Tentacle latex corset

I have finally received the rubber corset from Tentacle which I bought on eBay. I have mentioned this corset on a previous post; in fact, I have bought this corset from a seller in the United States and the parcel has been routed through Customs. The result was a 4 week delay and 30% taxes on top of declared value. Apart from that the corset is a real dream: a wonderful latex garment, top design and construction. I would rate it as a heavy duty rubber garment manufactured to comply with fashionable criteria. Well, this is in fact a heavy rubber garment within the range of rubber hoods, gas masks, industrial rubber gloves, rubber waders, but meant to be a fashionable accessory. I must admit I am very attracted by the concept. In fact, it is the strong image which results from the blending of a heavy and solid garment with its innovative design which appeals most.
I am a great fan of the heavy rubber look as majestically captured on the photographs of Peter Czernich to Heavy Rubber. In addition, I do like the heavy rubber concept as pictured in some of the movies from Viola especially the gummiklinik series ‑ the rubber clinic run by the intriguing Doctor Monteil. The mis-en- scene played by strong women in heavy rubber create visually interesting images where sensuality and kinkyness embrace the spectator.
For those of you into latex dressing I would define this garment as the result of blending Studio Gum for its heavy duty rubber line and Marquis for its fashionable concept. In conclusion, I would say this Tentacle corset works as a magnificent compromise between both, heavy rubber and latex fashion-wear. Check it out for your self: bellow is a picture of me wearing it.

Gucci shoes #2

I have received the Gucci sandals I have bought on eBay: high heel sandals in black patent leather, inside dust bag and original box. These sandals have half inch platform and 4 inch leucite heels. Basically, this is a classic T-strap model with the inclusion of a platform for added comfort and stability, and block heels. These shoes are obviously manufactured according to high quality standards; it is truly a master piece in craftsmanship. I would even risk to say that I doubt any manufacturers can produce better quality footwear. Worth to mention is the ability to combine two opposite materials in a classic design, creating a whole piece of design from materials apparently not compatible. The designer has worked on the classic T–strap model adding new elements but keeping the essence of its classic origin. And this is exemplary done by Gucci, and it is the brand’s fingerprint. Adding patent leather and leucite to a classic model is per se an approach to modernity. On one hand, patent if not used carefully in shoe design may result in a cheap look. On the other hand, leucite will raise additional debate to this issue and In fact, this material is widely found in fetish footwear. Bringing both materials into a classic design and producing a high quality sandal is a fantastic approach to footwear design. Gucci has even gone further on this model by adding a platform: a detail which means increased comfort for women’s feet. In fact I am amazed with Gucci’s rule of thumb: taking the classic model, adding and redesigning and the result is a luxury pair of shoes which can make any woman’s feet wonderful.

Donald Pliner boots #2

The Donald Pliner boots I have mentioned on a previous blog have been sent to me. This is something I was not expecting anymore because when I went to post office in order to pick up the parcel I was informed that they have sent it back to sender because it has not been claimed in due time. Two weeks latter a have received a letter from Customs stating that they have stopped an unclaimed parcel on a stand-by list to be sent back to sender. Therefore, I went to Customs in order to claim the missing parcel, pay the import taxes and collect the boots. These are indeed wonderful news since I was already absolutely hopeless about getting these boots. I was even happier when I had the chance to open the box and see the boots for myself. This is a beautiful pair of boots and I must admit I was very surprised with its quality. Indeed, these boots turned to be a wonderful surprise, much better than what I was expecting for. I bought it new in box, including original packaging and dust bag. The boots came inside a beautiful lavender color box, very stylish. These particular ones are made in Italy and I believe this explains a lot about the quality of materials and manufacturing. It is my first pair of Donald Pliners and I must admit I have been overwhelmed. For some reason American fashion designers are not really known in Europe. Unfortunately, their work has little impact on Europe and from the little contact I had with such work I seem to understand their design and quality is superior. I plan to post about this subject in future blogs and take the chance to discuss about some footwear I have purchased including: David Aaron, Marc Jacobs and Steven.

Alison in latex

Alison has done it again! She has dressed her new latex catsuit, jumped into the boots, grabbed the gloves, and got ready for a wild ride. Alison and John were too kind to send me a set of pictures from which I have selected one to illustrate this blog. I already had the chance to chat with Alison about the catsuit and congratulate her for the beautiful pictures she has sent me. If you want to know my opinion the catsuit seems to be tailor made for her and I am very happy about it. Latex can be a very tricky material; If it doesn’t fit well it can result on a baggy look which is exactly the opposite look you might want to expect from such a flexible material.

My auctions

It has been a while since I’ve last posted here. My little spare time has been used to organize and select which items shall be listed for auctioning at eBay.
I have already listed and sold many items on eBay, and I must confess I am pretty happy with the results. It makes me happy to get back part of the money I have spend to buy all the items I held in my collection and it makes me also happy to have some free room on my closets and draws. In fact, this has been top priority when I have decided to start selling a first selection of items. For a collector it is hard to decide on which items to sell; all of them have a story and a reason to belong here. But as I have mentioned the reason for such is unquestionably decisive to keep my place tidy and my mind sane. Furthermore, to keep a collection as such in top shape it will obviously involve a lot of work in organization and decision making in terms ofacquiring new items and decide which shall leave. Finally, I believe it is important to make the collection dynamic since it will bring fresh air and consequently renovated interest.
It has been curious to see the interest around the items I have listed up for auction. Interest has been drawn over a couple amongst them: a latex body from the world renowned German manufacturer Kunzmann – a beautiful garment with a front metal zIp and 6 garters designed for the male body which included for the purpose a latex pouch on the crotch. This model was presumably discontinued sine it is not showing anymore at Kunzmann’s collections. This is actually one of the features I like most when searching for items on eBay, i.e. the fact that there is a tremendous offer of unique items. These are indeed collectibles you will hardly find anywhere else. I like to give the examples of Imagine and Magic Shoe Co. which are top brands in fetish footwear unfortunately no longer active. Nevertheless, you will still be able to find their shoes and boots on eBay. Their models are far too good to be forgotten and thanks to ebay their legacy will endure. Despite everything both companies persist in different ways. Imagine is nowadays known as Leatherworks, which is manufacturing top quality fetish footwear from the former company’s models. On its turn, Magic Shoe Co. has closed doors for well but their design, high quality of manufacturing and materials have been carried-on by Fantasy Shoes, the leading British company in producing fetish footwear.

Tribute to my visitors

A couple of weeks ago I have edited this weblog’s template in order to add a section of links and make it more functional. The idea is to have both a link to other sections I will be working on, namely a gallery, and links to other weblogs I have been reading on. In a way it is an attempt to gather good blogging references dealing with the issues discussed here - fetish, latex, high-heels, gloves -, and eventually establishing a common ground on the subject as well as sharing different perspectives from other fetish enthusiasts. I take care of my roses and I am happy to see them flourish but I sure like to see other gardens flourish.
Taking some steps back, my friend 3xL gave me a good reason to make me happy when he told me he has added a link to my webblog on his site. You can imagine I was very happy about it; after all I consider his site to be the best weblog amongst the universe of fetish related blogs. Then I accidentally found another weblog where my own blog has been listed. Thank you Ms Glampers. Despite we have never met I am very happy for the link you have placed on your blog. This is fantastic! Someone has actually had the trouble to list my blog and eventually read it. This truly makes me confident to go on and take action towards improving this weblog. In fact, one of the reasons for creating a section of links and a gallery has exactly to do with this; I need to dedicate time to my weblog and make it flourish for my visitors.
The reason why I have decided to develop a weblog and abolish my former website had to do with the fact that a weblog is by far a better instrument to organize ideas. I think the success of the weblog concept lays on the fact that words are still the best way to communicate.

Vollers Corset

About one year ago I bought a 2nd hand long line corset from Vollers on eBay Germany. This is an over-the-bust classic corset with back lacing and front metal busk. The corset construction is based on two symmetrical pieces attached via back lacing and kept in place by the front busk. Each of these parts is based on 6 panels stitched together and encasing a hard boning. The manufacturing of such a garment is a complex process involving cutting and sewing 12 panels and encasing the hard boning and the front metal busk. Not to refer that a corset as such is built into two layers: the inner layer, made from a thick cotton fabric which will shape and add the garment’s desired stability, and an outside coating which consists of a silky fabric for a delicate finishing. This way the corset is strong enough to support great tension when tight lacing is applied and at the same time visually rich and delicate to create a highly erotic appearance.
I have been informed the corset would need some repair work but I did not have any means of evaluating it prior to buying it. A first look revealed a good condition corset with no damages in structure while the silk coating would need some work. I have identified one area where re-stitching would be required to repair one of the panels which has been shred probably due to tension. Upon a careful inspection the garment showed several other areas where the outer silky fabric has been torn next to the original stitching. Pulling the fabric it was possible to identify shredding in all 12 panels with the exception of the both front panels which hold the front metal busk. After this careful inspection I have identified all areas needing repair. Taking into account that the essence of a corset relies up to a great extent on its appearance and visual aspect, such a repair must consider it and place special care in order to attain a successful result. In fact, the corset plays two roles: the ability to shape the body and the beauty of the garment itself. Both play its role and contribute to make the corset one of the most important symbols in fashion throughout the years. In conclusion, working on a repair of a corset requires special care to prevent imperfection and spoiling the beauty of the garment.
Working on a repair of a corset is, indeed, a very complex job since the garment itself is of a complex nature. In my point of view to accomplish perfection in such a job the garment would need to undergo a process of deconstruction, identify and fix the problem, and finally put it together and respecting the manufacturing techniques. Still, in repairing this Vollers corset there is a major drawback due to the inherent garment’s complexity ‑ deconstruction is seen as technically possible but not worth economically. The ultimate result would be a higher than the garment’s original price. Deconstruction may be employed as a repair technique for special cases like unique garments, for instance original Victorian corsets.
Generally speaking the approach relies on a cost-benefit utility where the priority is balancing both: (1) shop window price of corset and (2) cost of repair plus garment’s original price. In this specific case as I have bought the corset 2nd hand the repair is justified. Thus, I have decided on a “cosmetic” repair focused on the outer fabric and considering that the garment would need to support tight lacing strengths. The corset has been repaired by an old lady who was my neighbor before I moved some 4 years ago. A wonderful person that has been cutting and sewing fabrics ever since and fully mastering the technique. Despite her technique I did feel that she had a hard time to work on this garment. Stitching on a corset with hard boning has proven to be a very difficult task. The hassle derived from the fact that there was not enough room to stitch right next to the boning since it was there where the silky fabric has torn. The difference of height due to the boning made very difficult using a traditional sewing machine. The repair has been done by manually sewing all the panels which have been torn to avoid further tearing on the silky fabric. Then a black ribbon similar in color and texture to the corset’s silky fabric has been vertically sewed from top to down right next to boning in all 12 panels, over the tearing. It turned to be a wise intervention which changed the visual aspect of the corset but resulted in a very effective repair.

Repairs

When I picked the title and started to write this down I had another thing in mind. Eventually bringing together assorted ideas would lead to an extensive blog. Cautiously I decided to split it into two texts, addressing each idea at a time.
Being a fetish enthusiast and keeping an extensive collection of fetish garments demands important requirements. From room availability to storing conditions the fetish enthusiast will have to face several aspects, all demanding careful attention. Some of these aspects may be so evident that can often be overlooked. Eventually, a lesser awareness on some of these aspects can lead to an unsustainable situation. Indeed, the fetish enthusiast has to learn the best approach to deal with each of these aspects. Nevertheless, there is one key aspect which normally relates to all fetish collections and it's often ignored. Keeping a fetish collection requires time and money in order to maintain and repair a multitude of items. In fact, the more extensive and the more diverse the collection is, the more complex the whole conservation process is. In practice, what I mean is if you’ve gathered a collection of latex and leather clothing and high-heel’s footwear, and on top of that you have both stitched and glued latex garments and corsets and opera long leather gloves and,…, and thigh-high boots, you will end up having to gather a lot of information on all these items covering its specificities. Take for instance a latex garment which is made of glued and stitched panels, the repairing of such a garment is very much different from a glued garment. That means you will eventually need to find a skilled individual mastering each of this aspects. Thus, you will end up needing to gather as much information as you can on each of the items you possess. It is wise to keep a record naming each garment’s manufacturer/seller, on account of that’s supposedly the most accurate source for relevant information on each garment. Beyond that it is essential to learn as much as you can from the garment itself. A careful inspection can tell you a lot about the garment’s manufacturing process or techniques and the different materials used. Take for instance replacing a boning on a damaged Victorian corset; I would suggest a carefully inspection to find what is the original boning made of, and only then study the best solution, which can possibly rely on using the same material or an adequate substitute.
About 3 or 4 years ago I decided to replace a full length zipper on a thigh-high boot. Apparently not a complex job but if we take into account it is a made to measure model that can bring-up some other issues, namely: the availability of skilled individuals, the original cost of the boots and the possibility of a depreciation if the repair is not a quality job, or even eventually the impossibility of repairing as the original and the need for an alternative repair. Well, in my case I remember I had to run 5 or 6 shoe makers just to figure if they would be able to do the job. That wasn’t an easy job for me since the boot had a significant volume to carry it around all the time and it caused great sensation every time I took it out to show the repair men: it was a boot with a 9 inch stiletto heel and a 4 inch platform, all covered leather. I remember I had it repaired but not as I have instructed to. So, I kept in mind a new repair to have it properly fixed, and about two years latter I had the chance to have it made by a shoe maker instead of an ordinary repair shop. I remember him saying he could replace the zipper and do the stitching because it was the material was real leather. If it would be synthetic leather the sewing machine he used won’t be able to stitch it. Different materials call for different techniques and specific machinery. Each of the materials found on fetish wardrobe call for specific repair techniques. The fetish enthusiast will be called to learn the ropes on a complex blend of materials and techniques. I still keep the mentioned boots and I do consider these to be amongst the most important items I have.

Alison

I have arranged to sell Alison one of my latex catsuits. This is a garment I have bought through eBay from a seller in the UK. The catsuit is new and I have never got to wear it since it turned to be a very small size. I met Alison at YM and became a fan of her groups: AlisonInLeather and AlisonLeatherBitch. A couple of months ago she bought from me a red PVC body from «O» and a pair of red patent thigh-high boots. Unfortunately for the fetish enthusiasts «O» has been extinct but continues to be a reference on fetish fashion. Alison has done a photo session wearing this same outfit and published the pictures on her Group. Alison and John are an interesting fetish enthusiast couple, which prove the theory that fetish people are very respective individuals and creative minds.
I still have six latex catsuits in my collection and would probably like to sell two more. I have catsuits from each of the following manufacturers: kunzmann, Blackstyle, Invincible, Latexa, Libidex and Armory. I am of the opinion that a catsuit is the very top latex garment on a fetish wardrobe. But to rate it as top class the garment must have a good manufacturing quality and a good cut enabling best fitting. From the mentioned manufacturers and from my own experience with those latex catsuits, I would risk to say that all but one are very good quality. The exception is Latexa, which manufacturers catsuits based on a technique of gluing molded latex parts. But, in order to prevent damages, a latex catsuit needs careful storage and maintenance. This means you will need time to take care of your garment and room to properly store it. In addition you will need to have even more time to enjoy the feeling of being fully dressed in latex. I have reached the conclusion I do not have no time or room to fully enjoy my latex catsuits. My preferences go towards the Invincible, Libidex, Armory and maybe also kunzmann. These I will probably keep in my collection, which not necessarily mean that the others are worse. I am even a great fan of Blackstyle but for instance in what refers to this manufacturer, I found its sizing chart tends to run large and the size Small is way too baggy for my body.
Bellow is a picture from Alison and Sarah taken by John. Alison is wearing the red outfit and handling the cane.

Computer and layout

Last week's highlight is the new computer I have bought to replace my old Pentium II, working since 1998. This has been carefully prepared and I am happy to announce the topic is closed. I am way relieved and still excited with the whole thing around the new computer. These last days I have committed myself to organize my files, transferring all relevant information from the old to the new computer and installing software.
Meanwhile, on my bogging absence I have worked to set a new layout based on a new color palette using black, white and gray. I have also added a link section to the right-side bar, which is something the template did not have. I have only added links to other similar bogs, i.e. dealing with fetish. These are links to bogs I have been reading and find to be interesting for the fetish enthusiast. I must announce it has been thanks to 3xL support that I have gained courage to work on the template page and make it more consistent in terms of graphical design. The option available at Blogger allowing the user to freely edit the template page seems a very interesting functionality and there is no need to know about xml or xhtml. In fact Blogger has a very reasonable help link, which enables the user to learn about the most important commands and edit the code page. I begin to like it more and I realize I have made a wise decision to let my previous attempt of a web site and move onto the development of a dynamic web log.