Soft Sand wrote:Hello! So, I'm slowly starting to save up for a suit. Not sure yet if I'll get custom or premade, I'll see what opportunities come up once I have enough money.
The issue is my family being concerned that, due to my sensory processing issues (discomfort with certain textures) I'd be uncomfortable wearing it and then it would be a waste. I personally don't think that would happen unless it was an incorrect fit, but they're encouraging me to get a cheaper suit first to "test it out" and see if I actually like the feeling.
My issue is that I worry these cheaper suits (we're talking around $300 for a premade mini partial, so "cheap" is only relatively speaking) would be an incorrect or at least lower-quality fit, which would be both a waste of money and potentially turning me away from any future suits which might actually be more comfortable. Then again, it would also be a shame to spend $500+ on something that turns out to be uncomfortable for me despite being high-quality.
Any thoughts on how to tackle this? Experiences from people who also have sensory issues would be particularly appreciated. Thank you!
@Soft Sand - If you have any friends with fursuits, or a furmeet in the area where you could find some, I'd recommend asking to try theirs on if they're comfortable with it. Fursuits can feel vastly different. Alternatively, try making your own. You'll be in control of how it feels and can try it on every step of the way and it's a lot cheaper. (still a huge investment of your time)
I have SPD too and I make my heads, the ones I've made so far haven't been lined but I'm looking to do it next time as the texture of the foam and fur fabric is slightly noticable but not too bad. Wearing a fursuit head also makes everything dimmer and muffled, which personally I really enjoy as when I had sensory overload at the last con I went to, wearing the fursuit head actually made things better as it separated me from the world a bit.
As far as textures go, you'll want to invest in lined fursuit parts. Handpaws for me are the worst because they get sweaty quickly, and the texture of the sticky sweat combined with the rough backing is awful. It's not as bad if you don't wear them for long but after a while they feel gross. Be sure to clean your fursuit if you get one as it will minimize this.
The heat (at least for a partial) isn't a big issue if you get a well made suit unless your heat tolerance is very low. Fullsuits are another story and I personally don't ever want one for myself as I know myself and it wouldn't be comfortable for me, but if you have a well made head you should be getting enough ventilation that it doesn't make you overheat for at least half an hour.
As for fursuit alternatives, you could try cosplaying as your character with ears, a tail, makeup and the clothing they would wear, or as Violet suggested, a kigu. You could also look into a mask of your character,
here's an example I made a few years back. This is nice because overheating isn't an issue, your lower jaw is free and won't rub against anything when you talk, and the back of the head is uncovered. I personally haven't seen commissions for things like this around as the concept seems to not have caught on in the community yet, (I may open for commissions if you're interested, I haven't made one like in a long time but my overall fursuit making style has improved) I think it's a fun way to get in character without having to worry about heatstroke.
In conclusion, I wouldn't get a cheap suit if I were you. It won't be worth it, as they're often very hit or miss in terms of quality and especially comfort, and they still cost a fair chunk of money even if it's on the lower side for fursuits as a whole. I'd also recommend a custom and not a premade so it would fit you well, although if you take measurements and find a premade similar to your size, it'd probably be fine.
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