It is quite obvious from readers’ letters that the true rubber wearer’s wardrobe follows a set list of essentials: a tight fitting cat-suit, a rubber hood or helmet. and wrist-length or elbow-length rubber gloves.

As ‘outer garments’ one could add the pre-requisite thigh-high rubber waders, sou’wester, and any of several designs of black rubber mackintosh.

One of the few things about rubber clothing which can be argued about is whether tight-fitting or loose-fitting clothes give the most pleasure to the wearer or even the beholder. (I’ll bet that almost every rubber wearer gets dressed in front of a mirror!)

I find that although a tight-fitting cat-suit is the basis for feeling snug and secure, there is a lot to be said for wearing a loose-fitting rubber coat, cape or dress/robe directly over the bare skin. The feeling of movement of rubber over one’s body is most pleasurable, for a tight-fitting cat-suit does not create the same sensations by reason of its very tightness.

Much of the feeling of rubber is lost if one wears rubber gloves and I prefer to leave them off if dressing to pleasure only myself. However, if one is dressing in rubber for the benefit of someone else, the outfit is not, I suggest, complete if any bare skin is showing. Much of the sensual sensations of wearing rubber are lost by wearing tight-fitting undergarments, yet to please the beholder they are essential.

I, personally, have a great liking for capes, with or without hoods. In the old days when cycling was very much the vogue, there used to be lots of delicious rubber rain clothes, especially capes and leggings and sou’westers. I can recall looking searchingly at all cyclists ‘caped up’ in the rain, hoping, on close inspection, that their outfits were rubber and not merely oilskin. The old army groundsheet capes in brown and green rubber were most exciting to look at and some cycle accessory firms sold lovely voluminous black rubber outfits. Even today, it is always a pleasure to see teenagers – usually Americans – who ride bikes in the rain dressed in a variety of rubber ponchos.

To those who doubt me, let them try wearing a good long rubber cape over bare skin while pottering around the house one lazy Sunday morning. The feeling of enclosure is wonderful, but, of course, the cape must be made of latex or wigan lined with the rubbered side on the inside.

While black is the favourite colour for rubber clothing, some others have appeal too, though perhaps only as “second choices”. I think red is most exciting, and olive green for some garments. What do other readers think?

– J.D. (Africa)