By Liana Jacob
MEET THE man with a LATEX FETISH who has spent over SEVEN-THOUSAND POUNDS on material to create various latex suits despite coming from a conservative family.
Dramatic pictures show principal software engineer, Eliot Liles (31), from Indiana, USA, wearing a black latex bodysuit with gas mask-style headgear.
He can be seen dressed in latex drag with a red bodysuit with makeshift boobs and a blonde plaited wig in a sultry pose, while another shows him in a black bodysuit with boobs, a wig and a corset while lying on his sofa.
Further pictures show him dressed in a red bodysuit similar to Spiderman’s with a camera in his hand and in a purple bodysuit with boobs sitting on his sofa.
Eliot grew up in a religious and conservative family, which meant that he was unable to act on his passion for latex.
Growing up, he was a proud ‘nerd’ which he felt made him a target for bullies at school and despite having an attraction to latex or smooth and shiny things since he was a toddler, he was not able to do anything about it. It wasn’t until he started university in 2007, when he could afford his first piece of latex which he wore everywhere.
He says that he is attracted to its unique and sensory aspects and wearing latex makes him feel confident about himself.
“I feel that I have an innate attraction to smooth and shiny things; I’ve had interest in latex fashion since I was a toddler,” Eliot said.
“I loved to pretend to be a doctor. That was going to be my career when I got older. As part of that role play, I would wear latex exam gloves to look the part.
“My memory of that part of my life is vague, but I recall at some point thinking that it would be cool to have clothes made of the same material as the gloves so I could wear it on more than just my hands.
“I had no internet access at the time, and I was just a little kid, so the thought never went further than that.
“Fast-forward several years; I was probably around twelve or thirteen-years-old. I had long outgrown the phase of playing doctor and was a pretty typical nerdy pre-teen.
“I never had any problem excelling in the advanced courses; my comfort in school, combined with my nerdiness made me a prime target for bullying in school.
“My interest in latex fashion unfortunately developed long before I had the means to acquire any for myself. My first purchase came very shortly after moving out to attend university.
“Around that same time, I was able to get my own credit card so I could finally make my own online purchases. At first, being a poor college student, I didn’t get anything fancy.
“I just got some simple, ‘cheap’ pieces such as shorts and t-shirts. It wasn’t much, but it was enough for me to finally experience wearing it, which I had been longing for, for a few years by then. It definitely whet my appetite and I knew it was for me.
“I wear different styles for different reasons and occasions as well. However, the dominant feeling I get is confidence.
“I am generally bored by regular clothing. It doesn’t help that most fashion is directed at women and that I live in an area where more interesting clothes aren’t generally available.
“So, I find latex to be something very unique that allows me to add a little more fun and interest to my wardrobe.
“It’s exciting when I’m wearing some in public and someone is generally curious about it. I’m always happy to let someone have a closer look or touch it if they are interested.”
Eliot says that he enjoys the way the material feels on his body and he wears his designs in public wherever he can.
He has spent over £7,000 ($10,000) on his latex designs and admits to getting carried away but says that he has received a positive response on social media for his amazing pictures.
“There are a few different things that attract me to it. Firstly, it’s something that most people have never seen before, and it gives me a way to really express myself which gives me confidence,” he said.
“Secondly, as most of my images portray, there is a fetish aspect to it as well. To be clear, the latex clothing that I wear in public is very different from what I wear in my images.
“I do not wear overtly fetish clothing in public. With that cleared up, the things that attract me to the fetish side of latex fashion are mostly sensory.
“Visually, I love how it shines and looks so smooth. I have a natural draw to shiny things and latex is the epitome of that for me.
“I also love the tactile sensations of touching the smooth material as well as how the skin-tight outfits hug the whole body. It’s so relaxing.
“In addition to the sensory experience, I really enjoy how when you are dressed head-to-toe, you can transform yourself into someone else and can feel free to take on a different persona. It’s liberating.
“To be fair, latex isn’t all about pretty pictures and amazing sensory experiences. It has its downsides as well.
“It is very expensive, very high-maintenance, is not really practical as clothing at all, and can get uncomfortable after a while.
“I went back through my receipts, filling in where I’m missing some, and I spent close to $10,000 on my latex outfits. I guess it’s easy to get carried away.
“Now granted, this has been spread out over about twelve years now, so that’s just over $800 per year, which is still a good amount.
“I don’t wear my latex clothes as much as I’d like. Typically, I wear something small once or twice a week. I get into my more elaborate outfits like the ones in my images much less frequently, maybe once every few months.
“I wouldn’t say wearing other clothing is odd. I’m just generally bored and uninspired by it. My general reaction is, ‘yup, just another shirt and pants’.
“The days that I do wear latex, even if it is just a t-shirt, generally puts me in a bit better mood because of it.
“I’ve had a lot of shame over it until just a few years ago. Growing up in a conservative household in a conservative area of the country taught me very well that one needs to ‘fit in’ and that any sort of deviant behaviour is frowned upon.
“I felt very alone and didn’t have anyone to share my interest with to build any sort of comradery. That generated a lot of shame for feeling like I was somehow weird to an extreme or broken.
“What finally got me out of that rut was the process of maturing and my awesome wife. I slowly learned over time that the latex is just a material like anything else clothing might be made of.
“My advice is to do what you love. Naturally, it’s much better to have a dedicated photographer, but if you’re like me, it is possible to do it yourself.
“It is a lot of work though. Start small. You don’t need any fancy equipment or clothing. I use an eight-year-old camera and a few accessories. I think the main part is to do what feels true to yourself and brings joy.
“I think it would be amazing if people were less judgmental and critical of others. You may see someone doing or saying something strange or unusual that you don’t understand
“A better approach than judgement or criticism is curiosity. Strike up a conversation with that person and ask them about it. You might learn something and expand your world a little b
“I feel that we have too much polarisation and finger-pointing in the world right now and we all could use a little more understanding.”
