Putting on your first leather piece is a bit like starting running. It is hard at the beginning, then it becomes a habit and soon you can’t imagine living without it.
Putting on running gear wasn’t easy. It was very difficult. Outside, it wasn’t really nice weather. More precisely it was raining, and windy, the kind of weather you would expect in Bretagne, yet it felt like late September.
C’mon it’s July! Come back sun, I didn’t have enough of you so far!
I started to think about all the potential excuses not to run.
I need new running shoes to start running again.
I need the sun to be able to enjoy running outside.
I need this and that…
The only thing I really needed was determination. And, in my case, the aim.
Why would I push myself to go in hostile conditions and get wet? What for?
I opened the window, looked out again, and then I decided.
I can’t be discouraged by something I can’t influence, by an external factor that I have no power to change.
It’s better to focus on something I can change. I can choose my approach.
Everything is inside my head.
I finally found the motivation within myself. I put aside questioning circumstances, the opinion of others (don’t go out, you will be wet soon, it is slippery, etc.), and even my very own insecurities regarding the ability to run up and downhill after my knee injury.
After the Ultra Trail in Madeira - 42km, I got injured and for more than a year I was afraid to run.
Fear got me nowhere and I lost one year during which I spent more time in the gym. It was not bad, yet it didn’t give me the same feeling I always got from running.
In March I started to work with a physiotherapist to reinforce the muscles around my knees and work on amortisation and thanks to that I could slowly begin running again.
Understanding the issue helped me to progress and grow.
I put on running clothes, a rain jacket, shoes, and knee protection and went out.
On the first day, I ran 4km. The second day, when the weather stubbornly didn’t want to change, I forced myself to run again. This time I ran 5km. The third day was the same.
On day four I put on my running clothes automatically without even questioning the weather and ran 6 km.
This experience helped me understand something important.
Starting running is like starting to wear leather. It might be difficult in the beginning.
We put on our leather pants for the first time and someone looks at us strangely, or we become, undesirably, an object of sexual desire, or even called gay or domina. All this can be very discouraging. It can cause a fear of experiencing it again. It can lead to not wearing leather from the fear of being misjudged, and hence some people start only wearing leather secretly in private.
Wearing leather casually is like doing sport regularly.
On the surface, running and leather have one thing in common. It’s addictive.
Now imagine yourself the same situation in leather Putting on leather wasn’t easy. It was very difficult. Outside, it wasn’t really nice weather. More precisely it was raining, and windy, the kind of weather you would expect in Bretagne, yet it felt like late September.
I started to think about all the potential excuses not to wear it.
I need nice leather pants to start wearing leather more often.
I need nice weather to be able to wear leather outside.
I need this and that…
The one thing I really needed was determination. And, in my case, the aim.
Why would I push myself to go into hostile conditions in leather? What if I meet someone I know and this person will see me as a weirdo?
I opened the window, looked out again, and then I decided.
I can’t be discouraged by something I can’t influence, by an external factor that I have no power to change.
It’s better to focus on something I can change. I can choose my approach.
Everything is inside my head.
I finally found the motivation within myself. I put aside questioning circumstances, the opinion of others (don’t go out in a leather outfit, you will look weird, you will get wet, etc.), and even my very own insecurities regarding the ability to pull off a full leather outfit after last time when people looked at me like I am an alien in full leather.
It happened to me in a small town when I was on holiday. I wore leather pants and a jacket and some people turned their heads and I heard them saying: what a weird look, he must be gay.
Fear got me nowhere and I lost one year during which I spent more time wearing leather at home where no one saw me. It was not bad, yet it didn’t give me the same feeling I could get when wearing leather outside.
In March I started to work with D.e.n.i_C, who is a leather lifestyle consultant, to reinforce my self-confidence and to understand my passion for leather.
Understanding the issue helped me to progress and grow.
I use the running analogy, but one can find another way of telling the same story.
What’s important here is to overcome fear. Stop looking for excuses created by your surroundings or the ones created in your head. Stop being influenced by stereotypical people who struggle with putting themselves out there with their desires.
Wearing leather casually is not easy and as with everything, it requires practice.
Take it easy, 4,5,6 km is like putting the leather jacket on, then adding pants and when this feels like it’s nothing, add a t-shirt or shirt.
Every step counts. Don’t get discouraged by fear. It won’t get you far.
Here is the email I got a few days ago from H. that bought POL pants. May this encourage you all.
Dear D.e.n.i_C
I just wanted to drop you a quick email. I know you asked me about a favour to shoot some pictures of me wearing my leather pants in public. I haven't had the courage to wear them in public. I haven't seen any men with leather pants just yet. It's very popular in Sweden for women's clothing, especially leather leggings, but not for men.
However, today I couldn't resist. I brought my car to work with my leather pants in the bag. After work I jumped into the back seat of my car and changed trousers. The feeling of the tight leather was amazing. Honestly this is the first time I have done this and I haven't told my girlfriend. I feel like a naughty five year old, but I felt alive.
Currently I am sitting at an outside cafe in central Stockholm and it just feels so awesome to enjoy the Summer and leather. So far I have only seen some ladies giving a notice about my leather pants, but no idea what they are thinking.
Since I am by myself I haven't been able to take any better pictures than the ones attached. Once again the quality and smell is so awesome.
All the best.
H.
This is hitting home. In spring 2018 I was visiting Stockholm to go out and have a few beers with an old friend. We went out, beers were had, and I set my sight homeward bound. As I walked through Stockholm I passed several stores, opened late, and one caught my eye. They had several sweaters and cardigans that I found pleasing, so I entered the store. These sweaters were nothing to write home about, but in the corner there was something else. Leather trousers. Since my teens leather trousers had not been in the forefront of my mind but here they were. And on sale. They were not the usual jeans style, but rather a more relaxed cargo style. And…
The following comment reflects the blog post itself just as the predecessor's comments.
Yes ... the parallelism is indeed interesting to consider. Take it step by step; like an exercise (while I myself, I did not need that kind of training).
I go swimming regularly since I am 17; of course I do not wear leather IN the pool, but regularly on my way TO the pool (if it is not too hot; my health is a bit more important :D) and in autumn / winter, I did so often enough wearing leather-lined leather shirt and jeans.
H's mail and pictures are awesome as well ... maybe I should show myself more often as well?
In my surrounding, people do…
I find running helps my mental health. I only started running in my lat 20s and wished I started it earlier. I did a few 5k and 10k fun runs and got the bug. I have completed 4 half marathons, so if you add them up that counts as 2 full marathons 😉. In all seriousness running has really helped me out and while I’m not the healthiest person in the world, I would be a lot worse off.
The parallelism between the will to run and the will to wear leather is very nice, a source of reflection! I am happy with the knee that is healing, also thanks to a formidable will, I think. The email from H is very nice.
Again, a really guilty story, which gives a lot of strength to leather fans. Thank you very much!