I am a leather fetishist to the core as I find a great satisfaction in wearing leather. The smell and feeling of it are some of the aspects that I enjoy.
Lee Harrington is a BDSM kinkster and educator that has written a very interesting essay that approaches leather on a philosophical level. Head over to his site and watch the video in which he does a dynamic reading from his new book Sacred Kink: The Eightfold Paths of BDSM and Beyond.
The use of leather pants and similar accessories are sometimes ridiculed in forums. My opinion on this is that it’s usually done by people who are mostly clueless about the historical origins of certain BDSM expressions. Some people even want to stay unaware of the history as if they are inventing things on their own – In most cases they are just trying to reinvent the wheel as they are totally oblivious to the practical and historical reasons behind the usage of leather.
Lee’s video has some really nice references to the Leather man culture and the old guard. But most important of all – His video puts the usage of leather into a very interesting perspective.