Author Topic: Furry fashion gone ... mainstream? (Read 8480 times)

WhiteFang · « **on:** January 22, 2011, 08:45:40 pm »

I've noticed aspects of the furry fandom in fashion all over the place recently. It started with hats with ears or animal faces on them, which are now super wide spread. Now Hot Topic and some other stores have entire lines of gloves that are paws, hats and earmuffs that have animal ears, skirts with tails attached, jackets with tails and ears, and even are outright selling tails!

I'm not sure how I feel about it. Part of me is really happy that I can now wear my tail in public without people thinking anything of it. It's no longer peculiar if I wear a hat with wolf ears on it. I can be a furry, and no one really thinks it's weird.

Part of me is also kind of put off by all this, because obviously this is a fad... and furry has had it's subculture for far longer than this, and I feel like this will lead to an abundance of new associations of 'furry fashion' and the like, as the kids wearing this style probably don't consider themselves "furries." I'm curious as to where this will lead.

I want to know all of your opinions as furry now becoming something 'normal' in society. Is it just here in the northeast? Have other parts of the country/globe seen this change too? Is this good or bad? What does it mean?

Kobuk · « **Reply #1 on:** January 22, 2011, 08:54:57 pm »

Quote

I've noticed aspects of the furry fandom in fashion all over the place recently. It started with hats with ears or animal faces on them, which are now super wide spread. Now Hot Topic and some other stores have entire lines of gloves that are paws, hats and earmuffs that have animal ears, skirts with tails attached, jackets with tails and ears, and even are outright selling tails!

But the stuff in Hot Topic will never be as good as the stuff made by actual furries and fursuit makers. At least when you commission a fur to make something for you, or if you make the item yourself, you'll get the design and so forth that you want. But with Hot Topic, they'll probably only sell selected styles and colors, etc.

Quote

Part of me is also kind of put off by all this, because obviously this is a fad... and furry has had it's subculture for far longer than this, and I feel like this will lead to an abundance of new associations of 'furry fashion' and the like, as the kids wearing this style probably don't consider themselves "furries." I'm curious as to where this will lead.

Yeah, I kinda feel the same way. Eventually this will lead to kids and teens being furry "wannabe's or posers", but yet not actually truly being "100% furry". They'll just buy and wear the stuff "for kicks" or a cool factor to "fit in" maybe.

WhiteFang · « **Reply #2 on:** January 22, 2011, 09:01:10 pm »

Quote from: Kobuk on January 22, 2011, 08:54:57 pm

But the stuff in Hot Topic will never be as good as the stuff made by actual furries and fursuit makers. At least when you commission a fur to make something for you, or if you make the item yourself, you'll get the design and so forth that you want. But with Hot Topic, they'll probably only sell selected styles and colors, etc.

I agree, walking through there, I thought to myself "I can do so much better than these." And with professional fursuiter makers and the like, its obvious only furries will ever cater to furries. I'm just commenting that furry-like things are making their way into daily 'fashion.'

But yes, very very good point.

Onion · « **Reply #3 on:** January 22, 2011, 09:10:15 pm »

I agree furry is not a fad. And although I like seeing our culture recognized. And yes I even bought a tail.

I cant shake the feeling its gona end up like the goth culture has.

Where once being goth was about adittude and escaping the main stream. Its now a giant political preteen fashion drama. For kids to dress up and act depressed or like vampires.

I hope we dont end up as another outragiouse fad, for ignorant children to warp into something complettely different. Our culture diseaeves more then that.

We are not a fad you can somply buy over night and grow out of when you deside to change fashions, or accesorise youself into.

furtopia02 · « **Reply #4 on:** January 22, 2011, 09:22:44 pm »

I'm sure many furries are flattered.. but furry fandom isn't to blame for any of that fashion trend at all: it's JAPAN, and growing popularity of Japanese pop culture in America. It's not furry fashion.

Tuna · « **Reply #5 on:** January 22, 2011, 09:30:07 pm »

I wasn't aware that ears and tails were that popular in Japan...
=o.o=

This all reminds me of the big anime boom of the past decade - all of us old-school otaku saw our once-niche fandom becoming mainstream, and we were horrified. Before long, there were the little Hot Topic kiddies with their Naruto shirts and Deathnote backpacks. Then the inevitable: the fandom began to be defined by the fad-followers, and anime fans of all sorts were labeled weeaboos and Narutards.
=>.<=

Of course, the furry fandom already has plenty of bad press (CSI, anyone?), so one wonders if it going mainstream will be a bad thing or a good thing in the long run...
=<<=

Now I'm curious to see what kind of tails/ears HT is selling - if they're all wolf, then I'm simply going to blame Twilight and the net popularity of those mall kids in Arizona.
XD

Onion · « **Reply #6 on:** January 22, 2011, 10:11:24 pm »

While I was at a mall in chicago, I seen the following.

Wolf and Fox tail with matching bienies and mits.

I bought a wolf tail ( yes it was poor qiality).

Ive also seen a large growing quantity of animal themed bienies. Such a tivers, bears, wolves, dogs, cats, bunnies, skunks, and even girrafes.

As charming as it is. Ever action a an opposite or positive reaction. So lets hope fur the best.

Sk Skunk · « **Reply #7 on:** January 22, 2011, 11:09:45 pm »

The good thing about fads, they come and go. The fad followers will go away soon enough. I don't care if anyone thinks I'm a trend setter, or behind the times, furry is just something I enjoy. It would be OK if it becomes a bit more acceptable. At least as normal as the Star Trek fandom.

Maybe even Steam punk.

Shim · « **Reply #8 on:** January 23, 2011, 12:56:11 pm »

I bought a cat hat from this site. Now, does this site seem to have ANYTHING to do with anime whatsoever?
http://animehot.net/

Mr. Apple · « **Reply #9 on:** January 23, 2011, 01:51:55 pm »

I just wish collars would stop being associated with BDSM
GRrrrrrr

Emerald Blade · « **Reply #10 on:** January 24, 2011, 03:01:32 am »

I think it's a good thing that it's going a little bit more public, so that those who were afraid of retribution for going public and being who they are, will feel more at ease about themselves.
On the other hand i do fear it turning into just a style of dress.

Zhono Veranhaut · « **Reply #11 on:** January 24, 2011, 09:37:42 am »

You mean they sell that stuff in the mall?

Why haven't I seen this? Would have bought a tail a long time ago if I had known...

It sounds like a fad though, give it a year or two.

Jay Hyena · « **Reply #12 on:** January 24, 2011, 12:01:54 pm »

I've seen people around school wearing the wolf hats and the like before I saw them at Hot Topic, so I mistook them for actual furries at first.

Eh, eventually the animal stuff in Hot Topic will be replaced with a new fad. That's just what happens. But the Furry Fandom itself probably won't die out.

homegrownkodi · « **Reply #13 on:** January 24, 2011, 03:06:51 pm »

Wearing tails and animal themed clothing isn't particularly exclusive to members of the furry fandom

It's been a part of various human cultures.
I use to skate wearing a tail before I knew what I furry was.
The clothing company Animal aren't furry related, despite the name and I very much doubt Hugh Hefner chose the whole bunny theme for playboy because he is a furry... 'cus I am sure he is not.
People, especially girls, sometimes wear clothing with cute cartoon animals on them accompanied by amusing captions, again - it hasn't anything to do with the fandom.
Tons of cartoonists choose to draw animals specifically.
A lot of writers and graff artists incorperate animals into their work.
A ton of videogames and movies are themed around animal characters.
There are cultures and religions that revolve around animal worship and animal spirits etc.

The point I am getting at is, these things don't exist because of the furry fandom. The furry fandom exists because of these different aspects of mainstream culture and sub-cultures. The furry fandom may incorperate said aspects, and also build upon them. But 'furry fashion' doesn't really exist. The reason furries choose to wear tails and ears and whatever is often different to the reasons people outside the fandom may choose to indulge in such fashions. It's not furry fashion going mainstream, and probably has little or nothing to do with the fandom itself.
... I am sorry for getting so carried away

This whole mainstream furry-like fashion thing is probably related to that whole werewolf teen kids thing that made the news.

Magna · « **Reply #14 on:** January 24, 2011, 03:18:36 pm »

Eh, given that it's Hot Topic, I don't think furry accessories and such will be around for a long time. As other people have mentioned, it's just going to be another fad. Those of us who've always worn stuff like that will have always worn it anyways, and those of us who want to start will have an easier time getting tails/ears/etc.

I can't really say anything on whether or not wearing a tail will not get you weird looks any more once other people start getting tails at Hot Topic. I've seen a lot of interesting outfits come out of that store.

Sky Striker · « **Reply #15 on:** January 29, 2011, 01:53:43 pm »

Quote from: Arlesey on January 24, 2011, 03:18:36 pm

I've seen a lot of interesting outfits come out of that store.

Well you know what really bored gods of death who love apples say... "Humans really are... interesting."

Magna · « **Reply #16 on:** January 29, 2011, 09:11:25 pm »

Interesting just touches on the surface of what humans are. I have a whole list of adjectives I could go into, if I had a few pages.

Mylo · « **Reply #17 on:** February 14, 2011, 02:35:04 am »

I've seen a lot of people this winter with hats with wolf ears on them.

ObliviousAlly · « **Reply #18 on:** February 14, 2011, 11:48:44 am »

Kodi's hit the nail on the head. The furry hats/gloves/whatever are actually more of a hipster thing and you can buy those hats from places other than Hot Topic for upwards of $100.

But, yeah, just because something is made with fur doesn't make it 'furry'.

StarCollie · « **Reply #19 on:** February 16, 2011, 08:38:35 pm »

Even though I don't think it'll make others turn furry, I do think it'll open up their minds to the idea so there will be less discrimination against furries:)

Mr. Apple · « **Reply #20 on:** February 17, 2011, 01:16:23 am »

Quote from: StarCollie on February 16, 2011, 08:38:35 pm

Even though I don't think it'll make others turn furry, I do think it'll open up their minds to the idea so there will be less discrimination against furries:)

Optimism FTW

StarCollie · « **Reply #21 on:** February 17, 2011, 11:07:53 pm »

Quote from: Mr. Apple on February 17, 2011, 01:16:23 am

Quote from: StarCollie on February 16, 2011, 08:38:35 pm
Even though I don't think it'll make others turn furry, I do think it'll open up their minds to the idea so there will be less discrimination against furries:)

Optimism FTW

Always gotta be optimist!

Mr. Apple · « **Reply #22 on:** February 17, 2011, 11:31:50 pm »

Quote from: StarCollie on February 17, 2011, 11:07:53 pm

Quote from: Mr. Apple on February 17, 2011, 01:16:23 am
Quote from: StarCollie on February 16, 2011, 08:38:35 pm
Even though I don't think it'll make others turn furry, I do think it'll open up their minds to the idea so there will be less discrimination against furries:)

Optimism FTW

Always gotta be optimist!

No Doubt

MarkDrees · « **Reply #23 on:** September 19, 2011, 10:56:32 pm »

On the one hand, furry's already have bad connotations so the idea that it might become a little more mainstream could be a good thing. Prove that it's not all about sex (what a ditzy assumption). On the other hand, it's annoying to think that I saw 2 girls donning ears and tails last weekend. When I stopped them and asked if they were furries, they told me they had no idea what I was talking about. I guess as long as the fashion gets raised with the awareness that this is already a subculture, it won't be that big of a deal. Unfortunately, it probably won't.