Monday, December 29, 2008

These Boots Are Made For Sploshing

Hope everyone had a wonderful and stress-free holiday season!

Found! in the latest issue of New York magazine (January 5-12, 2009): a dynamic-liquid photo of the undersides of rubber wellies. Seems to me like editorial commercial vanilla photography is kicking editorial commercial fetish photography's ass.




Photo by Levi Brown. Wellies by Marc by Marc Jacobs. And before you shoot your rubbery mouths off on how expensive designer goods are, these foot condoms are only $28. Three cheers for Marc J.!

Click right heeeere to view a large size of the scan.

Shout out and thanks to Yellowbird for the book, which it probably durable enough for me to read in a rain storm.

Monday, December 22, 2008

Add to your favs...

Extra special holiday thanks to Stu for posting the following link in my last post. Click here to view picture excerpts from Atomage No. 1 and 2.

Once I'm done editing-for-web the scans I made from the aforementioned Atomage mags, I will post them.

Ciao for now, rubberinos and rubberettes.

Thursday, December 18, 2008

Smells Like Betty*

I'm flattered. Too bad I'm/Betty LaBamba is defunct.

Check out Betty LaBamba's signature dress.

Now look at Marquis' homage.

P.S. Merry Go-Broke-Mas

P.P.S. Coming soon are scans from Atomage No.1 and Betty Blog obit for Bettie Page.

P.P.P.S. Kisses and love.

*and her corpse smells like roses and rubber.

Monday, November 10, 2008

Skin Two No More

Skin Two, that venerable fetish periodical, will cease publication some time in the vague future. Read about all that crap in The Fetishistas blog. [Thanks to Garlor for posting that link at the IAR. Otherwise I would not have known for at least another month. I am sooo out of the loop.]

Skin Two's death is not so surprising. Why spend $20 on a magazine when you can get the same content for free on the web? We all know that argument and we all can repeat different permutations of it ad nausium, ad infinium. Besides, Skin Two got really boring about three years ago. After issue 43 or so, the reek of korporate kulture in a shiny catsuit with product placement whip became too apparent--except for no. 50 but that was mostly because of the awesome cover. I already did my mourning long ago, relatively speaking. No ass-kissing obit here, but I'll still keep re-reading my favorite issues. Time to move on.


Grim Reaper photo ganked from mikesjournal.com.

Thursday, October 30, 2008

SMack! Zombie Fetish Ball - Friday, October 31- NYC

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

Saturday, October 18, 2008

Some Stuff

My birthday's coming up! On November 11th I will be twenty-five years old. I'm an old, old woman. If my dear readers feel so inclined, feel free to send me a book from my amazon.com wish list. Used books are fine--I'm not too picky about getting new books.

My Amazon.com Wish List

Also, I've been getting requests about sharing my knowledge of making latex clothing. Yes, I do intend to share, but as the saying goes "you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours." What I'm saying is that I need something in return, not cash or shoes or clothing but something, that something being books. As a student and artist my funds are stretched rather thin. Receiving books I need--and want--would take some pressure off.

This is how it will go: I will write a tutorial blog post. If I receive a book or two, then I will write another one. If I receive nothing, then I will remove the post. The tutorials will alternate between basic crafting levels, intermediate and pro, and will include all aspects of the craft. My first tutorial will be a compendium of reference books and websites.

By the way, I do have latex sheeting available. Contact bettylabamba[at]hotmail for more info. Please note that if your email is just about general correspondence, it may take awhile for me to send a decent response. I failed basic correspondence in high school. Alas, I'm one of those people.

Thursday, October 09, 2008

Harajuku Lovers Perfume Ad

Gwen Stefani's ersatz-Japanese fashion label Harajuku Lovers came out with this ad for her new perfume whatever. Besides the sugary cuteness factor, I like it because it features latex accessories. For those of you lacking rubber-dar (or latex-dar, not to be confused with gay-dar), the flowers and mittens are made out of latex rubber.

The full-sized ad is in this months Paper magazine. I had to scrounge around the internet to find this image--didn't much feel like buying an ad.

Monday, October 06, 2008

On hiatus...

Hello Everyone!

Regular readers of this blog are aware that I've single-handedly run a latex clothing label called Betty LaBamba since 2005. After much consideration, I've decided to take a sabbatical, as they say, from manufacturing latex clothing to pursue serious education plans for a future career in the photographic and/or cinematic arts. Right now my goal is to become a cinematographer. To accomplish that, I need to learn a lot of crap fast and eat a lot of metaphorical crap. Hence, I won't have the time to sniff glue eight hours a day, alone, in a basement studio somewhere in fabulous NJ.

As a result of my latex clothing hiatus, I have a special offer to those who ASK beforehand: half off everything in my eBay store. You must ask and you must have PayPal. All items are AS IS. Also, I am offering half off any item of latex clothing in my Etsy.com store. Findings and sheeting are excluded from this half-off deal. (However, I do have an excess of 4D and Radical Rubber latex sheeting that I can't reasonably use up for my personal use.) All inquiries should be directed to bettylabamba [at] hotmail [dot] com.

Cheers & Love,

Geena Maree

Tuesday, September 09, 2008

Poll Results: Mainstreamification of Latex Rubber

Here are the results to the most recent poll about the seemingly growing popularity of latex rubber fashion. Thanks to all who voted and to the five of you who still read my oft-neglected blog. Rubber kisses and hugs and all that junk.

If you want to stratch the surface just a bit deeper on this topic, read and respond to this thread here at my my mothership site, IAR/rubberist.net.

The mainstreamification of latex rubber:

Out of a whopping 39 votes,

51% voted I'm all for it! More dumb bitches in latex!
12% voted It's a bunch of hype. Trends come and go.
20% voted Hope it continues because it will make me feel less guilty about my fetish.
5% voted Will take away the specialness of my fetish.
10% voted I don't give a flying fuck.

Saturday, September 06, 2008

Dead Photog - 1, Spin Kloo - 0


Joe
1978
by Robert Mapplethorpe

While browsing the photos at http://www.masters-of-photography.com/, I came across this image by Robert Mapplethorpe. Before, I mainly knew about him because of his connection with Patti Smith. That just shows how unbelievably unhip I am to the art world, past and present.

Mapplethorpe did other portraits of s&m folk. View another example here, and a quick google image search brings up more. This sure beats the dead gloss known as fetish photography nowadaze.

Friday, July 25, 2008

Shiny Does A Body Good: Drink Rubber


FOUND! in the August 2008 issue of W magazine: a powerful b+w photospread featuring Christy Turlington (fashion goddess 4-eva!) in latex, leather, pvc and the usual high fashion shtick. This is an excellent editorial--one of the best I've seen in a long time--and definately worth the cover price alone, regardless of the fetish-related content. Cheers to photographer Micheal Thompson and everyone involved. A word of warning though: since my scanner can handle only letter sized and smaller pages, the photos are unintentionally cropped. Also, I only scanned the photos having something of immediate interest to my readers, about half of the spread.


Atomage-y boots by Etro.

Black PVC bandeau top by OMO Norma Kamali.


Yawn. Black latex stockings. The good 'ole "edgy" fashion editorial standby is officially boring.


PVC shorts from Purple Passion.



Custom headbands throughout spread by Eugene Souleiman. Cuffs by YSL.

Tuesday, July 22, 2008

What's New In Betty LaBamba Latex


Introducing a new style of boy short panties to the Betty LaBamba catalog: the Latex Basics Deco Edge Boy Shorts. It's the perfect "entry level" garment for introducing someone new to the wide world of latex clothing. The panties feature a decorative cut edging along the waist and leg openings. There are four deco edge design choices: "pinked," "scallop," "wave" and "crinkle." All seams on this garment are double reinforced.

Price: $35.00 for standard, vibrant/neon or semi-trans color choice. $38.00 for metallic color choice. Click here to see what latex colors are in stock.
Available to order in sizes (Betty LaBamba sizing system only!) 2--14. Click here to see the size chart. M2M service not available.
Email me directly to order (bettylabamba at hotmail).

Deco edge choices:


View the rest of the Betty LaBamba latex catalog.

Tuesday, July 15, 2008

Betty LaBamba's New Etsy.com Store

What do you get when you cross eBay with LiveJournal? Etsy! At least that's my impression. I started a storefront there last month for Betty LaBamba and added a couple of OOAK items the beginning of July. Click here to view my Etsy store. And keep your eyes peeled for more soon.

What is Etsy? Etsy is an ersatz auction-type venue for hand-crafted goods, including clothing and accessories. The site is very user friendly, easy to navigate and has a good "look" to it. Not only that, the smaller latex labels are getting in on the action. Read this blog entry at 3xL to see what I mean.

I hope more mom and pop latex labels such as mine join the etsy.com family. ("Start-up" is not such a good word to describe us; most of us have been cutting our teeth on rotary blades and shitting out glue for several years now.) The fees are minimal and only hand-crafted items are allowed. That means no molded corporate bullshit with which eBay is innundated.

Happy Birthday Radical Rubber

This week marks the one year anniversary of upstart latex sheeting manufacturer Radical Rubber. Happy Birthday!

I can't believe it's been a year. I ordered from them quite early on--my order number was fourty-something. Time flies when you got your head up your ass. (Me, not them).

As with most business bee-day celebrations, there's always a big sale with a bunch of special offers. Oh, and are they tempting. For a split-second, I thought about slagging off school and buying a crapload of latex sheeting instead. Subscribe to R.R.'s newsletter to keep yourself current. Here's not the place for me to promote another company without any sort of remuneration.

Tuesday, July 01, 2008

Atomage Bondage Supplement No.5

More vintage rubber magazines! Today brings Atomage Bondage Supplement No.5.

Page 29:

Standard blah blah 18 and over warning.



Back cover:




Thursday, June 05, 2008

RIP YSL

Yves Saint Laurent, one of the world's greatest treasures and the only truly unique being in fashion, died June 1st at the age of 71. I thought he would have lived forever. We can go onward without him, but we will always still imitate him.


In his own word's:

Recent political events, the reaction of young people to fashion and the way of life today make the haute couture a relic of the past. I do not want to find myself in the past--or in a stronghold cut off from everything. --YSL in 1968

I did not think that in a profession as free as fashion that one could meet so many people so narrow-minded and reactionary, petty people paralyzed by taboos. But I am also very stimulated by this scandal because I know that which shocks is news. --1971 (In reaction to universally scathing reviews of his spring couture collection.)

I have said before that the most beautiful makeup of a women is passion. But cosmetics are easier to buy. --1978

I'm bored--and angry--with people who just design clothes for the runway. It's a massive deception, and one a lot of people have fallen for. --1979

Classics continue all the time because they have style not "fashion." --1981

People think decadence is debauched. Decadence is simply something very beautiful that is dying. It's a beautiful flower that is dying, and sometimes you have to wait a very long time for another flower to come along. --1986

In many ways, I feel that I have created the wardrobe of the contemporary woman and that I have participated in the transformation of my era. I have done so through clothes, which are certainly less important than music, architecture, painting or many other art forms, but it is nonetheless what I have done. --2002

The above quotes were taken from the Tuesday, June 3rd edition of WWD.

Wednesday, May 21, 2008

Rubber History Interlude: Show & Tell

It's rubber show and tell day! (Don't worry. I have plenty more vintage rubber mags to scan and upload. Keep your eyes peeled. It just takes a long time to scan and to edit all those images.)


I present you, my dear rubberinos & rubberettes, what I call the Blasphemy Knickers. These panties were a custom order for one of my most loyal clients. He liked the Ruffled Knickers I did for another client awhile back and requested a pair with ruffled all around the legs, a religious-esque nun cross appliqué on the front and a split crotch.

As always, I do phenomenal, meticulous work. Betty LaBamba is the NYC area's best kept latex rubber secret! Let me brag once in a blue moon, mmkay?




It's too hard to see the detail of the split crotch on the pic above. (Nothing "exciting is behind it, unless you're into mannequin plastic crotch bumbs.) You can get a better look in this photo directly below:

Side views. Lotsa ruffles mean lotsa labor:




Look at this sexy ruffled bum! Don't be jealous:


Click here to see more pictures of the Blasphemy Knickers. If you're interested in purchasing a pair like this, contact me [bettylabamba at hotmail]. Pricing starts at $200.00.

To view the Betty LaBamba latex catalog with price listings, go here. Click here to be taken to my eBay store, here for the latex color chart, and here for the size chart.

Friday, May 02, 2008

The Rubbery Vol. 1, No. 1, May 1974


Rubber History Month continues into May. Today's post brings you a little latex gem called The Rubbery published in May 1974 by "RUBBERWEAR" PUBLICATIONS from Australia. Thanks to my pal Mike in Australia for sending me this mag--and many more.
Two pages are included on one image. Each image averages 1200 pixels wide. Pictures of rubber-ed up females throughout, duh. I didn't read the short story--I'm allergic to erotica or whatever you want to call that crap--but the articles are great and well worth the three minutes it will take to peruse them.
18+ Adult Warning: the following links contain nipples [not Janet Jackson's, oops] and mildly naughty rubber stuff. No coitus. No hardcore action. But as the cover clearly says, FOR ADULT READING ONLY.

Tuesday, April 29, 2008

Atomage Bondage Supplement No.4



Atomage Bondage Supplement No. 4 is reproduced here in its entirety. Must see images--besides the cover--on page 2 and page 18.

Adult warning: fuck-off if you're under 18 or whatever. (Can you tell I'm getting tired of the obligatory "OMG icky pr0n!" warning already?)

Front cover (page 01) // Page 02 // Page 03 // Page 04 // Page 05 // Page 06 // Page 07 // Page 08 // Page 09 // Page 10 // Page 11 // Page 12 // Page 13 // Page 14 & 15 // Page 16 // Page 17 // Page 18 // Page 19 // Page 20 // Page 21 // Page 22 // Page 23 // Page 24 // Page 25 // Page 26 // Page 27 // Back Cover

Please let me know if I made any mistakes with the links.

Friday, April 25, 2008

Atomage Bondage Supplement No.3


The rubber history qwest continues with Atomage Bondage Supplement No. 3. Welcome again to the wonderful world that is human sexuality. This is our history. Let's preseve it, analyze it, enjoy it.

Obligatory adult/18+ warning: do not click on the following links if you are under 18 or whatever age your country says you are not allowed to look at teh seks. Although there's no coitus pictured, I can see how this stuff can be offensive to most people.

Front Cover (page 01)

Thursday, April 17, 2008

Atomage Bondage Supplement No. 2


Rubber History Month continues. Today, I bring you Atomage Bondage Supplement No. 2.

Click on the text links to view the scans. As always, do not click on the following links if you are under 18 or are sensitive to erotic pictoral representations.

Front Cover (page 01)

Tuesday, April 15, 2008

Rubber History Month: Atomage Bondage Supplement No.1



April is Rubber History Month--OK, mid-April. So I've decided. I've also decided that Rubber History Month will go on for as long as I want.

To kick off this indefinite Rubber History Month, I have posted scans of the entire issue of the super-rare Atomage Bondage Supplement No. 1. Click on the links to view each page. (My pagination does not correspond to the actual magazine's pagination, but I hope you can deal with that.)
ADULT WARNING: Do not click on these links if you are under 18 or if you are a lumpen moralist (liberal lumpen moralist or conservative lumpen moralist, doesn't matter, just fuck off OK). Now let's get this road on the show!

Monday, April 14, 2008

Rubber in Literature: Jean Genet

Look what I found! A very tiny reference to rubber rainwear in Jean Genet's autobiographical novel The Thief's Journal:


When I was being followed on the Rues des Couronnes, the terror that the plainclothesmen caused me was communicated by the ghastly swish of their rubberized raincoats. Every time I hear that sound again, my heart contracts.


[Page 102 of the 1964 Grove Press edition. Same pagination as this newer/shinier paperback edition.]


Jean Genet (1910-1986) was a French writer mainly known for his highly erotic novels and plays on homosexuality, crime, and really cool stuff. If you enjoy reading Sade and Bataille (for the philosophical content, ahem) you will probably love Genet too. Genet was a fantastic prose artist--just get a load of this fabulous disembodied quote, also from The Thief's Journal: "To achieve harmony in bad taste is the height of elegance." Nice, huh? I should get that tattooed on my forehead.

The short paragraph quoted above makes me think about the sound of latex rubber and the memories and feelings that resurface. What are your aural rubber memories? The creaking of a heavy corset sliding over a catsuit or the rustling of a long gown, for example, brings up different associations. Rubber is an acoustic fabric, but that trait is often overshadowed by the primary tactile-visual qualities.

Monday, March 31, 2008

S&M Muzak: Spanking to the Oldies

S&M themed music about getting off by getting a beating is not just the domain of goth and punk bands. For example, listen to He Hit Me (And It Felt Like a Kiss) by The Crystals--famous for Da Doo Run Run!

A bit of history behind the story from Wiki:

"He Hit Me (It Felt Like A Kiss)" is a pop song written by Gerry Goffin and Carole King and recorded by The Crystals under the guidance of Phil Spector in 1962.
Goffin and King wrote the song after discovering that singer
Little Eva was being regularly beaten by her boyfriend. When they inquired why she tolerated such treatment, Eva replied, with complete sincerity, that her boyfriend's actions were motivated by his love for her.

Kinda fucked up, right? But then again, songs glorifying serial killers or about pimping out young ladies' vaginas are a bit screwed up too.

Saturday, March 15, 2008

Get Into Focus On It


Look! An ad poster with latex for Focus on Imaging, an annual European trade show for cameras and shit. (The party starts in '09.) Credit for the picture goes to a pretty cool dude named Justin Focus. The title is "The Photo Evangelist." Go here to see a snappy making-of video.
Do not ask me the clothing brands. Two reasons: 1) I don't give a flying shit; and 2) they're not any of mine.

Wednesday, February 20, 2008

The Sexual Fetish -- RANDOM POST BONUS

Here are several excerpts of interest from The Sexual Fetish paperback. Click here for part one and here for part two of the main blog entries.

----------------------------------------------------

Chapter I: Contemporary Definition of the Sexual Fetish

The term that one is "making a fetish out of it" is used pretty freely today, although not only in a sexual sense. The implication is that one is overly obsessed by some object or quirk. The word fetish, or fetich, actually denotes a feeling applied to a primarily non-sexual object that has, for the beholder, certain erotic and sexually stimulating connotations. This can be carried to extremes in which sexual feelings are applied to most unlikely-sounding items. There are cases of persons having erotic reactions to a roll-top desk or a can-opener. These persons are candidates for the analyst's couch.


[. . .]

Rubber as clothing material, while as prevalent a fetish item as leather, has not yet been fully accepted as a public form of dress. The one exception to this, of course, is the brightly colored rain-wear that women wear, contrasted with the more drab official coats issued to postmen. Nevertheless, there are many people who devote themselves to the wearing of clothes made of rubber, who cannot understand the attraction of leather; they feel that rubber is so much more form-fitting. These include the skin-diving enthusiasts who would never dream of actually going under water.
[. . .]


----------------------------------------------------
Chapter XX The Fetish: A Summing Up
[. . .]
Fetish is derived from the Portuguese word fetico, meaning charmed. Psychiatrists believe that no person, except the very rare asexual individual, escapes the aura of fetishism. Whether he recognizes as fetishes the things that attract his attention depends upon the person's depth of self-understanding.
Some authorities suggest that an attraction for a "non-sexual" part of the body is always a fetish. If this be true then we would have to assume we are all would-be fetishists if we enjoy looking at a pretty girl. For what catches the eye first is basically non-sexual. Generally, the buttocks, breasts, hair, facial contours, and type of walk attracts the attention. None of these are absolutely essential for sexuality. [Sexuality, not eroticism: big difference.--Rubber Betty]
One is pleased by a tight sweater, a contour-clinging pair of slacks, some saucy and eye-catching footwear. Is he a fetishist? The very correct gentleman of yesteryear admired the crinoline and taffeta that fell gracefully over curving bosoms and hips. Was he a fetishist? According to current definitions, the answer is yes.
Less prevalent, perhaps, is the third category of fetishism mentioned. The sexual reaction obtained from the association of a certain material. But it must be remembered that the definitions of fetishism do not stipulate that an orgasm must be obtained, or even sexual "preparation" be present during an association with certain materials.
If one thrills to the touch of a leather handbag or the rubber gloves used for dishwashing; if the wooden breadboard gives one chills up and down the spine (it may resemble that college paddle) one has, like it or not, a fetish attachment.
By unanimous consent, however, one need not worry about the fetish if it does not replace sexual activity. And, some of the authorities in the field say, one need not worry even if the fetish does replace sexual activity. Most who do hold this opinion would prefer that the etish be a supplement to the traditional sex act, but thet feel that sexual activity of some kind is better than none at all.
Often, so say the liberals, a fetish attachment can have the same stabilizing effect that a hobby such as coin collecting or bowling can have. Indeed, some fetishists do turn their interests into an actual hobby. Collecting literature and illustrations (spankology, leather publications, bondage pictures) or fetish implements (whips, paddles, phallic symbols, special tailor-made clothing) is believed to ba a channeling of fetish desires.
The question arises as to what is fetishism's future. It is not a question as to whether fetishism will continue to be in existence (it will be as long as sex remains with us) but as to what forms it will take. Psychiatrists, backed by sociologists, say all indications are that the three forms of fetishism are maintaining their traits primarily in one combination.
Fetish materials are being made into clothing and applied to non-sexual (and sexual too, of course) parts of the body for purposes of displaying the anatomy. Thus all three aspects of fetishism become rolled into one. Fashion and clothes designers are attempting to appeal to this fetish attraction. It transcends mere surface sex appeal and becomes an appeal to sensuality.
Another phenomenon is the increasing output of fetish literature and fetish-orientated magazines. As people seek to know themselves better and to be aware of their "afflictions," they seek information about things that do or could apply to themselves. The large demand for knowledge of fetishism is noted bt psychiatrists as an indication of increased fetish existence.
As Kinsey's studies provided exhaustive information and lifted a screen that was covering sexual relations, so fetishism is beginning to grip the researcher's interest. The taboos that have long been obscuring this area of sexual activity are being dispelled.

Monday, February 18, 2008

New Blog Alert! 3xL: Fetish Rainwear

New blog in town!


The rubber fetish powerhouse that is 3xL: Love, Lust, Latex recently started a new blog called Fetish Rainwear. Oh no, you may say, not another fetish blog. Yes, and it's totally awesome. If you have not already guessed from the name, its focus is on rainwear. Rainwear is not just for old British people, it's for you and me. Rainwear, in conclusion, is awesome and so is this blog. But don't stop reading mine--because I am also awesome.

Get out your wellies, get out your SBR macs, get out your plastic polka-dotted umbrellas, and let's all sing in the rain.

Monday, February 11, 2008

Vintage Paperback: The Sexual Fetish (Part 2 of 2)

Continued from the earlier post Vintage Paperback: The Sexual Fetish (Part 1 of 2).


I forgot to include the publishing info in Part 1. The Sexual Fetish in Today's Society by Hugh Jones was published by Brandon House. Copywright (c) 1965. It boasts an introduction by Harvey T. Leathem, M.D. Oooh, an M.D.! For realz.


Harvey T. and Hugh Jones collaborated on other pulp sex paperbacks such as Sex For One, Mondo Erotico and The Act of Love. But that's not all: Harvey also authored other trash tomes including The Spankers, Sex Gadgets and Boys and Girls Who Do: An In-depth Study of Today's Mod Mini Swingers. To view some more of his very sophisticated oeuvre, go to this amazon.com page.


The second half of the chapter titled "Rubber As a Fetish Symbol" is reproduced below in light blue, non-italicized text.



---------------------------------------------------
Of particular interest to the fetishist is the soft, squishing sound made when walking or bending. The female devotee rarely ceases talking about the fact that in bending, stooping or reaching, the rubber holds its resiliency like no other material she has ever worn.

As far as covering above the waist is concerned, a zipper is brought into use. All shirts or blouses have long sleeves and these are rolled in the same way as the pants are. The zippers are usually placed in the back. The fronts of the garment[s] are plain rubber, but brassiere-type pouches are included. These garments are usually specially ordered to fit the individual. There are no stock "sizes." About fifteen different measurements are required by the best rubber clothing manufacturers. The garments are so constructed that one needs help in getting into the shirts.

In fact, most rubber fetishists are married couples who indulge in this activity for mutual admiration. They pick certain days, usually weekends, when they wear the items around the house. If they do venture out of the house they wear conventional clothing over their rubber wear.

Rubber panties are popular with girls under their street clothing. The girls describe the ever-present awareness of the rubber clinging to them as "thrilling."

Fetish houses that specialize in rubber clothing indicate that not only do they fill many orders for panties, but they also manufacture men's undershorts and a rubber version of the athletic supporter. These are for men who like to wear an item of rubber clothing in their daily work. Much of the excitement of the rubber fetish seems to come from the surreptitious wearing of the material.

As stated, the rubber fetish does not seem to be related to any other type. Rubber devotees do not bind each other up. Whipping seems not to interest them, and though paddling a rubber covered pair of buttocks intrigues a small portion of the flagellant element, it is not a part of the activities of the true rubber fetishist.

As tight pants are connected to the buttocks fetish, so are rubber pants. Without the curves to "mold" itself to, the rubber pants would hold little attraction. The same is true for the shirts, which outline broad chests or swelling breasts.

Before looking at case histories, we should mention the connection that is sometimes brought to mind between rubber clothing and the male contraceptive. One or two writings indicate a relationship between encasement of the sexual organ and the wrapping of the entire body in rubber. This is, according to psychologists, pretty far-fetched. The only connection that might be termed logical is the utilitarian property of the contraceptive to cling and stretch. This is exactly the chracteristic which attracts the rubber fetishist.

The following letters were taken from a rubber devotees' magazine:

"My husband and I became interested in rubber clothing through the reading of your magazine. We happened to notice it at a friend's house and they discussed their 'hobby' with us. Frankly, we aren't sure why this material appeals to us. But we saw the order blanks in your publication for rubber outfits and we decided to give it a try.

"We took the required measurements and sent them in. After a wait of about three weeks the package came and I'll admit we were pretty excited. We had made the choice of ordering a two-piece outfit instead of the one-piece 'diving' suit. The reason for this is that we thought we might want to wear the pants seperately.

"The clothing fitted just beautifully, and we were amazed at the softness of the lining. The way the pants clung to the body left not one curve or indentation to the imagination, which is just the way we wanted it to be. We wore them around the house the entire first day. I must admit that we stopped to embrace much more than usual.

"However, my husband and I found ourselves in trouble. We were unable to fulfill our desires completely without removing the pants. As we were inspired to five or six such sessions a day, we found the act of getting dressed and undressed irritating. So I made a little modification in the pants that I thought might interest your readers.

"In order to make it easier to enjoy each other in our rubber clothing, I carefully cut speacial openings in each of our pants. The whole area is sexually very stimulating to us. We thought some other couples might be interested in the idea, if it had not occurred to them already!"---Mrs. L. W., Minneapolis, Minn.

Another letter stated:

"Hal and I have been rubber fetishists for some time. We had a mutual affection for this material before we married. I'll not go into the reasons for our liking rubber clothing items, but my husband and I have a whole closetful of them.

"However, I am writing to you now to describe one particular aspect of our devotion. My husband and I work in a real estate agency. While we spend entire weekends dressed up in our special clothes at home, we don't dare wear any of the rubber items to work for fear of being considered 'strange.' But we dearly wanted to wear something under our regular clothing.

"We finally developed an idea. Both Hal and I ordered special underpants made of rubber. Mine are cut along the line of regular panties and Hal's are skintight 'jockey' shorts, with a special rubber pouch in front. They are so tight you can feel them squeeze your buttocks together as you stand up, for instance, Hal says he can feel the increase in pressure when he becomes sexually excited. [sic]

"Just knowing that each of us has these rubber items wrapped around our sexual organs stimulates us during our work day. We exchange secret smiles when the office is crowded. What is more fun is that Hal will sureptitiously pat me on my rubber-covered fanny when no one is looking. He finds excuses to pass by. I, in turn, lightly squeeze Hal's shorts. Sometimes, though, he likes me to get rough. A hard pinch or a quick slap will light up his eyes. He has told me, though, that the pressure of the pouch interferes with the luxury of an erection. Perhaps this is just as well--in the office. But this secret sex-play during the day is lots of fun for us. Sometimes we can hardly wait to get home and into the rubber clothing which we wear until bedtime."---Mrs. A. J., Youngstown, Ohio.


---------------------------------------------

In Part 1, I mentioned that one reason of presenting the book as a series of case histories with pyschology-type commentary was to get around censorship, but I neglected to mention the most glaring reason. The case history/psychological text construct provides the sexual narrative with an a official stamp of approval. After all, science is Truth with a capital T. It's one way of making the fantasy real, and, although not necessarily more immediate, more acceptable.

I hope you've enjoyed this tiny piece of rubber history.

Friday, February 08, 2008

Let's Go For a Swim! (Rubber Duck Not Included)

Fashion sucks, but the juggernaut still rolls on, crushing the skulls of the fabulous, the innocent, the addicts, the perverted.

I don't know what's going on for FALL 2008. Frankly, right now I don't care and I don't have the time. I'm just getting caught up with SPRING 2008. The juggernaut ran over my foot and I had to spend some time in the hospital.

I was more unimpressed than usual with the fashion bullshit for SPRING '08. Most of the collections were hideous boring garbage, like if the Olsen twins were made out of fabric and not coke and bulimia. The only excitement came from the accessories, but I'll deal with that later.

Thank gawd for John Galliano. Yes, he does the same shit every year, but it's AWESOME. I worship at the alter of his derivativeness. His SPRING '08 had a few actual latex rubber pieces, namely flapper-style bathing caps. I love those!
The three pictures were ganked from style.com.
The sheeting color of the swim cap featured above and in the full body shot directly below is a bit hard to tell. I think the cap may be made from one of Radical Rubber's "Electric" colors. It looks too light to be Supatex Jade Green (4D).


The color of the swim cap above is Vibrant Turquoise manufactured by 4D.
Hey Blogger, fix the spell check!

Thursday, February 07, 2008

Vintage Paperback: The Sexual Fetish (Part 1 of 2)


I forgot I had this vintage gem in my rubber history archive. "The Sexual Fetish in Today's Society" is one of those pulp paperbacks published in the 60's. I have a bunch of them that I've collected over the years. They're basically sensational "jerk-off" books masqarading as psychological tomes. What my generation may not be aware of is that censorship was a big thing way back in the day--much more than it is today. I'm guessing this was one way to kind of get around the censors.
Although this book isn't directed towards rubber people, it does have a chapter on rubber fetishism--sorta, kinda. You can get a sense of what the book is about and its overal attitude from the front and back covers. Don't expect grand prose or pyschological discoveries. Enjoy it for what it is: a little piece of rubber history and a little piece of glorious pulp trash. The chapter in question is partially reproduced below in light blue, non-italicized text.
Random Question: When did the word "latex" become common usage instead of the word "rubber" to refer to natural latex rubber sheeting and/or the garments made from said sheeting? I'm asking this because, in all of my readings of vintage fetish magazines and books, latex is almost exclusively called rubber. Did the common usage of the word latex start catching on the the late 80's/early 90's?

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Chapter XII


Rubber As a Fetish Symbol



Inevitably, comparisons are drawn between rubber and leather as fetish symbols. This is probably because these two materials are used in virtually all exotic fetish clothing. However, the attraction that leather has for many people may include areas other than that of clothing. The bondage and flagellation fetishes are manifested in leather straps and paddles. But rubber seems to hold no fetish obsessions except in the form of clothing.

Statistically speaking, the rubber devotees are much fewer than the leather fetishists. Rubber devotees claim the skintight clinging effect of their favorite material is the main source of their devotion. They feel that it is designed to be worn next to the skin, without anything underneath and, as such, functions both as outer and inner clothing at the same time.

As leather clothing touches both the exotic and the real, so does rubber clothing. But in a different manner. [sic] Such items as high-heeled boots or leather pants hover between the two fields. Not completely accepted items for street dress (they draw stares even in the most sophisticated of cities) yet not so completely bizarre that they are solely the property of the exotics. [sic]

With rubber clothing either the item functions as street apparel, such as a rubber raincoat, or as an exotic fetish item such as rubber pants. An exception to this is the rubber diving suit. This appears most often in its primary use as a protection against the ocean's cold. But it is also a favorite costume of the rubber fetishist who would not dream of going near the water.

In checking with psychiatrists to inquire as to the personality make-up of the rubber fetishist, we find them frankly baffled. Not many rubber devotees bring their deviation to the psychiatrist, nor do they steal rubber items and thus are never referred by the courts to psychiatric help.

Almost any deviation or aberration can be linked to a defect in the psyche, including that of the leather clothing addict. But the sexual attraction of rubber clothing leaves psychiatrists and psychologists merely theorizing as to the probability that it is actually an anatomy fetish. The rubber simply clings and outlines the human form and the various sexually-orientated parts. There are few case histories of rubber fetishism in their files and we have had to turn to the literature of the specialist in fetish attractions to find first-person accounts.

Incidentally, the aforementioned attraction to rubber rainwear such as coats, caps, and galoshes is outside the realm of this book. We are concerned primarily with sexual fetishes, and attachments for rubber street-wear appear to be non-sexual in nature. Descriptions of this type of dress that appear in the fetish magazines dwell more on the bright and gay colors than on sexual connotations.

Of greater interest, however, are the rubber pants, shirts, shorts, and panties. The pants, in particular, come under the name of "rolled" clothing. These pants are applied to the leg and buttocks much as a rubber contraceptive is applied to the male reproductive organ. They are lined with a soft material which is not at all harsh to the skin.

The wearer "prepares" the pants by stretchin them out and then rolling them inside out, very tightly, down to the bottom of the pants legs. Rarely are the rubber feet, so common to the diving suit, included in the fetish version. The feet are inserted into the legholes, and the pants are rolled up the body. Naturally, the rubber clings tightly to the skin, so much so that a special pouch is included in the male garment for the genitals. An elastic waist band prevents any sagging.

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The second half of this chapter can be read in this post. I appreciate, and look forward to, all of your comments.

Sunday, February 03, 2008

Plastic Rainwear Pour Les Hommes

FOUND! in the February 2008 issue of Interview magazine: two natty-as-all-fuck metro-men in slick tailored plastic rainwear. The 60's never went out of style. It just comes out of hibernation once every so often.


Clothing credits: the man in black melting into a inky puddle is wearing a plastic trench and plastic tuxedo shirt by Burberry Prorsum. The man in grey is wearing an outfit by Z Zegna and shoes by Dior Homme.
The accompagning article is interesting enough and short enough for me to type out and reproduce directly below in italic text:
"Clear and Present" by Meredith L. Fisher
THINK "COO COO CA CHOO, MRS. ROBINSON"
Mr. McGuire was onto something when he advised Benjamin Braddock in "The Graduate" to listen up: "I want to say one word to you, just one word...plastics." Forty-one years and countless raincoats late, the material is making a comeback--this time on the catwalk. Thom Brown gave the trad mac a short-sleeve, plaid makeover, while Z Zegna took the synthetic material a step further and combined a blazer with a cape to create a whole new genre of outerwear. And, of course, Christopher Bailey had something up the sleeve of his plastic Burberry trench in the form of pop-colored button-downs and a high-glass take on the tuxedo shirt. No wonder McGuire was such a believer. How can anyone go wrong with plastic? It cleans quickly, is ideal for inclement weather, and serves a variety of household purposes when you've worn out its welcome.
Hmm, I don't get all this fuss about plastic. Substitute "rubber" or "latex" for plastic, then it will all make sense.
The men in the audience should listen up. Stop complaining about not getting laid at parties! Really, it's pathetic, and pathetic in a way that won't get you any pity. Here's my suggestion: buy yourself a natty rubber outfit like the ones above, and go to the next fetish party. It doesn't matter if you are a slob, are fat, or are a fat slob; the clothes make the man. Sit at the bar and siddle up to a nice, young model type broad. Be charming, ply her with drinks, and pretend you're worth a lot of money. Make sure you flatter her and talk about women empowerment and all that rot. Her legs will spread in no time. Ah! I'm kidding, I'm kidding.

Friday, February 01, 2008

Poll Results: Latex Sheeting

I must offer my apologies to my loyal guys and dolls. I once promised to put up a new poll every week. Well, I failed you. I failed all of you. The same poll has been up (and closed) for about a month. Oh, the blog horror!

Anyway, we'll get over it...together, we'll rise above.

Without further ado, and, unfortunately, no spankings, here is the results to "My favorite type of latex sheeting is"

Drumroll, please.

Out of a whopping 56 votes:

28% chose "standard/supatex"
33% chose "semi-transparent"
5% chose "vibrant/neon"
21% chose "metallic/pearlsheen"
0% chose "OK, really, what the fuck?!"
10% chose "anything with boobs behind it."

Semi-trans has won this round. Even though I tend not to wear semi-trans latex clothing--I'm a shy one--I really love the semi-trans colors, especially the traditional natural color. However, I voted metallic/pearsheen because lately I've been working with those colors a lot. Click here for a sample pic.

Tuesday, January 29, 2008

Fresh Meat

We've got some fresh latex meat from Japan on the links list. Latex Adventures in Japan is a relatively new blog written by Rubbergaijin, a foreign student living in Japan. He writes about his quest for a rubber soulmate and the mis/adventures that ensue.


3xL [the mutha of all rubber blogs] posted about L.A. in J. first. When I visited Rubbergaijin's blog, what did I notice? The Rubber Betty Blog was on his blog roll! Awesome.

Wednesday, January 23, 2008

Miss Rubber World 2008 Report

Betty LaBamba here, bringing you all inside scoop from this year's Miss Rubber World, the world's premier latex/rubber beauty pageant. As you may have known, I was one of the judges for said competition. Wow, I'm big shit, right? All kidding aside, let's get on with the shoe.


My boyfriend and I took photos with a polaroid camera. Why a polaroid? I say, why not? Polaroids just make everything look awesome.


MRW was held at Rebel, formerly the goth/industrial club Batcave, about a block away from Penn Station in NYC. The venue was spacious yet cozy with suitably decadent decor. However, it was a bit too cold for anyone not decked out in head-to-toe rubber, i.e. me.





Here I am in a new dress I made just for the occasion. My inspiration came from photos of little school girl dolls in a Japanese doll magazine. The main color is Radical Rubber's "electric blue," which is essentially a metallic pale blue. The color combo just popped in my mind, and I knew what the dress was going to look like even before I drafted the pattern.


Too bad it was freezing that night because I had to cover up with a cardigan sweater most of the night. Many party-goers stayed away since the weather was dangerously raw and arctic. Also, I had to wear black wool tights underneath my dress instead of latex stockings. Unfortunately, you can see the marks from the tights on the waist area. But that's all right: I still looked fabulous.




A judge's duty is never easy: some one always has to get executed. Oops, I mean...flogged. Yeah.

The two previous polaroids show us judges hard at work computating the scores. From left to right: Miss Rubber World 2006 Jess, me, Lady J. I've got the smallest boobs out of all the judges--and probably everyone else in the room. Hah!

This year there were only four contestants. Seven shimmied and shook their rubber-clad bums last year. Even with four, the show lasted well over an hour.


Pictured above is the 2nd runner up Dawn--in the anime catsuit--and 1st runner up Justine. It's a shame that that spectacular catsuit was PVC instead of latex! What also killed me was that there were three prizes total (the title prize, 1st runner up, 2nd runner up) and only four contestants. I felt so bad for the gal in last place. Do you think it was easy for me? I was partly responsible for crushing someone's dreams of rubber-beauty-world-domination. So close and yet so far. If there were five or six contestants, then it wouldn't have been so bad.


There's Miss Rubber World 2008, Steffy, looking especially radiant after her win. She'll be one of the judges for MRW 2009.
And now for some bonus pics.

Rubbertime Andrew, me, and Steffy looking oh-so-adorable.


Here we are again.

Rubbertime Andrew and Steffy: ready to kick rubber ass.



For more party photos, go to the official Miss Rubber World website here.

Monday, January 14, 2008

This is your final warning.

There's only two more days until Miss World Rubber 2008! Two days! Do you hear me? TWO days!

All the info you need to know is in this post.

I'm still working on my outfit, and I don't think I'm even gonna complete every thing I intended to complete. Don't forget to say "HI!" to me. You'll know me; I'll be the only female there not in high heels. 'Cause I'm such a non-conformist.

Be there or be...not cool.

Monday, January 07, 2008

The Ruffles! They live! And they're taking over the world!

Ah, it's been a long while since I've done a propaganda entry. People tell me I need to show off more. I'm getting back into the swing of things. By the way, keep your eyes posted for a forthcoming post about Rubbertime magazine.



New in Betty LaBamba latex news is the "Ruffled Thong." Wow, ruffles. Big deal, right? Well, these ruffles go all the way around every edge of the thong. Originally, this was a one-off custom commission, but my client said, "Hey, why don't you start selling these?" So now you know the rest of the story.


Price starts at $95.00. Bows, appliqués, or metallic colored ruffles will cost you extra. Every seam is reinforced at key stress areas, and the ruffles are double-reinforced. Contact bettylabamba[at]hotmail[dot]com to order.


View the rest of my latex stuff here. Don't forget to visit (and buy a bunch of stuff) from my eBay store.