I received an email from someone in Greece who asks,

I adore so much your BLUF multiple colorful fetish uniforms gear, but the BLUF site doesn’t have a leather color chart. Even your website does not mention anything about choosing colors. So if someone wants to order a full leather uniform or a combination of different colors how are you informed?

I assume a little was lost in translation, but I think he is asking for guidance on choosing colors of leather in the leather fetish community, and if there are “community rules” for leather colors.

I can understand why he is asking because…

…back in the heydays of strict leather etiquette and behaviours of the ’60s through the ’90s, and perhaps still in some places in the world such as in Europe where the Leather Culture is more prevalent and structured than here in the United States, there were rules that men were required to follow.

Those rules were invented locally and were never standardised, but some rules crossed borders. For example, whether a man was allowed to wear a Muir Cap (showing status as a “Master”) or a leather arm band on the left or right (as a “Top” or “Bottom”) was more-or-less rigidly followed.

And we cannot forget the “Canonical Hanky Code” of past yore, signaling sexual preferences by the color of a handkerchief and what pocket from which it is display. But this stuff is long out of use — again, at least here in the U.S. You may see this code still in use in some places in Europe. (I just visited a website about “Folsom Europe” and saw some photos of guys still showing hankies of various colors.)

Back in the days of more rigid leather Guidelines (or rules or requirements or whatever you want to call them), the only color choices for gear was with hankies or accessories, but not the leather itself. Just like the old saying attributed to Henry Ford in 1919 who said, “any customer can have a car painted any color that he wants so long as it is black,” — leather was the same way.

Leather garments and accessories (chaps, jeans, breeches, pants, shirts, ties, gloves, belts, armbands, etc.) were only available in black. If you wore “full leather,” you were all in black leather. That “full leather” presence made quite a statement. I know — been there, done that; have a gear-closet full of black leather that I frequently wore (and still do wear) when the weather is cooperative.

Since the 2000s and to this day, leather fetish gear is widely available in rich and vibrant colors way beyond only black: red, blue, green, brown, grey — even white, yellow and camo — can be found at leather garment stores (some links on my website).

Back to the question from my enquirer from Greece: So what are the rules for choosing colors of leather?

Answer: there are none. Seriously. There are no rules for what colors of leather are to be worn by different men (tops, bottoms, straight, gay, trans, bi, whatever). Again, at least here in the United States. I think this situation applies universally around the world as well.

What guidelines do I personally recommend for choosing a different color of leather than black?

1. Absolutely, if you can afford it, choose leather garments (shirts, pants, and ties) in colors other than black. Be different and choose what you like and what fits your personality and style, and is flattering to your physique. For example: I do not wear all-red leather garments because that color accentuates the less desirable features of my body — that is, red leather makes me look fat (or larger than I already am.) I will choose to be more subtle with red leather, such as use it for piping or sleeve cuffs. (See below.)

2. If starting out more tentatively to explore choosing and wearing leather in other colors, begin simply with a leather tie in another color. That will add contrast against a black leather shirt. Also, leather ties make an interesting choice to wear with professional clothes to work in an office with dress shirts. Who says that you have to wear silk ties only? Bah!

3. Another slow start-out for combined leather colors can be choosing colored stripes along the outseams of a pair of leather breeches or jeans. I have had leather jeans with colored stripes on them for many years. These are similar to “chording” or “striping” shown on police uniforms. There are no statements made (in my opinion) regarding the choice of color for leg striping. Red, blue, white, yellow. They all work. (No, it is not correct that red leather stripes implies an interest in rough sex.)

4. After becoming comfortable with colored leather ties, consider next getting a leather shirt in a color other than black. For me, dark green or dark blue have worked best because darker colors look better on me than lighter colors (this is why I do not recommend a CHP uniform in leather, because the light tan color of that leather often makes the wearer look fat.)

5. Leather shirts can be made with combinations of colors — so you can get a black body with colorful cuffs, collar, and epaulettes to add contrast. I live my red-and-black leather shirt just for that reason. I like how it looks. Again — my tastes and interests may not be yours, so explore what you like and what works for you.

6. Leather gear can be made with colored piping to add interesting detail and contrast. My oldest version of a leather shirt with some color is a red-piped leather shirt that I bought from Mr. S in the ’90s. I still wear it and love it. Leather piping can be added to many types of leather garments — chaps, armbands, shirts, pants, and breeches. In fact these days most leather garment retailers display many leather garments or accessories that feature many choices of colors of leather piping.

7. Once you become more confident with wearing accents of colored leather, you may develop the courage, as I did, to choose leather garments made completely in another color. I have leather jeans in grey and in blue. It takes confidence to pull off wearing leather garments entirely in another color than black. But there are no rules against it — just courage required for the wearer.

These days, it is easy to find leather garments in colors other than black. How easy is it for you to develop the confidence (and courage?) to choose to wear it?

Life is short: wear colored leather garments with confidence and pride.