-high.
Most current and typical fetish attire is not worn on a regular basis and is usually only seen in private clubs, bedrooms, fetish/BDSM events and ornate goth/metal/industrial music videos. The most common materials used in modern fetish clothing are leather, latex, pvc, spandex and fishnet. Common themes include everything from puppy or pony play to PVC versions of commonly fetishised uniforms to latex gowns and catsuits. Fetish Fashion accessories can range from cuffs and collars to thigh-high platform boots and gas masks. Canada is known for it's fetish and BDSM fashion thanks to Northbound Leather in Toronto and Polymorphe Latex in Montreal. Because of Ottawa's proximity to both Northbound and Polymorphe, and the number of local custom corsetiers, there is no lack of pret-a-porter (or pret-a-play, if you will) fashions here. Several events and exposes held throughout the year draw in vendors from all across Canada to share their [fetish] wares with the kinky side of ottawa. Fetish items from latex bodysuits and leather harnesses to silk corsets and fishnet stockings are available year round at specialty shops throughout the city. Seek and you shall find.
Photos by Raw Knee
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