Fetish - Fashion, Sex & Power

by Valerie Steele

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?

Genres: Fashion, Nonfiction, Sexuality, Art, History, BDSM, Sociology

280 pages, Hardcover

First published November 2, 1995

About the author

Valerie Steele is director and chief curator and Melissa Marra is associate curator of education and public programs, both at the Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology, New York.

Reviews

[Ava LaBeija · Rating 2 out of 5]

Initially, I was pleasantly surprised. The book goes beyond the standard source material of Bettie Page stock photos, the Bizarre back catalogue and wasp waist horror stories and into the world of Polaire, DSC and Rops. Steele's references are extensive, ranging from Mr. Pearl and Fakir Musafar to Marx and Engels. In terms of research, this is a solid work.

There is no denying that this woman is archetypically cishet, and uses inconsiderate terms such as "transvestite" (and, rather condescendingly, "hermaphrodite") pretty loosely. Yeah yeah, Zeitgeist and all that. Still, it became too bothersome to read about even more "perverse" fantasies from "transvestites" and made me feel highly uncomfortable. Furthermore, statements such as "fetishism is almost always a male perversion" rub me the wrong way, describing women as free of perverse want and lust, not engaging in the act of fetishizing anything and perhaps even being afraid of anything outside of "the norm".
As a side note, she needed a better editor. Extremely common names, like Bettie Page, were misspelled, and she talks about a new and upcoming group of creative club kids in New York in the late 90s, long after Michael Alig killed Angel and Giuliani cracked down on NYC nightlife.

What I liked about the book: solid effort, great resources, psychoanalytic theory from Kaplan to Lacan, interesting subject matter.

Would only recommend to those really into corsetry, shoe fetishism etc.: too lengthy for a more general audience.

[SHIP (formerly The CSPH)]

Fetish: Fashion, Sex & Power explores the link between fashion and the expression of sexuality—not only sexual behavior, but also gender identity.

The 19th century sexologist Richard Von Krafft-Ebing defined fetishism as “the association of lust with the idea of certain portions of female person, or with certain articles of female attire.” Rejecting the idea that only men can have fetishes, Steele believes that fetishism is best understood on a continuum: from a slight preference for certain kinds of partners, sexual stimuli, or sexual activity, all the way to specific stimuli being strictly necessary for arousal and even taking the place of a sex partner.

Steele begins by explaining the why of fetishes; she looks at fetishes from a Freudian, Foucaultian, Darwinian, and neurobiological perspective, though none are individually satisfying. And even after synthesizing these views, the big-picture that she gives feels incomplete. Sexual arousal is subtle and hard to entirely capture with a handful of broad ideological frameworks. Steele is much stronger when analyzing the appeal of specific fetishes, she explores the particular appeal of corsets, leather, high-heels, rubber, fur, and more. For example, she explains how specific clothing items can signify different things to their wearers. While noting that the corset “exaggerates the hourglass shape that attracts many heterosexual men,” she keenly observes that “the dominatrix wears her corset as armor, its extreme and rigid curvature the ultimate sexual taunt at the slave who may look but not touch.” Steele sees that in contrast, for the slave, the corset signifies and enforces a sense of discipline and bondage, and in the case of male slaves, a desire to toy around with gender identity.

However, Steele does not merely explain why specific people like certain fetishes, she also deeply explores the historical context and cultural significance of specific fetishes. For example, Steele provides an extended history and analysis of the appropriation of leather by the mainstream fashion community and how people with a leather fetish reacted to this. Or, when exploring why feet and shoes play such an important role in the erotic imagination, Steele takes us all the way to Renaissance Venice and Sung Dynasty China.

If you are at all interested in the relationship between fashion and kink, and how fetishized items trickle into mainstream fashion, this is a book for you. It is historically and philosophically rich and is packed with fun and lurid photographs for either your kinky or educational pleasure.

[Ian Gere · Rating 4 out of 5]

For a history book, this was a page turner. I think that’s the case because the chapters are structured nicely. Steele uses so many sources, from pornography (literally) to Mugler runways, so it was insightful to see how she wove such a broad scope sources together. This book definitely has a 90s old-fashioned perspective on LGBTQ+, specifically trans, people. That said, the arguments are pretty solid on some points, but I think contemporary scholarship on gender and sexuality studies negate some of her premises.

[Tama · Rating 2 out of 5]

JC loves the photos. Period set photography and fashion.

Has been helpful as non-fiction learning, but Steele’s slant/edge on the text is hard to ignore. Gender values are adhered to throughout. Gays are less important, developing modern sexualities is an idea Steele wouldn’t have considered, everything is rooted in history minus the future and modern perspectives on the past are not contrasted with modern perspectives on modernity.

The man crazed over various items of wear is an image that constantly ruled the book. How individual fetishists feel about fetish are less important to the authorities on fetish, Freud..! This is a problem with ongoing histories I suppose. Who has explained the cycle of feelings of sexual attachment to objects?

[David Veith · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall an ok read. Was written in the 90s and you can tell as the world has evolved since then. At time almost comes across as a bit pretentious, but that is probably more on me ha. Very interesting things though that I never new about fashion and fetishes.

[Netta · Rating 2 out of 5]

Two - it was written in 1990s and it shows - stars.

[Serena · Rating 2 out of 5]

Considering this book was published in the mid-1990s, it was an earlier work on this subject and did try to tackle a large matter. It was ambitious for its time was probably much better received when it first came out (or not, as it may have been seen as too taboo). Either way, it is now outdated and cringey with its white gaze and horrible generalizations and views and use of the gender binary and lack of understanding of the trans community.

[Jess · Rating 2 out of 5]

A lot of good info/history and pics, but this author is the worst cishet norm other-ing pathologizing onlooker

[DAVID · Rating 4 out of 5]

The selection of stories and personal accounts of kinksters of the centuries prior coupled with Steele’s own extensive knowledge on fashion history are definitely one of the highlights of the book. Examples such as Steele debunking the myths of torturous, tight-laced corsets in history by revealing their status as anonymous pieces of fetish writing (often written by men illustrating their fantasies from a female perspective) managed to turn a history book into an engaging page-turner which could shatter reader’s pre-conceived notions and prejudices.

However it is Steele’s reliance on the words of others also makes for some of the far less enjoyable segments where there is little input from Steele herself. It’s a shame, really, as it is clear from the parts in which she does state her opinions on discourses, as well as her interactions with dominatrixes, tight-lacers and the like, that she has the personality and wit to make for a very engaging voice in her own right: one which does not match this somewhat unconfident approach which makes the What is Fetishism? chapter (with its regurgitating of Freudian theory and counterarguments from everyone but Steele) quite the slog to read at times in comparison with the rest of the text.

As for the cisheteronormativity critique, I can agree that the mentions of queer kink communities are communicated in a way that feels moreso like she is simply trying to cover all her bases rather than cover them in equal depth to their heterosexual peers. Another striking example is when it is states ‘[female-to-male] transsexuals are more common than female transvestites’ with no further analysis despite the prevalence of the topic of male transvestitism throughout the book coupled with its assertions of fetishism being more common in men (Are FTM transsexuals truly more common, or are the MTF transsexual fantasies brushed off as crossdressing fetishism due to its commonality? I know it was the 90s, but by bringing attention to the concept of transsexuality, it exposes the flaws of how potential cases are talked about)

Overall, a mostly enjoyable read, perfect for fellow lovers of historical cultural titbits and mythbusting (and cool pictures!). However, for readers who are only invested in the queer subsections of kink, perhaps it’s best to just ask your local gimp for the first two pages of the Booted Master subchapter.

[Toby Crime · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very 90's psychoanalytic history and analysis of fetish. Written at the time when fashion and fetish seemed to be at a point of fairly novel convergence, she explores the understanding of fetishes through time, and how it's understood with fashion in that moment. For her 90's moment, she's clearly on a cutting edge of the mainstream discussion of this topic, laying out at length that she's neither there to defend or condemn any particular practice.

The topics she picks are big archetypal fetishes (shoes, corsets, leather etc.) which perhaps demonstrate the difference in assumption of polymorphous fetishism than we might have now. Looking back into the past, I found each case interesting, though with some claims consistently under-interrogated. Again and again she claims that it's mostly men who have fetishes, then pulls quotes from wives along the lines of 'I started doing this for my husband, but I wouldn't have continued if it didn't also really turn me on'. Perhaps she's felt the need at the point to lay those quotes as suggestive for others to pick up and explore further. Consistently, the topic of 'tranvestitism' among 'men' recurrs in fascinating ways, and while she's commendably open about this as part of sexual pleasure, she never hints at any thinking that these historical examples were acceptable forms of trans experimentation and display.

Her analysis throughout of what is psychological happening around fetishes is provocative and worth considering. Sometimes these arguments will be played out in full. Other times there are merely suggestions i.e. 'shoes are important cause they are the thing a child sees before looking up the legs to the crotch'. These less open ended, declarative statements aren't directly persuasive to me, but do feel like decent provocations to think through.

[Battle · Rating 4 out of 5]

For the first time, I understand my style when I was younger. I do not have a fetish I think, but certain elements easily been a huge part of how I dressed, even carried myself in public (looking down on people in my leather jacket and “high and mighty” tone). Mind you, I didn’t read this book to understand myself, but I thought perhaps this was an important read to understand fashion better. It did help me. I am grateful. I didn’t expect it to tie the way it did with archetypes and what they mean to us and how people are.

Now, this is coming from the perspective of a cis woman. I have no idea or experience to know if this would apply to binary trans people, or even non binary. If you are a hetero cis person, or homo cis person, the book may or may not resonate with you (I’d rather approach it academically, since you get to have a good idea on how fetishes influenced fashion). I will also extend this to cross dressers, I feel like it makes sense, and I’ve heard of cross dressers express their experience similarly, but I do not want to be the one making that call. Now, if you are not cis, I’m not sure you will feel the book represents you, although maybe if you are part of the fetish community, you might be familiar or feel represented by specific parts of this book?

I do not like Freud but I can see why his work appeals to fetishists and how it can be relevant to this book.

Anyways, I personally enjoyed reading this book, I think it adds a fresh understanding to the concept of fantasies and human sexuality and how it plays in how we dress. Also, the sentence “leave something to the imagination” now makes me laugh.

[Arlow Raine · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’m somewhat disappointed in this read. This felt like more of an explanation of many different fetishes instead of “why” we have fetishes, what causes us to have them, the psychology behind them, etc. Steele did a great job at showing the trajectory of fetish fashions into mainstream fashion. There were so many tidbits and interview with fashion designers that I found interesting. I had to keep reminding myself this book was published in 1996 from the vast amount of references to Freud’s “theories” on sex - there’s just far too much reliance from Steele on Freud’s idea of the “phallic woman” that just comes off as, dare I say, nonsense. While yes, the book is outdated (obviously) I think that even for the time, Steele was taking an extremely straight-world take on fetish culture. She does dive into the leathersex gay scene, but so much more of fetish culture, both underground and more mainstream/visible fetish culture was practised by gay, lesbian, and bi people (swingers and other similar non-monogamous people of all sexualities as well that weren’t touched on). Even the “transvestism” (ie. men cross-dressing) that Steele writes plenty about is often confused with transsexualism - for someone writing a book on fetish culture and fashion, you think she would have interviewed at least one person outside of the traditional gender binary, or someone would have explained to her the difference, but alas. I think this would be an alright book for people wanting to learn about fetish history and fashions.

[Robert Hudder · Rating 2 out of 5]

This came out in 1996 and has stayed on my shelf. I have picked it up a few times and always stopped somewhere in the first chapter. There was something quite old fashioned about the definition of fetish. I kept expecting more to hang a hat on other than a simple description and some talk on what this means.

Maybe part of the old fashioned is even the referents. This all occurred before Pat Califa became Patrick Califa; the Matrix Trilogy; or the last days of industrial and gothic culture. In some ways, even with the more prudery that has evolved, there has been a normalization of the subversive, a widening of normative and dominant culture.

In some ways, there wasn't enough about the history of the fashion parts. The good news is that there is a larger bibliography and that could lead to learning more about the particular area. I guess I expected more and each time I started this book, it was clear that this was not going to be an in-depth exploration but rather an overview with clues.

But it is an okay book as a start, I suppose

[Todd Evans · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very insightful and smart with excellent examples. Just not as objective and open to alternative viewpoints as a very good/near perfect study could be on fetish fashion. This book in some ways encourages women to think that dressing in fetish-wear creates less empowerment when many women feel more comfortable and more powerful in fetish clothing or clothing that resembles items worn in kink scenes. I, in general, would like to see more books on this topic that are written by authors who can hold opposed or disparate viewpoints in their heads at the same time.

[Leonora Skantze · Rating 3 out of 5]

Väldigt Europa och USA fokuserad.
Trädde de skulle va mera klädhistoria innehåll. Men de vart typ 75%fetish historia istället. Författaren förknippar väldigt lite dom två tillsammans vid få tillfällen. Och man märker att hon definitivt har en favorit (Jean Paul Gaultier)

Den var bra och lärorik. Men känner mig lite besviken. Bilderna och referenserna var otroliga dock!
Stark 3:a

[₵oincidental Ðandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating look at the intersection of popular fashion & fetishism; some very interesting theories & points of view are proposed. Good read.

[Marcel Huefken · Rating 2 out of 5]

A decent overview of fetish writings, but I do not see where it contributes something that is not in the other works.

[Helena Vigo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not really very fashion focused, imo, but kinda ok!

[Niya · Rating 3 out of 5]

As an academic Ms. Steele could have produced a dry tome about the complex and sometimes fraught relationship between fetishism and fashion and waxed on about the fact that each consumes the other to create something new and complex. Instead she explores the intersectionality of fashion, fetishism, sex, gender, power and the body in a care, but very surface level way. What she is careful and thoughtful about doing is presenting the fetishists she interacts with (or the case studies she quotes) in a way that retains both their humanity and vulnerability - instead of depicting them as deviant or other - which would have been easy to do. She manages to produce a palatable if teasing text that encourages the reader to take their own deep dive into whatever aspect they find most fascinating.

[Cat · Rating 4 out of 5]

In Fetish - Fashion, Sex & Power, Steele deftly traces fetish fashion from its earliest appearances in niche markets to its counterculture appeal to its embrace in the mainstream. As fashion history's preeminent scholar, Steele navigates this history effortlessly and makes an incredibly complex topic accessible. She concisely weaves together political, social, and cultural influences in an attempt to make the abstract more tangible. While she does not shy away from the psychology or sexuality of fashion, nor does she exploit these things. This is not a study of fetish or fetishists, it is a study of the objects of fetish. The material, the garment, the textile itself is treated as a historical artifact - it is this approach that distinguishes Steele's work.

[Anika · Rating 3 out of 5]

There is certainly a lot of good stuff in this book - clearly Steele, who writes clearly and engagingly, has done a great deal of research. And yet, there's something ultimately frustrating about it - although she has done a lot of research on various fetish outfits, you don't feel like you've come any closer to understanding why people would have these fetishes - you just get a sense that many people do. Perhaps that's too much to ask - after all, it seems that nobody really knows why people develop the kinks they do - but you do wish she had gone a bit further into trying to figure out the why.

[Andrew · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a nice introduction to a thick topic. With supplemental readings this book is a nice companion to a broader understanding of fetishism through out the ages. It briefly covers many different perspectives on digesting core theory, while the author retains a hint at their own opinion. She completely lets loose in the final chapter, only to leave the reader with information to formulate their own opinion. This is not a one stop shop. I would advise reading Tiger Sprung along with other writings by Valerie Steel to understand her conclusions. This book has merely opened the gates for me.

[Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Though this was a wonderful examination of fetish in fashion through the years and how it became a part of common society, it did not explain as much as I was looking for in how fetish "is". Much more focused on patterns in history, i suppose an anthropological view, but not one that included more of the psychology as I was looking for. Still a great place to start research in the culture of fetishism.

[Fostergrants · Rating 4 out of 5]

i got this book as a gift and loved the cover...but the book is not really about sex, but more about the history of clothing as a means to send sexual signals. it's the idea behind stiletto heels expanded to a wide variety of clothing. some of it's weird but i really enjoyed the psychology behind fetish fashion. lots of photos. not vulgar.

[Adrien Green · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been working on this book for some time, but it's none-the-less a fascinating read. Fetish is an informed cultural examination of the evolution of sexual attitudes/values and their manifestation in the fashion of the times. The book further explores the commoditization of BDSM subculture in contemporary life.

[Lui Ramirez · Rating 3 out of 5]

Loved how it considers several perspective on fetishism and fashion alike.
A little too much Freud thrown in there for my taste and my ideological inclinations.
Super interesting account of the intersections of fashion and fetish, and an excellent, accessible book for those of us who are nowhere near experts at neither.

[Tofu Fairy · Rating 4 out of 5]

this was an interesting book but out of date in a lot of ways. written in 1996, a lot of the "fashion" and "style" tidbits are old. The psychology behind the fetish fashion is still relevant though. its a good read. reads a bit like a textbook for my taste but I did enjoy it.

[Alisa Cupcakeland · Rating 5 out of 5]

AMADO. Igual soy consciente de que la autora confunde un libro de Jeanne Rejaunier con uno de Naomi Wolf pero se lo perdono.

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