Silk/Satin fetishism

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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.

[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.^{[citation needed]}

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.