If you think of a full leather outfit, you might be thinking of a superhero. Or a sexy vixen. Leather has become more popular as a fashion accessory (think pants, tops, skirts, etc). Now, how about because it's simply sexy or even a fetish?
We've been curious about this, "leather" thing for some time now. For instance, who are all those groups of lovely people hanging out in Boystown in leather? What's the sex appeal of wearing leather versus other costumes? Why be curious about it, anyway? Since it's 50 Shades of Grey September, we wanted to highlight this fetish and learn more about.
Who better to explain about the leather community than a member itself? This is a guest post from our new writer, the self-proclaimed leatherdyke Emba Embot.
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What is leather all about?
Leather is tough stuff. Why do bikers wear leather? Sure, it looks cool – but it’s also practical. If you fall off your bike and get dragged along hot, jagged asphalt, you better hope there’s something protecting your tender flesh. And, as anyone who’s ever had a good pair of leather boots can attest – leather, if you treat it right, will last and last and last. We speak metaphorically of the need to “grow thicker skin” – in real life, we often borrow an animal’s hide to get the job done.
Leather is a second skin. It clings to the body, accentuating breasts and hips, pecs and packages. Assuming you haven’t lived under a rock your entire life, you’ve seen at least some Hollywood image of a wicked vamp with gravity-defying cleavage in a leather catsuit. Halle Berry, can you hear me? Pretty please?
Or you’ve seen that guy from the Village People – god bless him! – who has singlehandledy done perhaps the most to inform the American public about gay leathermen, if only through his image. Chest harnesses, leather jackets, bar vests, chaps – you have to have a certain amount of daring to pull off this look, and even if you’re on your way to a bar full of individuals who are also wearing chaps over Levi 501s, you have to steel yourself for the looks you’re gonna get on the street. Thanks to MegaMonaLisa.com for the pic.
Why?
So why do it? People, especially gay men and women, have been wearing their leather out to meet likeminded companions for decades. What mere trend lasts over half a century? Leather doesn’t just look hot (smell and taste hot…) nor does it simply protect us from the elements.What we wear offers us more than a way to “look good” – it’s a way of telling the world, “You know that super sexualized idea you have of people who wear leather? Turns out, you hit the nail on the head – I’m one of those people, breathing before you in the very flesh. I’m someone who owns up to my desires, who dares to transgress fashion dictates and societal norms, and chances are, I ooze sex appeal with my every step.”
Own up to your leather desire
Let’s be honest: is there anything hotter than owning up to your desires? Think about the sluttiest sex you’ve ever had, or fantasized about – so often, our ideas of what makes something extra-hot is simply wanting it. We often play coy with our desires, not fully admitting to ourselves (let alone others) that what we want is to, say, take control or relinquish it.
Don't be ashamed
Sex is one of the few blissful opportunities most human beings are given to really lose themselves. Yet, we get stuck in our everyday bullshit, wondering if a lover will notice a zit or an ingrown hair, fretting over a looming deadline at work. Deathly afraid we’ll be thought of as weird for really liking it when blowjobs involve hair-pulling and name-calling. Maybe we’re afraid of being thought of as boring for preferring slow, gentle love-making to dirty talk and handcuffs. We lose track of the fact that sex is fun, and it’s not like a cocktail party where you have to pretend to be interested in what other people are saying and you know that everyone else is also pretending to be interested in what you have to say.
The reason you’re having sex with someone is because it’s actually fun and because you like your partner enough to be naked in front of them, and because it’s a cool way to express yourself. That’s you, mind you. Yourself. Not what society expects you to be, not what Cosmo tells you makes a Sex Superstar, not what you assume your partner wants in a man or a woman or whatever – whatever it is that makes you tick, haters be damned.
Honesty, respect & integrityIn the Leather community, few words are thrown around more than these three: honesty, respect and integrity. Think of it like this: we must be honest with ourselves and others about our desires. We must Respect our desires and the desires of others, regardless of whether our desires differ or overlap. And how are we going to do this?
By being people of integrity, by being strong enough to own up to things we think we’re not supposed to admit, by being strong enough to listen without judgment to others who are daring to express their own desires. Leather becomes a (sexy, sexy) symbol of these three components. Leather becomes a show of honesty when we walk out in the street in harness boots and suspenders, and in return we care for our leathers, cleaning and conditioning and polishing them – we show our leathers respect. Through respecting our leathers, we ensure their integrity – symbols that last for years and years, often being passed on from established Leathermen and Leatherwomen to the upcoming generation. Integrity allows us to continue the cycle of honesty and respect.
Curious? Dress the part!
Okay, maybe you’re not about to go and find your local Eagle bar to hang out with leather daddies and their well-toned boys, and that’s A-OK too. Do yourself a favor though, and take a lesson from leatherfolk: dress for the occasion! You wanna have some good sex? Well, put on your good sex clothes! It can be as simple as a pair of luxurious black boxers or a pair of red patent fuck-me pumps. It can be fancy perfume or – my preference – sweat and Old Spice. (Old Spice optional.) It’s a hell of a lot easier to be honest about your desires if you feel like a hot piece of ass, and if there’s one thing you can learn from us gays, it’s this: it always helps to accessorize.
Vegan? Go rubber
Latex, rubber, and PVC are great alternatives to leather if you want that super sexy look without all the animal products! And if you’re a vegan and you made it all the way to the end of this article, here’s your reward: my absolute favorite Mexican hot chocolate vegan cookie recipe.
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