Leather pants, leather vest, leather chest harness.
I’m going through my closet, and I don’t see any of these articles of clothing. Not even leather chaps tucked between my Penguin polos and Ben Sherman shirts.
But without at least one of these leather items, I can’t fully enjoy Chicago Eagle, a gay bar in Andersonville.
Unlike frequenting most bars, going to Chicago Eagle requires planning. Any regularly dressed person can enter the front bar, but in order to get into the back bar you must adhere to a dress code. As explained on Chicago Eagle’s Web site, the bar requires that men wear a major article of leather or rubber, or a uniform.
I don’t own any of the required pieces of clothing. I suppose I could ask my mother to FedEx me my marching band uniform from high school, but I don’t think that’s what Eagle managers have in mind when they said “uniform required.”
I’ve heard Chicago Eagle can be a fun place. But If I’m going to go, I want the full experience–not to be relegated to the front bar sipping a cocktail by myself while leathery escapades are happening just a room away.
I’ve asked a few people what goes on in the backroom, but no one will give details. I’m picturing men in full rubber outfits, hanging upside-down from the ceiling, while leather daddies smack them with paddles.
“It’s not what you are imagining, it’s totally cool,” one Eagle frequent flier recently told me.
My interest is piqued, but I need the “proper leather attire.” Problem is, I don’t know what “proper leather attire” is.
I assume loose Gap jeans with a leather belt don’t count, but I don’t want to spend a ton of money on gear when I might only go to a leather bar once.
I headed to Leather Sport, at 3503 N. Halsted St., for some answers.
“Well, you can’t get in with those shoes and jeans, and definitely NOT wearing that sweater,” he told me after I’d explained that I’m a complete newbie to the leather scene.
I crossed my arms to hide my striped, American Eagle sweater–clearly I was not ready for this adventure.
Leather Sport has a large selection of leather pants, jackets, harnesses (which you wear like crisscross suspenders), thongs and other leathery goodness. The worker suggested that I not invest too much money for one night, and pointed me to $50 vests, noting that even if I wear it three times a year, it’s a decent investment.
He also proposed that I check out Chicago Eagle on a slower weeknight, when I could take in the entire atmosphere and not get mobbed by the regulars who can spot fresh meat a mile away, lest I get scared off.
A Leather Sport customer named Josh suggested I check out the Brown Elephant for some cheap starter gear. “A leather jacket is fine with a white T-shirt under it and some black jeans,” he said.
I’ll be going to the Brown Elephant to look for items for my “Ugly Betty” costume for Halloween, so I’ll see what I can get for my flight to Chicago Eagle too. If leather looks good on me–and I end up having fun–maybe someday I’ll go for the full rubber body suit.
That sounds itchy, so maybe not.
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