Picture it, Silverlake, 1999... The Detour, A Different Light, Circus of Books, Le Barcito, 3626, The Other Side, Cuffs, Basic Plumbing, King Of Hearts, the Sunset Junction Festival, The Gauntlet II, where many of us lost our kink virginity and the good old Crest Coffee Shop, where after losing our kink virginity, we would take our conquest from the night before to breakfast and show them off like our hottest leather gear. That was the year, Rough Trade Gear opened its doors and began operations.

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Sunset Junction, a Bohemian and very gay area of Silver Lake, is where Rough Trade Gear is warmly welcomed. The Junction's vibe was easygoing, multicultural and friendly with lots of cafes, a busy nightlife and of course, tons of cruising, TONS. Cruising that often occurred with a bunch of guys yelling "woof" from the balcony at Rough Trade Gear, to guys passing by the storefront. Once inside Rough Trade Gear, it was a given to see a hot guy drop his pants, during a fitting, as if he were at home picking through his jock drawer, for what made him feel even hotter. We were at home!

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In the beginning, we were Rough Trade, Sex-Leather & Spurs. Yes, we sold cowboy hats, boots, and of course spurs, along with leather harnesses, chaps, and sex paraphernalia.

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Over the past 26 years, we have had the pleasure of working with some amazing organizations, businesses, clubs, and tons of fascinating people from our community. We've had incredible experiences seeing the shy become giants, encouraging confidence in gearing up, collaborating and styling artists and celebrities and have enjoyed seeing our brand on TV and concert tours, some of which made entertainment history.

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We have had the unique opportunity to work with our leather and fetish brothers and sisters, in such a way, that feels incredibly satisfying and moreover rewarding. The feeling of helping a titleholder's dream come true and to be a piece of the puzzle, that makes them shine and ultimately win their title.

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So many of you are the face of this brand and my lifelong work. I've had the privilege and honor of working with and developing some of your wildest desires, kinks and self-expression and for that, I'm forever grateful. I have been incredibly fortunate to meet, work and develop lifelong friendships with so many amazing people and have built a family around the Rough Trade Gear.

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Together we have grown, together we have shined and I know, we have cum together as a strong and powerful community.

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Adrian Bernal.

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ROUGH
TRADE GEAR