"The sacred and profane are nowhere more intimately intertwined than in the realm of fetishism, whose linguistic identity itself originates in the religious and whose practices often involve elaborate, sometimes ecstatic rituals."

Dian Hanson...
...is the editor of Leg Show magazine. She is 40 years old and was twice married and divorced. She is now in a long-term monogamous relationship.

"I'm appalled by what our Puritan culture does to people. Our culture first creates all these fetishes by suppressing positive images of sexuality in youth, and then, when the person develops the fetish, which is the natural end result of that, the person is further punished and reviled."

Ava Taurel...
...owns and operates a New York-based company that specializes in D&S psychodrama. She has lectured on S/M at New York University's Human Sexuality program and Rutgerr's Medical School and at other schools nationwide. She is 47 years old.

"When I wear particular garments, it arouses me. Even if I'm just alone in a room wearing those garments, it arouses me to feel these things on my body and to touch them. It gets me in a certain mood, [even] prior to seeing someone who can enjoy it with me."

"What typically is called foot fetishism actually comprises a nearly infinite variety of tastes. Foot fetishists may like feet, legs, or buttocks. They may favor toes, soles, arches, insteps, heels, ankles, calves, knees, or thighs. They may like huge feet or tiny ones; shapely, well-formed feet or rough, peculiar ones; shod feet or bare ones."

Doug Gaines...
...is 37 years old and is the founder of Foot Fraternity. He teaches special education and owns a greeting-card company for gays and lesbians, as well as a bookkeeping service. He has been with his lover for 12 1/2 years.

"The Foot Fraternity was established as an affirmation group. I found the need to affirm [others] because I [once] needed somebody to tell me, 'You want to smell my feet? That's okay, it doesn't hurt anybody, it's innocent.'"

Mark J...
...is 30 years old. He works in sales and is in a full-time relationship.

"Any type of foreplay with the female foot gives me [an] erotic sensation."

Rob...
...is 30 years old and unmarried.

"I don't have a lot of interest in [D&S;] issues. I am interested in normal women but find myself attracted to women amputees with greater vigor. I also have a strong interest in women's legs and feet."

"D&Sers; are frequently passionate about presenting the body in flamboyant and exotically erotic ways. Their dress transforms them into their personal ideals of wondrous and romantic--or, conversely, sinister and powerful--creatures."

Contents:

What Is Dressing for Pleasure?

Who Does It?

What Do They Wear?

Why Do They Like It?

Quick cuts from our interviews:

Marie-Constance...
...owns Constance Enterprises, a mail-order company with a retail store specializing in fetish fashions, and she founded the annual Dressing for Pleasure fashion show and gala ball. She is in her 50s and lives in New Jersey with her business partner and life-partner, John. She has three grown children.

"Frequently it's the man who has the fetish. He tells his wife, 'I like rubber, and I want to wear rubber when we have sex.' And she says, 'Uck! You must be nuts!'.... Understanding takes time...."

Lindsay...
... is 38 years old. A visual artist, she has worked in word processing and as a legal secretary, a masseuse, a housepainter, a bartender, and a professional photographer. She lives with her life-partner, Max (profiled in Chapter 7).

"I think [dressing] really spices things up, because I become different people. That's exciting for my partner: instead of just having this one woman, there are other people that he perceives."

Allen...
...is 46 years old and has been married for over 20 years. He works in advertising.

"I consider myself trisexual: if it's sexual, I'll try it.... My biggest turn-on in wearing fetish gear is the direct physical feeling of having it on my body."

Phil T...
...is 34 years old and is married with children. He has a background in communications.

"Just recently I [wore] a diaper with rubber pants with a garter belt and stockings. It was quite a combination! Of course, nobody could see that underneath [my] clothing.... What would happen...if I got caught at work?"