A chest harness fits snugly and comfortably on the body with its soft straps across the bosom, under the armpits, and over the shoulders. You shouldn’t miss out on this masculine look at the next KinkFest event. While the value and influence of the leather community is significant, and people deserve to build communities with those who understand them, the positioning of this community seems to be directly against (or even in reaction to) the idea of the “feminine gay man.” It has a tone of the “not like other gays” around it, which under the 1950’s patriarchy is not surprising. After World War II, fetish magazines in North America featured this style of bondage in illustrations and photos. Some argue it was the servicemen in World War II, who had experimented with or witnessed this form of bondage overseas, who brought the art form to North America. The harness originated in the underground BDSM scene and does have certain connotations due to this, but harnesses have become more visible recently, even appearing on catwalks and red carpets in recent years, showing a wider societal acceptance of both the harness and gay culture in general. It can be added to a tuxedo to create style, or it can be used in the bedroom to entice a potential lover, meaning the harness has a variety of different uses for the modern gay man. If you're a gay man looking for something a little different or wanting to spice your love life up, then the harness may be just the thing to try!

This being said, fetish exploration is not a free-for-all. There is a trepidatious line between fetishizing balloons and fetishizing blood. That vague line exists throughout the world of kink, which is why the motto “safe, sane, and consensual” should be strictly adhered to as you explore the things that turn you on — which, I must stress, are worth exploring. Your birthdays just got a lot more interesting. The modern hanky code is often reported to have started in New York City around 1970, when a journalist for the Village Voice joked that instead of simply wearing a set of keys on one side or the other (then a common code to indicate whether someone was a “top” or a “bottom”), it would be more efficient to subtly announce their particular sexual focus by wearing different colored handkerchiefs. Other sources attribute the expansion of the original red–blue system into today’s code to marketing efforts around 1971 by The Trading Post, a San Francisco department store for erotic merchandise, promoting handkerchiefs by printing cards listing the meanings of various colors. Wear one under your clothes during the day, making your muscles subtly pop through your shirt to get attention. Come nighttime, wear a harness as your statement piece when you’re out clubbing or creating a mood in the bedroom. Are you afraid you’re discovering the gay harness too late in your life? Don’t worry because the latest collections from the best gay underwear brands will ensure you aren't left behind. Or maybe you are slightly obsessed and would like to make a fashion statement in the upcoming LGBTQ+ party scene? I have heard it proposed more than once that fetishes are psychological conditions that manifest themselves as the only responses certain people can have to stimuli that they would otherwise consider repulsive. I personally have never fully bought this claim. However, it is no secret that clowns — which will likely be remembered in a thousand years as one of the worst creations of modern man — are commonly fetishized figures, and I cannot help but wonder if fetishizing clowns is the only way some people can respond to their horror. The mind is capable of doing many incredible things, like transferring pain into pleasure, stress into desire, and fear into eroticism, so while I cannot justifiably make the claim that all fetishes are the mind’s roundabout method of dealing with revulsion, I do wonder why clowns have emerged as such a surprisingly common fetish.

Shop Harnesses | Mens Harness Styles - Chest, Shoulder & Body

Everyone has their favourite type of underwear. Whether you're looking for comfort, style, sex appeal or anything in between, there are a multitude of different options available to wear, depending on the individual. The gay community is well known for its fashion and style, with Lure Menswear cornering the market in gay men's underwear. If you're a gay man and you're looking to spruce up your wardrobe, then you should look no further than Lure Menswear! With so much choice out there, it's hard to know where to start! The longer lists found elsewhere on the Internet are more elaborate and the many color codes in them are less often used in practice, although some of these colors are offered for sale at LGBT stores along with free cards listing their meanings. History Origin Colours: Although there are countless variations depending on which part of the planet you are frequenting, the following are, more often than not, reliable no matter where you go: With the advent of the internet, people were better able to connect and explore, express and discover new or existing fetishes. The hanky code expanded to encompass these fetishes, communicating interests through new colors and even new fabrics, such as leather or lace. The color system has also expanded beyond hankies to other accessories. It is not uncommon to have harnesses, singlets, or leather articles in a color derived from the hanky code to indicate a desired fetish or sexual interest. Sociological Aspect

Leather, as a gay subculture, has been around for decades. Thought to have evolved from biker culture in the US around the 1940s, it emerged partly in response to a dissatisfaction at the effeminate portrayal of gay men at the time. The hyper masculinity of leather being a rebellion from the camp stereotype that surrounded, and still today continues to be attached to, gay male culture. Although often associated with BDSM its connection to the practice varies from purely vanilla and aesthetic to full blown extreme fetishes. For the newcomers to the scene (welcome), it can be difficult to navigate the minefields of traditions, connotations, inferences and regional differences involved in many local leather scenes. One aspect of the leather scene which carries with it the most consistency, and so is the simplest to get to grips with, is colour. DJX has a hot range, from circuit straps in bright colours perfect for the clubs, through harnesses for the ultimate all-day comfort and definition and the Brutus harness for standout chest definition. A leather harness is an essential part of every gay mans wardrobe. Harnesses are worn by guys all the time. They are worn at massive circuit party events, local pubs, dance clubs, fetish house parties, street festivals, and to Pride parades. They are universal and attract a lot of attention. If you’re considering investing in your first leather harness, or looking to add to your collection, the leather bulldog harness is a must-have. I thought I was making new friends who were interested in hanging out with me because I'm the smartest, coolest, funniest, and most humble person in the existence of gaykind; but sadly that wasn't the case. If I didn't want to sleep with them, they no longer wanted to be my friends. I gave out my number to three guys, and the next day they all texted me. No waiting and no playing hard to get. I met up with all of them, and get this: No one canceled last-minute. In fact, two of the guys I met up with as friends and the other for a sexual encounter. To this day, we're all still close.So naturally, the next month I went to the party again and that's where I met the man I would call my boyfriend for over a year. While we have since broken up, we are still best friends, and together both of us found a home in the Boston leather scene. And even if the leather scene in its traditional form is indeed fading – or simply transforming – the gear is not going anywhere. The rise of popularity in harnesses specifically is profound, and this symbol of kink and queerness has become widespread both within and outside of the community. I think that the spreading of harnesses into runway and fashion is a notable symptom of the ongoing destigmatization of sexual liberation and queerness – as long as we pay homage to the kink and queer roots. New materials, like PVC, vinyl, rubber, and high fashion fabrics are appearing in stylized harness-type garments as well. When speaking about this with people in various leather groups, it becomes clear that the reason why isn’t all that complex. Harnesses are sexy to wear and to look at. They hug our muscles in all the right places. They are great to flag colours if you’re into certain sexual acts. They are all these things, but most of all, they feel personal to each of us, and to the community as a whole. Our relationship had started more than a year earlier with intense monthly BDSM play sessions. After we stopped playing sexually, we continued to go to the gym together and push each other to live healthier. We still go to the gym together, and today I consider him one of my closest friends. He knows what I like — sexually and otherwise — more than most people in my life, so his presents are always top-notch. Some people think they are only worn as gay underwear. However, harnesses for gay fetishes can be extremely versatile. The available options depend on the theme of the occasion and your fashion taste.

As far as I know, there is no history of harnesses,” Gayle Rubin, a leather historian and anthropology professor, writes me, adding that there were harnesses around the time IML, an annual leatherman contest and conference, began in 1979. This further validates the Leather Archive’s timeline. “You might also look through Tom of Finland’s work and see when he draws harnesses and how he depicts them.”

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Others believe the harness was born from Japanese bondage. In the early 20th century, kabuki theatre introduced bondage-style rope ties into its highly stylized performances, and many of these ties resemble the harnesses worn today. I felt welcomed at Fascination unlike I'd ever felt in Boston, or had felt since coming out. I felt like a member of the queer community. But many superstars have jumped on the harness trend, sexing up outfits to flirt with leather, mesh or chain looks. As a result, harnesses are widely accepted as part of mainstream fashion to support all sexual desires and relationships.