About Us

Hi there. I’m Ryan, the guy behind Yarness.

Yarness is something new.
Yarness is my interpretation of leather culture.

A big part of LGBT culture in San Francisco (where I live) is leather and fetish street fairs such as the Folsom Street Fair or Up Your Alley Fair. The fun and sexy nature of these street fairs has been an important part of my gay identity (Tom of Finland or Gayle Rubin could have something to do with that). All the leather gear was so fun to look at and touch, but as a craftsman, who crochets and sews, my mind started buzzing, and out of nowhere I created the first Yarness.

In 2009 I crocheted a soft pink harness and wore it to Folsom. The harness got an immediate, strong and positive reaction, people took pictures, and I was hooked (crochet pun intended). Each year after, I produced another crocheted harness. I experimented with different styles and colors and I realized that I was designing a fashion line.

In 2014, we launched a crowdfunding campaign on Indiegogo and raised 10K from folks around the world who connected with what we are doing. We started a phenomenon, our GIFs went viral, and Yarness showed up in many media outlets and even on Comedy Central’s “@Midnight” and HBO’s “Looking.”

After shipping more Yarnesses across the globe in year one than we ever thought possible, we continue to design new Yarnesses, accessories and tshirts. Yarness is fetish and fashion, and most of all fun. We hope you enjoy them as much as we do!

Thank You

We couldn’t do this without the help of a ton of outstanding people and businesses. Thank you to everyone who has been part of the Yarness family:

  • Our talented photographers Geof Teague, Scott Iverson, Shot in the City, and all our crazysexycool models
  • Brian Mangin for the beautiful website and logo
  • David Marks and Danyol Leon for their creative contributions to our booth design and photo shoots
  • All of our friends and fans who have helped spread the word about what we are doing. None of this would have happened without you

We love our animal friends.

A traditional harness is made out of leather. Yarness is mostly* made from vegan-friendly strong and soft synthetic wool. It also totally isn't trying to be leather!

*yah not totally vegan. Sometimes we play with other materials but all of our site offerings are.

You don’t have to wear it naked.

While Yarness is inspired by leather fetishwear, it’s not made of leather, and you don’t have to wear it just for playtime. For casual looks, put it on over your favorite t-shirt, or build a look around it and head out on the town.

Harnesses are regularly worn over clothing, and with bright color options you can grab attention with these accessories, especially at festive events like Pride, Mardi-Gras, Burning Man or Coachella.  Every Yarness is adjustable so you can wear at your desired tightness.

Yarness looks great on all kinds of bodies.

Fat or skinny; tall or short; dudeish or ladyish, a Yarness can help you look good and express yourself. Whether you want to bare all and wear it on your skin, or loose over clothing, you’ll look great either way.

  • The Classic creates an x-shape over your front and back. Frames your chest assets with some lift and separation, or make an impact over an outfit.
  • The Trucker crosses your back and connects to your front belt loops, looking great on thin bodies, but also frames a more ample belly quite nicely.
  • The Bulldog sits high on your chest and it’s great to draw a little attention up top.