Every year, on the third Friday of January, the world celebrates International Fetish Day. Baubles from Christmas are replaced with ball gags, gift wrap is replaced with bondage tape and silent nights turn into moan-filled evenings.
Created to increase awareness of the fetish community, International Fetish Day encourages people to be more open about their kinks and sexuality. Most people, whether they admit it or not, have a fetish. Of course, it’s not something you usually introduce yourself by or mention in general chit-chat, but a way of discreetly demonstrating your support for International Fetish Day is to wear purple – so pay attention to what your friends and colleagues are wearing today.
To celebrate International Fetish Day, we’re looking into the UK’s most popular and more unusual fetishes…
The UK’s Most Popular Fetishes
A YouGov survey of over 2,000 adults discovered what really turns Brits on. If you live in the North East, we want whatever you’re having; you’re apparently the kinkiest region of the UK! Meanwhile, the sex toy capital is Fleet in Hampshire. Here, more vibrators per capita are sold than anywhere else in the country (clearly, they’ve been keeping an eye on our special offers).
But what are the most popular fetishes?
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Sex Toys
Vibrators, butt plugs, masturbators…from your trusty dildo to ultra-modern sex tech, there’s a toy out there for all of us.
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BDSM
Involving bondage, discipline, dominance, submission, sadism and masochism, BDSM lets you explore the roles of control, power and vulnerability.
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Sexy Selfies
Dick pics may not be the most romantic gesture, but they’re certainly good at turning us on. Send your partner a sexy selfie and they’ll be fantasising about you all day.
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Threesomes
In the survey, 46 per cent of people said the prospect of a threesome turned them on, yet only 13 per cent had engaged in one. If you’re concerned about introducing another person, why not try a sex doll instead?
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Material Fetishism
Latex, leather and PVC. Skin-tight, figure-hugging clothes that leave little to the imagination and are perfect for exploring your deeper fetishes – no BDSM scene is complete without some fetish wear!
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Uniforms
This one isn’t a big surprise. A naughty nurse or French maid for her and a fireman or policeman for him are just a few of the archetypal sexy costumes. Roleplay can be a massive turn on and lets you take on a new character – which can often lead to lowered inhibitions and a willingness to try new things.
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Humiliation
Stimulating the same brain regions that are associated with physical pain, humiliation doesn’t need to involve a sexual act to be found erotic. For example, it may involve urination, being used as an ashtray or public submission. It can also include verbal abuse.
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Body Fetishes
More than just a preference for shapely bums or large breasts, a body fetish is an intense feeling towards a singular body part, such as the hands, feet and even armpits (best get that deodorant out).
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Water Sports
No, not surfing! In this case, we’re talking about urine (also called piss play or a “golden shower”). Water sports can be used as a way of intensifying BDSM or humiliation play, or it may simply be enjoyed as a way of increasing intimacy and arousal. Water sports can involve being urinated on or even drinking your partner’s urine. It brings a whole new meaning to getting wet…
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Cross-dressing
Not to be confused with people who are transgender, a cross-dressing fetish is when the individual receives sexual arousal or satisfaction from dressing as the opposite gender. Most commonly, men dress as women. If they are also submissive, their Mistress may also force sissification and refer to them as a ‘sissy’.
The Weird and Wonderful
From the top ten most popular, to ten of the most unusual…
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Actirasty
We’re all ready for the summer sunshine – but some more than others! Actirasty refers to sexual arousal from sun rays. Pass the SPF!
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Catheterophilia
The clue’s in the name! People with catheterophilia find sexual attraction to the use of catheters – not something that usually fills people with joy…
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Climacophilia
You probably won’t find these people living in bungalows. Climacophilia is when a person gets aroused from falling down a flight of stairs.
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Coulrophilia
It may be best known as a horror but to some, it’s a turn on. Just don’t expect us to dress up as a clown anytime soon….
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Dendrophilia
There are those who like trees, and there are those who REALLY like trees…which side are you on? We can’t imagine the bark being particularly comfortable (but each to their own).
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Formicophilia
To us, spiders and creepy crawlies make us scream and run. To others, insects make them scream for a completely different reason.
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Knismolagnia
The Marmite of fetishes; some people love being tickled, others hate it. Those with knismolagnia, however, really, really love it.
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Mucophilia
For most, being surrounded by sneezing, sniffing snot is seriously off-putting. For others, it’s heaven.
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Oculolinctus
We can’t say this is our kind of foreplay, but oculolinctus refers to deriving sexual pleasure from licking eyeballs.
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Tripsolagnia
Doesn’t everyone have this fetish? Getting your hair shampooed is one of life’s little pleasures.