Responding to NatalieD -- yeah, I had a collar that I wore as a fashion accessory before I even knew what BDSM was. If I see someone wearing a collar with a relatively punky outfit, I don't assume that they're into BDSM, just that they're goth or punk. Now, if I saw someone wearing it with a lavender twinset I might think twice.

Hell, I wish some of the guys I meet at clubs would assume that it meant something. Like, I dunno, maybe TAKEN?!

As to whether my parents know anything about what it means, my mom did say something like "It's ok, we know you're not *really* a dominatrix or anything." Which doesn't exactly sound well-informed.