VEST
IMPORTANCE: 8
A good leather vest is a pretty basic element that you should have in your fetish wardrobe. There are plenty of styles to choose from, but your best bet here is to get a leather "bar" vest.
Features to Look For:
Style.
As just mentioned, a leather bar vest is your best first vest purchase. It's a simple, masculine design, meant to show your chest. A good bar vest will typically cost $75-$100. You want to make sure the fit is tight. It should not hang over your chest, but rather to the sides of it. (see pics to the right)
Other Vests.
You can buy a biker vest, or western style, or one that looks like a standard biker jacket without sleeves. Lots of choices. Whatever you buy, the point it to make sure it fits right. If you wind up with a big bulky piece of leather, it makes you look awkward… sometimes fat. So make sure it fits you right!
The Leather.
If you buy a bar vest -- make sure it has a good shine to it. In fact, most any vest should have a good shine to it. Leather should almost always be soft. Beware of "damp" leather. It will wind up molding.
Where to Buy a Vest.
There are tons of places you can do this. But please don't buy one in the mall. And avoid crappy leather stores in tourist trap districts. The merchandise in these stores is often moderately priced, but very low quality. Imported from some god-forsaken country with slave labor. And the leather usually feels plasticky. Remember, you get what you pay for. So shop wisely.
Stick to fetish shops, or true leather stores (where they make the goods on premises.)
JACKET
IMPORTANCE: 9
Okay, this is something you likely already have. But just make sure you have a good one. There are several types of leather jackets that are acceptable as "fetish," but primarily these are jackets that are meant for motorcycle riders. Either true biker leathers or even racing leathers work well here. Also leather police jackets work fine.
Features to Look For:
The Fit.
Now this part is quite important. Make sure the jacket fits you properly! You don't want a big bulky piece of leather - You wind up looking fat. Look at the way the jacket fits the guy to the left. He wears it perfectly. That should be your goal. If you can afford custom, go for it. Otherwise try on several different jackets until you find the one that fits you perfectly. Zip it up, make sure there's no air bulge in your stomach. It's best if there are lacings at the bottom sides of the jacket so you can adjust the fit.
Style.
Essentially, I summed that up above. You want to have at least one good basic leather jacket in your wardrobe. Pick the right style, and you can wear it over and over again. A standard motorcycle jacket is best. Wide lapels, button down collar. With a belt that is not sewn onto the jacket. (It should be a good wide belt). Epaulets are your own personal choice, but to me they tend to look a bit over the top. If you get them, they look best when they're sewn down in the middle (to avoid flapping.) Avoid gaudy hardware.
Quality.
I've said this already, avoid the plasticky looking leather. I remember when I was 16 and saved up $50.. went to Alexander's in Paramus, NJ and bought my first leather coat. It wasn't anything great.. and the kids at school said "Hey - what a great pleather jacket you got." Yup, "pleather" as in plasticky leather. Aim for quality. You can find a good leather MC jacket for about $200. A great one for $400 and up.
What to Avoid.
Don't go overboard on the zippers.
It winds up looking like a Michael Jackson leather jacket.
Avoid fur collars. Unless you're a pilot from the 1940's, it just doesn't work.
Avoid jackets with knit cuffs or a knit waistband. You're buying a leather jacket.. so make sure it's completely made of leather!
Don't buy your fetish-oriented leather at the mall. Buy from a real leather dealer.
NOTABLE WEBSITES TO CHECK:
• Johnson's Leather: My personal favorite place in SF to buy leather. Great custom work too. Good prices.
• Classic Motorcycle Jackets: My favorite leather jacket came from here. They're not cheap! But well worth the price.
• Vanson: Professional heavy duty racing gear and motorcycle leathers.
• Langlitz: Custom leathers with a long waiting list. If you've got the money, these are the best leathers you can buy.
• Branded Leather: If you find yourself in Queens, NY – check out this place. Great leathers, fair prices.
• San Diego Leather Factory: Some great police style jackets at decent prices.
GLOVES
IMPORTANCE: 8
This may not be something you think of right away, but it really can make a big difference. In my opinion, the right man can look perfect wearing just a pair of gloves and nothing else. EXAMPLE >>
But I digress. They are a great intimidation factor. Tell me the idea of a gloved hand over your mouth doesn't excite you, and somewhat scare you at the same time? Gloves just add that finishing touch. And have an extra special way of attracting other leather fetishists.
A quick story:
In my mid 20's, I was at the DC Eagle on a Thursday night. Not a big crowd, but there was one quite attractive man there.. chaps, gloves, smoking a cigar. I was in chaps, a pair of gloves in my back pocket. So I put them on, lit up a stogie.. and quickly got his attention. He came over to me and said "Now that's hot. A man smoking a cigar with his gloves on." It was definitely one of my more memorable nights.. I was in an oddly masochistic mood, and this guy fit the bill quite right. I let him fuck me (quite rare I let that happen,) and to this day, he is the only one who ever got me to enjoy it.
So, hopefully that little story conveys the power of a pair of gloves.
Features to Look For:
Damascus D302's.
There are plenty of brands out there, but as your first glove purchase, buy Damascus D302's. Hands down, the best glove you can buy. They'll cost you about $35-$40. But you can't beat them. You can find them in any decent cop shop, or look at the links below.
Other Brands.
The next highly recommended brand would be Ram Tough. A little harder to find, but nearly as good as Damascus. I've only seen them in cop shops, and from toughgloves.com. Hatch is so-so. Several people swear by them, but they seem of questionable quality to me.
What to Look For.
You want gloves that are wrist-length. The wrist should also be elasticized. Avoid gloves that have a little "skirt" after the wrist.. sort of sloppy looking. And hardly as intimidating. The look here is "police" - authoritative. That's why you want the clean design. The back of the glove should either have 3 seams or a solid back. You want unlined gloves (for dexterity purposes.)
Sizing.
Medium/Small - 7
Medium - 8
Medium/Large - 9
Large - 10
Most men should prob buy a size 8, since the point is to keep them nice and tight.
What to Avoid.
Don't buy gloves with cut-off fingers.
You really don't want "driving gloves." (They are good to have in your collection, but not to wear in public as part of a fetish look.)
Don't buy lined gloves unless you are using them for practical purposes (i.e., riding a motorcycle in winter weather.)
Make sure the gloves feel like leather.. not plastic. Buy quality.
Unless there is a specific purpose, do not buy colored gloves. Buy black.
Avoid zippers, snaps, etc. Solid leather gloves with no gadgets are best.
NOTABLE WEBSITES TO CHECK:
• Stomper's: Not just boots.. they have a great selection of gloves too.
• ToughGloves: Probably the best selection of gloves you'll find, good prices.
• Damascus: You can't really buy gloves direct, but you'll get a better idea of their products.
OTHER GEAR
Leather Pants
IMPORTANCE: 4
The Deal on Leather Pants:
Don't get me wrong, I love a man who can wear leather pants right. But practicality-wise, they are awkward for sex. They don't give easy access to your private parts. They have to come off, or dangle around your ankles. That's why I strongly recommend chaps.. they give you the easy access you need. Leather breeches with a zipper down the ass are also a great choice.
Harness
IMPORTANCE: 3
The Deal on Harnesses:
If you don't have a chest, don't waste your money on a harness. You're just highlighting what you don't have.
If you want a harness, go light on the studs. Buckles look better than studs.
Again: Clean designs work best.
Make sure the straps are at least 2 inches wide. Thin straps are cheaper – and they certainly look it. The wider the strap, the more masculine the look.
Leather Jocks
IMPORTANCE: 4
The Deal on Jocks:
You bought the chaps, but don't want to "hang out" in public? You can wear jeans.. or just conceal your privates with a nice leather jock. There are too many styles to really tell you what to buy. But a few good points to keep in mind:
- Make sure it is solid leather (not just the front)
- Don't buy an overly complicated jock. Simple is good.
- On a codpiece jock, make sure it is "shaped" at the peak. Otherwise, it forms odd shapes in your crotch. It needs to be sewn so it has a naturally flattering curve that is rounded in the right spot up front.
- Keep in mind "how" you are going to use it. If you are going to get fucked with jock and chaps on – make sure there is no strap going down your ass. (unless it unhooks/unsnaps.)
- You may even want to get the kind that can be undone without going through the hassle of removing your chaps. Usually they have snaps on the waistband around your thighs. It makes it much more convenient.
Leather Shorts
IMPORTANCE: 1
The Deal on Shorts:
This is a personal pet peeve of mine.
If you go into a leather shop around Folsom time, you'll see club kids and vanilla faggots buying leather shorts
– so they'll "fit in" at the fair.
It's disturbing. They're circuit queens ruining Christmas for Perverts. That's why I dislike leather shorts.
EXCEPTIONS:
The main exception to my disgust for leather shorts are bodybuilders. They can pull it off. But if you're overweight or rake thin, don't believe it when the salesman says "they look great on you!"
Other exceptions to this rule are more twisted versions of shorts:
Bondage Shorts -- because they serve a good purpose and Crotchless Briefs -- just because they're meant for getting fucked in.
DISCLAIMER
Information is purely advice, and for entertainment purposes only. Do not accept it as pure fact!
Images on these pages were found through news groups, mailing lists and various personal sites. Where thought to be from a certain company, credit is given. The original source is often unknown.
If any pic should not be here due to copyrights, please just send me an email
…and they will gladly be removed or credited with an appropriate link.
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