Fetish Wear is meant to be provocative.

Fetish wear is a term that is largely understood but in essence it is clothing that is at the extreme, designed to make you stand out, look different and not a part of your daily wardrobe. Clearly this definition could refer to a great many items so you have a lot of latitude when deciding what to wear.
The more unusual and sexy an outfit is the more likely you are wearing fetish wear. Many times the term gothic and fetish are used interchangeably but the term fetish goes well beyond gothic and in some ways gothic is a very limited category. A fetish is defined as "an object of irrational reverence or obsessive devotion". Again going to the extreme is a part of the term fetish and to a great degree that is the definition we will use to describe fetish wear. A shoe is unlikely to be a fetish but a woman's shoe with a six inch heel enters into the realm of a fetish shoe. A body stocking made of stretch spandex and sheer lace is a full bodysuit while a cat suit made of latex rubber is clearly a fetish item.
So who wears fetish wear and why? Depending on the item the person wearing fetish wear will vary. A woman wearing a leather outfit from her panties and bra to a mini skirt and vest is wearing fetish wear although the more we see the use of an item once considered fetish wear the more it becomes mainstream and loses its fetish designation. In order to be a fetish item it needs to be extreme and perhaps provocative to keep its fetish designation. Once it becomes co-opted by the mainstream it ceases to have a fetish pedigree and something that suburban kids wear and is found at your local mall.
Clothing is always in a state of flux as many fetish items make it to the fashion runways but never catch on in mid America simply due to the extreme nature of the garment. Fashion designers often intend to stretch the envelope with their designs but the concept falls flat as wearing the garment or a knock off doesn't work on main street. Latex is an example of a garment that may or may not take the step into mainstream fashion. Latex is simply rubber that is cut and formed into a garment such as a latex mini dress. Latex is very stretchy and conforms to a man's or a woman's body. Ultra sexy and provocative a sexy mini latex dress is often worn to fetish balls as an expression of sexuality as well as a fashion statement. Only time will tell if a woman wears it to the local clubs and what the reactions will be. Another fetish items are high heels that at 3 and 4 inches high are mainstream or sexy shoes. They become fetish heels when the heels are extremely high and contort a woman's feet making it virtually impossible to walk much less dance. Again the extreme nature of the garment or shoe puts it in the fetish arena.
A garment that is mainstream can become a fetish item by how it is worn. A mini skirt that covers a woman's body allowing some modesty becomes a fetish item once the length is provocative and extreme. The same applies with a corset that worn as a shaper or for the purpose of increasing a woman's cleavage becomes a fetish corset once it is worn so tight that a woman's figure is distorted into an hour glass shape causing distress or pain.