womp womp…so I was supposed to be out in Rocky Mountain wilderness without *gasp* access to the internet until next week. Unfortunately, passport and border problems have severely truncated those plans. I was really looking forward to some time as a wild man of the mountains, and it’s a shame that border problems stopped me in my tracks. Instead, I’ll share this overly patriotic Minutemen Jacket from Dawnamatrix. It’s actually quite a cool jacket if you ignore the patriot colours. I think this jacket in black and white would be pretty nice, for example.
I haven’t shown anything from Dawnamatrix before, but they do have some cool items. This problem isn’t unique to this designer, but it is kind of frustrating when they appropriate styles from other cultures, and then label it all as one monolithic “Asian” section. I’m sure other tumblrs could go much deeper, and with better words, into why this is problematic. I can only say that it doesn’t feel right, especially when they don’t even try to cast POC models for the photography. It’s already bad enough that POCs are sorely underrepresented in media, including latex wear catalogs.
Anyway, here is the blurb from their website.
Latex couture is a revolution in fashion, merging fine art with high fashion. This collection of elegant and daring styles for men and women features latex in over 50 colors including transparent and metallic tones, and unique handmade textured patterns such as multi-tone checkerboard, pinstripe, and dragon scale. You will find elegant kimonos, historical figures, and regal divas in our collection. Intricate applique is a prominent feature of Dawnamatrix garments and each one is a unique work of art. Dawnamatrix takes latex fashion to a higher level. Dawnamatrix kimonos and garments have been displayed as textile art in museum and gallery spaces around Boston, including the State House of Representatives, Harvard University, the Boston Children’s Museum, and the Charles River Museum of Industry and Innovation. Dawnamatrix has graced the runways of Boston Fashion Week, Montreal Fetish Weekend, Capital Punishment D.C., Smack! NYC, New York Rubber Ball, and Providence Fetish Weekend. You can see our designs in magazines such as Marquis, Skin Two, Von Gutenberg, Leg Show, Dark Beauty Magazine, Licked Magazine, and Rabid Magazine.
Hey! I know it’s probably outside your area of expertise but do you know of any places that sell pieces similar to the ones you post (kind of softbutch/sporty designs) that fit women?
Truthfully, I don’t have a lot of experience with lady’s latex designs. Also a lot of the designs I’ve seen are either really flowery and cute, or hardcore dominatrix…maybe I need to look harder. Regardless, my super reliable and awesome buddy twohandstochoke shared this photo with me a few months ago. Created by LoriWestwoodLatex from Malibu, this ‘latex hoodie in 2 toned bronze’ is a sight to behold. I could easily see a pattern like this being made for men as well as women. The tapering lines of this hoodie are really nice, and very much unlike the straight lines you get in men’s clothing. That said…can females actually get so skinny at the waist? The proportions seem a like they were made for a superheroine. Speaking of which, this piece vaguely reminds me of the Silk Spectre outfit made for the Watchmen movie. Unfortunately, this piece isn’t in her store anymore, but I’m sure you could make a special request for it. Her pricing seems pretty reasonable, as she has a smoking military dress on sale for only $200.
In any case, it’s a lovely piece and it makes me think that I should be checking out women’s fashions more often.
Anyway, I’ll close with Lori Westwood’s own words about her designs.
I am an artist and have been making custom latex outfits for about 5 years My love is to make couture designs that can be worn in public. I can make any custom shape or type of outfit. I can make anything you see on my sites for any size
Danny Deluxe has some atypical latex designs, but I think they should be given accolades for trying something completely different. For example, check out this “Black Latex Top with Glitter Collar”. Some may think it is too showy, over-the-top, theatrical and not suited in a fetish scene at all. Of course, I don’t think there is anything wrong with more fashion oriented latex wear. However, I do think there is other potential for this outfit. I’m imagining a fellow wearing a full grey or green catsuit as a base layer. They would put the sparkly vest and the gloves over top, and then finish off the effect with a big alien mask like this one from twohandstochoke. I think that would look like a pretty cool alien overlord…which in retrospect is more like a Halloween costume than a kinky outfit. Hm…any other ideas on this item?
It feels like it has been a long time since I’ve written up a proper latex item style assessment! It’s probably just my imagination, and just a long time if you’re living in a 20 posts/day tumblr world.
Today we’re checking out the Bicolour V neck shirt from Rubberzone24. Although it is relatively simple, I like the little features that they’ve put into this shirt. For example, looking at the collar, I first noticed the red trim on the pewter front panel. Usually, a nice edge can be produced with by just folding over the end of the rubber and gluing it down. I think using a different colour is more time consuming and gives a nice accent to the neck. Also, the V-neck is (I’ve heard) a little more difficult to pull off than the typical rounded edge. Apparently, trying to get a straight V-line is not as simple as cutting a straight V into the latex because of the way it stretches and pulls when one wears the item.
I also noticed the tight arm holes in this piece. They might chafe a little over extended wear, but I think it looks nice. Lastly, the choice of metallic colours is something that I’m enjoying. Overall, it’s a pretty straight forward piece, but I find it matches with my preferences. It pops out a little without being over the top exciting. Approachable but not boring :)
This is a nice little latex find that I stumbled upon when I was looking for Skintightrubber (STR) and mistakenly searched Skintight Latex. Despite the somewhat suspicious name, Netherlands based Skintight Latex shows no evidence of copying any other latex designer and their line of latex clothing is both bright and refreshing. Take for example their Streep (Stripe) Shirt. The bold, alternating lines catch the eye and really stand out against the faint hint of a regular black latex shirt. Each stripe appears to be individually cut and glued - a testament to the workpersonship and attention to detail in the garment. I’d be really interesting in seeing what other cool colour combinations one can come up with in this shirt.
Check out what they have to say in their own words (translated from Dutch)
Skin Tight is a company specializing in handmade latex clothing. We exist since 1993 and stand for high quality and finish. Given our fashion programs, you can assume that our designs have a good fit and very fashionable in design. We also regularly work with young designers and you can our work also found in museums and movies. Additionally, we are the market leader in the production of advertisements in latex suits on latex. You might scare the slightly higher prices, but our clothing does not begin to compare with eg latex from a sex shop, or other-cheaper-shops. We use quality materials and supplies, and everything is produced in the Netherlands in our own workshop, to ensure quality. All garments are made with love, and that you see coming back!
Since I can’t reblog myself, I thought I’d repost one of my favourite creations (the Flynn shirt) from the fantastic crew at Ego Assassin. It’s really funny to see the posts from my early days when I had no idea how tumblr worked (the original photo was posted as text, for example).
Anyway, Ego Assassin has recently released their latest Colony collection of latex that features a hexagonal cut pattern overlaying the latex beneath. They are also offering 20% off for the next two days, so check it out if you want!
It’s here that the lovely ladies in latex are also the luckiest ladies in latex. The collection is almost exclusively geared towards women, except for one domino mask that is unisex. I’ve noticed this to be the case in general, and I’m always envious of the fantastic designs that are produced for women. Do you think it is because guys just don’t care as much about the aesthetics as much as women, which means there is no demand for it?
Ego Assassin is a Toronto based latex-design and screen printing team. You can get basic latex gear from them, but where they really excel is in producing items with beautiful and intricate designs. Above you can see their Flynn muscle shirt and below is the aptly named Helix muscle shirt. I’m not sure if the patterns on the latex are some sort of printed ink, or if they are patterns cut from rubber. Either way, the effect is amazing and adds a modicum of interest and individuality to their clothing. I particularly like the Flynn shirt, but considering the price tag, there’s a pretty low chance that I’ll be picking up one of these pieces any time soon. You can expect to see more of their designs highlighted in my blog in the future.
Rubbout review to come soon, I promise! Twohandstochoke has been busily working on the photos from the weekend. They look great!
Until then, I’m going to share with you the last Westward Bound item that I have in my little latex fashion drawer. Now that I have a little more of a following, I think i might reblog some of my older posts to share the great designers that I worked through earlier.
This is the Latex Escort Top, which features a full front zip that is lined with sturdy buckles to make your body super secure and inaccessible. There was this time a guy caught me wearing a belt and suspenders and quipped, “you must really want to keep your pants up.” Who said fashion had to be practical? I like this top, but I imagine having contrasting colours for the shirt and the buckles would be really interesting. Black buckles on a white shirt would be a nice combo, or maybe even more colours. Alternating black and red buckles on a pewter shirt? Sounds fun to me!
I’ve been meaning to ask, you are clearly into latex fashion are you also into regular fashion as well? Or is the interest based in your enjoyment of rubber as a kink?
Someone (I didn’t ask if it was okay to share, so anonymous for now) asked this interesting question to me in an e-mail and here is my response.
As for fashion, I’m not sure I’m artistically sophisticated enough to understand and enjoy regular fashion. I feel like reg fashion is almost like looking at artwork and you need to ponder about what it means. It’s all artistic interpretation and very little practicality. Latex fashion is still pretty young, I think. A lot of it is still about what guys (or girls) think looks hot and sexy. I recognize that latex isn’t practical in the day-to-day sense, but you still get an idea of what it’s supposed to be used for. “Oh, this is for fucking and ass play.”, “this is for fulfilling sporty/jock/anime/uniform fantasies”, etc. There isn’t too much out there that is purely artistic. So, it’s probably my enjoyment of rubber as kink, that fuels this blog. I guess haven’t looked at much true-fashion, maybe I’ll find it interesting.
Twohandstochoke showed me these Go-Go Latex Race-Back Suspenders from Klawtex a few months ago. I think it’s fun to contrast this photo taken at Latex Couture in NYC, with photos from mainstream fashion shows. The general setup seems to be more or less the same, but people at this show (at least) seem to be having a lot of fun.
Anyway, I really like this outfit. The high-waisted suspenders look really fun and quirky, though they could probably fit a little tighter on their model. Maybe something about an item that fits from your lower ribs down to the knees, just makes for a funny appearance. I like the semi-translucent rubber with red trim, and I also like the thicker shoulder straps. There isn’t much to dislike about this photo, and I think it truly exemplifies the great ideas that come from smaller latex designers. This outfit, I imagine, would probably be a little difficult for most people to pull off.
Here’s the breakdown from Klawtex themselves:
our Go-Go Latex Racer-Back Suspender Shorts mix a playful aesthetic with the handsome fit of ultra-sleek latex. The long-line shorts are made with side zips for easy removal, and can be decorated with matching or contrasting zippers for a bold, sporty look. The garment hits several inches above your natural waist in the front, while a pair of jaunty, racer-back suspenders are built in to the rear, curving over your shoulders and clipping sturdily to the waistband of the shorts. The garment legs hit right above your knees, offering a snug and flattering fit. Wear these shorts all by themselves, or pair them with a tight-fitting tee or tank for a one-of-a-kind costume or role-play piece.
Geez Louise! You’re probably getting tired of all the stuff I’m posting from RubAddiction. I just can’t help it!
Today we’re taking a peek at the Fashion Pants with Leg Pockets and Saddle Stripes. First off, I really like this style of shorts. With it’s low cut waist, with tight tapered legs to the knee, I’d love to have a pair of such shorts in latex, or just for day-to-day wear.
The slim profiled side leg pockets are a nice addition. I find that cargo shorts have super useful pockets, but they are often too bulky and unsightly. These side pockets are just the right size for small things like a set of keys, some money or a credit card. Lastly, the saddle stripes are a nice addition that brighten up the shorts and draw attention to the backside and ass. It’s hard to go wrong with this moderate use of colour!
