Fetish: Fashion, Sex & Power

Kinky boots, corsets, underwear as outerwear, second-skin garments of
rubber and leather, uniforms, body piercing.... Today everything from a
fetishist's dream appears on the fashion runways. Although some people
regard fetish fashion as exploitative and misogynistic, others interpret
it as a
positive Amazonian statement--couture Catwoman. But the
connection between fashion and fetishism goes far beyond a few couture
collections. For the past thirty years, the iconography of sexual
fetishism has been increasingly assimilated into popular culture. Before
Michelle Pfeiffer's Catwoman,
there was Mrs. Peel, heroine of the
1960s television show "The Avengers," who wore a black leather catsuit
modeled on a real fetish costume. Street styles like punk and the gay
"leatherman" look also testify to the influence of fetishism.
The
concept of fetishism has recently assumed a growing importance in
critical thinking about the cultural construction of sexuality. Yet
until now no scholar with an in-depth knowledge of fashion history has
studied the actual clothing fetishes themselves. Nor has there been a
serious exploration
of the historical relationship between fashion
and fetishism, although erotic styles have changed significantly and
"sexual chic" has become increasingly conspicuous.
Cultural
historian Valerie Steele has devoted much of her career to the study of
the relationship between clothing and sexuality, and is uniquely
qualified to write this book. Marshalling a dazzling array of evidence
from pornography, psychology, and history, as well as interviews with
individuals
involved in sexual fetishism, sadomasochism, and
cross-dressing, Steele illuminates the complex relationship between
appearance and identity. Based on years of research, her book Fetish: Fashion, Sex & Power explains how a paradigm shift in attitudes toward sex and gender has given rise to the
phenomenon of fetish fashion.
"Steele is to fetish dressing what Anne Rice is to vampires," writes Christa Worthington of Elle
magazine, "the intellectual interpreter of...wishes beyond our ken."
According to Steele, fetishism shows how human sexuality is never just a
matter of doing what comes naturally; fantasy always plays
an
important role. Steele provides provocative answers to such questions
as: Why is black regarded as the sexiest color? Is fetishizing the norm
for males? Does fetish fashion reflect a fear of AIDS? And why do so
many people love shoes?