Pantyhose fetishism

Pantyhose fetishism is essentially a very common sexual fetish involving women's pantyhose. As with many other common fetishes it can and often does first surface in early childhood and/or during adolescence. [cite web
url=http://www.pep-web.org/document.php?id=GAP.002.0103A
title=PEP Web - Pantyhose Fetishism and Self Cohesion: A Paraphilic Solution?
publisher=www.pep-web.org
accessdate=2008-09-25
last=
first=]

Often a pantyhose fetishist may also engage in stocking fetishism, the unique silky sheer aspect, feminine 'association' and allure of both items being the common denominator. Many current day male's fetishistic preference for pantyhose over stockings may be related to the fact that pantyhose are unlike stockings in virtual direct contact with female genitalia and/or perhaps even more importantly are the preferred hosiery for most women when skirts and dresses are worn.

In very basic simple terms pantyhose fetishism most commonly manifests itself in one or more of the following ways:

* Wearing of pantyhose by either the female or male or both during sexual activity with a partner.
* A male 'cross-dressing' in pantyhose whilst alone.
* Interacting with pantyhose in any other way or form during sexual activity.
* Simply observing/admiring and experiencing heightened arousal/interest of females who are wearing pantyhose.
* Viewing and collection of photography and or video of both professional and amateur models wearing pantyhose via website - (Google image search: pantyhose fetish) or via usenet - alt.binaries.pictures.pantyhose, alt.binaries.multimedia.pantyhose

Specifically during the lone activity of a "young" fetishist in his early formative years it is often preferable for the pair of pantyhose to have been seen to be worn by a specific 'role model', be it an aunt, neighbor or friend. This may leads to the fetishist stealing or borrowing pantyhose from stocking drawers, laundry baskets, trash bins, or the thefts occurring from clothes line.

This is as suggested perhaps far more common during the earlier years of childhood and adolescence when a youngster is still innocently exploring his whole sexuality as an aspect of growing up and has not yet experienced or encountered girls/girlfriends of a similar age who are old enough, with the odd exception, to have started wearing pantyhose and thus provide him with his desired fetish item. (Stating the absolute obvious girls grow-up during puberty and thus get permission from Mothers to start wearing make-up/pantyhose etc in addition to the essential first bra).

The sub-categories and degrees of pantyhose fetishism are way too many to list as it can be "endlessly" sub-divided and is in many cases combined with other fetishes or paraphilias of the fetishist (and often his partner too) so as to make an individual's preferences as with many other popular fetishes "utterly unique".

A few typical examples of sub-categories perhaps would be; a focus on certain areas of the body whilst wearing pantyhose, e.g. feet a variation of the very common [foot fetishism] ; wearing pantyhose with other specific garments, e.g. shoes, boots, or skirts, uniforms (girl at work, secretary, flight stewardess, policewoman, Hooters waitress, girl next door etc.,) certain styles eg. sheer-to-waist, opaque (www.opaqueworld.com), patterned or specific deniers; certain brands or shades, or simply admiring women who wear pantyhose (a mild form of voyeurism) or even finding the wearing of them to be a primarily "sensual" comforting experience ie "not" sexual. The pantyhosed covered foot can be extremely arousing to men who often find satisfaction in just looking or more in that of rubbing, sucking/licking and massage of the penis with the feet. Sniffing can sometimes be linked. Footjobs can be very intense and stimulating and covering a woman in pantyhose in sperm is a common fantasy with men. Pantyhose fetish can also be linked to that of the women dressing as the schoolgirl where stockings, knee high socks and pantyhose can be worn with a short skirt.

Female attractiveness

Pantyhose define and beautify a woman's legs, and can make average legs look much more attractive. They remove the appearance of blemishes and often have a silky and pleasing texture to both men and women. The slipperiness and smoothness of sheer pantyhose and stockings also makes women's low cut court shoes slip off more easily. This vulnerability is often attractive to men and can often result in the women engaging in shoe dangling or shoe play which is also appealing to shoe and foot fetishists.

Men wearing pantyhose

Men who are 'discovered' wearing women's pantyhose for fetishistic purposes will almost certainly be naively labeled as transvestites by their partners, families, workmates and society as a whole most of whom will be understandably ignorant of the subject and its complex degrees of incidence, regularity, infinite patterns and variations. In addition there are many other reasons for cross-dressing that do not represent a fetish.

A man who dresses in pantyhose may be deeply anxious and worried about being associated with homosexuality or transvestism, and as such most will endeavour to keep the fetish totally private, commonly hiding it from their wives/partners (though some do have the ultimate trust and understanding of their partners) due to such enormous fears that are invariably completely out of context with such relatively mild desires.

The wearing of pantyhose by men can then become a strong, and much reinforced fetish aided and abeted by this 'pressure' which can consume some as it serves to expand the already highly charged transvestitic fetish in itself.

There is a small number of women, perhaps due to the nature of the garment whom will also find them stimulating. However, this has nothing to do with being a 'transvestite' an almost but not quite exclusive label applied males.

Finally, it must be noted that for most men with a pantyhose fetish, the simple sensual feel of the material against their body is amply sufficient and they have no intention of wearing any other items of female attire and in this instance these men will take offense at being labeled as 'transvestite'.

For a discussion of the non-fetish aspects of male pantyhose wearing, see Pantyhose for men.

References