Legacy in Latex: Fashion's Evolution through the Stories of Ageing Fetishists

The risqué nature and sexual appeal of latex became outwardly facing in fashion with the likes of Michelle Pfeiffer’s Catwoman in Batman Returns (1992) and Madonna’s Human
Nature music video (1994). In the UK, this crossed into reality TV through presenters such as Paula Yates wearing a full black latex catsuit on The Tube in 1995 (sanchopanzam8, 2012) and through the rise of the ‘ladette’ culture where women such as Denise Van Outen, Dani Behr and Sharron Davies unapologetically wore the tight and shiny material. Latex, although now in the fashion mainstream with high profile designers such as Mugler and Saint Laurent creating iconic and staple pieces, it still carries connotations of kink and is rarely seen on the general public.

However, for rubber and latex fetishists the clandestine nature of wearing rubber is part of the appeal. This paper examines the untold stories of the ageing fetish community (60+), focusing on their rubberwear habits and the stigma they navigated while coming to terms with their fetish. As part of a wider project, I have been working with members of the ageing fetish (60+) community to collect untold stories of individuals rubberwear habits and kinks in order to understand the type of garments worn and their appeal. It considers why these people continue to love wearing latex and its implications in later life.

I just love the feel of it, putting it on, it’s like what they say a second skin, you feel almost naked but you’re not naked and it’s the feel of it, the tightness, you feel secure inside it (personal communication, 5 February 2020).

This paper will identify key garments that appeal to rubber enthusiasts and, through personal recollections, show the evolution of fetish style through the eyes of the wearers.