Latex clothing - what is it?

I doubt that most of the people would recognize latex clothing. Usually people talk about latex every time when they see any clothing that is black and has some kind of shine. Even most of the entertainment media make big headlines about some celebrity wearing latex pants though she has worn only regular leggings. Well, here's my little introduction about latex clothing for dummies  =)

Latex is rubber. So we talk about rubber clothing. Latex clothes are made of latex only if we don't count possible fasteners or zippers. There's no other fabrics unless they are glued onto latex for decorations. Latex clothes are made of thin latex sheeting, usually around 0,25mm or 0,33mm or 0,4mm thickness. The thickness depends from clothing itself, for example how much durability or flexibility are needed. Also the user chooses what thickness his/her clothing should be.

 

Latex can be manufactured by moulding when it's seamless. But it's more common to create latex clothing from pieces nowadays by glueing pieces together. This is similar like tailoring real clothes or suits with accurate measures. This technique makes better fitting garments possible. Latex tailors and manufacturers have different creations for sale. There are quite seamless garments for those who like them. But even the garments with seams can be very beautiful as tailors have a talent to design seams decoratively.

 

Latex isn't breathable fabric so some people can't use latex clothes for long periods. Some people can wear latex even hours. I guess all depends from personal abilities and temperature.

 

Washing latex is quite easy but it takes some room. Latex clothing can be washed by hands in a basin with water and mild soap. After some washing clothes should soak in the basin for few minutes before hanging them to dry. You need some space to dry latex clothing as they can drop more water than regular clothing. I recommend hanging clothes to dry in bathroom only.

Latex can be washed under shower or in a basin. If you have a bathtub available it is also a good option.

I recommend washing latex garment after every use. Sweat and other impurities can corrode latex and make it brittle.

 

Maintaining latex is an extra job. When regular clothing doesn't need so much maintaining latex does. You have to keep latex treated with silicone product made especially for latex clothing. Silicone keeps latex lubricated and flexible preventing it from drying, tearing or cracking. You can imagine what happens to other rubber items such as gaskets if they aren't lubricated. Never leave latex garment without silicone after washing.

 

The beautiful shine of latex comes from the silicone treatment. Latex should be polished properly when shine is needed. You should also be prepared to repeat shining after some use as the silicone will get spent during use.

Here's a latex dress without any polishing product.

Here the latex dress have been polished just from a little area on the front. We can see a clear difference between polished and non-polished area.

Here the whole dress have been treated with silicone polishing product.

You should avoid putting latex clothing in direct sunlight for long times as it can make latex brittle. Also long time contact with different metals like iron or copper should be avoided.

 

If your clothing gets damages it will be hard to repair. You have to get latex sheet of same color and applicable glue so you can patch up the damages. This doesn't always help as the smooth surface is gone for good and even repairing doesn't guarantee that clothing will tolerate using again. If you have a specialist available I suggest you consult them about repairing if you haven't repaired latex clothes before.

 

Storing the latex clothing should be done separately. I recommend putting them separately in coat hangers or folding them separately in plastic bags. Even baking paper can be useful if you separate clothes with it when folding them. The idea is that different latex clothes are stored separately so they won't be in contact and "get glued" together. I have even used 200 litres plastic bags to make "garment bags" around clothes. I hope my information will be useful. There are many other tricks to keep latex clothing well maintained so look after for other advices too. So do I. There's always new tricks to learn.

 

I wish this introduction gave you a good picture about latex clothing. Now you can go and buy yourself a piece of your own  =)