By Alexandra Bouchard
Latex is one of those things that a lot of adult boutiques don’t carry. Good latex isn’t cheap, sizing can be complicated, it requires some care and unless you’re carrying decent quality, you may not be giving someone a great introduction to it anyway.
But not carrying latex doesn’t mean you shouldn’t know anything about it. Customers are going to ask. And sometimes when they’re asking for latex, they’re not even asking for latex.
Welcome to retail.
WHY LATEX?
Latex isn’t just about looking shiny and fabulous. It’s incredibly sensory! It sits against the body. There’s pressure and compression. You feel movement and touch differently, especially latex on latex. If you’ve never experienced two latex-covered surfaces rubbing against each other, it’s hard to explain. The friction, sliding, little bit of resistance, the sound…sensory!
Some people love how latex looks. Some love the transformation, restriction or ritual of putting it on and shining it. Some people’s brains are apparently just like, yes, more weird rubber sensations please.
My first real experience wearing latex was in my early twenties. I was working a trade show for a company that imported latex products. The owner asked if I minded wearing latex and told me to pick whatever I felt comfortable in. I ended up in a latex dress, socks and elbow gloves. I had never worn that much latex before and suddenly I was VERY happy about the number of people touching me. Everything felt heightened. A hand running over my arm felt different. Touch through the latex felt different. Latex touching latex was a whole other sensory situation.
Ohhhhh.
I get it now.
The material itself can be part of the pleasure. That’s an important distinction when we’re explaining latex to a customer.
ISN’T LATEX REALLY HOT?
One of the biggest misconceptions about latex is that it’s automatically hot. Latex is basically a second skin. It doesn’t breathe or absorb your sweat, so all that moisture your regular clothes would normally absorb is still there. You’re just very aware of it. But take that same latex outfit outside in the cold and you’ll quickly learn latex isn’t a winter coat. It’s like being naked outside, just shinier. Latex itself doesn’t provide much insulation. In a hot environment, your sweat gets trapped against you. In a cold environment, that thin layer of rubber isn’t doing much to keep you warm.
Hot room + latex = you may be swimming in your own little personal puddle
Cold Canadian night + latex = perhaps bring a coat
The “latex is so hot” reputation skirts that distinction. What you’re noticing isn’t simply heat. Latex doesn’t absorb or wick away all the evidence like regular clothing does. For some people, that second-skin feeling is part of the sensory experience.
QUALITY REALLY MATTERS
Latex isn’t necessarily a category where it’s worth bringing something in just so you can say you have it. Bad latex can be a very dull introduction. Fit, thickness, construction, seams and the quality of the latex itself all matter. Similarly, good latex can get expensive. Even gloves can run $100 or more depending on length, construction and brand. Once you get into dresses, bodysuits, catsuits and custom pieces, you’re easily talking hundreds of dollars, with elaborate custom work going much higher. Now try stocking that in multiple sizes, colours and styles. While the little wet-look dress on your lingerie wall may look pretty attractive from an inventory perspective, it’s understandable why a boutique may decide not to carry true latex. I’d rather see a store carry no latex than low-quality latex just to check a box. You don’t have to stock everything to know something.
PLEASE TELL THEM HOW TO TAKE CARE OF IT
If someone is spending real money on latex, help them not accidentally destroy it. Latex needs a little love. After wearing it, it should generally be gently washed in lukewarm water with an appropriate mild cleaner, rinsed and completely dried before storage. Keep it away from excessive heat and sunlight. Also, watch the oils.
Natural rubber latex and oil-based products are not friends. Petroleum jelly, body oils and oil-based lotions can damage the material. Silicone dressing aids are commonly used to help latex slide onto the body. Dragging dry latex over dry skin can quickly become an unexpected workout. Silicone polish also gives latex that gorgeous glossy look.
Store it clean, dry and away from anything that could stain or damage it. If your customer just invested hundreds of dollars into a handmade latex piece? Maybe mention the body oil.
ARE YOU SURE YOU MEAN LATEX?
Customers don’t always know the words for what they’re looking for. That’s okay. We’re the experts. They’re not supposed to walk through the door knowing our entire vocabulary. Someone might ask for a “latex dress” when what they’re actually picturing is wet look, PVC, vinyl or another shiny material. If your response is simply, “Sorry, we don’t carry latex,” you may have just sent away someone whose perfect outfit is hanging six feet behind you.
Ask another question, “What do you like about latex?”
Do they want the shine? Tight fit? Wet look? Or do they actually want the feeling of real latex? It’s the same thing when someone asks for leather but is perfectly happy buying pleather. Although actual leather does have one advantage: that sweet, sweet smell. Smell is sensory too, and there’s something about picking up real leather and immediately giving it a sniff. I support you. Back to latex.
THIS GOES BEYOND LATEX
This is actually the part I care about most. Adult retailers need resources available to properly educate customers about kink. We don’t need every employee to be an expert in every fetish known to humankind. That would be a very ambitious onboarding program. But we should know where to find good information.
Find educators. Find community organizations. Find workshops. Have local BDSM and kink resources available. And please don’t let your entire kink education program be “TikTok made me do it”. The internet has given us an unbelievable amount of information. It has also given everyone with wifi the ability to confidently say absolutely anything. Use a few sources. Look at who’s providing the information. Better yet, listen to people who actually participate in these communities.
Latex is a perfect example. We have several talented latex designers and studios right here in Canada. You don’t need to carry their products to know they exist and be able to point a customer in their direction. The same applies to another retailer. If you don’t have what your customer needs and another store does, send them there! Managers and owners, make sure your staff know they’re allowed to do this. We thrive on community. Why deny someone their pleasure because you can’t be the person who rings it through the cash? Send them to the designer. Send them to the educator. Send them to the boutique that has exactly what they need.
We’re living in the age of the internet. Customers can buy toys, lingerie, restraints and latex without ever speaking to another human being. And yet they still walk into adult boutiques and ask us questions. That’s what we have that the internet doesn’t: the opportunity for real, intimate customer service. Our customers tell us what they’re curious about, what they want to try and sometimes things they haven’t told anyone else.
Intimacy starts with trust.
You may not carry latex. You may never carry latex. But the next time someone walks in asking for it, don’t let “we don’t carry that” end the conversation. Ask what they’re looking for. You might have exactly what they need. And if you don’t? Know who does.
Alexandra Bouchard is the Marketing Manager for BodiSpaB2B.
