Wetlook is the enjoyment of a person or people wearing wet clothing. It can also refer to the act of getting wet while wearing clothes, and having fun either in doing so or in watching others do it. To many, it is a sexual fetish, where pleasure is derived from observation of wet-clothed persons as well as getting wet oneself, but other people enjoy getting wet themselves for entirely non-sexual reasons.
Many people enjoy the way wet clothing looks when molded to the body, as well as the way the clothing feels against the body when wet. Also, light colored clothing goes transparent when wet that many people find sexually arousing. The clothing also has a sheen to it when wet as well as changing color in darker-colored fabrics.
Wetlook is often considered to originate from the idea that wearing clothes while swimming or bathing is forbidden, improper, or nonconformist. Those who enjoy wetlook report discovering their enjoyment at an early age, as young as five years old, usually from having a wetlook experience of either observing someone else getting wet or getting wet themselves. Those enjoying wetlook do so in different ways—some enjoy the act of getting wet, while others enjoy remaining wet. Some enjoy getting wet slowly, while others like the surprise. There are likewise different tastes in clothing--many preferring jeans, others dresses where women are concerned.
The wetlook fetish is poorly understood and scientific research into its root causes and aspects has been minimal compared to more common fetishes. However, a 2000 German study performed fairly extensive Internet research on the subject and provided some clarity. Many surveyed wetlookers reported being aroused from a young age, mainly between the ages of five and six, but described themselves as being too young at the time to identify the arousal as a sexual fetish.
The word "wetlook" can also refer to clothing itself that is shiny in appearance and thus is termed "wet-look."