Fetish Meaning: What Counts as a Fetish, and How It Compares With a Kink

The fetish meaning, put simply: a fetish is when arousal fixes on one particular object, material or part of the body, instead of on the whole person. The classic examples are feet, shoes, stockings, underwear, leather and latex. The term has its roots in anthropology, which used it for an object thought to carry power, and psychology adopted it during the nineteenth century.

Is it a fetish or a kink?

The difference comes down to need. A kink is a preference that adds to things: you enjoy it, yet sex works perfectly well without it. A fetish is nearer to a requirement: take it away and arousal becomes harder, or does not happen at all. Most people who describe themselves this way really sit closer to the kink side. That is perfectly fine, and it makes no difference to how we handle a booking. For the broader picture, see our kinks list.

The fetishes people mention most

• Feet. Far and away the most common, and the simplest to cater for. Our guide to foot worship explains more.
• Shoes and boots. High heels in particular. Sometimes linked to a liking for feet, sometimes quite separate from it.
• Stockings, lingerie and uniforms. Here the fabric and the ritual matter more than the body wearing them.
• Latex, PVC and leather. The look, the sound and the feel. Plenty of our ladies have at least one outfit of their own.
• Hair. Its length or colour, or having it stroked or pulled.
• Hands and nails. Less talked about than the rest, and simple to accommodate.
• Smoking, glasses or a certain accent. Very specific, quite harmless, and more widespread than most people think.

Should a fetish worry you?

Not on its own. Clinicians only regard it as a disorder if it causes distress or harm, or if it involves anyone unable to consent. Liking stockings is not a medical condition. If a fetish has become your only path to arousal and that troubles you, the person to talk to is a sex therapist rather than an escort.

Making a booking around a fetish

Give the concierge the details: what the item is, whether she should wear it, and whether you plan to bring your own. If you have a specific outfit in mind, mention it early, as she may need to buy it or hunt out what you describe. Before bringing anything yourself, ask first so we can run it past her. The ladies happy with this sort of booking appear on our fetish escorts page.

A practical point: fetish bookings tend to go better over ninety minutes than over sixty. The build-up is usually what matters, and an hour spent hurrying through it is an hour thrown away.