Catsuit

A catsuit is a skin-tight one-piece garment usually with long sleeves and leggings, mostly used in fashion, fetish and erotic context. Catsuits can be worn by both genders, but are usually seen worn by females in a sexual fetish context, and despite the name, catsuits in general do not have characteristics.

History

Catsuits date back at least as far as the 1940s. Although a lot of catsuits are now made of spandex, the fabric was not invented until 1959. Therefore, it was likely these earlier suits were first made of knits or by hand knitting, a process that would have been more practical and less expensive than rubber. (Rubber catsuits can be sweaty to wear but some fetishists may like this feel.)

Construction

A catsuit is usually made of leather (or pleather), rubber/latex, PVC, velour, or spandex. It is a skin-tight one-piece garment with sleeves and long legs, and sometimes with feet, gloves or a hood. It usually has a zip closure in the front or back, but other necklines are possible. A catsuit with both feet, gloves and a hood, which totally encloses the wearer is called a zentai (the Japanese word for "whole body").

Variations

Feet, if present, might be like socks, which is the most common case, or they might be some sort of integrated boot, sometimes high heeled. Instead of gloves there also might be bondage mittens, which might have a D-ring at the top, and some of such catsuits can be used as straitjackets in the context of bondage. Some catsuits have incorporated monoglove instead of sleeves and they can also be used for bondage. Catsuits may also have incorporated corset and/or neck corset.

Uses

Although catsuit is identical to a unitard in construction, its use rarely involves sports. It is mostly used in the context of fashion, fancy-dress costume, or fetishist clothing. In works of fiction, such as comics and movies, it is often worn by superheroes of both sexes. In reality, catsuits are standard attire for dominatrixes.

Appearance in popular culture

The catsuit is often used in popular culture such as in movies, television, music videos and computer games.

Perhaps one of the most iconic is Catwoman, the villainess/anti-heroine of the Batman series, who has worn a number of different styles of catsuit in her numerous film, comic book and cartoon adaptations.

On "The Mighty Boosh", Vince Noir, portrayed by Noel Fielding, is often seen wearing catsuits, including the legendary mirror suit.

Trinity from "The Matrix" wore a black PVC catsuit.

Victoria Beckham wore a black catsuit in the "Say You'll Be There" music video from the Spice Girls' "Spice", as well as in the "Too Much" video from the "Spiceworld".

The character of Jade in the Wrong Number series from R.L. Stine's Fear Street has an affinity for wearing catsuits.

ee also

*Bodystocking
*Fetish fashion
*Gimp suit
*Jumpsuit
*Latex and PVC fetishism
*Latex clothing
*Spandex fetishism
*Unitard
*Wetsuit
*Zentai

References

* [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1879794098 Pop-culture reference to 'first catsuit'] ("Witness the group's formation and the first time they wore catsuits!" - Editorial review of "Archie Americana Series Best Of The Forties Book 2" on Amazon)
* [http://www.arcadiatv.com/s_29.asp Invention of wetsuits] ("Bradner took the first plunge in a neoprene wetsuit in the winter of 1950 at Lake Tahoe.")

External links

* [http://www.stretchy.org/catsuit Catsuit pattern drafting]
* [http://www.weaponofcreation.com/files/ies/htskin.htm How to make a catsuit]
*"See also "dmoz|Adult/Society/Sexuality/Fetishes/Clothing/Latex/|Latex fetish sites