Everything you ever wanted to know about (female) rope modelling outfits but you were afraid to ask

Photo by RothR.

I put quite a lot of attention to what I am wearing for a rope scene because I believe that it has a big influence on my interaction with the rigger. Like with everything, learning what that influence actually is has been a journey for me. Rope fashion is not a topic as deep as exploring limits, losing control, eroticism, handling rejection, or being patient which I have explored in the past. However, that does not mean that it doesn’t have a significant impact on the way I receive rope. Or that it is less important.

In general, I like beautiful clothes and I like how what I wear can influence my identity, not only in ropes. Paying attention to such things is often seen as vain but I do not think that it has to be. Clothes are a big part of our lives, we wear them every day, and I believe that treating such a fundamental activity with care permeates other aspects of our lives as well. Putting attention to what you wear can be vain if it becomes your master but it can also be a powerful tool of self-expression if you master it. 

Your outfit is a strong non-verbal message perceived immediately upon seeing you, often without even realizing it. It also can influence the way that you perceive yourself. Wearing a beautiful garment for a meeting is an expression of respect and interest. The style you chose indicates your attitude and the quality of your attention for the occasion. And even people who at first sight seem not to care about their appearances are actually sending a powerful message. For example, people who do not adjust their clothing to the occasion, who always wear the same thing, build an aura of mystery and make themselves more difficult to read. Since they always look the same, their intentions become more obscure to the onlooker, keeping them on the edge.

As in life, in ropes my clothes influence the way that I feel and the way I am perceived by the rigger. Through that, outfits also influence the ties that I will end up being tied in. Additionally, some garments require skill from the rigger to handle them well and what you wear might have an impact on the quality of your scene if your rigger does not possess these skills.

I have tried many styles and designs of clothes for tying. Here is a list of them (with one exception) in order, more or less, from my least to most favorite. I hope that it will help create a better understanding of how what you wear as a female model affects your scene and will prevent at least a couple of unsuccessful shopping choices. 

Leggins and sport outfits

They are comfortable and easy to tie in. But, to be honest, I am not sure if you ever need to be that comfortable in ropes. I guess that they can be good for practice but they definitely do not create an atmosphere encouraging to turn it into something more. I used to wear them in the past and even invested in a couple of more ‘sexy’ sports outfits but have recently resigned from them altogether. Even the ‘sexy’ ones are still kind of sporty. And personally, even when I model for someone for practice, I still like to feel feminine. It helps me to enter the mindset of softness and vulnerability that I like to cultivate in ropes. 

Verdict: Depending on what you are looking for, they can work. Do not work for me because of the specificity of what I am looking for in ropes.

Lingerie

It is sexy, definitely, but to me wearing it kind of robs the scene of some mystery. I like to feel innocent at the beginning of a session and then have the rope gradually peel off that innocence. Starting a scene wearing lingerie only, especially sexy lingerie, gives an impression of flirtiness and confidence which is the opposite of what I want to emanate in ropes. Plus, it pretty much shows everything right from the start. There is not much for the rigger to discover once they finally have the power to explore whatever they felt like exploring. If you present yourself in lingerie right away, you give them one less reason to want to tie you as they can already see everything they wanted to see. 

Verdict: It can make one look sexy and beautiful but do not attract the kind of pervs that I am interested in. It also creates a mindset that clashes with the way I usually want to feel in ropes. I sometimes wear it when I want to feel hot and desired but it does not work for most of the styles that I like to be tied in. 

Leotards

They are pretty sexy and at the same time easy to tie. They fit the body accentuating its natural shape. Their tight fit makes sure that no folds or creases unnoticed by your rigger will deform your body in ropes. On the other hand, because they are showing so much, they do not leave much to the imagination. Additionally, they do not provide much opportunity for the rigger to play with undressing you. You are covered a bit more than in lingerie, but still, pretty much everything is visible or easily imaginable. Additionally, depending on their design, they can have a gymnastics outfit vibe which I don’t particularly like in ropes.

Verdict: Good for a workshop or practice when the rigger needs to focus on rope and not handling your clothes. Not the best choice for steamy semenawa rope scenes for reasons listed above for lingerie. 

Naked

Being tied naked definitely solves the issue of handling your clothes by your partner. At the same time, it strips you off any potential mystery. To me, it has its special charm, however. It makes me feel truly below the person tying me right from the start of the scene (especially if they are not naked which is pretty much always the case). There is no question that I am the vulnerable one and that I am going to be toyed with. Contrary to what one might expect, exposing ties gain more power when I am tied naked because they rob me of the hope of somehow hiding my nakedness. Having my legs spread or my body open in general (chest up, head up) makes it clear that I can’t hide and intensifies the struggle of being exposed.

Verdict: Not my go-to (lack of) outfit but I do enjoy it from time to time in skillful hands. It can enhance shame or humiliation play. I only get tied naked if I am ordered to. 

Skirts

Recently I’ve developed a taste for wearing skirts for tying, especially long ones, extending at least below the knee. They work for pretty much the same reasons as dresses (see below) and I like them because they allow for more diversity (by matching different tops) than dresses. Also, I can wear a stretchy top (good for exposing the breasts) and a non-stretchy skirt (flowy and beautifully looking in suspensions). The only problem with them is that because your outfit will be two parts instead of one your rigger needs to pay more attention to keeping all the moving parts looking good. It can get messy and they should pay attention to keeping the mess aesthetically pleasing (unless they do not care but I do believe that visual dimension is a big part of rope bondage and that it should be mastered by the rigger next to handling the ropes. Once they have mastered it, they can make you ugly if they please but only if it is on purpose and not out of ignorance.)

My favourite skirts for tying:

• Medium length or longer, flowy, wrap skirts,

• Medium length buttoned on the entire length, flowy, with slits.

Verdict: Skirts are a great outfit for tying! As long as your rigger is able to handle their potential as they can be more tricky than dresses to drape around the body. 

Dresses

Dresses are probably my favorite ‘everyday’ outfit for tying. The stretchy short ones with slightly wider skirts are perfect for any kind of scene. They make me feel feminine and pretty, putting me in the right mindset for the scene. At the same time, they are comfortable and easy to handle for the rigger (stretchy fabrics and short design do not create too many hurdles when it comes to handling the clothes of the model and they usually wrap nicely around the body).

Longer dresses require more skill from the rigger to drape properly and do not work so nicely for any kind of tie. They work better for slower and a bit more static ties (usually they are a great choice for ties in the Naka style). They have great potential for playing with exposure. They give one a feeling of being dignified and elegant at the beginning of the scene which later on can be delightfully broken. 

My favorite types of dresses for tying:

• Wrap dresses, short and medium, best if it is possible to open it for real (more potential for hot undressing), with short sleeves or straps.

• Buttoned dresses (through the entire length), short, medium, long.

• Shirt dresses (buttons - great for exposure play), any length, I would keep the sleeves short so that the wrists stay bare. 

• Tight stretchy mini dresses - only if you don’t mind your panties being exposed, the chance is very high as the dress will travel up the moment you raise a leg. They are very sexy although they make you look a bit slutty. At the same time, they are still more mysterious than lingerie.

My favorite fabrics are natural because they can breathe and are much more pleasant to wear in the heat of the moment of struggle:

• Stretchy cotton,

• Viscose,

• Cotton (non-stretchy),

• Silk.

Verdict: Dresses are simply the best for tying. You can never have enough of them. Adjust the design (especially the length and fabric) to the style and the tie. 

Juban

I love being tied in a juban. I love how shielded and protected it makes me feel. And I love how slow and meticulous undressing makes me feel the barest and exposed that I have felt so far. I love the ritual of putting it on and being undressed from it in ropes. And I love the beauty and the intricacy of their patterns and fabrics (especially the vintage ones). 

They do, however, require a skillful rigger to handle them well and undress the model in a way that is beautiful and accentuates their body instead of making it grotesquely deformed. And they do require the knowledge of how to put them on in the right way (which is far from easy). I do not think there is anything wrong with a Westerner wearing a Japanese garment as long as they handle it with respect and care for the tradition that it came from. I don’t see why I should not wear them if I find them beautiful and wearing them makes me feel special. So I do.

Verdict: Being tied in a juban is a unique experience. To me, it is not something for everyday tying but it sure makes a scene special and I love to be tied in it by skilled riggers who know how to handle it. It is a skill of its own but one worth learning and experiencing, especially if you appreciate other aspects of Japanese aesthetics.  

Kimono

I must admit, I have never been tied (or have worn) a full kimono. I do realize that both putting it on as well as handling it in rope is much more complex than only the undergarment (juban). Visually, I find them absolutely stunning but looking at the number of layers and complexity of the process of putting them on I do not think that it will be my favorite outfit for tying. Also, because of the number of layers, I expect one to get extremely hot wearing it for demanding ties. And one needs a truly knowledgeable rigger with an eye for the to expose one in style in a kimono. 

Despite all that, I would love to get tied in a kimono one day as I find them absolutely beautiful and I expect their complex construction might be giving me an interesting feeling of being trapped in my garments even before getting tied. They look beautiful in pictures and performances but are not an outfit for every-day tying. 

Verdict: No verdict as I haven’t tried it yet but it is something that I am looking forward to trying. I do not expect it to be my favourite, though. More something for really special occasions. 

As you can see, I put quite a lot of attention to the clothes I wear when I am being tied and I believe that I have learned to make them work for me. Because of what I am looking for in ropes, feminine pieces of clothing such as skirts and dresses are my favorites as they make me feel more beautiful delicate and feminine, and at the same time allow the rigger to play with the exposure and leave the decision of how exposed I am going to be to them. I change the lengths and fabrics to set my mood but in general, I always like to keep my rope clothing easy (or at least possible) to undo and expose me. Depending on the purpose of the scene (practice, workshop, session) I might go for more or less comfortable. Depending on the skill of the rigger and their eye for the detail, I might go for more or less easy to handle. 

Finally, being tied in a juban is for me something very special and I am looking forward to experiencing being tied also in other Japanese garments. They have a visual beauty that I find very appealing but also the experience of being undressed from their layers is intense and unique, something that I have not been able to find so far wearing western clothing.