I was reading the details concerning the smell of Rubber to which I had recently alluded in my letter to you a week or so ago.

While there are a number of reasons we all like rubber, the smell is very much the most positive force behind my love of it.

It is, as you say, a natural product and I have often thought that there could be some sort of drug influence with the many compounds that make up this substance.

There is no doubt that in recent years different chemicals have been employed in the processing of the raw product to help in its preservation. This, I believe, is the main reason the old lovely and addictive odour has partially vanished.

Various types of rubber smell differently which must be due to their processing. Vehicle tyres, for example, smell very strongly of rubber but not the rubber to be enjoyed from a rubberised garment. A hot water bottle too smells strongly of rubber, perhaps in a more attractive way than does the tyre, but is still not anywhere near the same as the garment rubber. Even latex has a different smell from rubberised cloth and so the mystery continues although the processors must surely know the answer as to just why the old smell has vanished.

Leather has a very distinctive smell too and, in fashion, can look very appealing on a woman but the reason I would find it erotic would only be if the garment was sexy and the woman also, as leather per se does not affect me in any way as does rubber. I have leather in my car and it always has a lovely odour whenever I get into it. There is no sexual connotation whatsoever. I am sure manufacturers never think sexy thoughts when they consider trimming a car in leather. However, if I ordered a car and specified the trim to be in rubber this would immediately attract a strange look or even a snide remark. Can you imagine getting into your car if it were trimmed in rubber?

PVC I do not know about other than it can be very shiny which, for some reason, can also looks sexy. As it is a derivative of oil and the basic oil, which is extracted from the earth, is made up of over 3,000 separate elements there could well be some strange hidden chemicals that produce an erotic smell for many.

David