{"history":[{"id":"044c8187-b3ab-4add-9d9f-dfbed8b44d01","wordChanged":"used","newWord":":::summary\n:::\n\n# \n[Latex rubber](https://bliptext.com/articles/latex-rubber) is based in the manufacture of many types of clothing.\nIt has traditionally been used to make protective clothing, including [gas masks](https://bliptext.com/articles/gas-mask) and [Wellington boots](https://bliptext.com/articles/wellington-boot).\n[Mackintoshes](https://bliptext.com/articles/mackintosh) have traditionally been made from rubberized [cloth](https://bliptext.com/articles/cloth).\nHowever, rubber has now generally been replaced in these applications by synthetic polymers.\nLatex rubber as a clothing material is common in [fetish fashion](https://bliptext.com/articles/fetish-fashion) and among [BDSM](https://bliptext.com/articles/bdsm) practitioners, and is often worn at [fetish clubs](https://bliptext.com/articles/fetish-club).\nIt is sometimes also used by [couturiers](https://bliptext.com/articles/couturier) for its unusual appearance.\nSeveral magazines are dedicated to its use.\nLatex clothing tends to be [skin-tight](https://bliptext.com/articles/skin-tight), but can also be loose-fitting.\n# [A musician performing in a latex outfit in 2018 | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c1/Kristina///Bazan///12///03///2018///-33///%2846563791031%29.jpg]\n\n# Design and manufacture\nA handful of companies around the world manufacture latex suitable for contact with human skin, and supply it to a larger number of smaller fashion clothing companies.\nIn the past, some marketplaces suffered from de facto monopoly [supply](https://bliptext.com/articles/supply-economics) conditions, where a sheet supplier could impose restrictive ordering requirements.\nBeing able to order only half-kilometre long batches of sheet in the colours and thicknesses they wanted meant that designers and clothing producers often had to co-operate, or face long delays in supplying their customers.\nSince 2000, the sheet market has been exposed to competition courtesy of the Internet, producing an explosion in [cottage industry](https://bliptext.com/articles/cottage-industry) latex fetish clothing makers.\nSheet-based latex clothing is made in a three-stage process:\n

A pattern for a specific garment is selected and adjusted carefully to the measurements supplied by the customer.
Sheet latex is cut out by hand on a flat board.
Glue (generally [rubber cement](https://bliptext.com/articles/rubber-cement) or a similar solvent-based adhesive) is applied to join the seams.

A pattern for a specific garment is selected and adjusted carefully to the measurements supplied by the customer.
Sheet latex is cut out by hand on a flat board.
Glue (generally [rubber cement](https://bliptext.com/articles/rubber-cement) or a similar solvent-based adhesive) is applied to join the seams.

\nSkilled latex makers can build a stocking, shaped to match the contours of a specific person's leg, from latex only 0.2 mm thick, in under an hour.\nIt is possible to use water-based glues such as [Copydex](https://bliptext.com/articles/copydex); however, the items' durability is usually affected.\nLatex moulded clothing is produced by dipping a mould into a vat of liquid rubber.\nDealing with raw [liquid latex](https://bliptext.com/articles/liquid-latex) is more difficult because of the extra effort required to keep its thickness consistent.\nInconsistent thickness can cause latex to fail at its weak points faster than items made from sheet latex.\nThis has led to a stigma against molded latex garments, to the detriment of those few latex providers who have proper mold-making techniques.\nWhen done properly, a molded latex is just as durable as sheet latex, and it is the preferred method for the skilled crafting of heavy contours such as hoods or gloves.\nIs impossible to get solid sheets to fit complex contours as well as properly molded latex can.\nThe belief that sheet latex is superior to all molded latex is completely false; ultimately, a garment's success depends on its creator's abilities, as even poorly made sheet latex can easily fail.\nSheet latex is the preferred method for items such as [catsuits](https://bliptext.com/articles/catsuits) that do not need perfect form fitting, and are easier to create with sheets compared to the large molds required for bodysuits.\nWhile there is little difference in latex clothing made from liquid latex versus sheet latex in the hands of a skilled artisan, liquid latex is cured via air drying while sheet latex is cured by being [vulcanized](https://bliptext.com/articles/vulcanized).\nThis makes the two forms slightly different.\nDue to the difference in curing, liquid latex can be applied to sheet latex clothing to add unique patterns and designs, which can be peeled off the sheet latex afterwards.\nNeither moulded nor sheet-based latex is amenable to large-scale mass production.\nSkilled manual artistry is an integral part of the process; this means that made-to-measure and special designs are much more accessible to the general buyer, in looking at fetish latex, than is the case with regular textiles.\n# [A fetish model and dominatrix wearing pasties and fetish fashion themed latex dress at Exxxotica, US. The poster beside her reads \"hardcore latex\". | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/15/Rubberdoll///at///Exxxotica///Miami///2009///3.jpg]\n\n# Use in clothing\nLatex has been used to make [leotards](https://bliptext.com/articles/leotard), [bodysuits](https://bliptext.com/articles/bodysuit), [stockings](https://bliptext.com/articles/stocking) and [gloves](https://bliptext.com/articles/glove), besides other garments.\nLatex is also often used to make specialist fetishistic garments like [hoods](https://bliptext.com/articles/bondage-hood) and rubber cloaks.\nLatex clothing is generally made from large sheets of latex, which are delivered in rolls.\nThe \"classic\" colour for fetishistic latex clothing is black, but latex is naturally translucent and may be dyed any colour, including metallic shades or white.\nIt can come in thicknesses which generally range from about 0.18 mm to 0.5 mm. Instead of being sewn, latex clothing is generally glued along its seams.\nBecause latex sheet is relatively weak, latex clothing needs special care to avoid tearing.\nWhile latex can be repaired using materials similar to those provided in a bicycle repair kit, the result is rarely as attractive as the original appearance of the garment.\nLatex clothing is often polished to preserve and improve its shiny appearance.\nPutting on latex clothing can be difficult, because latex has high friction against dry skin.\nTo make it easier to put on, wearers often use [talc](https://bliptext.com/articles/talc) to reduce friction against the skin when putting the clothes on; then, because stray [talc](https://bliptext.com/articles/talc) is very visible against the rubber, wearers generally polish off any visible [talc](https://bliptext.com/articles/talc).\nAnother method of dressing is using [lubricant](https://bliptext.com/articles/lubricant) (lube) which provides a slippery surface for the latex to glide over.\nA third method of reducing or eliminating the high friction of latex when dressing is to chlorinate the rubber.\n[Chlorine](https://bliptext.com/articles/chlorine) in gaseous form is generated by the reaction of [hydrochloric acid](https://bliptext.com/articles/hydrochloric-acid) and [sodium hypochlorite](https://bliptext.com/articles/sodium-hypochlorite).\nThis chlorine bonds to the first few molecules on the surface of the [isoprene](https://bliptext.com/articles/isoprene) (latex) and transforms them into [neoprene](https://bliptext.com/articles/neoprene).\nThis process affects metallic colours, but does not affect strength.\nLatex may also be painted directly onto the body as latex in liquid form, which is also sometimes used to close seams in the creation of latex clothing.\nRemoval of a painted on liquid latex garment can result in painful hair removal.\nWearers avoid this by preparing the skin by prior hair removal, the use of release agents to prevent the latex adhering to the hair, or using products such as [orange oil](https://bliptext.com/articles/orange-oil) to weaken the latex during removal.\nUse of latex clothing has been popularized by media appearances, such as the outfit of [Catwoman](https://bliptext.com/articles/catwoman), a [cat burglar](https://bliptext.com/articles/cat-burglar), in [Batman Returns](https://bliptext.com/articles/batman-returns) or the outfits in [The Matrix](https://bliptext.com/articles/the-matrix) which are mostly made of latex, like popular celebrities [Kim Kardashian](https://bliptext.com/articles/kim-kardashian), [Lady Gaga](https://bliptext.com/articles/lady-gaga), [Kylie Jenner](https://bliptext.com/articles/kylie-jenner), [Pamela Anderson](https://bliptext.com/articles/pamela-anderson), [Shania Twain](https://bliptext.com/articles/shania-twain), [Eliza Dushku](https://bliptext.com/articles/eliza-dushku), and [Emma Watson](https://bliptext.com/articles/emma-watson) has worn latex in publicity events or hangouts.\n\n# Use in fetish community\nLatex clothing is a popular feature of the [BDSM](https://bliptext.com/articles/bdsm) community.\nLatex or rubber fetishists sometimes refer to themselves as \"rubberists\".\nOne reason why latex or other tight shiny fabrics may be fetishised is perhaps that the garment forms a \"second skin\" that acts as a fetishistic surrogate for the wearer's own skin.\nThus, wearers of skin-tight latex or PVC garments may be perceived by the viewer as being naked, or simply coated in a shiny substance like paint.\nLatex can also be polished to be shiny and can also be produced in bright colours, adding further visual stimulus to add to the physical sensations produced by the material.\nThe tightness of the garments may also be viewed as a kind of sexual bondage.","current_revision":"044c8187-b3ab-4add-9d9f-dfbed8b44d01","created_by":"kACnuQmH5k9Nr5VNVEpVeg7XpvUmMctD","created_at":"2025-01-26T06:55:54.708Z","updated_at":"2025-06-24T23:13:56.889Z","search_vector":"'cloth':2 'latex':1","search_content":" \n \n\n# \n[Latex rubber](https://bliptext.com/articles/latex-rubber) is used in the manufacture of many types of clothing.\nIt has traditionally been used to make protective clothing, including [gas masks](https://bliptext.com/articles/gas-mask) and [Wellington boots](https://bliptext.com/articles/wellington-boot).\n[Mackintoshes](https://bliptext.com/articles/mackintosh) have traditionally been made from rubberized [cloth](https://bliptext.com/articles/cloth).\nHowever, rubber has now generally been replaced in these applications by synthetic polymers.\nLatex rubber as a clothing material is common in [fetish fashion](https://bliptext.com/articles/fetish-fashion) and among [BDSM](https://bliptext.com/articles/bdsm) practitioners, and is often worn at [fetish clubs](https://bliptext.com/articles/fetish-club).\nIt is sometimes also used by [couturiers](https://bliptext.com/articles/couturier) for its unusual appearance.\nSeveral magazines are dedicated to its use.\nLatex clothing tends to be [skin-tight](https://bliptext.com/articles/skin-tight), but can also be loose-fitting.\n# [A musician performing in a latex outfit in 2018 | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c1/Kristina///Bazan///12///03///2018///-33///%2846563791031%29.jpg]\n\n# Design and manufacture\nA handful of companies around the world manufacture latex suitable for contact with human skin, and supply it to a larger number of smaller fashion clothing companies.\nIn the past, some marketplaces suffered from de facto monopoly [supply](https://bliptext.com/articles/supply-economics) conditions, where a sheet supplier could impose restrictive ordering requirements.\nBeing able to order only half-kilometre long batches of sheet in the colours and thicknesses they wanted meant that designers and clothing producers often had to co-operate, or face long delays in supplying their customers.\nSince 2000, the sheet market has been exposed to competition courtesy of the Internet, producing an explosion in [cottage industry](https://bliptext.com/articles/cottage-industry) latex fetish clothing makers.\nSheet-based latex clothing is made in a three-stage process:\n A pattern for a specific garment is selected and adjusted carefully to the measurements supplied by the customer. \n Sheet latex is cut out by hand on a flat board. \n Glue (generally [rubber cement](https://bliptext.com/articles/rubber-cement) or a similar solvent-based adhesive) is applied to join the seams. \nSkilled latex makers can build a stocking, shaped to match the contours of a specific person's leg, from latex only 0.2 mm thick, in under an hour.\nIt is possible to use water-based glues such as [Copydex](https://bliptext.com/articles/copydex); however, the items' durability is usually affected.\nLatex moulded clothing is produced by dipping a mould into a vat of liquid rubber.\nDealing with raw [liquid latex](https://bliptext.com/articles/liquid-latex) is more difficult because of the extra effort required to keep its thickness consistent.\nInconsistent thickness can cause latex to fail at its weak points faster than items made from sheet latex.\nThis has led to a stigma against molded latex garments, to the detriment of those few latex providers who have proper mold-making techniques.\nWhen done properly, a molded latex is just as durable as sheet latex, and it is the preferred method for the skilled crafting of heavy contours such as hoods or gloves.\nIs impossible to get solid sheets to fit complex contours as well as properly molded latex can.\nThe belief that sheet latex is superior to all molded latex is completely false; ultimately, a garment's success depends on its creator's abilities, as even poorly made sheet latex can easily fail.\nSheet latex is the preferred method for items such as [catsuits](https://bliptext.com/articles/catsuits) that do not need perfect form fitting, and are easier to create with sheets compared to the large molds required for bodysuits.\nWhile there is little difference in latex clothing made from liquid latex versus sheet latex in the hands of a skilled artisan, liquid latex is cured via air drying while sheet latex is cured by being [vulcanized](https://bliptext.com/articles/vulcanized).\nThis makes the two forms slightly different.\nDue to the difference in curing, liquid latex can be applied to sheet latex clothing to add unique patterns and designs, which can be peeled off the sheet latex afterwards.\nNeither moulded nor sheet-based latex is amenable to large-scale mass production.\nSkilled manual artistry is an integral part of the process; this means that made-to-measure and special designs are much more accessible to the general buyer, in looking at fetish latex, than is the case with regular textiles.\n# [A fetish model and dominatrix wearing pasties and fetish fashion themed latex dress at Exxxotica, US. The poster beside her reads \"hardcore latex\". | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/15/Rubberdoll///at///Exxxotica///Miami///2009///3.jpg]\n\n# Use in clothing\nLatex has been used to make [leotards](https://bliptext.com/articles/leotard), [bodysuits](https://bliptext.com/articles/bodysuit), [stockings](https://bliptext.com/articles/stocking) and [gloves](https://bliptext.com/articles/glove), besides other garments.\nLatex is also often used to make specialist fetishistic garments like [hoods](https://bliptext.com/articles/bondage-hood) and rubber cloaks.\nLatex clothing is generally made from large sheets of latex, which are delivered in rolls.\nThe \"classic\" colour for fetishistic latex clothing is black, but latex is naturally translucent and may be dyed any colour, including metallic shades or white.\nIt can come in thicknesses which generally range from about 0.18 mm to 0.5 mm. Instead of being sewn, latex clothing is generally glued along its seams.\nBecause latex sheet is relatively weak, latex clothing needs special care to avoid tearing.\nWhile latex can be repaired using materials similar to those provided in a bicycle repair kit, the result is rarely as attractive as the original appearance of the garment.\nLatex clothing is often polished to preserve and improve its shiny appearance.\nPutting on latex clothing can be difficult, because latex has high friction against dry skin.\nTo make it easier to put on, wearers often use [talc](https://bliptext.com/articles/talc) to reduce friction against the skin when putting the clothes on; then, because stray [talc](https://bliptext.com/articles/talc) is very visible against the rubber, wearers generally polish off any visible [talc](https://bliptext.com/articles/talc).\nAnother method of dressing is using [lubricant](https://bliptext.com/articles/lubricant) (lube) which provides a slippery surface for the latex to glide over.\nA third method of reducing or eliminating the high friction of latex when dressing is to chlorinate the rubber.\n[Chlorine](https://bliptext.com/articles/chlorine) in gaseous form is generated by the reaction of [hydrochloric acid](https://bliptext.com/articles/hydrochloric-acid) and [sodium hypochlorite](https://bliptext.com/articles/sodium-hypochlorite).\nThis chlorine bonds to the first few molecules on the surface of the [isoprene](https://bliptext.com/articles/isoprene) (latex) and transforms them into [neoprene](https://bliptext.com/articles/neoprene).\nThis process affects metallic colours, but does not affect strength.\nLatex may also be painted directly onto the body as latex in liquid form, which is also sometimes used to close seams in the creation of latex clothing.\nRemoval of a painted on liquid latex garment can result in painful hair removal.\nWearers avoid this by preparing the skin by prior hair removal, the use of release agents to prevent the latex adhering to the hair, or using products such as [orange oil](https://bliptext.com/articles/orange-oil) to weaken the latex during removal.\nUse of latex clothing has been popularized by media appearances, such as the outfit of [Catwoman](https://bliptext.com/articles/catwoman), a [cat burglar](https://bliptext.com/articles/cat-burglar), in [Batman Returns](https://bliptext.com/articles/batman-returns) or the outfits in [The Matrix](https://bliptext.com/articles/the-matrix) which are mostly made of latex, like popular celebrities [Kim Kardashian](https://bliptext.com/articles/kim-kardashian), [Lady Gaga](https://bliptext.com/articles/lady-gaga), [Kylie Jenner](https://bliptext.com/articles/kylie-jenner), [Pamela Anderson](https://bliptext.com/articles/pamela-anderson), [Shania Twain](https://bliptext.com/articles/shania-twain), [Eliza Dushku](https://bliptext.com/articles/eliza-dushku), and [Emma Watson](https://bliptext.com/articles/emma-watson) has worn latex in publicity events or hangouts.\n\n# Use in fetish community\nLatex clothing is a popular feature of the [BDSM](https://bliptext.com/articles/bdsm) community.\nLatex or rubber fetishists sometimes refer to themselves as \"rubberists\".\nOne reason why latex or other tight shiny fabrics may be fetishised is perhaps that the garment forms a \"second skin\" that acts as a fetishistic surrogate for the wearer's own skin.\nThus, wearers of skin-tight latex or PVC garments may be perceived by the viewer as being naked, or simply coated in a shiny substance like paint.\nLatex can also be polished to be shiny and can also be produced in bright colours, adding further visual stimulus to add to the physical sensations produced by the material.\nThe tightness of the garments may also be viewed as a kind of sexual bondage.","revisionCount":1},"hasMore":false,"nextCursor":null}

History