Shopping on line can be easy, simple and save you lots of money. It can also take a lot of your time, frustrate you, and result in unwanted purchases. Now the same can be said for regular high street shopping, but with the vast opportunity presented by the Internet it will pay you to spend a few minutes reading this and understanding how to better optimize your Fursuit shopping experience:
1. Compare - without doubt the biggest advantage that the Fursuit offers shoppers today is the ability to compare thousands of Fursuit at a time. This is a great thing, but not necessarily all the time! Too much can be daunting at times so take advantage of the great comparison sites and where possible let them do the hard work for you.
2. Research - if it has been said it will be on the internet. Ignorance is no longer a justifiable reason for buying the wrong thing. Take the time to research in detail everything that you could possible want to know about
3. Testimonials - don't know anybody that has bought a Fursuit? Wrong! If the Fursuit is good the internet will let you know. Use the Internet as a friend and get testimonials before you buy.
4. Questions - Got a question about Fursuit then search the Forums, FAQ's, Blogs etc. Don't be afraid to ask .....
5. Reputation - Never heard of the company selling Fursuit? Don't worry, no reason why you should know every company in the world, but you know someone that does! Use the internet to find out what people are saying about Fursuit and build up a picture of their reputation for sales, returns, customer service, delivery etc.
6. Returns - still worried that even after all of the above your Fursuit wont be what you want? Check out the returns policy. There is so much competition now that someone, somewhere is bound to offer the terms that you are comfortable with.
7. Feedback - happy with your Fursuit then let people know, after all you are depending on others people input in your buying decision, so why not give a little back.
8. Security - check for the yellow padlock on the Fursuit site before you buy, and the s after http:/ /i.e. https:// = a secure site
9. Contact - got a question about Fursuit, or want to leave a comment then check out the sites contact page. Reputable companies have them and respond.
10. Payment - ready to pay for your Fursuit, then use your credit card or PayPal! Be aware of companies that don't accept them, there may be genuine reasons but given the huge amount of choice you have when buying online there is no reason at all not to buy via credit card or PayPal.
for Anthrocon convention attendees.
Fursuits are animal
costumes that are sometimes associated with certain subgroups of furry fandom. They range from simple tails and ears to full costumes cooled by battery-powered fans. Similar to mascot suits, they allow the wearer to adopt another personality while in costume. Owners can spend less than one-hundred to many thousands of dollars on one fursuit, depending on complexity and materials used. Frequently these items are sold at Furry convention, or online by either commission or auction. Many furry fans make their own using online tutorials or advice from newsgroups. Due to the delicate nature of these costumes, many require special handling while washing.
Most fursuits are directly comparable to
costumed characters, similar in construction to the
mascots used by companies, and walkaround characters used by theme parks and stage shows.
The term
fursuit (believed to be coined in 1993 by Robert King)
Critter Costuming, p13 - Robert King mentions inventing the term
fursuit back in 1993 for the title of an amateur costumers' mailing list about the then un-named hobby while on the way back from a conference (perhaps ConFurence 4?), in part as a pun on the word
pursuit can also refer to animal mascot costumes in general, as opposed to human or inanimate object mascots. The act of wearing a fursuit is usually referred to as
fursuiting.
Types of fursuits
The standard fursuit is a full body costume that consists of a head, forepaws (hands), hindpaws (feet) and a body with an attached tail; in some cases, the tail is connected via a belt to the wearer and hangs out through a hole in the back of the body. Many suits include special padding or undersuits to give the character its desired shape (this is especially present in larger characters or those of a particular gender.)
A partial suit or half-suit contains the above, only without the body. This allows the wearer to don ordinary clothing (or a different costume) overtop of the paws, head and tail. In partial suits, the tail is usually attached to a belt, and the arms and legs have sleeves that can go up as far as the shoulders and pelvis, respectively.
Most recently, a third type known as the three-quarter suit has been developed, which consists of a head, arms and pants made to look like the legs, tail and feet of the animal in question, which works well for characters who only wear shirts.
Reasons for fursuiting
A person who wears a fursuit may fall into one or more of four categories.
Conventions, parades, exhibitions
Other furries enjoy wearing their suits for parades, exhibitions, or conventions. Often these are of a personal character who they are expressing as a form of role play. The fursuiter may consider themselves to be expressing who they really are. These fursuiters may also wear their suits to small, informal meetings among furry fans in their area.
Role-playing
Some players of
live action role-playing games (LARP) create highly elaborate costumes (including fursuits) for their characters. Half suits (arms, legs and a mask or makeup) are usually created for role-playing games, though some use full-body suits. These suits wear elaborate clothes and costumes of their own, depending on the theme of the game.
Cosplayers (short for "costume players") are similar to LARPers, but without the live games. They focus on characters from popular media, with emphasis on
Japan pop culture such as manga,
anime, and video games.
Job or charity work
Some furry fans do fursuiting for a job or to bring attention to an event or charity. This can include mascots, but not all mascots are furries. Many are hired through an agency to represent a character, while others bring their own constructions to an event instead. There are also several volunteer fursuiting groups across North America that either ask or are asked to entertain at various social functions. Some groups even set up their own charitable events or perform on the streets to passersby.
Sexuality
Some of the furry fandom consider the fursuit a sexual item. Some fursuits are sold with or modified to contain provisions for sexual activity, such as openings, removable panels, and anatomically correct artificial genitalia. While these are the most common in the media, they are only a small fragment of the "furry" community and the least common instance of fursuiting.
Image:Fursuiters.jpg|The Fursuit Parade at
Anthrocon 2006.Image:Fursuit TaniDaReal top.jpg]Image:Midwest FurFest 2006 Spunky terrorized by Furloween bat.jpg|
Jennifer Seng and Furloween's vampire bat at Midwest FurFest 2006Image:Iron Artist host 2002.jpg] 2002
In popular culture
Music video appearances
Fursuits are occasionally featured in music videos. Examples include:
- "Da Funk" and "Fresh" By Daft Punk features Charles, an anthropomorphic dog wearing clothes walking through New York city.
- "Beautiful (Moby song)", by Moby, which revolves around a Swinging where all the participants are dressed up in fursuits.
- "We Know Something You Don't Know", by DJ Format, which involves dancing fursuiters.
- "Nature Anthem" by Grandaddy, featuring a fursuiter parade through the forest.
- "Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots", by The Flaming Lips, which involves many fursuiters dancing in a club.
- "Talks Shows on Mute" by Incubus (band), shows the band playing on a talk show which the audience and hosts are wearing fursuits and extensive make-up.
- "The Distance (song)" by Cake (band) features a multitude of fursuits in various environments encouring the protagonist in the video on his 'race'.
- "Tainted Love" by Marilyn Manson features dancers in bunny fursuits on a bed behind Manson.
- "Heimdalsgate Like a Promethean Curse" by Of Montreal depicts what looks to be a high school play, and there are various fursuits in the video.
- "Love Cats" by The Cure features fursuiters playing horns.
- "Clothes Off!!" by Gym Class Heroes features Patrick Stump of Fall Out Boy in fursuits doing a variety of activities, including a poker game and a dance-off.
- "Rough Gem" by Islands includes children and afro-american men dressed in dalmatian outfits.
References
See also
External links
- The Furry Costume Information Exchange
- The Fursuit community (on LiveJournal)
- The Fursuit Archive
- fursuit.co.uk The British fursuit site
- Wikifur:Fursuit on WikiFur, a specialist wiki
- Jay Van Buren and the Fursuit Portrait Project
for Anthrocon convention attendees.
Fursuits are animal
costumes that are sometimes associated with certain subgroups of furry fandom. They range from simple tails and ears to full costumes cooled by battery-powered fans. Similar to mascot suits, they allow the wearer to adopt another personality while in costume. Owners can spend less than one-hundred to many thousands of dollars on one fursuit, depending on complexity and materials used. Frequently these items are sold at
Furry convention, or online by either commission or auction. Many furry fans make their own using online tutorials or advice from
newsgroups. Due to the delicate nature of these costumes, many require special handling while washing.
Most fursuits are directly comparable to
costumed characters, similar in construction to the
mascots used by companies, and walkaround characters used by theme parks and stage shows.
The term
fursuit (believed to be coined in 1993 by Robert King)Critter Costuming, p13 - Robert King mentions inventing the term
fursuit back in 1993 for the title of an amateur costumers' mailing list about the then un-named hobby while on the way back from a conference (perhaps
ConFurence 4?), in part as a pun on the word
pursuit can also refer to animal mascot costumes in general, as opposed to
human or inanimate object mascots. The act of wearing a fursuit is usually referred to as
fursuiting.
Types of fursuits
The standard fursuit is a full body costume that consists of a head, forepaws (hands), hindpaws (feet) and a body with an attached tail; in some cases, the tail is connected via a belt to the wearer and hangs out through a hole in the back of the body. Many suits include special padding or undersuits to give the character its desired shape (this is especially present in larger characters or those of a particular gender.)
A partial suit or half-suit contains the above, only without the body. This allows the wearer to don ordinary clothing (or a different costume) overtop of the paws, head and tail. In partial suits, the tail is usually attached to a belt, and the arms and legs have sleeves that can go up as far as the shoulders and pelvis, respectively.
Most recently, a third type known as the three-quarter suit has been developed, which consists of a head, arms and pants made to look like the legs, tail and feet of the animal in question, which works well for characters who only wear shirts.
Reasons for fursuiting
A person who wears a fursuit may fall into one or more of four categories.
Conventions, parades, exhibitions
Other furries enjoy wearing their suits for parades, exhibitions, or conventions. Often these are of a personal character who they are expressing as a form of role play. The fursuiter may consider themselves to be expressing who they really are. These fursuiters may also wear their suits to small, informal meetings among furry fans in their area.
Role-playing
Some players of
live action role-playing games (LARP) create highly elaborate costumes (including fursuits) for their characters. Half suits (arms, legs and a mask or makeup) are usually created for role-playing games, though some use full-body suits. These suits wear elaborate clothes and costumes of their own, depending on the theme of the game.
Cosplayers (short for "costume players") are similar to LARPers, but without the live games. They focus on characters from popular media, with emphasis on Japan pop culture such as manga, anime, and
video games.
Job or charity work
Some furry fans do fursuiting for a job or to bring attention to an event or charity. This can include mascots, but not all mascots are furries. Many are hired through an agency to represent a character, while others bring their own constructions to an event instead. There are also several volunteer fursuiting groups across North America that either ask or are asked to entertain at various social functions. Some groups even set up their own charitable events or perform on the streets to passersby.
Sexuality
Some of the furry fandom consider the fursuit a sexual item. Some fursuits are sold with or modified to contain provisions for sexual activity, such as openings, removable panels, and anatomically correct artificial genitalia. While these are the most common in the media, they are only a small fragment of the "furry" community and the least common instance of fursuiting.
Image:Fursuiters.jpg|The Fursuit Parade at Anthrocon 2006.Image:Fursuit TaniDaReal top.jpg]Image:Midwest FurFest 2006 Spunky terrorized by Furloween bat.jpg|
Jennifer Seng and Furloween's
vampire bat at Midwest FurFest 2006Image:Iron Artist host 2002.jpg] 2002
In popular culture
- The TV Police procedural CSI: Crime Scene Investigation featured a fursuit convention in episode 406, "Fur and Loathing."
- The Shining (book) has a brief depiction of someone in a dog costume performing oral sex on a man, a reference to the owner of Overlook Hotel and his homosexual partner.
Music video appearances
Fursuits are occasionally featured in music videos. Examples include:
- "Da Funk" and "Fresh" By Daft Punk features Charles, an anthropomorphic dog wearing clothes walking through New York city.
- "Beautiful (Moby song)", by Moby, which revolves around a Swinging where all the participants are dressed up in fursuits.
- "We Know Something You Don't Know", by DJ Format, which involves dancing fursuiters.
- "Nature Anthem" by Grandaddy, featuring a fursuiter parade through the forest.
- "Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots", by The Flaming Lips, which involves many fursuiters dancing in a club.
- "Talks Shows on Mute" by Incubus (band), shows the band playing on a talk show which the audience and hosts are wearing fursuits and extensive make-up.
- "The Distance (song)" by Cake (band) features a multitude of fursuits in various environments encouring the protagonist in the video on his 'race'.
- "Tainted Love" by Marilyn Manson features dancers in bunny fursuits on a bed behind Manson.
- "Heimdalsgate Like a Promethean Curse" by Of Montreal depicts what looks to be a high school play, and there are various fursuits in the video.
- "Love Cats" by The Cure features fursuiters playing horns.
- "Clothes Off!!" by Gym Class Heroes features Patrick Stump of Fall Out Boy in fursuits doing a variety of activities, including a poker game and a dance-off.
- "Rough Gem" by Islands includes children and afro-american men dressed in dalmatian outfits.
References
See also
External links
- The Furry Costume Information Exchange
- The Fursuit community (on LiveJournal)
- The Fursuit Archive
- fursuit.co.uk The British fursuit site
- Wikifur:Fursuit on WikiFur, a specialist wiki
- Jay Van Buren and the Fursuit Portrait Project