“MAL” means “Mid-Atlantic Leather,” the second-largest annual gathering of the leather clan in the U.S.  It is going on in downtown Washington, DC, and ends tonight.  I blogged the other day about why my partner and I decided not to attend.  Been there, done that….

Instead of going to MAL, I wore full leather anyway:  long-sleeved hunter green leather shirt, leather riding pants, and Wesco Boss boots.  My partner and I went to the motorcycle show that was also in town, at the Convention Center.  It was easy to get to because we could use our Metro subway system, which has a stop right there… convenient.

We strolled around, looked at the new bikes, show bikes, display bikes, and the various vendors’ booths.  While several vendors were selling leather gear (vests, jackets, and chaps), only one vendor was selling U.S.-made gear.

Most of the leather gear was cheap junk made of imported leather from Pakistan.  The lack of quality showed.  What also showed was what these vendors know about the demographic of guys who attend these shows.  I swear, some vendors only had vests and jackets that started at US Size 50 — and up!  My gosh!  But their knowledge and decision-making about what to display for sale was, sadly, spot-on.

Funny, two guys came up to me and said, “that’s a cool shirt?  Who’s selling it?” — wanting to know which vendor at the motorcycle show had it for sale.  I told both of them the truth:  they could get this leather shirt if they wanted it, but the vendor displaying it was at the Hyatt Regency, not at the convention center.  One guy said, “that’s strange” and another said, “why there?”  To both, I explained that there was a “leather convention” at the hotel, and the vendor of this shirt, Mr. S. Leather, had a display there.  Neither quite understood what I was saying, but both said, “nahhh… too far away.”  (giggle.) Also, what they didn’t need to know was that a change this year at MAL is that you have to pay $10 just to stroll around the exhibit hall if you did not buy a full admission package.

Back to the motorcycle show: I saw and spoke with some people I know, while my partner shied away and tried to fade into the background.  We strolled around, and had lunch — and I wasn’t surprised, but disappointed, that the cost of lunch was equal to the cost of two entry tickets.  Yikes!

It was a nice way to do something different and spend the afternoon with my partner.  Photos with this post show me on a 2011 Harley-Davidson Ultra Classic.  No, I am not considering getting it, or any new bike.  My 2008 Road King suits me just fine.

On the way home, I did see a couple guys decked out in full leather on their way into town.  I can imagine where they were going.  Hope they, and all attending MAL, had fun.

Life is short:  enjoy your leather while attending a non-gay-leather-dude event!

It’s that time of year again when the second-largest gathering of the Leather Clan occurs in the United States, at an event called “Mid-Atlantic Leather,” held this year January 14 – 17 in Washington, DC.  I see on various forums and posts that I read that a lot of guys are planning to attend. (I wish my friend Paul, whose image is to the left, will be there; alas, he won’t. But doesn’t he present the epitome of a hot Leatherdude?  Woof!)

The headquarters hotel has changed to the Hyatt Regency instead of the old, ratty, Washington Plaza.  The Hyatt is a much nicer property, but also expensive and not very convenient to Metro (our subway system).  Though the walk from Union Station (trains and Metro) isn’t bad … I once worked at a building right behind the Hyatt, and the walk was about six blocks … not “that” far.

Anyway, while I would like to see some of my friends from out-of-town who are attending, I do not have an interest in attending the various MAL events.  Being an old, monogamous, Maryland suburban-boy, spending time in the city is not my cup-o-tea.  Weighing the “hassle-factor” of getting there is a major part of my thought process.  There is no free parking anywhere (even on weekends), and driving into the city and out again is challenging.  Further, most of the events occur late at night, and I am definitely not the night-owl.

But wait, you say!  There’s a Hotboots party on Saturday afternoon!  (2 to 4pm at the Green Lantern bar).  You have those Custom Brown Dehner Field Boots that you want to show off. (Or, let’s say, show something different from the typical Chippewa Hi-Shines, Dehner Patrol Boots, and Wescos). Been there, done that… bartenders are surly, you can’t take pictures in the bar, and with construction completed for new buildings near the bar, it’s hard to find a place to park, and Metro is even further away.  Plus, as usual, my partner doesn’t want to go as he detests social things.

There is also a motorcycle show at the DC Convention Center the same weekend.  I may be able to convince The Partner to go to that, as I scored a couple free tickets and there is a Metro station right there for convenience.  We’ll leather up and look at the new bikes and gear and such … maybe.  It’s all weather- and mood-dependent (the mood of The Partner being the decisive factor.)  I’ve learned to take each day as it comes, and if he’s up for it, then we’ll go … if not, we won’t.  No big shakes.

So, if you are going to MAL — have a great time!  The weather should be rather typical in Washington for this time of year:  cold, but not frigid; and the little bit of snow that fell yesterday should be gone by the weekend.

Be safe, have fun, and by all means:  wear your leather and tall boots!

(Image to right was found on the ‘net, and is the classic image of a leatherdude who may attend MAL — though personally, I never could understand why he is wearing sunglasses at night. Part of the “image,” I presume….)

ADDENDUM: Three people wrote to me to ask, “why didn’t you just reserve a hotel room and stay, rather than drive in and out of town each night?”

Answer: I am sorry that I didn’t address that issue in the original post. To be honest, I conk out at 21:00 (9pm) each night. I can’t handle activities that go on after that. Further, I can think of a lot of other things on which to spend US$700, which is what I estimate the cost of a hotel room for the weekend to be, with taxes, etc. It’s not worth it to us to take a hotel room when we wouldn’t be participating in most of the MAL events which take place after my bedtime (and also recognizing that we are truly monogamous, and we do not play around with other men.) Further, I learned from attending IML in Chicago that guys clomp up and down hotel hallways late into the night, and it’s likely we wouldn’t be able to sleep well. I know, I know… who sleeps at these things? We do….

Life is short:  realize your priorities change with relationships and age.

What happened yesterday at home during a delivery was amusing to me, so I thought I would share.

Yesterday, while working at home, I had a new mattress and box spring set delivered.  The old set in our master bedroom had seen better days, and had become lumpy and miserable to sleep on.  After 20 years, the old set was overdue for a replacement.  We did our research, shopped around, and got what we thought was a good deal on a new set.  We had to do the routine of “go down the street and get a better offer,” then bring it back and get an even better offer.  Damn, I wish buying mattresses wasn’t so complicated — sorta like buying a car.  Negotiate, negotiate — but with that back-and-forthing, we saved $320 off the original “sale” price.

But I digress….  The delivery arrived, and as promised, the new mattress and box spring were carried by two very-efficient Hispanic guys up the stairs, and they carried away our old box spring/mattress set, which was part of the deal (haul-away service is great, because those things are heavy and hard to lug around.)

A minute after the delivery truck arrived, a guy showed up, driving a late-model luxury automobile (lest I offend drivers of Audis, I’ll just refer to it as an automobile)… and he was dressed-to-the-nines in a suit, even with a pocket square.  Coif-du-jour, shined dress shoes, smelly cologne… the works.

There are a lot of different kinds of gay men in the world.  Some of them are rather effeminate in observable behavior, and some of us refer to those who act that way as a “queen.”  At least, that’s my partner’s frequent appellation. It was one of these guys who got out of that car and came to my door.  The suited-guy was obviously gay.  My Gaydar may not be 100%, but in this case, there was no question.

So there I was at the door… decked out in full leather (shirt, jeans, boots; no hat.)  When he saw me, he looked at me up and down, then stepped back.  He asked, “is this your home?  Are you (name)?”  He was pleasant enough, but it was amusing to me that he had not (yet) been met at the door by someone decked out in full leather.

He bustled in, and introduced himself.  He said that “he was here to please.”

Then it was like he had an attack of ADHD — he let out a slew of statements like, “oh, what a gorgeous home!  What a nice view!  Is that a park in your back yard?  What an enormous kitchen!  Aren’t those flowers on your table beautiful!  That’s obviously a home-made table cloth on your dining room table with that lace.  Those oriental carpets are fabulous!” … on and on… I tell ‘ya, it was tiring to me to keep up with all this banter.  He didn’t even let me try to answer him as he kept babbling on more and more.

He offered to make the bed.  That’s part of the “set up” that is offered with delivery service.  I told him that we didn’t need him to do that, and that my partner and I have it all covered.  I further told him that we had to wash the mattress protector that came with the bed before putting on the sheets and blanket, and that it wouldn’t be a problem to make up the bed later.

… then I couldn’t resist and said, “after we make the bed, my partner and I are anxious to try it out… can’t wait!”   His eyes widened… but he got the message and politely excused himself.

I shouldn’t laugh at such encounters, but it’s all part of my life, as a work-at-home leatherdude.

Life is short:  say Grrrrrrrr!

Here is how I am dressed today — not a full leather suit, as I once thought I was going to wear.  But as I got the leather out this morning, it was “too black” and not quite what I had in mind for the holiday spirit.  So I put the dress leather shirt (and tie) back in the closet and put on a warm red flannel shirt instead.  It goes well with my dress leather pants and my Champion Attitude red-and-black “Firebird” cowboy boots.

I took my twin brother and his wife to visit family.  It even snowed (lightly)!  I shortened my family visit as I had some senior pals and my aunt to see — all needed some help today with physical therapy.

I have returned home at the time this was posted to start cooking dinner.  One of my brothers will drop off my twin brother and his wife to join us for dinner later.  I also have my mother-in-law with her insatiable appetite, and two senior pals who don’t want to be alone joining my partner and me for Christmas dinner.  We’re having prime rib (no turkey), twice-baked potatoes, fresh green beans, home-made dinner rolls (not the Pillsbury stuff), spinach salad, and two different kinds of home-made pie (pumpkin and apple).

Meanwhile, I’m singing in my kitchen as I putter around, smiling, enjoying the treasures of my life, because… I believe.

Merry Christmas everyone!

Okay, okay, I know … I bitch about dressing up.  So I’m breaking my bitchfest, by treating myself to a new leather suit.  Formal dress pants and a dress leather shirt, with a colorful leather tie, and even a leather vest.  The pants, shirt, and vest are all from Northbound Leather of Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

I got out the old black leather blazer to go with it, though I must admit it’s rather ratty.  Perhaps next year I’ll spring for a new one.  (Northbound wanted over CDN$700 for a black leather blazer that matches, but that was too much money for something I would not wear very much, so I didn’t get it.)

These leather duds will find themselves on me on Christmas Day.  My partner and twin brother will be amazed, and the family will give me well-deserved grief when we visit them.  But that’s okay, I can take it — in full leather.

I ordered the new dress leather shirt and formal dress leather pants from Northbound Leather in November.  I received them on December 8, only to have to return them because the shirt was too small and the pants were unhemmed.  They replaced the shirt with a larger size and hemmed the pants, and returned them to me quickly.  FedEx delivered them on Saturday. 

I had to wait for my partner to leave for his trip to pick up his mother before trying them on.  Man, do these leather duds feel great!  Both the shirt and the pants are lined with satin.  It’s so smooth on my skin.  The quality of the leather is absolutely outstanding: shiny, supple, and unblemished.  Northbound makes really good stuff from the highest quality leather.  Though not cheap, this gear will last well beyond my lifetime (provided I care for it, as I regularly do with my leather gear.)

So, whaddya think?  Is this Leather Dude ready for Christmas, or what?

Life is short:  get in gear!

As readers of this blog know, I enjoy wearing leather regularly.  I also like to wear leather that comes in colors other than black.  I mean, I like black, but I also like alternative colors such as blue, midnight blue, and grey, and now — green!

I treated myself to a new long-sleeved police-style leather shirt from Mr. S of San Francisco.  Mr. S makes great gear, though pricey — but their prices are competitive with other quality leather vendors, and they’ve been in the business for a long, long time so they know what they are doing.

The Mr. S website offers this as a “tri-color” shirt, with the body in one color (in this case, Hunter Green), accents on sleeves and epaulets in another (in this case, black), and the website version suggests blue piping.  I didn’t want the blue — to me, just green and black was enough, so when I ordered it, I asked them to leave the blue piping off.  Remember, when ordering custom leather gear, you can always ask for the gear to be made to your own specifications, including sizing and customizations.  Treat a website as a suggestion, not a requirement.

This shirt is rather formal as “BLUF” goes — that is, a black leather tie and Muir Cap with leather jeans completes the outfit.  As my partner might say, “anything to get you to wear a tie” (giggle).

How do you like my new “Hunter Green” shirt?  Pretty cool, huh?

Life is short: make it colorful!

This was a good question that landed on my website: “What are the first pieces of leather gear that I should buy for IML?” For those who may not be familiar, “IML” refers to “International Mr. Leather,” which is the largest gathering of the leather clan in the United States, held every year on Memorial Day weekend (last weekend of May) in Chicago, Illinois. By the way, this information also applies to those who choose to attend Mid-Atlantic Leather, which is the second-largest gathering of the leather clan. This event is held in mid-January in Washington, DC.

I noticed that google directed the question to my tutorial called “Air Travel With Leather Gear” instead of my “Leather Gear Guide.” Had the inquiry gone to the latter tutorial, the reader would have been advised that, in my opinion, the first pieces of leather to buy when considering attending a leather event like IML are: 1) black leather chaps; 2) a black leather vest; and 3) black boots (of course!). Compliment this leather gear with a pair of Levis or Wranglers and some black t-shirts. Simple!

The great thing about chaps is that they are so versatile. You can put them on quickly, and they look good with a pair of regular jeans. You can wear the jeans when traveling, and while being a tourist. Chicago is a great, walkable town. There are a lot of things to see and do, and you might not want to wear leather when going to a museum, taking a stroll to view “The Bean,” or out to eat.

A black leather vest compliments the outfit. You can wear a vest over a regular shirt, or if the weather is warm enough and you have the physique, you can wear it over your torso. Lots of guys do that at IML, from lithe gym-rats to bears to all in-between.

Black boots are de rigueur. However, if you will be wearing boots with jeans and chaps, you can get shorter boots if you wish because one doesn’t really tuck jeans and chaps into boots. Doing so makes the boots look “stuffed” and often due to the thickness of material, the leather puffs out at the top of the boots and looks … um … “dorky.” Shorter boots like Chippewa Harness Boots would be great — those boots are very durable, very comfortable, inexpensive, and well-constructed. While Harley-Davidson harness boots are prevalent, IMHO those boots are cheap and poorly-made, because they are made in China by third-party companies under license by Harley-Davidson for the name. You pay twice as much for the name alone. Don’t fall for it. Get good quality US-made boots by Chippewa or Red Wing and you’ll be much happier.

Die-hard leatherdudes who have some means and money will have a lot of other leather gear. As you consider future investments in leather gear beyond chaps, vest, and boots, I would recommend: 1) a good-quality leather motorcycle jacket, 2) good-quality leather jeans, and 3) leather gloves. You can (and should) wear the jacket and leather jeans regularly, not just for IML or other leather fashion shows. The jacket and jeans are staples in many men’s wardrobes.

Other stuff that is “out there” includes leather breeches — which look hot with tall black patrol boots — but good quality, custom-made breeches can be costly (on the order of US$400 – US$600). Leather shirts also are prevalent, but aren’t as necessary in an emerging leatherman’s wardrobe right away. I wear leather shirts often, but I’m the type of guy who wears his leather frequently as I go about my daily life. A leather tie and Muir Cap completes the outfit, but again, aren’t necessary.

In my opinion, leather gear that you don’t need includes: 1) a chest harness — few guys can pull off the look well. Chest harnesses look good only on very well-built men with chiseled abs. If you don’t have it, don’t wear something that points out an out-of-shape body. 2) You don’t really need gauntlets, leather shorts, leather jocks, or equipment like floggers, whips, or chains. ‘nuf said… toys are what they are. Also, IMHO “strong” opinion: leather shorts don’t look good on most men. (And Chicago in May can be cool, anyway.)

Two things to remember: 1) don’t bring lots of gear with you — just a few pieces to mix and match. Most airlines charge outrageous fees to check baggage, and even more outrageous fees for a bag that weighs more than their maximum allowable — usually 50lbs (22.7kg). Also 2) the largest “leather mart” — vendor displays and sales — is at IML. You can buy gear there if you wish.

In summary, for the guy who is going to IML for the first time and is looking to acquire some leather gear — get chaps, vest, and short harness boots. You’ll fit in fine and what I’m recommending is affordable. (However, be sure to read my thorough explanation about the differences between “cheap chaps” and “great chaps” because if you buy cheap chaps, it will be obvious that you’re a newbee on a tight budget.)

Life is short: enjoy your leather!

I am writing today to say how pleased I am with the customer service from Northbound Leather of Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

The story begins on a good note, in that I ordered a pair of dress leather pants and dress leather shirt on November 25, and these items were made quickly.  I received them on December 8.  The quality of the leather used is superb: soft, supple, shiny and sensuous.  I was almost giddy with excitement when the Fedex delivery arrived.  I quickly tore open the box and tried on my new gear.

However, I was disappointed to find that the pants were simply cut off to my size, and not hemmed.  Unhemmed leather garments will fray quickly.  Not good….

Further, while the website measurement instructions were clear and I followed them, the sizing of Canadians must be different.  The shirt was too small for me.  I swear, a Canadian inch =0.9 of a U.S. inch (LOL!).  Even though I’ve lost almost 40 pounds since May, there was just no way the shirt would fit without making me appear to be busting out at the seams.  Not good….

I called Northbound on the day I received the gear to explain the situation.  Glenda couldn’t have been nicer about it.  While I had to return the garments to them, they will send me a new pair of pants — hemmed this time — and a new shirt in the correct size immediately.  They also facilitated the return by allowing me to use their FedEx account number, so I do not have to pay for the cost of shipping, which is expensive to (and from) Canada from the United States.

Because Northbound Leather treated me so well and were so kind and responsive, I continue to recommend them highly.  They really do make great leather garments of high quality leather.  Their craftsmanship is truly terrific. 

In further email dialogue with Glenda, I am assured that I will receive the new gear by Christmas, when I want to wear formal leathers as I visit family and serve our holiday meal.

Life is short:  get in gear!

My new job is very interesting, and when I am not traveling, I work from home.  Considering that I’m at home, I can wear what I want.  Thus, I choose to wear leather — jeans and shirts, and boots (of course.)

Sure, I could probably work naked if I want, but it’s cold, and I don’t want to turn the heat up full blast.  Wearing leather keeps me warm and lets me keep the heat on a lower setting, saving fuel and money.  Being just a regular guy, it’s no problem should I need to run an errand at lunch time and just go out in my leather, pulling on a leather jacket in the process.  No big deal.

It’s “cool” wearing leather while at work!

Life is short:  wear your leather!

I re-read a post on my fellow blogger’s blog, StraightJacketed, where he originally brought up a review by the so-called men’s style mag, GQ, that published an article about men wearing leather pants and stated that one had to “be cautious.” The article was filled with anti-gay stereotypes. The post about which I am referring was posted on a blog (that has been discontinued.)

What was interesting to me when I re-read this blog post the other day was the large number of comments from other guys about this issue. I am picking up on a few of those comments in my post here.

Goodness knows, I have blogged a lot about wearing leather. What one commenter said, and with which I whole-heartedly agree, Promoting the use of leather trousers is easy: just wear them often. Especially if you are “an ordinary joe schmoe”.

I resemble that remark. I am just an ordinary guy. I work full-time, I am active in my community as a civic leader. I volunteer a lot. I visit older friends and help them with stuff, like grocery shopping, getting to the doctor, or home repairs. Often, I wear leather jeans and sometimes a leather shirt and/or vest when I am out and about in my community, and these days when it is cold, I wear a leather jacket. No Big Deal.

Yes, I ride a motorcycle and perhaps that was the first “excuse” or reason for me to wear leather in public. People would often see me on a motorcycle and naturally think the two go together. But I wear leather much more often than I ride my Harley.

Another comment that was made was about the difference between men and women with regard to being sexually objectified — as with the implication that wearing leather pants (trousers) draws a sexual interest below the waist. Quote: Women are historically objectified but not men. This also explains why women can wear leather pants, skirts, or leather anything because they are seen as objects (in this heteronormative world). Once men objectify themselves, or call attention to themselves as “sexual objects” the heterosexual construct is thrown and they are left with “gay”.

Men who fear being labeled as “gay” then reject wearing leather, as they associate a negative reaction toward anything that can cause others to cast the label upon them.

As for me, I could give a sh*t. I have grown up. I am comfortable in my gay skin. I am comfortable in cowhide. I have invested a lot in the cowhide that fits me, so this “Joe Schmoe” wears it regularly.

That’s that. Get over fear-of-label and assert your independence, manly courage, and style by wearing leather as you wish.

Life is short: wear leather!