Do not cross the stripes
...unless you are ready for the claws!
As promised, I will take the time to break down everything that goes into the outfit, from head to hindpaws...
HEAD/MASK: Ultra top-quality, unbelievably realistic, incredibly light and comfortable. Custom made by my friend Taj (GrinningTiger), contact him directly for an estimate on work you might want done! He can (and has) done traditional and unconventional (like this one) suits and heads, and can simply do the modeling to make you a base if you want to put your own together. How freaking awesome is that?
Features a flexible, custom-modeled and sized 3D printed frame socketed with a 38 mm resin eye and a REAL hemispherical, diamond-cut tiger's eye agate quartz 40 mm cabochon. Accents are hand-stitched, but the entire appearance is seamless. Vision screens blend in gorgeously and can only be seen upon very close inspection. Peripheral vision is actually not that bad. The hair in the back gives the thing great balance and makes it effortless to wear for long periods of time. A small opening in the mouth and for the nostrils offers enough ventilation, though I could easily mount a fan if I wanted. The biggest issue is my eyeglasses fogging when going from cold to warm environments (something that happens anyway, just magnified with it on). A magnetic clasp in back makes sure I never get a zipper caught in my own long hair.
The only thing that I might change on the head is “recede” the hairline a bit, but otherwise...I could not be more pleased with it.
SKINSUIT: ~$170 from Graphica Design. Because they found themselves making so many cat suits, they decided to make a page to ease in their customization (https://www.spandexwear.com/product.....265&page=1). Tigers are featured (naturally), but you can just as easily make a leopard or black cat, etc. I wear a men's S because I am, well, fairly small, and it wears well without constricting. As you can see, arms are just a bit loose, but I do not think I could have squeezed into an XS and I did not have the patience to custom-fit. But yeah, for the quality of the fabric, the HIGH quality stitching and seam work, alteration options and the very fast turnaround (they beat their lowest time estimate by a week), I would swear by these people.
BANDAGES: Still a work in progress. I get the best look so far with simple athletic tape, but we are experimenting with making a more permanent, slippable cloth bandage sleeve.
VEST/JERKIN: Soft suede, picked it up for $50 at our local costume store.
GLOVES: Just an old pair of lifting gloves and some fabric paint to make them all black.
BREECHES: Cut off a pair of (relatively, $20) inexpensive polyester costume pants with elastic tight enough to not slip off of my lean ass.
SOCKS: I go inside and out without true shoes, so I bought an expensive ($21) pair of triple-padded running socks to wear inside the skinsuit that makes dashing around on flat surfaces a breeze.
“SHOES”: Of course, I would break my back if I tried to run on sheer surfaces on spandex, so I got the idea to buy and wear a pair of neoprene “half-shoes” made for lyrical dance (Danshuz). Picked up a pair for $20, colored the bottom black to look like a pug then went with it. Offers plenty of friction inside and just enough protection outside.
I am looking into getting some puffy black fabric paint to make the paws look more like paws, but besides that and the hair, my look is set, and I freaking love it. <3
[Photo by Koisplay Photography, Twitter (at)koisplayphotos]
As promised, I will take the time to break down everything that goes into the outfit, from head to hindpaws...
HEAD/MASK: Ultra top-quality, unbelievably realistic, incredibly light and comfortable. Custom made by my friend Taj (GrinningTiger), contact him directly for an estimate on work you might want done! He can (and has) done traditional and unconventional (like this one) suits and heads, and can simply do the modeling to make you a base if you want to put your own together. How freaking awesome is that?
Features a flexible, custom-modeled and sized 3D printed frame socketed with a 38 mm resin eye and a REAL hemispherical, diamond-cut tiger's eye agate quartz 40 mm cabochon. Accents are hand-stitched, but the entire appearance is seamless. Vision screens blend in gorgeously and can only be seen upon very close inspection. Peripheral vision is actually not that bad. The hair in the back gives the thing great balance and makes it effortless to wear for long periods of time. A small opening in the mouth and for the nostrils offers enough ventilation, though I could easily mount a fan if I wanted. The biggest issue is my eyeglasses fogging when going from cold to warm environments (something that happens anyway, just magnified with it on). A magnetic clasp in back makes sure I never get a zipper caught in my own long hair.
The only thing that I might change on the head is “recede” the hairline a bit, but otherwise...I could not be more pleased with it.
SKINSUIT: ~$170 from Graphica Design. Because they found themselves making so many cat suits, they decided to make a page to ease in their customization (https://www.spandexwear.com/product.....265&page=1). Tigers are featured (naturally), but you can just as easily make a leopard or black cat, etc. I wear a men's S because I am, well, fairly small, and it wears well without constricting. As you can see, arms are just a bit loose, but I do not think I could have squeezed into an XS and I did not have the patience to custom-fit. But yeah, for the quality of the fabric, the HIGH quality stitching and seam work, alteration options and the very fast turnaround (they beat their lowest time estimate by a week), I would swear by these people.
BANDAGES: Still a work in progress. I get the best look so far with simple athletic tape, but we are experimenting with making a more permanent, slippable cloth bandage sleeve.
VEST/JERKIN: Soft suede, picked it up for $50 at our local costume store.
GLOVES: Just an old pair of lifting gloves and some fabric paint to make them all black.
BREECHES: Cut off a pair of (relatively, $20) inexpensive polyester costume pants with elastic tight enough to not slip off of my lean ass.
SOCKS: I go inside and out without true shoes, so I bought an expensive ($21) pair of triple-padded running socks to wear inside the skinsuit that makes dashing around on flat surfaces a breeze.
“SHOES”: Of course, I would break my back if I tried to run on sheer surfaces on spandex, so I got the idea to buy and wear a pair of neoprene “half-shoes” made for lyrical dance (Danshuz). Picked up a pair for $20, colored the bottom black to look like a pug then went with it. Offers plenty of friction inside and just enough protection outside.
I am looking into getting some puffy black fabric paint to make the paws look more like paws, but besides that and the hair, my look is set, and I freaking love it. <3
[Photo by Koisplay Photography, Twitter (at)koisplayphotos]
11 years ago
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