There's something subversive and exciting about using an item as fraught with significance as a straitjacket for kinky purposes. If you consider the unfortunate fact that there are some who consider BDSM itself a little crazy, this can be viewed as a way to take all the power out of those negative connotations and work them for your own pleasure. In a way, it's like giving a middle finger to judgmental people: "You think I'm crazy to want to be bound on purpose? Okay, I'll be as crazy as you want me to be."

Or maybe there's no symbolism for some... maybe it's just a good-looking and effective way to bind a slave. Whatever approach works for you, a straitjacket is a great addition to your bondage gear collection. The Social Kink Store has several good models in various materials.

A personal favorite and a best-seller, Stockroom's patent-pending Bolero Straitjacket is a far cry from the less than sexy traditional design. This piece is feminine and looks incredible, for a start - it's the style of straitjacket I'd always prefer to wear, if given a choice. It's cropped to leave the chest and back almost fully exposed, made of light and medium weight garment leather, and thanks to its chest strap there's no crotch strap to get in the way of your fun. There's an attached collar so you can lead your captive around on a leash. The perforated leather version features the same design with an edgier, grittier look thanks to the matte black finish. If red and black are your favorite colors, try the strikingly gorgeous red Bolero Straitjacket instead. These leather straitjackets are all $465 each, so you'll want to take good care of them and make them last. I recommend the Leather and Latex Care guide by Kelly J. Thibault if you need a good primer on how to keep your gear in good shape.

For those who are looking for non-leather, rubber options are available. The Stockroom Rubber Straitjacket costs close to $700, admittedly not an impulse buy but it's a solid quality item, hand-tailored with 30 gauge latex. It zips up the back, with an arm restraint in the front and sleeves that buckle in the back. A collar and leg straps complete the restraints on this tough, durable piece of gear. Stockroom staff are especially proud of their Deluxe Rubber Straitjacket, which is a step up from the basic model with three back straps, zippers over the tits, a removable arm strap on the chest (two riveted D-rings afford many additional possibilities), and removable thigh straps that can be used for securing arms at the sides. It's $800, but it's the kind of investment that should last you a long time if you take care of it. Stockroom recommends Black Beauty Latex Polish or Eros Bodyglide.

For those seeking a straitjacket on a budget, Stockroom's Black Canvas Straitjacket with Leather Straps is still hot and does what you need it to do. At $224, it's more affordable and believe me, you won't be turned away from the door of the fetish club. It's a kinkier, sexier take on the institutional design, made of heavy-duty black canvas (lighter than an institutional straitjacket) with black leather straps and silver buckles. This piece is best dry-cleaned, but if you don't feel comfortable outing yourself to your dry cleaner, the leather straps are strong enough to stand up to hand-washing and even machine-washing, but keep in mind that water could affect the look of the leather.

If you'd like to see straitjackets in action, there are several good movies on VOD. The acclaimed "Diary of a Rubber Girl" from the always excellent Gwen Media is told from the perspective of beautiful, submissive rubber girl Jade Indica, whose Mistress has bound her in a straitjacket and left her in various predicament bondage scenarios. Scene four of "Dementia 4" from Sin City features two masked men teaming up on a beautiful blonde in a classic straitjacket. For double the straitjackets, see "Straitjacket Peril 4" from Dorothy Laine Productions, in which two women in adjoining rooms figure out they've both been bound up by a crazy nurse and they spend most of the movie trying to escape their predicaments. It's a sequel worthy of the original "Straitjacket Peril." A personal favorite is "Straitjacket Sluts 2" from the brilliant Michael Kahn.

You're not crazy for loving bondage, but you can always take the most notorious symbol of "insanity" and use it for your own fun.