Fursuits range from simple tails and ears to full costumes with mechanical/electronic components. Similar to mascot suits, they allow the wearer to adopt another animal look and/or personality while in costume. Owners can spend less than one-hundred to many thousands of dollars on one fursuit, depending on the complexity of the design and on the materials used. These items are mainly sold online, with many makers owning sites dedicated to their suits. Suiting paraphernalia is often sold at "Furry Conventions." Furries may make their own using online tutorials and/or advice, or have hobbyist or professional fursuit maker or company assist them.
There are many types of fursuits. There are partials and fullsuits (along with several categories stemming from them. Suits that cover the whole body, or fullsuits, come with a head, a bodysuit, feetpaws, forepaws (hands), and a tail. There are three main types of fullsuits; the plantigrade, the digitgrade, and the unguligrade. Plantigrade gives a suit a more anthropomorphic look, adding no animalistic qualities to the legs. Digitgrade is used for canines, felines, birds, dinosaurs, and various other creatures. Unguligrade is used for hoofed animals such as horses or deer. 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. 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. There is also an uncommon suit type; the quadsuit. It uses the arms of its wearer as the animals forelegs, and the hind legs are often stilts.
A key part of playing a character in suit is an engaging performance. The most expensive fursuit in the world will not help someone who does not know how to use it. Looking good is important, but not as important as
acting.
How the performer acts in costume reflects on how others relate to them. If the desired character is bouncy and bubbly, then acting that way is required to communicate it to spectators.
The design of the suit plays a part in some of the moves that can be done. For example, some fursuiters with floppy muzzles nod their heads up and down rapidly to simulate laughter or enjoyment. This cannot be done with suits with a rigid muzzle, or no muzzle at all.
Other furries enjoy wearing their suits for parades, exhibitions, or
conventionsfor simple personal fun or crowd entertainment. These fursuiters may also wear their suits to small, informal meetings among furry fans in their area.
Some may get permission to perform in or outside of a shop or event, while others may simply wear a suit in a major area, such as a mall. However, some cities have
no-mask laws, so individuals seeking to wear their fursuit in large, public places should check first if it's allowed before performing at that location.
as to what makes them popular... no idea XD
