#i don't care if it's too hot to be wearable to anything and takes up an entire drawer

[diseaseriddencube]

i could've had a cutthroat cosplay for $20 why did i buy that oh my goddddd

[tiktaaliker]

if the mortally coiled universe is a furry's dream do the characters wear clothes? i mean some of them are scientists and stuff right? don't they have to wear white labcoats and like, have sterilization gear to prevent contamination of experiments? do they just take care of that w magic or something?

ok I've actually thought this thru way too much already

so generally different cultures/groups have different stances on clothes. out of everyone, mammids are the most likely to wear them by default without any other reason than just discretion or fashion or whatever. a lot of the time anyone raised in a more mammid-style community will be wearing clothes all the time

meanwhile reptid-style communities (more common in dry and hot climates) are more likely to either just not bother or generally wear only one article of clothing. if they do wear anything, it's typically something thin and loose-fitting. reptids aren't technically cold-blooded here so can survive in colder climates, but they definitely are more comfortable in hotter places and will sometimes put on layers if they travel to colder places even if they don't typically wear anything. hats are pretty common tho reptid communities looooove their silly hats.

aquuid-stye communities are kind of all or nothing when it comes to clothes. with the ones that are on shorelines or sometimes actually on water with floating boat-cities in oceans or lakes don't usually wear clothes, since they tend to just drag you down in the water. those who do wear clothes in these types of communities usually wear skin-tight wetsuit sorts of clothes that wouldn't get in the way if you were swimming since flooding is often really common. meanwhile more landlocked aquuid-style communities in places more similar to damp rainforests go ALL OUT in the clothing department. layers on layers on layers on layers, and HUGE cloaks over all that. they also are big on dangly and jingly jewelry and wearable baubles and the like

meanwhile insectids don't typically wear clothes even in other communities due to them often having wildly different bodyplans than the others. if they do, its stuff like shawls and small cloaks with fun patterns. insectids are notoriously lightweight. a lot of the time insectid-style communities are up in really huge old growth trees or relatively sheltered in wooded areas, but most of them will have roped handrails along pathways to cling onto if it gets too windy. so a lot of the time if they do wear something it's weighted to keep them a little bit more secure, and even non-insectids in insectid-stye towns will wear something weighted just because that's what you do

as for the scientists, everyone in DIRE are the sort to wear clothes- parlic was raised in a reptid-style desert community and wouldn't be caught dead in a shirt, Gigo has a mammid upbringing and has more of a normal scientist wardrobe and DOES wear a labcoat. meanwhile doc deadly and LH are both lab grown freaks of nature. the only clothes doc thinks is mandatory is a lab coat and LH's clothing choices are like a colorblind hybrid of insectid and landlocked-aquuid (aka just draping on whatever colored fabric they can get their hands on)

and you're also kinda right with magic being a big part of it! magic is very much a normal part of the mortal coil, especially since most of the relatively unharmed communities post-noxa krav had a particularly large magical presence. tbh tho I'm still developing the extent of how magic and technology interact in normal society- I only recently started really trying to work out how ecclecto-mechanics work (it's generally a sort of robotics/soul magic hybrid that's relevant in the unseeing eye arc) but generally a lot of things that can be done with modern technology are done instead with or alongside casual magic

[dashyfursuiting]

Fursuit Maintenance:

https://fursuitersworld.weebly.com/fursuit-washing-and-care.html go here for more in-depth info on fursuit cleaning

General basics:

It's very important to keep your suit brushed! Using short fur will minimize the need for frequent brushing but lets assume your mane and tail will have long pile fur and will definitely need a brushing. (plus people WILL hound you about an unkempt suit..). Video above talks about using a slicker bush if you use this brush use it in the opposite orientation. Some people also suggest online a tangle teezer since it is gentle on fur.

Avoid mud and dirty areas if you can help it: But knowing I myself go to park meetups with furry friends. had me take a different approach adding PVC fabric to the hoof feet.

Avoid food and drink spillage on your suit

Don't store your suit in hot areas. Heat damage is very hard to fix.

Also Underarmor shirt and pants is recommended: Or anything that wicks away sweat is good!

Cleaning:

Spot Cleaning: There's a few recommended cleaners to use but yeah be careful about mixing your own solutions. Folex is a great cleaner, also dawn dish soap, and also very common cleaner is rubbing alcohol (its great for eliminating sweat odors. you might want to dilute it but some sources say that is optional most stores sell it at 70% solution)

Washing using your everyday washing machine: IT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO USE COLD WATER ON DELICATE (yes I did caps on purpose here because I can't emphasize this enough). Woolite is always best since its basically a wearable carpet.

The bathtub method: If you are worried your washing machine might beat up your fursuit too much and there's fragile parts sewn in the body you can also try the bathtub. Also same thing use cold water and possibly use woolite in the tub. Similar to the spot cleaning method you can use your hands to scrub in the cleaner or a gentle scrub brush. Also note it will get VERY HEAVY. If your suit is digitgrade and you can remove the pillows you should.

Drying:

DON'T PUT IT IN THE DRYER: This should go without saying but if you live with your mom and she tosses your suit in the dryer it will be VERY bad for your suit. I have heard horror stories of this happening and I don't even trust the no heat tumble dry setting...

Hang dry with a fan blowing on it: It should take about 24 hours maybe less to dry the suit by hang drying with a fan or box fan. And then brush after its dry.

Fursuit Repair: Always a good idea to keep this repair kit with you at cons.

Sewing needle and thread: good for closing up most holes or tares and rips in seems on the suit.

Glue Gun: Good for patching up the tail if the belt loops come apart and/or if there's parts that aren't easily repaired sewing needles.

[softroaches]

Hi.

My name is rose and to be blunt, I am a walking pigsty. I hate my hair, I hate my skin, I hate my face, I hate my clothes, I hate my bedroom, I literally hate everything about myself. I'm sick of feeling so bad all of the time, so I've decided to make a change. Problem is, I've tried to change SO MANY TIMES before and either given up, or completely forgotten about it. This time, I'm going to make monthly progress videos in the hope that if I can see progress, I will be more motivated. I'm also splitting it up into categories rather than just a generic "be better", because more specific goals are more achievable or something.

The first one is hair. My hair is a complete mystery to me, k sometimes it's a poofy mess, sometimes it looks pretty ok and then I wake up the next day and it's ugly again. My scalp has also been really itchy recently, and I haven't got a clue why. I currently use Asda anti dandruff shampoo (I don't have dandruff but it helps with the itching) and Shea moisture conditioner, and I wash my hair every other day. I do use scalding hot water which isn't good for my hair or skin, so I definitely need to work on that. My dream hair would be something like cher from clueless or chuu from loona, and I want to grow it longer. I also need to figure out what hairstyles fit my face, because usually I just leave it how it is and I hate it.

The second category is skin. In theory, I have a skincare routine but in practice I only do it every other day and end up rinsing my face and rubbing on moisturiser most days. As a result, my skin is really congested and also itchy? It sucks. On my body, I have eczema, and it's really itchy and horrible. It looks orange and just odd? All I use on that is the shower gel and moisturiser prescribed by the doctor. My parents offered to take me to a dermatologist once because it was so bad, but that sounds expensive and I do think it'll go away by itself at some point.

Category three is health. Health has never been something that's super important to me, and I end up spending all my money on crisps and chocolate bars. I'm a vegetarian, but I am also quite picky so I end up surviving on tomato soup and quorn pies. I am also basically allergic to exercise, and I wish I didn't always get out of breath when I run. I know that most of my hair and skin issues would be hugely helped if I was healthy, so I really need to fix my diet and stuff. I also carry a lot of fat in my face, and I really wish I didn't have a double chin.

Environment and organisation is my fourth category, because my room is a rubbish tip, which I decorated when I was six so some of the design choices are... interesting. All my stuff seems to get stained or dirty, and my schoolbooks are all over the floor. I want to get new school supplies, and keep them nice, and I am also swapping rooms with my sister and redecorating it at some point over the next year. Here is kinda what I want it to look like.

Makeup is next, I'm pretty terrible at makeup. Anything that looks good in my bedroom mirror ends up looking messy or just strange when I look in the mirror at school, and I have to try my best to clean it up. I really want to learn how to do makeup that is flattering and not too obvious.

The sixth category is clothes. My wardrobe is basically just whatever is wearable from primark at the moment, and I live in leggings and t shirts. I'm not working with much of a budget here, but I'll put some pictures of clothes I really like. I also want to find my style, and not be so terrified of wearing anything that isn't jeans.

The last category is hygiene. This is super embarrassing but I don't always brush my teeth when I should, I usually can't be bothered to epilate my legs and sometimes I forget deodorant. I'm also super paranoid that I secretly have really bad breath and I don't know about it. This is kinda obvious but my goal for this is just to be clean.

I hope this doesn't come off as vain or something... actually, I don't care. It's too embarrassing to post anywhere right now, maybe I will when I'm 18 and I think this is really cringey and funny, but for now it isn't gonna happen. Anyway, I don't have anything else to add so see you December 31st.

(written December 17 2020)