The Latex 101
We receive all kinds of questions on a regular basis regarding latex. What should I buy? How do you put it on? What size would I need? And many more. As we found each other doing what we love, sharing our fetish and inspiring others, we created this ‘Latex 101’ as a helping hand to those who are interested in starting the latex experience or those who want to know how we do things. Please note that this is our personal vision and opinion, which will vary from person to person. Hence, it should be used as a guideline only.
Where do you buy your latex?
As we fully fund our latex fetish ourselves, we tend not to promote specific latex brands. But after some 25 years of experience with latex, we quickly came to the conclusion that moulded latex should be avoided as much as possible. Apart from small items like gloves, which are hard to find hand-made. So apart from gloves, we don’t have any other moulded latex products in our collection.
Most self-respecting latex clothing manufacturers will mention how their clothing is made and from which material. You will learn that 4D/Supatex and Radical Rubber are the most common names when it comes to latex sheeting. Clothing made from latex sheeting that is cut and glued by hand will last a long time if you look after it properly.
What should I buy?
This is something that is hard to answer. Being active online in several groups, there are always different opinions. Basically there is no right or wrong, as it all comes down to personal interests. As latex can be costly, some suggest starting with buying small items like underwear and/or some gloves to give it a first try. We believe this will not give you the same experience as having your full body covered in latex.
Our answer would be to start saving up and buy a suit or split it up into a shirt and tight pants/leggings. People often say that it is too costly. In my opinion it’s all a matter of priority. If you really want something, saving up even a few bucks a week makes a decent amount of money in the long run. Simply put, there are loads of ways to save up small amounts of money on a weekly basis.
How do you put it on?
This has always been part of the fun of latex for me, getting it on. Before I learnt about chlorinated latex (see below), I used to talc my suits up to get in easily. During the years I learnt that people also use oil to get into their latex clothes. After giving this a try myself a few times, I realised this is not for me. After wearing the latex, your skin feels oily, which is not something I enjoy. Talc on the other side leaves your skin silky smooth. The only downside is when you sweat a lot during wear, as it dries up, leaving white stains everywhere.
We’ve grown used to cleaning up the white stains on the floor. As I said, part of the fun! After wearing latex, we rinse it, leave it to dry and talc up the suit again for the next moment. This is also a good way to keep your latex in good condition in the long run. We usually dry our suits inside out, fold the arms and legs in the body and apply talc before zipping up. While holding the suit at the collar and giving the suit some shakes, the talc spreads out. All you need to do is pull out the arms and legs, and you’re good to go the next time you want to wear your suit again.
What is chlorinated latex?
Latex can be treated with a chemical process called chlorination. This process changes the surface of the latex, which results in a silky smooth feel. Chlorinated latex looks a bit more dull, but due to the smooth texture, it’s very easy to put it on without the use of talc or silicone oil.
Several manufacturers offer chlorination as an option. You can also do it yourself with the help of chemicals, although this is hazardous due to the chemical gases involved in the process. And although the surface goes dull, it shines up like crazy when you buff up the suit with some silicone oil.
What size should I get?
Just follow the size charts from each individual latex manufacturer. Depending on the brand, they have several options, including m2m (made to measure) at an additional fee. Personally, after trying msm a few times, I decided to stick to off-the-peg sizes, as this works fine. Latex is very flexible and can handle quite some stretch. Even having a not-so-standard body, standard sizes fit just fine. Even choosing a size smaller, which results in perfect tight latex, which is just what I love the most.
How does it feel?
Latex feels and acts like a second skin. The most commonly used latex is very thin, measuring around 0.4 mm, and very stretchy, which allows it to fully adapt to your body. During the years I’ve even bought some suits one size down from my actual size to accomplish a perfect tight fit. Having that added tightness gives a comforting feeling at the same time.
Probably the best thing about latex is that it heightens your senses. Temperatures are instantly transferred upon touch and much more intense. Something that allows for interesting play with ice cubes, for instance. And because the material doesn’t breathe, you start to sweat more easily, which can be a bit uncomfortable in warmer periods of the year.
Why do you wear it?
Speaking for myself, it’s been a long-time thing. In my early childhood I discovered a fascination for wearing tight clothing. Because of that I found myself in the basement wearing neoprene rubber wetsuits regularly. Back then I didn’t think about why or what but simply enjoyed it. As a teenager I became aware of what it meant, discovered latex and things fell in place. I had a latex fetish!
Being fully covered in tight latex heightens your senses, and being fully encased, you become more aware of yourself. For me that gives a calming and relaxing feeling. Sometimes it can feel like becoming an object rather than being a human being. Add a gas mask, harness or corset, and the confinement and restriction become a lot more intense. Quite an amazing feeling.
What is moulded latex
As the name suggests, moulded latex is made from dipping a mould in liquid latex until a garment is ready. Creating latex items this way can result in garments with an inconsistent thickness of the material. Places where the material is thinner will be a weak spot in the finished product. Because of this, it can rip easily, which is likely to happen from our experience. For this reason we only buy moulded gloves. If lucky, they can last for some time, but it has occurred that they rip during the first wear.
How do you maintain latex?
Keeping your latex in good condition doesn’t take much, but it does need some care. After short periods of wearing latex, we rinse it with water and let it dry inside and out. When worn for several short periods or longer intense use, we clean it in the bathtub with a bit of washing-up liquid.
Occasionally we machine wash our latex on a delicate handwash setting. Depending on when we plan to wear it the next time, we either leave it hanging in the bathroom or store it. Small items go on hangers, and suits are talced up, which prevents the latex from sticking and makes them ready for wearing the next time.
How others experience Wearing Latex?
We can say what we want from the fetishist perspective, but there are some interesting articles on wearing latex for the first time. These are written from a more fashionable point of view, but it’s interesting to read their experiences. So make sure to check out these articles on the Huffington Post, Cosmopolitan and Vogue.
If you enjoyed this post, have comments or think there is something missing, please let us know.
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