Buyer Be Wise

A little "General Advice" for the upstart fursuiters that want to make their own suit! I have done so myself (which is what this blog is mostly all about) and it is a lot of tough work but also very rewarding to see as it takes shape.  Fursuit makers will know this all ready (or at least they should) and most would agree that your choice of Faux Fur is nearly limitless! A wonderful situation from the design standpoint but this can also make your decisions for your purchase a bit daunting, and can lead to indecision, and worse yet the purchase of what you didn't really want... DON'T RUSH.

To help "cut the clutter" you should really look at the material closely. Most Faux Furs are made from Acrylic fibers, but not all Acrylic fibers make good Faux Furs. The top-of-the-line fibers to look for are Kanecaron and Tissavel. They are the best performers for texture, softness and resiliency which are all the traits you are looking for when buying your fur.

So many people place price first by saying they cannot afford the good fabric, if that is the case (putting it bluntly but truthfully) you really must rethink whether or not you can actually afford to bother with a fursuit at this moment. Step back and save up some more money, you do not want to put your time and effort into a suit that falls apart in a years time because of poor quality fabric, how much money have you really saved at that point?  I have heard some people will look simply at the price and say since it is priced low it is not a good choice. That can hold some truth but not always, texture and pile also contribute to the cost of the material to a certain degree so will affect pricing as well. I do have to admit that for the most part it does seem that the better material does usually start out at around the $27 USD per yard price range and goes up from there (at the time this is written). Lets face it, you don't want to bother with that $17 / yd material that has fibers falling out in your hand like a Husky that is shedding in June.    

Shopping on-line brings you all the choices you can imagine, but it will deny you perhaps the most vital sense you need to invoke when you shop for Faux Fur... Touch! Not to say you shouldn't shop on line, but you need to be aware that to do so wisely will take some time and patience. You can choose your style, pile & color on-line with little problem, but before you buy you really need to be able to feel and handle the material. Most reputable shops will send swatches of material to you if you request them, some may charge a nominal fee, but it is worth it if what you plan on creating is to last and look as good as it can for as long as possible. 

You should not rule out your local chain stores like Joann Fabrics! One key to locating the right Faux Fur here is to know when their shipments are arriving. Faux Fur materials (the good ones) move rather quickly so be prepared to pay them a quick visit when the trucks arrive!