I was 11, it was 1989, and my mom had a GildaMarx/Flexatard shiny nylon/lyrca spaghetti strap and stirrup feet unitard. The color of it was lavender, and was it shiny, slippery, silky!! It was a little too big for me, but I still loved it.
My parents split up two years prior to my spandex discovery, so it was just mom and myself living in an apartment. I discovered the unitard in a hallway closet that was between our bedrooms. Not exactly sure why she stored it there, but it was a very convenient location for me to borrow it. I never used it when she was home for fear of getting caught, but she worked full time 9-5, so I had that golden hour and a half after I got home from school to slip it on and let it hug my body. I pretended to be sick frequently, so I got to stay home from school by myself and really get my fix.
This went on for about two years until I decided I wanted to go move to my dad's house two states away. My spandex enjoyment went dormant for the next seven years, and that was when my dad kicked me out and I moved back to moms. The first chance I got, I went looking in her closet and found the same unitard hanging up in her closet amongst other nice clothes like a sequined cocktail dress, and a silky Chinese dress with a Mandarin collar. But back to the spandex. I pulled the hanger it was on out of the closet and my heart started beating faster, and my mind was racing and begging me to put it on just like I did in 6th grade, but now I was 19. Anyways, I slid it up my body, pulled the spaghetti straps over my shoulders, and now it fit me perfectly! Nice and snug all over. The light reflecting off it just how its supposed to. For some strange reason, probably obsession, I decided not to return it to her closet, but instead hide it in my room under my pillow. I wore it as pajamas probably every night for a few weeks until one time I looked under my pillow and it was missing. The next chance I got I went looking in moms closet, and there it was, washed clean and smelling sweet! Not sure how she got the stains out of it. :-/ So from then on, every time I borrowed it I returned it as soon as I was finished. My memory is foggy trying to remember that period of time, but apparently I had eventually decided to keep it again, and this time for good. She has never asked me about it...unfortunately.
That unitard was the only spandex I had for the next three years. It was then that I bought a gold baltogs nylon/lycra long sleeve mock turtle neck online. Around 5 years after that I started searching thrift stores for spandex. Although it is difficult to find 80's shiny spandex in the thrift stores these days, back in 2005 it was a little more common. I now have about 50 pairs of leggings, 20 unitards, 10 leotards. It's probably more than that though honestly.
Some of my favorite brands include The Body Co., Flexatard, Rainbeau, Pro Spirit, Danskin , and Cheetah by Mervyn's. Only the good 80's kind, and the thicker the better, but I like thin too. Poly/lycra is not nearly as good, as I'm sure many of you know. I hope someday the quality of slippery shiny satiny spandex returns to the quality it was in the 80's.
I am 48 now, but when I was 35 I tried to talk to my mom about my spandex kink, but I think she is uncomfortable about it, so I don't bring it up anymore. Although, she did tell me that she bought that unitard after my parents divorced, and she wanted to get back into shape to revisit the dating scene. I never got to see her wear it.
I really enjoy hearing people's stories of first time in spandex, especially if it happened when they were a kid during the 80's or 90's. Hope you liked my true story, and I hope to hear other's stories.