Not just any shirt.

The cocky bling of cufflinks and the crispness of a contrasting white collar.

A crisp white collar and crisp French cuffs, accentuated by gleaming cufflinks. Extra details that act like a calling card for the fetishist: this is more than a corporate uniform. For this person, each elegant detail whispers dominance and power: luxury, lustful luxury, begging to be caressed.

There are suit & tie fetish guys. There are tie guys. There are shoe guys. Each group has its "tells," fine details of the suit & tie that hint at a more than casual fascination with clothing. This one is for the shirt guys.

The contrasting collar & cuff shirt, sometimes called the "Winchester" shirt, has a patterned or colored body with a white collar and cuffs. This style is a nod to the detachable collars and cuffs of 19th-century shirts, which could be laundered and pressed separately so as to preserve the body of the shirt. Most mainstream retailers no longer offer this style, so the best way to find it is to order a custom shirt. The income barrier adds an additional degree of exclusivity: as with many elements of the suit and tie, each sartorial detail adds another round of gatekeeping, distinguishing those who are in the know from those who are trying to be.

The closure of the collar and cuff, their rigidity and refinement, seem a fitting emblem for signaling who wears suits for business, and who wears them for pleasure. It could also be said that they draw attention to the neck and wrists, both erogenous zones that are constricted by the suit & tie, all the more so thanks to the starched stiffness of the collar, a ring of confinement that adds an element of bondage, highlighted by the white fabric, the intentional attention to detail. Textures amount to pleasure, cotton coaxed to firmness by the iron or the dry cleaners, adding a vintage touch to the whole sensation. This could be Gordon Gekko, or a nod to some Edwardian sense of luxury, transporting the wearer to an era where suits & ties were the norm, where such details as the contrasting collar and cuff would have been more widely recognized, widely available, and widely revered.

As with more abstract elements of the fetish, the appeal is in the mind, the imagination, piqued to these erotic heights that, to many folks, simply seem to be pieces of pricey cloth, sartorial antiques of a bygone age. I think there is great pleasure to be found in savoring such fine details. And yes, despite the classist income barrier, the exclusivity also creates a sense that one is part of an elite club of other connoisseurs who appreciate such things a little too much.