Latex VS Lace | A Lingerie Showdown
Lady Gaga illustrates the conundrum...
Recently we have discussed both lace and latex. Many men who wear lingerie have never so much as considered latex, their fascination lies with finer materials, filmier fabrics which can be worn discreetly under everyday clothing. Latex on the other hand, functions more often than not as the main event.
Let's look at them both in a little more depth....
Latex
Latex is hard wearing material with a high electrical resistance, high impact resistance high sheen and high sexuality. Latex can be manufactured synthetically, or it can be harvested from plants. Much like lace, Latex has a French connection. In fact, the term Latex was coined by a Frenchman, Charles Marie de La Condamine, which is quite possibly the classiest name ever to be bestowed upon a human being.
Latex is almost uniformly expensive, though it is indisputably dramatic and for those who love it, entirely worth the price. Some become quite addicted to the feel and sensation of latex, which when fitted correctly functions not unlike a second skin. A little latex lingerie can soon turn into the spine tingling embrace of a full body cat suit if one is not careful.
Latex is certainly a love / hate material, lets move onto lace...
Lace
Lace is a fancy, regal material woven upon the looms of French aristocrats. Lace has a history stretching back throughout the ages and has always been associated with luxury and pleasure. Where lace was once worn in ruffles about the necks and wrists of men, it now almost exclusively adorns ladies undergarments. Women have been wily enough to near corner the lace market, but there is a not inconsiderable subset of the male population who wish to reclaim lace as a recognized male fabric.
There are a wide range of types of lace available on the market. At the height of lace refinement is needle lace, which is made by wizened old women brandishing needle and thread. Antique needle lace is ridiculously expensive and made of thread which is no longer manufactured. At the other end of the spectrum is machine made lace, lace which is made upon the harsh mechanical looms of the ruling classes. Depending on the thread from which it is made, it can be soft and beautiful, or it can be harsh and scratchy.
It is easy to find undergarments which incorporate lace, or which are made entirely of it. They range in price from a few dollars, to quite a few dollars. Lace is suitable for everyday wear and will not cause rubber rash.
And you, where do you stand? Have your say...