Fashion And Clothing In Mainstream Porn
It's a strange idea, writing about what people
wear in porn movies. Ideally, they shouldn't be wearing anything, and
a great deal of the time, nakedness does prevail.
Nonetheless, clothing does appear regularly, and often, it follows certain
conventions.
Take, for example, high heels. Since the dawn of time, it seems, women
in porn films never remove their shoes. It doesn't matter what situation
they're in, be it bedroom, furniture shop, waterfall... the spiked high
heels never leave her feet. Considering how difficult it can be to undress
while wearing shoes, it seems ludicrous that this tradition should be
so firmly entrenched in porn.
Perhaps the heels are everpresent because a woman's legs appear more shapely
in them. Or perhaps it's some kind of symbol. It may suggest the woman
is eager for sex, and has undressed rapidly. Maybe it's to suggest that
the encounter is rushed, that we're watching raw sex rather than slow
lovemaking. Perhaps the heels keep "porn sex" out of the realm
of mundane, ordinary sex, where a woman will invariably have bare feet.
Whatever the reason, male viewers obviously find stilettoes and high heels
sexy.
What's interesting is that the "leaving the shoes on" cliche also extends to sneakers, sandals and boots too.
Suspenders and corsets are also a well-worn porn tradition. The origins
of this are easier to identify. Antique porn often featured women in their
underwear, with the undergarments often being corset-type lingerie and
suspender stockings. These items have long had an aura of sexiness, and
porn simply reflects that.
When a porn film calls for some kind of storyline, the actors often start
out wearing clothes. If costumes are required, the woman will still be
only a few buttons away from nudity. This is usually for practical reasons
- to avoid filming clumsy moments when undressing. Interestingly, if the
scene is set in the modern day, the female porn star will invariably be
wearing "sluttish" outfits. By this I mean short skirts, skimpy
or see-through tops, no bra, no panties, and - of course - the high heels.
This is another way of suggesting that the woman in the film is "easy"
and eager for sex.
Unfortunately this porn tradition undermines
any attempts at real acting. It can be difficult to believe that we are
looking at a female doctor if she is wearing a 2 inch miniskirt and suspenders.
For many women, this is yet another drawback when watching standard porn films.
When it comes to male porn stars... jeans seem the order of the day. They're
macho, virile, and easy to unzip. You very rarely see a man wearing overalls
in porn movies - unless he's naked underneath. Underpants are rare.
Makeup is often extremely overdone in porn movies. Again, this follows
something of a tradition. The idea is to make the woman look "whorish"
and "easy". Makeup also emphasises the red lips and flushed
cheeks of female sexual response, so heavy layers of lipstick may also
symbolise female pleasure. Porn films seem to revel in the way that makeup ends up smeared and messy after sex, particularly if there's a blowjob involved.
As a female fan of porn, I would prefer to see more natural-looking makeup and less over-the-top clothing. I'd also love to see the end of the "leave the shoes on" tradition. I suspect my wishes won't be granted anytime soon.