Cousins of the Bodystocking

It's amazing how many different types of garment are entered into search engines when people are looking for bodystockings. This article, termed 'cousins of the bodystocking' attempts to describe the differences between them.

One of the most frequently entered keywords is catsuit, usually preceded by another keyword describing the fabric (pvc, latex) or the color (green, orange). A catsuit is a one piece garment with long sleeves and leggings that is usually made out of a material such as spandex, pvc, leather or rubber/latex. It is therefore very similar to a full, plain bodystocking except for the material, which results in it being worn as an outergarment. People usually associate the catsuit with super heroines, and they are frequently seen in movies and tv series worn by characters such as Catwoman.

The keyword unitard is also frequently entered. A unitard is sometimes mistakengly interchanged with bodystocking. The difference is that a body stocking is worn as an undergarment, and is therefore made of a thinner material (usually sheer or fishnet), whereas a unitard is an outergarment, plainer in appearance. A unitard is like a catsuit in construction, but whereas a catsuit is associated with fashion and the movies, a unitard is mainly associated with sports, such as gymnastics. Another difference, is that a unitard would be the term to describe the all in one outfit worn by male performers in the music business. Freddie Mercury, from the band Queen, was a frequent wearer of a unitard.

Another 'full' garment that gets entered as a keyword, is a zentai. A zentai is a catsuit with the addition of feet, gloves and a hood which totally encloses the wearer. The term is Japanese for 'full body', and it is usually made using a nylon/spandex blend. The zentai was originally developed for modern dance, but is now frequently used to diminish the presence of an actor in a scene. Puppeteers may wear them so that people can focus on the puppets they are handling. Needles to say, these 'full' garments are also often associated with fetishism.

That just leaves us with the 'legless' garments. A leotard is a unitard without the legs. A leotard is usually associated with acrobats (it was named after a famous French acrobat), dancers, thespians, and gymnasts. It is worn as an outer garment. A bodysuit (or body) is to a leotard what a bodystocking is to a unitard or catsuit, in that it is usually worn as an undergarment. Bodysuits (or bodies) are made up of the same materials as bodystockings, and in addition, they may or may not have snaps at the crotch. They are also called teddies.