TLDR

Where to get it

There are many places to buy latex clothing, some I’ve had good personal experiences with or heard good things about are libidex, polymorphe, blackstyle, kink projects, vex clothing, uniqdsn, and skintightrubber.

Sizing and thickness

• It’s best to find a seller that can make things to fit your exact measurements

• If made to measure gear isn’t available from a particular supplier you’re interested in buying from, or for a particular item, contact the seller. They will usually give you instructions on how they’d prefer you to take measurements that they can use to recommend a size

• Latex is stretchy, and will usually accommodate a decent spectrum of measurements of a similar size, but different patterns and processes make giving generalized sizing advice tricky other than recommending that you ask the people who make it

• Thicker latex will usually show less visible surface creasing, but will restrict movement more and requires a more accurate sizing because it will be less stretchy

• The differences in thickness may seem subtle based on the numbers alone, but consider that a 0.5mm thick suit will contain a whole 25% more material than a 0.4mm suit

Chlorination

• Chlorination is an optional chemical process that fills the pores in the surface of latex

• Chlorination results in a less grippy texture that can be easier to put on without needing as much lube, but it also limits how much the material can shine when polished

• One of the main downsides of chlorination is that repairs can be much more difficult to perform, because the altered chemistry of the material can prevent re-gluing

• Some sellers also offer “single sided chlorination”, where this process is only performed on the inside of the material, giving you the benefit of it being easier to put on without affecting the look

Putting it on

• You'll have the easiest time if you cover both your body and the inside of the rubber with lube

• Dedicated latex lube like vividress exists, but lubricants for other purposes can work too

• Do not use anything oil based or with additives, these react chemically with rubber and degrade it

• Take your time getting dressed, you can make mistakes and damage things by rushing

• It can help to gradually pull and roll small sections of rubber up your legs and arms until they are properly seated, moving any bunching material up gradually until it's all even

• If in doubt, the best thing to do is get a willing friend to help, it will make the process much easier

Chemical interactions

• Be mindful of wearing latex with other materials, especially metal, because chemical reactions can damage things

• Avoid oils in products like like moisturizers or massage creams, these have the same chemical effects as oil based lube

Taking it off

• As with getting dressed, take your time to avoid breaking something while rushing

• Removing latex in the shower can help it come off smoothly and easily, after a long session in fully encasing rubber you’ll probably be longing for a nice shower anyway

Cleaning

• Do not use hot water, a washing machine, or abrasive cleaning tools

• Avoid using a bathtub for cleaning rubber, you'll be left with a massive slip hazard, invest in a plastic tub

• Dedicated latex cleaner like viviclean exists, but regular unscented dish soap also works. As with lube, do not use anything with additives as it can damage your gear.

• Don't panic if your gear changes colour or lightens after washing it, this is just from water absorbing into the material and will go away once it's dry

• A good way to know if rubber is clean is that it'll stick to itself much more easily

My personal washing process is as follows, over time you'll find what works best for you:

1. Fill the tub with lukewarm water, and rinse all the latex on both sides, making sure to get any obvious dirt off
2. Empty the water, and refill, this time adding some cleaner, and wash both sides again.
3. Empty and refill the tub again, then rinse off any residual soap from the rubber.
4. Hang everything up to air dry for a day, and then flip inside out and dry for another day before storage.

Shining

• Rubber can be polished to a high shine with a dedicated latex polish like vivishine

• It's easiest to do this by adding a small amount of polish to a tub of water, and then dipping the rubber in it to absorb the silicone. Usually you do this as an extra step after cleaning, before you hang everything up to dry.

• You can also use a spray bottle to apply the polish directly to the rubber, and then polish it with a soft cloth

Storage

• Don't store latex in direct sunlight or near any sources of heat, this will damage or discolour it

• Store different colours of rubber separately, or you might get some bleeding of colour between them

• Make sure to let your gear dry completely before putting it away or it can degrade or grow bacteria

• Zip lock bags and plastic tubs work great for storage, but make sure to use ones without labels or printing on them, as they can transfer to the rubber and leave marks