Guide to Latex Underwear and Rubber Clothing
Natural latex is considered to be a 'living' material. Much like leather, it requires care and attention to stay healthy. There can be disasters with rubber – nails straight through a shirt, latex dresses disintegrating as you wear them or dissolving off of a hanger as it hangs in the hallway. Latex clothing becomes sentimental, so it's worth knowing how to look after it before you lose too many garments to misinformation.
There are generally two types of latex garment. The glued and the moulded. Moulded latex is most commonly seen; condoms, rubber gloves and some of our clothes and toys all fall into this category. This is where liquid rubber is poured into moulds to make one seamless object or garment. Glued latex is put together by hand using adhesives. Similar techniques are employed to create the latex sheeting from which glued garments are made, but much more consideration is given to the finish as the shape is less of a concern.
There are benefits to both moulded and glued latex garments. Moulded garments tend to be much less expensive, are slightly thicker and are harder to puncture or tear. Glued garments generally fit slightly better, come in more interesting shapes and varieties and polish to a higher shine.
Trying Latex Wear
Once you've decided you'd like to purchase latex garments, you should check that you and your partner do not have a latex allergy. Latex allergies can be fatal, so it is important to ensure that stepping into your first rubber dress isn't going to leave you fighting for your life. You can test your tolerance by using medical, latex gloves. Cut one up into strips and place the strips in various places against your skin (such as under a bra strap, inside a sock and inside a waistband.) Not all allergic reactions are instantaneous, so leave the strips there for an hour or two and check for any signs of irritation. You may be thinking; “But I've used condoms for my whole life, I know I'm not allergic.” I would still advise you to test your sensitivity prior to encasing large areas of your body in the stuff, just to be sure.
Once you have ascertained that you are not at risk of obvious death, you can begin choosing your garments. It is wise to start with moulded garments. They are thicker and generally deteriorate at a much lesser pace. One downside is that they very rarely have zips or any kind of fastener, which means wriggling your way in and out. We stock a range of moulded latex garments that a perfect for your first test run such as this Latex Mini Skirt or Latex Mini Dress.
How to Chose the Right Size Latex Clothes
Latex is designed to fit like a second skin. When worn correctly, you can feel strangely naked whilst fully dressed. Every curve is smoothed and every shape is accentuated and perfected. You'll need to ensure that you're buying the correct size to get the real rubber experience as it's not as simple as going shopping for a new vest top.
Say you have a 27” waist - if you want to buy a pair of jeans or a skirt, you tend to go for a 28” so they're not too tight. If you want to buy a rubber dress, you would purchase a garment with a 25” waist at the biggest. Latex garments can stretch in excess of 5” and therefore you should not purchase a like-for-like fit. As a rule, if it's 2” smaller than your measurements, it should be a wonderful fit.
Wearing Latex for the First Time
Tip 1: Have someone help you dress in your latex.
When first trying out latex clothes, it is worth having someone with you. Many latex garments tend to be wriggle in and wriggle out and if you're not careful, all of that wriggling can lead to a very big, thick and tight elastic band around your diaphragm, chest, waist or head. If you don't have assistance, you may find yourself in a difficult and scary situation. Dressing in latex is a very sensual experience, almost ritualistic in quality and it's an experience worth sharing and not just for safety's sake.
Unpack your latex, dressing aid and shiner. Look at the garment and the shape against your body. If your outfit has no fasteners, how is the best way to get into it? You generally want to pass the outfit over the most slender part of your body and move it into place. If you're top heavy, you'll find dressing easier if you step into a garment and pull it upward. If you're bottom heavy, go over the head and down.
You'll first need to prepare yourself and your latex. Check that the garment does not have excess talc all over it, this will later inhibit your shining capabilities. If the garment is talcy, simply wipe it over with a damp cloth until all residue has been cleaned up. Make sure that you have not used any body lotions with oil/petroleum based ingredients as this will degrade the latex.
A dressing aid such as Pjur Easy Latex Dressing Aid will make the process much easier. Take your dressing aid and spritz the inside of the garment lightly. You shouldn't need a huge amount to make the inside feel lubricated. If you have long nails, you may wish to put on some gloves to prevent you nicking the garment as you dress. If you have assistance, you should ask your assister to wear gloves too.
Either step into the garment or slip it over the head (watching out for your hair. Rubber can be very grabby with hair and dressing aid can make hair greasy!) and slowly ease the garment upward / downward, taking care to prevent it gathering into a thick band. Some latex will take a while to warm and stretch to your shape, so be patient with dressing. If you're coming across too much friction, simply spritz some more dressing aid inside to help. As the latex warms, you should find that the stretch increases and you're able to slide straight in with little effort.
Once you're dressed, take a moment to acquaint yourself with the fit, feel and sensation. Your body temperature will slowly increase as the latex hugs against your shape. When dressing in a full body catsuit, it will take up to an hour for it to settle into the perfect fit. It's therefore wise to fill that hour with make-up and hair maintenance before turn to the shiner. A dress or corset will take much less time to settle and you may be ready to shine and go.
How to Shine Latex
Shining is an integral part of the latex experience. In the right company (or alone) it can be an incredibly erotic experience that could lead to missed nights out. Take the Latex Shiner and hold approximately 30cm away from the garment and lightly spritz. You can then massage it into the rubber using the palms of your hands in circular motions. The feeling of latex immediately changes once the shiner comes out and you (and your partner) will find it hard to resist the urge to stroke, caress and massage the lubricated garment. A shiner, such as the Pjur Latex Shiner will ensure a catsuit comes up with a near-mirror finish, you just cannot beat it!
Tip 2: If you're going out in your latex, it is worth remembering to take your shiner with you. The garment will become less shiny during wear and touch-ups will be required.
How to Wash Latex
After your first latex experience, you may be reluctant to undress. Use the same careful techniques you used as you dressed to remove the garment. Take care to ensure that that the garment does not bunch up or snag.
Once you have removed the garment, it is wise to step into a dry, towel dressing gown. You will have stored a thin layer of sweat between your skin and the garment and you get cold quite quickly once you undress.
Take your garment into the bathroom and place your garment in the bath, avoiding contact with any metals. Most metals will discolour latex if left in contact with it for a small amount of time. Use lukewarm water and a soap or shampoo which does not contain any oils or petroleum. Baby shampoos are often ideal, but always check the labels! Gently lather the latex garment inside and out to remove all traces of dirt, sweat, dressing aid and shiner. Rinse thoroughly.
Once the garment is clean, you should transfer it onto a clean, white towel. Gently pat the garment inside and out until it is completely dry. You should then dust the inside of the garment with a talc to soak up any excess moisture, taking care to get it around any fasteners or seams to keep them nice and dry. Shake off any excess.
How to Store Latex
Latex garments are also sensitive to heat, moisture and light and should therefore be kept in a cool, dry place. The recommended way to store latex is to wrap the clean, dry and talced garment in acid free, white tissue paper and place it inside a large, zip lock bag. These can be sealed air tight and help keep the garment neat to boot! You can then place your garment in a drawer or cupboard for storage, safe in the knowledge that nothing is going to taint your new purchase whilst it isn't in use.
Tip 3: Take your latex out of storage once every month and apply some extra talc. Check that the garment is still in good condition and not deteriorating. You may need to relocate, repack or wash your garment if there are any signs of deterioration since your last wear!
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