Fursuit
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The host of the Iron Artist competition at Further Confusion 2002. |
Fursuits are animal
costumes associated with the
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
conventions, 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.
A person who wears a fursuit may fall into one or more of five categories.
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.
Conventions, parades, exhibitions
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Fursuiter -Sinatra- at Further Confusion 2006 |
Other furries enjoy wearing their suits for parades, exhibitions, or conventions. Oftentimes 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
Japanese pop culture such as
manga,
anime, and
video games.
Sexuality
A portion of the furry fandom exists that considers a 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.
Spirituality
Some people (usually
otherkin or
therianthropes) also fursuit for reasons of expressing what they feel is their inner animal self. Most of them try to make their suits as realistic and lifelike as possible.
* The TV
procedural drama featured a fursuit convention in episode 406, "Fur and Loathing." (
more information at WikiFur)
* The
music video for "
Beautiful", by
Moby, revolves around a
swinger party where all the participants are dressed up in fursuits. (
more info)
* The music video for "We Know Something You Don't Know", by
DJ Format involves dancing fursuiters.
* The music video for "The Nature Anthem," by
Grandaddy includes a fursuiter parade through the forest.
*
Furry fandom*
Kigurumi*
The Furry Costume Information Exchange*
The Fursuit community (on
LiveJournal)
*
The Fursuit Archive*
fursuit.co.uk The British fursuit site
*
Fursuit on
WikiFur, a specialist wiki
