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Archive-name: alt-sex/fetish-fashion/part6
Alt-sex-fetish-fashion-archive-name: FAQ-Part6 Version: 3.0 Last-modified: 23-Feb-96 See reader questions & answers on this topic! - Help others by sharing your knowledge
THE GUIDES.
===========
1. Product Guide.
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Not written yet. Your input would be most appreciated!
2. Magazine Guide.
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Magazines about fetish fashion.
<<O>> Fashion, Fetish & Fantasies (second generation)
The new <<O>> has 156 pages, with 128 grm high glossy Japanese art
paper, cover 260 grm c2/s artcard and the orderform 180 grm
woodfree.
The direction is going more to photostories and mainstream. It
will be an art coffee table book with fetish themes.
Publisher:
Ron Mayer
Editor:
Ernest Greene
Published by:
<<O>> Editorial Headquaters
9903 Santa Monica Blvd., Suite 243
Beverly Hills, CA 90212
Phone: (310) 289-1412
Fax: (310) 823-6366
Distributors:
English Issue in Europe
<<O>> Subscriptions
63 Highbury New Park
London N5 2ET
Phone: (0171) 226 6632
Fax: (0171) 354 0957
For UK for four issues Pounds 28 including shipping and
handling, European Community Pounds 32, rest Pound 36.
France
<<O>> Subscriptions/Mailorder/Fashion, France
10BIS rue Montgallet
75012 Paris
Phone (1) 40 19 94 95
Fax (1) 40 19 93 33
Subscriptions four issues <<O>> 25 in English, rest in
French: FF 200 plus FF 75 for shipping and handling.
Japan
<<O>> Subscriptions/Mailorder/Fashion, JAPAN
21 Sakamachi, Shinjuku-Ku,
Tokyo 160
Phone: (03) 3356-9267
Fax: (03) 3356-9810
Subscriptions four issues: Yen 6.000 plus shipping and
handling.
In America and Rest of the world
<<O>> Subscriptions
1007 Montana Avenue, suite 300
Santa Monica, CA 80403
USA
Tel: 1-800-220-0060
For US for four issues $55 including shipping and
handling, Canada $62,50, Rest $70.
German issue
<<O>> Abo Service
Postfach 3031
53020 Bonn
Phone/Fax: 02280652469
Four issues for DM 76 inside Germany, DM88 for European
Community and Switzerland, Rest DM 110.
First issue:
The on-sale-date of <<O>> 25 is September 28, 1995 in Europe.
<<O>> Fashion, Fetish & Fantasies (first generation)
NOT PUBLISHED ANYMORE! - Replaced by "Marquis" (see this)
115 pages, Full color, English language. Fetish designs, stories,
artwork, readers own input, interviews and much more. 80-90%
female fashions.
Editor:
Peter W. Czernich
Published by:
TECHCOM Verlags- und Vertriebs GmbH
Kronprinzenstr. 30
D-42655 Solingen
Germany
Tel: (+49) 0212/56626
Fax: (+49) 0212/549094
Distributors:
UK/Ireland:
UNA DEVA
P.O. Box 1426
Shepton Mallet
Somerset, BA4 6HH
England
North America:
<<O>> Magazine
P.O. Box 86
Callicoon Centrum
N.Y. 12724
USA
France:
<<O>> Magazine
B.P. 289
75 867 Paris - Cedex 18
Tel: (0033)1-42557147
Japan:
TOKYO BOEKI SHOKAI LTD.
5-7 Shinjuku 1-chome
Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo
Japan
Att: Mr. Matsumoto
Switzerland:
FANCY BOUTIQUE
Haltinger Str. 59
CH-4057 Basel
Switzerland
Att: Mr. Burgisser
Benelux:
SCALA B.V.
Contactweg 28
1017 Amsterdam
Holland
Tel: 020 828 900
Italy:
CYBERCORE
Via Lame 57/G
I-40122 Bologna
Italy
Pricing:
DM 30 / $20 / #10 / FF 120 / hfl 35 / Lire 28000 / Yen 4000 /
oS 280 / dkr 150
Latest issue:
No. 24
Quality rating:
Very good.
Negatives:
The bad binding method in the most recent issues (glue) makes
the magazine fall apart after only a few readings, reducing
it to a collection of loose pages.
Marquis:
132 pages, full color, both english and german language. Fetish
designs, stories, artwork, readers own input, interviews and much
more. 80-90% female fashions. Successor to <<O>> Magazine! -
Published quarterly.
Editor:
Peter Czernich
Published by:
THE FETISH FACTORY Ltd,
P.O. Box 1426, Shepton Mallet,
Somerset BA4 6HH,
U.K.
Editorial Address:
MARQUIS,
Flensburger Str. 5,
42655 Solingen,
Germany
Tel: +49 212-586151
Fax: +49 212-586156
URL: http://www.marquis.de
Distribution:
Germany:
See editorial address.
Switzerland:
Fancy
Elisabethenstrasse 41
CH-4004 Basel Tel: 061-2714656
Fax: 061-3111851
France:
Marquis
P.O. Box 289
75867 Paris CEDEX
Austria:
E. Z. Verlagsgeshellschaft GmbH
Ratschkygasse 3-4
A-1120 Wien
Tel: 01-812331
Fax: 01-8123911
UK and the rest of the world:
See publication address.
Pricing:
10UKP / DM28 / $19 / FF95 / HFL30
Latest issue:
Issue #4, released in October 1995.
Quality rating:
Very great! - The well-known 'Czernich-Quality'!
Skin Two (UK):
132 pages, Full color, English language. Very art-like
photography, lots of ads and useful addresses, lots of fetish
related background including interviews with relevant people.
Editor:
Tim Woodward
Published by:
Tim Woodward Publishing
BCM Box 2071
London WC1N 3XX
England.
Tel: 081 968 0234
Fax: 081 960 8404
WWW: http://www.dungeon.com/~SkinTwo
E-mail: info@skintwo.co.uk
Distributors:
Australia:
Studio Strak
Box 4838
GPO Melbourne 3001
Australia.
Tel: 03 809 2632
Holland:
DeMask
Zeedijk 64
1012 BA Amsterdam <br< Holland.
Tel: 205 603
Japan:
Azzlo
B1, 16-24 Arakicho
Shinjuku-Ku, Tokyo
Japan.
Tel: 03 356 9267
Pricing:
#10 (pounds). Add for p&p #1 (UK), #2 (EC) or #5 elsewhere
(airmail).
Latest Issue:
Number 17.
Quality rating:
Very good.
Negatives:
Publishing is (currently) very irregular, making it hard to
wait for the next issue.
Skin Two - Deutsche Ausgabe:
Not released anymore. This magazine was a german language
predecessor to <<O>> and back issues might be available from the
same publisher or distributors as <<O>> (see this). Only issue 1
to 7 was ever released before the name and language was changed,
and issue 8 became <<O>> no. 1.
Atomage International:
I'm not familiar with this - Review needed!
Pussy Cat, the essential magazine:
By Hayo Schreijer:
64 pages, 8 pounds, format like 'SHINY'.
The magazine is mostly into Female Domination, but the ladies are
wearing lots of pervy clothes. In my issue #8 is something on 'St.
Michael's Emporium', erotic rubber and a beautiful red-headed
rubber-mistress.
Published by:
Black Box Productions Ltd.
52 Bermondsey Street, London Bridge
London SE1 3UD,
England
Quality-rating:
I don't think it's worth 8 pounds, but I got it on a sale for
3 pounds (that's good).
Boot Lovers Digest:
By Hayo Schreijer:
48 pages, $9.00, issue #3 RARE!
Very nice magazine, completly filled with ladies on thight-high
boots. In this issue 'Mistress Stephanie Locke' shows her
collection of boots (hundreds of them!) and more. Also in issue #3
a list of Shoe/Boot-sellers over the world. I like this kind of
magazines very much: just sticking to one fetish at a time and my
favorite. According to the local-salesman these issues are very
rare. I've got issue 2 and 3, can't find issue 1. I don't know if
there are more...
Publisher:
Stricly Speaking Pub. Co., (no address)
Quality Rating:
Very nice.
Bizarre O:
By Hayo Schreijer <P.H.Schreijer@pobox.ruu.nl>
Published by:
Bizarre Spartacus,
13331 Garden Grove Blvd., Suite G,
Garden Grove, CA 92645
USA
Master Art Director:
Mistress Cyntia.
Pricing:
$8.95 (for issue #3)
The magazine is focussed on erotic fantasies and fetish (sic).
It's complete (letters, drawings, lots of pictures in B/W and
color and video and book-reviews, agenda with fetish-parties).
Although it's from the USA the magazine is mostly oriented on the
scene in Europe. In number 3 par example an article on 'Steve
English's (Demask) Bewitched Party' in Amsterdam, article on
fetish fashion by Chanel and Gianni Versace and on Eric Kroll, a
fetish photographer. And..lot's of good pictures with beautiful
ladies. The magazine is almost as good as <<O>> or Skin Two.
Shiny International:
43 pages, Mixed color and black/white, English language. Lots of
dominant females both in regular photography and in comic strips.
Both readers and publishers stories.
Editor:
Not listed.
Published by:
G & M Fashions (Leisure) Ltd.
PO Box 42
Romford, Essex RM4 1QT
England
Pricing:
6 pounds.
Quality rating:
Okay (I'm not into female domination, so...)
Dressing For Pleasure:
Same as Shiny.
Shiny Rubberist:
Usually about 45 pages, colour pictures, English language
Editor:
Dave Roberts
Published by:
G & M Fashions (Leisure) Ltd.
PO Box 42
Romford, Essex RM4 1QT
England
Pricing:
10 pounds
This magazine appears to have a very close connection with it's
readers. Indeed a large part of the magazine is devoted to other
readers input, experiences and photographs in quite a bit of
detail. The remainder of the magazine is usually made up of a
couple of bigger articles usually centered around some of the
readers with lots of high quality photos. There is also usually a
set of cartoons, the occaisional story and the obligatory readers
letters and personals.
On the whole the magazine is very colourful and well produced. The
percentage of the magazine devoted to all the high quality
pictures really does make this magazine worthwile in its own
right. If you want to be in touch with how other rubberists got
into their hobby, their outlook on life or just to see what others
are wearing then you might like to take a look.
3. Shop guide - Reviews
--------------------
This section contains a few reviews of some of the many fetish shops
listed in the big supplier lists. They are not the absolute truth but
the personal opinion of the reporter. Perhaps the visit reviewed
occured on a bad day for the shop - or a good one. Use this information
only as a... guide. ;-)
Dream Dresser:
Reviewed spring 1994 by Ms. Margo <margo@netcom.com>
I had called before I came down to see if they had any garter
belts in a 38" waist for one of submissives, I had been told that
they had one in reversible black and red. When I got there I spoke
with Jackie. She was very polite and helpful without being pushy
or in my face. I noticed that the store had started to stock a lot
more "racy lingerie" and less fetish wear since the last time I
was in there a year ago. But it still is a very nice and very
comfortable store. It's very well lit, well organized, not sleazy,
and you won't feel like some sicko going in or coming out. One
couple and a bunch of unaccompanied men floated in and out during
the time that I was there. There was one gentleman there trying on
a red satin maid's outfit ($156.00 US) with matching red crinoline
($59.00 US). I suggested that green was more his color, but he
ended up buying the red one. Jackie told me that they sold quite a
few of them. (Colors available in the store vary, and it's only
available in pink from the catalog.)
They didn't have the reversible satin garter belt in black and red
in size 38, but they did have it in black and pink (which I
doubted that he would like). It was very well made. Heavyweight
stitched satin with elastic only at the hook in the back. There
were 8 adjustable garters, no lace or other edging. The cost was
$47.00 US. It was an item that wasn't in their catalog. They had a
black satin garter belt with black lace trim in an extra-large,
but I doubted that it would fit him. I asked if they would be
getting more of the red and black ones in, but these were all they
had. There were matching bras to the revers- ible garter belts as
well. (Go visit soon if you would like one.) I poked through the
racks of lingerie, and although I found their range of sizes to be
wide and range of styles to be good, I didn't find much that I was
interested in giving as a gift.
I looked for some things for myself. They had some fetishy boots
and shoes on display - predominantly in red, black, and white
patent - but they were very expensive. The 7" heel ballet shoes in
red and black patent were $350.00 US. They had a pair of 5" heel
thigh-high black leather boots that I had seen in their catalog,
but the quality of the leather was not quite what I would have
expected for the price of $390.00 US. I checked through the rack
of leather skirts. I found a leather version of Stormy Leather's
famous spanking skirt, which had elastic in the back instead of
the buckled straps, but was still quite attrac- tive. However,
they only had it in a large and an extra-large. (I'm 5'2" (156
cm), a US size 8 - definitely small.). Jackie found a laced back
leather skirt ($110.00 US), and PVC copy of the Stormy spanking
skirt ($149.00 US) for me to try on. The laced back skirt was a
good design, fit well, but didn't really thrill me. The PVC was
O.K. quality, but PVC in general doesn't do much for me. There was
a lot bigger selection of PVC (which they also call stretch
patent) than there was of leather or latex.
The dressing rooms are fair sized, located well in the back of the
store down a short hallway, had large mirrors, but could *really*
benefit from having something to sit down on. Fetish fashions are
not always the easiest to get into and out of. Paper panties are
provided for trying on items. I checked out a leather halter top
that I had seen in their catalog. It has unusual sickle shaped
clasps in the front. I expected these to be metal, but they were
metallic hard plastic. I was a little disappointed; if the clasps
had been metal I would have bought the halter. The leather
clothing selection was small. The designs were nice, but I would
like to see them use a better grade of leather. The selection of
latex was very good and I was quite taken with several of the
latex mini-dresses with zippered fronts that either buckled over
the zipper, or locked over the zipper, and latex dresses with
fabric linings, but I didn't want to drop $200.00-$350.00 US on a
whim. The latex was available in a variety of colors - with black
and red predominating - and several pieces were in natural
transparent latex. They had a pair of pants in black latex with
transparent latex over the hipbones and over the butt. These were
called "Peek-A-Bum" pants. There was a matching halter top with a
large transparent latex circle in the middle of the chest.
They have a small amount of bondage gear available. It was average
quality and mostly standard designs with a few really interesting
items thrown in. I particularly liked the men's pouch with the
footlocker lock on the front, which when opened would leave a hole
big enough for a medium sized penis. There were chest halters and
a few average-low average quality whips. They have a wall of
collars over the cash register, and some are quite attractive. The
case in front has some small items such as cock rings, dildoes,
tit clamps, and ball weights. There is also a standard selection
of dildoes and other adult toys on the side wall in the back.
It was the first time that I got to see their chain mail in
person. The links are very fine, about the diameter of the stick
on a Q-Tip, and flowed like silk. It was well worth the price of
$175.00 US for the bra/halter. I also got to see the steel
breastplate that is featured on the cover of their current catalog
($450.00 US - covers one breast, $550.00 US - covers both). I was
very surprised by how light in weight it was. I expected it to be
much heavier and cumbersome.
I ended up having Jackie find me a pair of latex panties, ($45.00
US), which had just come in a shipment. She didn't mind letting me
check each pair and pick the ones I liked best. These ended up
being my only purchase, although I had been hoping to find
something more.
OVERALL: Dream Dresser
Service:
Great, relaxed, not pushy
Atmosphere:
Excellent!
PVC:
Big selection, average prices.
Leather:
Small selection, high-ish prices for quality.
Latex:
Small, but very good selection, prices on par with quality.
Shoes:
Small, but nice selection, high prices.
Bondage Gear:
Small selection, but might be worth a look.
Lingerie:
Big selection, average prices.
Extras:
Stockings, cards, adult toys, nipple and clit jewelry,
spandex dresses, feather boas, TV wear.
Store:
Dream Dresser
1042 Wisconsin Avenue, NW
(Georgetown)
Washington, DC 200007
U.S.A.
Phone: (202) 625.0373
Hours: Monday-Saturday 11 AM-8 PM
Catalog:
Dream Dresser
Post Office Box 16158
Beverly Hills, California 90209-2158
U.S.A.
(Don't ask me why the store is on one side of the country and
the catalog address is on the other side - I don't know why.)
Phone Orders: (202)625-0377
Hours: Monday-Saturday 10 AM-8 PM
Fax Orders: (202)625-2761
Hours: 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
Note: Some prices are from memory and are subject to the failings
of that system. I verified those prices that I could with their
current catalog.
The Pleasure Place:
Reviewed spring 1994 by Ms. Margo <margo@netcom.com>
The Pleasure Place used to be part of The Pleasure Chest chain,
but the two Washington stores - the other is in Dupont Circle -
broke off on their own. The stores themselves haven't changed,
despite the change of name. The Georgetown store is the sort of
place that one might go to buy a gag gift or bachelor party
tidbit. The front of the store has a selection of lubes that is
fairly good along with the "novelty "items, such as "pussy in a
can" and wind-up jumping penises. Even though the store has a lot
of that sort of stuff, they manage not to be overtly sleazy. The
sales help is pleasant, but every time I'm in there I get the
feeling that they really don't know their stock very well. Next to
the gag gifts is a selection of adult toys, with the standard
packaged dildoes, vibrators, and butt plugs, along with blow-up
dolls. In a case near the front door is a very small selection of
piercing jewelry. I was surprised that some of it was in unlabeled
bags - no maker indicated. This certainly isn't where I would go
to buy body jewelry, but it might do in a pinch.
There is a low glass display case that has silk underwear for men
and women, as well as some of their sequined items. The wall
behind the cash register has their T-shirts. Most have a gay
theme, but they had a nice one with silk-screened nipple clamps on
it, which I ended up buying for one of my submissives. The counter
near the cash register is scattered with condoms of various types
along with condom cases, condom jewelry, and condom key rings.
The racks on the wall opposite the cash register have a small
selection of lingerie, which leaned heavily to spandex. I did find
some Catherine Coatney clear vinyl items, though. The prices were
well in line with what I would have paid through catalogs. The
size selection was small. Prices seemed to be in line with the
quality. A clothing rack in the middle of the store has lingerie
on one side, T-shirts on the other. The lingerie was mostly of the
lace, tulle, and net variety. There is a large selection of
greeting cards and postcards in the back of the store. I bought a
number of really nice black and white cards with fetishy themes to
send to friends. The very back wall has an assortment of blow-up
dolls and sex-related party items.
The display case that reaches from the cash register to the back
of the store has an assortment of items in it. There are a few
stacks of T-shirts, some cock rings, nipple clamps, collars, and
small leather restraints, some videos, but most notably there are
books. I saw The SM Safety Manual, Leather- folk, Coming to Power,
and a few other good titles all in one glance. Again, the accent
is gay, but many are very applicable to straight play as well. I
was happily surprised to find that they carried such quality
titles.
In the very back of the store is a small area that is closed off
with a chain. This is where the serious fetish wear is kept. I
took a quick glance and immediately saw something that caught my
eye. In the middle of one of the racks full of black latex and
black leather were three leather bras. One was white, one was
bright yellow, and one was blue. The best thing though, was that
hanging down from one of the bras, a tag with the French flag
could be clearly seen. This was no ordinary leather - this was
Pierre Balmain! Couture leather. I didn't think that they were
being imported into the US anymore, so these must have been
hanging around somewhere for a while.
You need to ask someone to unlock the chain, but the (very
attractive) lesbian woman at the register was happy to open it up
for me without making me wait. She hung around a bit in the back
room with me until she was reasonably sure that I wasn't going to
steal anything. The bra was a long-line blue leather bra.
Everything on the bra, including the straps, was leather. The
price was $110.00 - a little steep for the item. I have been
assembling a blue-leather outfit, and this might be just the
thing. It was a size 34, so it may or may not have fit. I asked to
try it on and the saleswoman showed me to a dressing room in the
back of the store, next to the back room.
The dressing room was large, with a mirrored wall and a stool to
sit on. However, it was part of a pair of dressing rooms, one of
which was being used to hold extra boxes, bags, and general junk.
It felt a bit like changing in a warehouse. I was really hoping
that the bra wouldn't fit so that I could say, "Awww. Can't get
it." But of course, it fit perfectly. I looked at it in the mirror
for quite some time - which caused the saleswoman to poke her head
in to check that I wasn't stealing shopping bags - and finally I
decided that it was just the wrong color. The rest of my blue
leather outfit is bright jewel blue, and this bra was a dusky
cornflower blue. Since the saleswoman was busy with someone else,
I hung it back up in the back room and looked through the rest of
the items. There was a small amount of latex available, and a
large amount of XTC leather lingerie. There were some chest
harnesses, some hoods, and a few whips. There was basically enough
items in the back room to fill an average household closet. Not a
lot, but certainly much more than your average adult shop. I
didn't spend as long looking as I would have liked, since I did
have a plane to catch.
My purchases at The Pleasure Place were a dozen cards and a
T-shirt. This isn't the best fetish wear shop in the world, but it
is a "standard" among adult stores, and has the advantage of being
open late in the evening. You may not find anything wonderful
here, but you will find good quality items at fairly reasonable
prices. The store in Dupont Circle is more gay ori- ented, and has
a larger selection of leather goods - at least it did the last
time I was there 5 years ago.
OVERALL: The Pleasure Place
Service:
Pleasant, but observant.
Atmosphere:
Dark and slightly tawdry, but not sleazy, more gay oriented.
PVC:
A few scattered pieces.
Leather:
The basics, prices are average.
Latex:
Small selection, average prices.
Shoes:
None.
Bondage Gear:
Standard items, prices in line with most "adult" shops.
Lingerie:
Moderate selection, mixed bag on quality. Average prices.
Extras:
Stockings, cards, adult toys, piercing jewelry, condoms, key
rings, lubricants, videos, books, gag gifts.
Georgetown Store:
The Pleasure Place
1063 Wisconsin Avenue, NW
(Georgetown)
Washington, DC 200007
U.S.A.
Phone: (202) 333-8570
Hours:
Monday-Tuesday 10 AM-10 PM
Wednesday-Friday 10 AM-10 PM
Sunday Noon-7 PM
Dupont Circle Store:
The Pleasure Place
1710 Connecticut Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 200009
U.S.A.
Phone: (202) 483-3297
Hours:
Monday-Tuesday 10 AM-10 PM
Wednesday-Friday 10 AM-10 PM
Sunday Noon-7 PM
Note: Some prices are from memory and are subject to the fail-
ings of that system.
Regalia:
Reviewed by Kris Davidson <halen@nevada.edu>
They had very little latex, mostly PVC, leather, lycra and
lingerie. The people, however, were horrible. I walked in around
18:40 (they close at 19:00). I looked over the few items of latex
they had and decided to try something on. By this time it was
18:45, still plenty of time. After asking I was told "we close at
7. And besides we really don't have a place for men to try things
on." To which I replied, "how about I come back tomorrow. What
time do you open?" Response: "Well...we don't have any place for
men to try anything on."
Needless to say, I then left the establishment. First, the clothes
I was looking at were unisex. Second, since when does a dressing
room care wht gender you are? Third, is the New York economy, or
more precisely this stores sales, doing that well that they can
just turn away a potential several hundred dollar sale?
Address and phone numbers to be found in the supplier list.
RIPPLESMOOTH:
Reviewed by an anonymous reader in august 1994.
This is a small mail order operation based in Birmingham, UK. It
does four forms of rubberwear - moulded (presumably bought from a
large supplier); made-to-measure conventional clothing; rubber
restrictive garments; and garments made to customers' own designs.
Taking these in order:
Moulded latex.
There are two groups of moulded latex wear. There are items
of conventional wear such as corsets, bras, tights, skirts,
gloves, etc. and what they call "unusual" items. These
include pants with various kinds of built-in stimulators such
as dildos or sheaths (for men and women), erection pants,
bras with built in stimulators, etc. All these are reasonably
priced between $20 and $60 (1993 prices).
Made-to-measure:
The made-to-measure list includes skirts, trousers, jack-
ets, nighties, and various dressing up outfits - nurse, maid
and school girl. They are available in a variety of weights
and color. As you would guess, these are considerably more
expen- sive, ranging from $74 for a shirt to $132 for an
evening dress and to almost $300 for the full nurse's outfit
(dress, apron, surgical mask, cap, and cape).
The made-to-measure restrictive garments are interesting if
you are keen on bondage and rubber. There are sheaths for arm
and legs and strait jackets. A loose-fit body sheath with at-
tached mask costs $150 while the same, fully covering body
and head, inflatable with a breathing tube will set you back
$330. A restrictive leotard with strait jacket sleeves is
$150. There are also inflatable gags.
Custom made
Finally, Ripplesmooth make items wear to their customers'
specifications. The range of items that they make is very
wide, from the conventional to the truly bizarre. As an
example of the former, my wife has a favorite nightgown. I
sent it to Ripplesmooth who made a copy in dark blue latex
without even having to take the original apart. It was pretty
stunning in the original but fantastic in its new
incarnation. They will also work from photographs or
drawings. The latter are important for the more bizarre
creations - they will attempt to make anything and regard the
more unusual as a challenge!
Ripplesmooth has customers throughout the world including the USA
and Australia. The owner is a real enthusiast and I recommend
Ripplesmooth if you have the money and patience to wait for your
specialist order to be filled.
Address and phone numbers to be found in the supplier list.
Inclinations (Boston)
Reviewed by Ms. Margo, August 27, 1995
Vernons of Waltham has long has its back room where leather,
bondage gear, and adult toys were sold. This created a few
problems as some of the crossdressing clientele didn't feel
comfortable with the bondage gear and some of the BDSM folks
didn't feel comfortable with the crossdressers. Vernons has solved
the problem by splitting off their leather business into a new
store, Inclinations.
Inclinations sits on a corner right next door to Vernon's on Moody
Street in Waltham, just west of Boston. The store is small, but
not cramped. There are hardwood floors and grey walls with chrome
racks to display the merchandise. Lighting is subtle but not too
dim to clearly see what you're buying. The salespeople are
friendly and helpful, but not pushy. The store isn't chock-a-block
with merchandise - one of each item is out for attractive display.
There are items for the novice to advanced player. There are basic
cuffs, paddles, floggers, hoods, and more advanced restraints. A
leather sling hangs in one corner of the back alcove. Near it, a
large glass case displays cock and nipple vacuum pumps. There is a
wall of videos and magazines, a wall of latex wear, and several
racks of leather clothing. Most of their leather is made by New
England craftspeople. This may not mean much to some, but it's a
nice touch for them to support the local leather community. There
is also an eye to safer sex, as condoms, lube and how-to books are
out on prominent display. Plenty of free parking is available
behind the building.
Quality is very good on their leather items. The hides are for the
most part good quality and cut and finish is well executed.
Designs are mostly standard restraints with a few interesting
items. My favorites were the studded leather corset (a waist
cincher, really) with attractive stud work, styled for men and
women, at $250.00 US for the male and $275.00 US for the female. I
also loved the leather thong briefs with the real horsehair pony
tail at $109.00 US. The rubber coated weights at $6.00 US for the
2 oz. size, and $13.00 for the 8 oz size were really neat. There
was a gigantic butt plug that would bring a smile to every
fistee's lips priced at $40.00 US. Prices are generally fair. You
won't find any rock-bottom bargains here, but they have basics
like cuffs for around $20.00 US.
Inclinations also has a black and white 32 page catalog available.
This has clear photos of the merchandise that Inclinations
carries, as well as some things - mostly clothing - that I didn't
see when poking around the store. It doesn't have lots of
half-naked posing women, just good photos of what they're selling.
Store: Catalog:
Inclinations Inclinations
Corner of Moody St. & Cushing St. Post Office Box 95189
Waltham, Massachusetts 02154 Nonantum, Massachusetts 02195-5189
U.S.A. U.S.A.
Phone: (617)894-1774 (Vernon's) Orders: (800)784-1888
Service: (617)893-4597
FAX: (617)647-4082
Note: Prices are mostly from my memory (with the help of the
catalog) and are subject to the failings of that system.
4. Catalog reviews
---------------
Shoe Express:
Reviewed by Ms. Margo, November 4, 1994.
Shoe Express specializes in ladies narrow, large, and wide sizes.
These are real leather shoes, which gives them a big advantage
over the shoes in the Sexy Shoes catalog, which are mostly
man-made materials - and Sexy have recently raised their prices.
Shoe Express carries sizes 9-15 in widths AAAAA-WW, and sizes 6-15
in widths W-WW. The largest half size available is 11 1/2. Prices
range from $38.00 US for a very simple flat (Gina) to $199.00 US
for an over-the-knee boot (Smashing). There are shoes in leather,
metallic leather, snakeskin, patent, nubuc, suede, lame, satin,
and sequins. Some of their dress shoes have matching bags
available. They also carry Keds and New Balance sneakers. Heel
heights range from flats to 5" heels, although most of their
styles are flats or low heels.
The catalog has 20 pages and 68 styles of shoes. The shoes are
shown in color photos, with most styles shown both from the side
and from the front. The selection of colors is good, and each shoe
is shown with a sizing chart, showing the sizes and widths
available for that particular style. Heel heights are given on
most shoes. Unworn shoes can be returned for exchange or refund.
They accept Mastercard, Visa, American Express, Discover, checks,
or money orders. Shipping charges are $6.00 by U.P.S., $8.00 by
post, $12.00 to Canada, $12.00 for 2nd day air, and $20.00 for
next day air shipment. The shipping price is per order, not per
pair, so it pays to make one large order rather than several small
ones.
Some highlights from the catalog include Sequin, a sequined pump
available in 2 1/2" or 3" heels. Colors are black, silver, gold,
white, red, royal blue, emerald green, and purple. The shoes are
$65.00 US and the matching handbag is $35.00 US. The shoes come in
sizes 9-12M and 6 1/2-12W and WW. Star is a 5" heel patent pump
available in black or red in sizes 10-13 in widths M-WW. The cost
is $99.00 US. Tonight is a 5" heeled sling back in black, red,
navy, or black patent. Tonight is also available in sizes 10-13 in
widths M-WW. The cost is $99.00 US. Smashing is an over-the-knee
boot with a 3" heel, available in black leather and black suede
for $199.00 US. The sizing is a little disappointing, though. The
black leather is available is sizes 10-15M and 10-12W. The black
suede is only available is sizes 10-12M and W. There is Christine,
a 1 1/2" heeled knee boot that laces up the back to adjust the
calves. No more overly tight calves! It costs $189.00 US and is
available in cognac or black in sizes 9-13N and M and 6-13W. They
also have Queen Size Sheer Stockings in black, red, royal, purple,
white, pink, fuchsia, or aqua in sizes 1X-4X for $4.95 US per
pair.
Shoe Express
Post Office 31537
Lafayette, Louisiana 70593-1537
U.S.A.
Orders:
(800)874-0469 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
FAX Orders:
(318)235-5359 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
Customer Service:
(318)235-5191
Customer Service Hours:
Monday-Friday 9:00 AM-6:00 PM, Central Time
Saturday 9:00 AM-5:00 PM, Central Time
Fantasies In Lace, Inc.
Reviewed by Ms. Margo, Deccember 12, 1994
Fantasies In Lace is a Florida company that specializes in hosiery
and fashions for the crossdresser. Since many of their items are
available in larger sizes, they also are a nice source of things
for larger Ladies. Some of their items come in smaller sizes too,
so the rest of us can order too. The cover price on the Hosiery
Catalog is $10.00. It is a black and white, 58 page,
xeroxed-sheets-folded-in-half deal, that has a very "made in our
back room" feel to it. The pictures are Xeroxes of photos, and
much of the catalog uses illustrations. This is not a slick glossy
catalog in any way. Its strength is in the breadth of the items
that are carried.
There are 12 styles of pantyhose, 22 styles of stockings and
thigh- highs, 17 pages of lingerie and sleepwear, 5 pages of
petticoats and pettipants, assorted bra forms, fanny pads, gaffs,
push up pads, 7 styles of girdles, 5 styles of corsets, 6 pages of
leather wear, 5 pages of cire, 3 pages of sheer nylon, a page of
fishnet, 4 styles of gloves, 23 colors of leg garters, and 10
styles of wigs. (Whew!) With the exception of the hosiery and the
wigs, there are only 24 photos. All the rest are shown in
illustrations. Some of the illustrations are better than others,
but most give a general idea of the item. I would, however, find
it very difficult to spend $395.00 on a leather corset based
solely on a bad drawing - it looks more like a wrist gauntlet then
a corset. Another big problem is the lack of a size chart. I
placed an order for stockings where I was unsure of what size I
should take, so I gave them my height and weight, as well as how
high I like my stockings to come and asked them to select a size.
With my order I received a few fliers, one of which had a sizing
chart on it. (!)
Descriptions are sometimes good, other times they are very sparse.
The hosiery is their strength. They stock the Cindy and Crystal
brands. They also carry some D'Arielle - most notably the
D'Arielle silk stockings ($24.95 US per pair). This is the last
mail-order source for silk stockings that I have found in the
U.S.A. or Canada. There is a huge array of colors available as
well as a range of deniers. There are over 25 different colors
available, but as the catalog is black and white, you have to use
your imagination. They offer 4 styles in 10 denier, which is
getting harder and harder to find. Most of the rest are 15 denier,
lace, or fishnet. There are seamed, seamless, lace top, all nylon,
and Cuban heel styles. They have 5 styles of suspender pantyhose,
a few styles of crotchless pantyhose, and pantyhose in an
astounding 7 denier ($11.00 US per pair). There are lace
pantyhose, seamed pantyhose, and fishnet pantyhose. Sizes run up
to 2X (5'10" tall, 245 lbs.), but most styles are only available
in one size fits all.
Prices range from good to outrageous. I purchased some of the same
stockings locally at retail and paid about $1.00 US per pair less
than the FIL catalog price. I don't consider that to be too bad.
The leather wear was the most over priced and the cire was
downright affordable. For example, $59.95 US for a studded leather
g-string is just too expensive; while $39.95 for a cire spanking
skirt is quite reasonable. A fishnet dress with matching g-string
at $39.95 US is a good value too. There are eight other catalogs
that they offer. They are: Color Lingerie Catalog, Wig Catalog,
Foundation Catalog, Book Catalog, Adult Novelty Catalog, Big Gal
Lingerie Catalog, Victorian Corset Catalog, and TV "Fantasies"
Magazine. I haven't ordered any of the other catalogs, so I can't
tell you if they repeat the same items, or offer additional ones.
I have made one order from them (silk stockings) and received my
order quickly and correctly. I did, however, get a rather
impersonal feeling from the catalog. Some catalog companies seem
to reflect more of the style of the people who own and operate
them. This one is a little "standoffish". For those who want to
keep a very low profile when they order, that could be a good
quality. They accept cash, money order, Visa, MasterCard, and
American Express. They do accept checks, but will hold your order
until the check clears. Shipping starts at $4.00 US for orders up
to $25.00 and runs up to $12.00 US for orders over $300.00. For
Canada the shipping is doubled; for foreign orders it is tripled.
Overall, they have a wide selection of products (one stop
shopping), good prices on some items, they carry a few hard to
find items, and shipment is prompt. You may be able to find the
same items for less locally, or from other catalogs, but this one
is certainly worth a peek - especially if you live far from a
major city.
Fantasies In Lace, Inc.
Post Office Box 100279
Ft. Lauderdale, Florida 33310
U.S.A.
Phone: (305)581-8412
FAX: (305)791-0985
Sexy Shoes
Reviewed by Ms. Margo, January 30, 1995
Sexy Shoes (aka Leslie Shoe Company) has been selling high heels
from their location in Michigan for years. Their catalogs are full
color 8 1/2" by 4" format. The current catalog (vol. 108) has 22
styles of heels on 24 pages. Four styles are new since their last
catalog, five old styles were dropped. Almost all of the heels
that Sexy Shoes sells are in man made-materials. They only offer
one style in real leather. Heel heights range from 3 1/4" to 5
1/4", with heel heights slightly higher on larger sizes. Sizes
range from 4- 14. Half sizes are rarer in the sizes over 10 and
there are no size 13 1/2's (but that's an impossible size to find
anyway). Wide and extra wide widths are available in some styles.
Prices range from $24.88 to $59.88 US, with most styles costing
$44.88. (Don't ask me why they like the $ .88, I don't know.) In
addition to the shoes, they also sell shoe clips to add bows,
rhinestones, or other decorations to their shoes.
The shoes come in a variety of styles and materials. There are
styles in real leather, man-made leather, satin, dyable silk
satin, "tapestry", suede, patent, and metallic. There are a wide
variety of colors available. Their standard 4 1/2" heel closed-toe
pump (#4211) is available in bone, yellow, brown, taupe, gold,
silver, red, black, white, white patent, black patent, red patent,
black suede, pink, navy, bright blue, and light blue. The cost is
$44.88 US in sizes from 4 -14. For comparison, Fredrick's of
Hollywood has a 5" heel opera pump in real leather for $48.00 US
in sizes from 5-12. There are open toed and closed toed styles.
There is a style (#0305) with a metallic spike heel, which I know
some folks here love. There are pumps, ankle- straps, mules, and
sling backs. There is a satin pump with a 4 1/2" heel for $44.88
US. Again, for comparison, Fredrick's of Hollywood has a satin
pump with a 4" heel for $28.88 US, but in a more limited range of
sizes.
The catalog is a little busy. Although there are good notations
about which sizes run small and which run large, this catalog
suffers from the shoe clips. They are shown on almost every style,
so sometimes it's hard to get a good picture of the shoe itself.
Also, the description and various colors of style #4211 now spills
over three pages and they have dropped the wonderful picture that
used to be in their old catalogs of all the different colored
shoes sitting together - it was the best way to see all the colors
that were available. Other than that, though, the description of
each shoe includes the heel height and the sizes available as well
as a pointer to other pages which have the same style in other
colors or widths. Photos are of the shoe from the side and down
from the top to shoe the toe box. About half of the photos show
the shoes on a foot, which can help you to get an idea of how
they'll look on you.
This is a service oriented company. They accept MasterCard, VISA,
American Express, Discover, Check, or Money Order. They will ship
your shoes or your catalog in a plain wrapper on request. They do
not sell their mailing lists. Shipping and handling is $6.00 US
per order (not per pair). For Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico and
Canada add $2.00 US per pair. For overseas orders they ask you to
request shipping rates. There is no extra shipping charge for even
exchanges. All shoes have a 30 day money-back guarantee. They
claim to have 30,000 pairs available, and since they sell only
shoes they know their stock. They also know their customers,
because conversions from men's sizes to women's are found on the
back of the order blank. They don't offer a FAX number for the
really shy, but the customer service people are very nice and if
you're a man buying heels they will make you feel very
comfortable. In fact, they encourage men to call for sizing
advice.
I have ordered two pairs of shoes from them, a pair of 4 1/2" size
6 1/2 pumps in bright blue and a pair of 5 1/2" size 14 closed toe
ankle strap pumps in black. A few days after I mailed my order
they called a friend of mine who works with me, who also had
ordered shoes, to confirm her order, so I spoke to them as well.
The gentleman on the phone was very nice and even though they had
not yet received my order in the mail, he confirmed that they had
the shoes available and that he would set them aside for me. They
arrived a few days later.
They were very nice shoes for the money, however the 6 1/2's, my
normal size, were too large. I called the company and explained
that I needed them for a function in a week. The woman on the
phone checked that they were available in size 6 and promised to
keep an eye out for my return. Three days before I needed them,
they arrived as promised, with the exchange being even - no extra
shipping charges were tacked on.
I was very pleased with my purchase, and with the service that I
received from Sexy Shoes. About the only thing that I could
complain about is that their sizing seems a little inconsistent.
My 6 1/2's were too big, and the 5 1/2's that my friend ordered
were a bit small. But they were so good on the exchange that it
hardly mattered.
When you order, they will send you a list of the "seconds" shoes
that they have available at that time. These are shoes with
blemishes that are available at a discount. There are obviously
limited sizes and colors, depending on what's available and how
badly blemished it is. But it seems like a great way to get some
extra shoes, with most "seconds" pairs for under $40.00 and a few
under $20.00.
Sexy Shoes
Leslie Shoe Company
480 North Second Street
P.O. Box 48
Rogers City, MI 49779-0048
U.S.A.
Phone:
(517)734-4030 Monday-Sunday 8:00 AM-Midnight
(517)734-3211 Monday-Friday 9:00 AM-5:00 PM
FAX:
None given
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