Silk/Satin fetishism

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Satin gown

Acetate satin shirt, tie & pants

Silk/satin fetishism is a sexual fetish relating to garments or other articles made of silk or satin fabric. It is usually directed towards people wearing silk or satin, but it can also be directed towards the garments themselves.

Fetishists are attracted to silk and satin both because of its physical properties (softness, smoothness, drape and shine) and its association with elegance, glamour, romance and opulence.

The principal materials are charmeuse silk (silk woven so that it has a sheen) and satins (such as acetate satin and rayon satin), but other materials with similar properties, such as spandex and polyester are also admired. There is some crossover between silk/satin fetishism and other fetishes for shiny clothes, such as leather, rubber or pvc.

Like many clothing fetishes, the silk/satin fetish arises from the ideal that an elegantly-clothed figure is more erotically teasing than a nude one.

[edit] Gender and sexuality

Silk/satin fetishism is primarily practised by heterosexual and homosexual men, but some women also sexualise silk and satin garments. It is related to, but distinct from, transvestic behaviors in men.

Heterosexual men are primarily attracted to lingerie, but other sexualised garments include blouses, scarves, skirts, pants, dresses and jackets. Homosexual men often fetishise shirts, suits, baseball jackets, shorts and other "masculine" garments. Many fetishists collect silk, and satin garments for personal use.

Acceptance and appreciation of satin menswear is more common in Latin American and Oriental cultures than in the West, where male satin wearing has traditionally been seen as effete, although influential fashion houses such as Dolce & Gabbana, Versace and Louis Vuitton have long since started to challenge this perception.

[edit] Subsets

• Lingerie fetishism

• Scarf fetishism, which includes admirers of scarves purely as a fashion item and people interested in using them as an accessory in BDSM. Scarves can be used as gags, blindfolds and bindings. Grace Kelly, Audrey Hepburn and Jacqueline Onassis epitomise the style of woman that scarf fetishists most admire.

• Satin blouse fetishism

• Satin shorts fetishism

• Satin baseball jacket fetishism

• Satin suit & shirt fetishism

[edit] Silk/Satin in popular culture

Television presenters and film stars have helped to propagate the image of silk and satin as a glamorous material both on screen and at awards ceremonies. Examples include Jamie Lee Curtis, Angelina Jolie, Carol Vorderman and Bettina Cramer. Male celebs like Ricky Martin, David Arquette, Scott Wolf, Andy Gibb and Leif Garrett have also worn satin publicly. Websites devoted to silk/satin fetish often include screen grabs or "vidcaps" of television presenters and actors/actresses wearing satin shirts, satin blouses, satin jackets, suits, trousers and dresses.

Common fantasies often involve a secretary, boss, schoolteacher, airline stewardess, waitress, businesswoman or some other kind of elegant, classy or dominant woman dressed in silk or satin garments. Gay satin fetish fantasies typically revolve around satin suit and tie play, athletic wear, or baseball jackets.

Much of the silk/satin fetish photography available on the Internet is produced in Europe. Since there is a relative lack of pornographic material dealing exclusively with silk/satin fetish, many fetishists collect pictures of subjects in silk/satin material wherever they can find them.

[edit] Famous silk/satin fetishists

One of history's most famous silk/satin fetishists was the great German composer Richard Wagner, (1813-1883). Wagner's love of expensive fabrics was partly due to the sensitivity of his skin (he suffered from erysipelas, a form of shingles), but silk also served as an imaginative prop in the creation of his operas, along with perfumes, wall hangings, and furs, and there may also have been an erotic aspect to his fetish.

Although Wagner himself tried to conceal his fetish (he gave detailed instructions to servants on the purchasing of fabric lengths) it eventually became public knowledge, causing concern amongst the ministers of Wagner's patron, King Ludwig the Second of Bavaria, who lavished large sums of money on Wagner. It was known that Wagner often wore silken undergarments, and Ludwig's ministers feared this and his music might have a corrupting influence on the young.

[edit] Resources

An important academic work on lingerie and silk/satin fetishism is Valerie Steele's 'Fashion and Eroticism: Ideals of Feminine Beauty from the Victorian Era to the Jazz Age' (Oxford University Press, New York, 1985 ISBN 0-19-503530-5), which explores the psychosexual appeal of silk, satin, and women's underwear in several chapters.

[edit] External links

• Satin Fetish Links - Directory of silk/satin fetish sites
• The Scarf Website - Excellent resource for silk scarf fashion and bondage content
• Vana's Silky Satin Lingerie - The UKs longest running satin fetish website.
• SATINGEAR.COM - A free website for admirers of satin menswear.
• gay-news.com - Article and discussion about the satin men's wear fetish.