One the coolest things about Kinky Clubs and Fetish Events is when they have a Dress Code (not all do – you find these more on the East Coast of the USA and in Europe). At these kinds of clubs, rather than watch everyone filter in and do their thing in a relatively normal-looking crowd, instead you get wall-to-wall Eye Candy. This does not mean that everyone there is jumping into a BDSM scene, but even the wallflowers provide something to look at in their fashionable splendor and indeed they, like everyone attending, contribute to the evening’s overall magnificence. If you have ever been to a masquerade ball or Halloween costume party you get the idea – now just ramp it up so that rather than seeing Halloween monsters and characters, instead you see shiny, kinky people all around. 🙂
You might ask, “what makes Fetish Fashion so visually stimulating?” The answer may surprise you. Fetish Fashion has the opposite character of all other kinds of “fashion.” Normal fashion and regular attractive clothing is usually aimed at making you “look good.” Others might see you looking good and think, “Yum, that person looks sexy in that outfit” e.g. the clothing makes you sexier. Fetish Fashion on the flip side is a Sexuality That Came First (a.k.a. Kinkiness) and was THEN put into the clothing. Normal fashion becomes sexy After the clothing goes on, while Fetish Fashion contains sexiness and a sexuality Before the clothing goes on. Another way to think about it is by way of the Great Secret of the mainstream fashion industry (they really don’t want you to know this) – the model makes the clothing look good; the clothing does NOT make the model look good. With Fetish Fashion on the other hand, the clothing makes everyone look good because the act of wearing it is an act of putting forth Erotic Energy and expressing one’s sexuality by the very nature of the REASON this clothing exists. Pretty fascinating right? 🙂
So this brings us to the core notion of how to enjoy Fetish Fashion without breaking the bank. Much of what you are about to read came from countless Fetish Events of the highest calibre that I have attended all over the world who almost always have a “Strict Fetish Dress Code” that you must adhere to to be allowed inside. Do people attend these epic events in fantastic outfits that cost them big bucks? Yes absolutely….. but do they HAVE TO attend in that kind of expensive outfit? Absolutely NOT! Keep reading because you might get a laugh at the way one buddy of mine on an extreme budget used to dress for these same events and was never, ever turned away.
Although the term “Fetish Dress Code” does have a very specific traditional meaning, it is not necessarily synonymous with “expensive” as many people mistakenly think. When a Fetish or BDSM club advertises “Fetish Dress Code” they are generally referring to the standard Traditional Fetish Materials (Rubber, Leather, Latex and PVC as the mainstays, with Lingerie, Lace, Cyber and Metal tending to follow suit). Sometimes a club will also consider the Fetish Dress of certain particular fetishes, such as Uniforms, Velvet / Gothic, or Antiquated / Period Formal, but this should not be taken for granted unless the club’s Dress Code specifically spells it out.
Regardless of the exact details of a given BDSM or Fetish Club’s Dress Code, no one should feel that they couldn’t attend because they cannot afford a $400 Latex Dress or a $140 PVC pants-and-shirt ensemble. Fetish Attire can be inexpensive, and I’m here to help you figure out how to make it personal as well. Given the parameters of the Traditional Fetish Materials and a few extensions thereof, a touch of imagination can take you a long way on a short budget.
For starters, it is something of a hallucination that says you must have a nifty new outfit for each and every Fetish Event. Yes, there are many of us who have assembled Fetish Clothing collections over many years such that we are rarely seen in the same outfit twice in a row. Let this happen organically and don’t force your Fetish Fashion collection to amass.
Three Tricks to get you started Dressing Fetish on a Budget
• Trick #1: Think MODULAR – If you are Fetish Shopping and you have a flat $100 to spend for the next year, buy something that will go with many items, not the single $100 hot-pink item which will look really cool one time, and then you’ll shelve it for a year. Instead, buy a rubber vest or top, probably black because it goes with everything, or a rubber skirt of relatively neutral shape so you can wear it with a lot of tops. I guarantee you that many people who never seem to wear the same outfit twice actually have a lot of MODULAR clothing they can mix and match all over the place, coming up with a variety of outfits from a limited selection of kinky clothes.
• Trick #2: Think BASIC – It is A-OK to Keep It Simple when you are just starting off. A pair of plain black PVC pants will go a lot farther in terms of beginning your modular scheme than the really neat screaming loud metallic rainbow pants. Yes, one day you will probably Have To Have those screaming loud rainbow pants, but wait until you have the budget for items like that which don’t combine as well with other pieces of clothing. A variety of Latex Clothing Companies specialize in some very basic clothing designs which blend well into various outfits, AND they can custom make some of their designs for you in almost any color you can think of…. often for no additional charge. Again, with colors, think BASIC when you are getting started and need to be thinking MODULAR as well – for example: black, red, deep/dark blue or purple are all pretty far reaching for that Mix & Match strategy.
When I first started attending Fetish Clubs in Europe who all had viciously strict Fetish Dress Codes, I owned 3 pieces of Kinky Clothing: one pair of black PVC pants, one leather vest, and one deep purple, velvet “pirate” shirt. I was never turned away from a single club anywhere. Truth of the matter is that when the party got particularly heated up, and people started thinking of cooling down on the dance floor at least, the top generally got shed. Nonetheless I was always able to initially show up at the door in an acceptable full outfit.
KEY POINT: Many “Strict Fetish Dress Code” events really only want to see that you Made An Effort, and they really do not care whether or not you spent a lot of money.
Which brings us to….
• Trick #3: Think CREATIVE & CHEAP! – A buddy of mine in Amsterdam who used to attend every Fetish Club and Event – and even worked in them – dressed in the most Home-Made Kinky Outfit you could imagine: fishnet panty hose, his Doc Martins, a wide leather belt with a pirate “jolly roger” metal buckle on it, and he wrapped the entirety of his genitalia in duct tape (yes he was a masochist – he liked the feeling when he ripped it off at the end of the night). On occasion he would substitute aluminum foil for the duct tape. This is probably the single best example of how inexpensive Fetish / Kinky Attire can get, and it was even cheaper than you think! His girlfriend gave him the fishnets, and he found the belt and buckle at a swap meet (a few bucks at most). The Docs were about the only thing for which he paid any significant amount of money. 🙂
The point here is that a bit of imagination can go a long way in both saving you money AND getting you through the door of that “Strict Fetish Dress Code” club or event. Don’t forget those kinky outfits you wear at home for your private play sessions… take a fresh look at them. They just might help round-out yet another potential outfit, especially using the Mix & Match strategy. 🙂
None of the above seem like your style? No one said it should be. The point is that with a little imagination you can find Traditional Fetish Materials (the fishnet lingerie, the leather of the belt, any pair of black boots, etc…) and spice them up / combine them in new ways to achieve a perfectly acceptable Fetish Outfit on an extreme budget. Like I said in the beginning, my buddy in Amsterdam was never turned away from any club. Surrounded by folks in their extremely expensive rubber catsuits and skin-tight leather dresses, he fit right in because his statement was undoubtedly Fetish (the Traditional Materials) and it was original.
A Final Note: Ask The Promoters When In Doubt
If you are uncertain about the Dress Code of an event you should always ask the Event Promoters. It’s perfectly reasonable to inquire to the event / club promoters if they allow alternative attire. For example, some Fetish Events would allow men to wear tuxedos at a slightly increased ticket price. I can assure you as a former event promoter myself, I was always happy to answer any well-meaning customer who wanted to double check about the Dress Code. 🙂
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