The Fursuit and the Kigurumi: Different yet Alike

We are totally not over the Kigurumi craze, however, another trend has been slowly seeping through the public’s consciousness. It is a known fact that the joy and comfort of wearing Kigurumis spread like wildfire all throughout the world, yet, another quirky apparel has caught the eyes of the public, like a strong gravitational pull that no one can ever resist.

Fursuits may have been under the radar compared to Kigurumis’ worldwide fame but we are certain that it is cheerfully embraced most especially by the animal lovers. The people who wear fursuits are called fursuiters. While furry is the term for a person who is known to be a part of a diverse sub-community whose passion is to anthropomorphize animal characters by dressing up as one of them. People who wear fursuits have been thought to be more emotional and more personal. Furries imagine and feel like they are animals. Many of them believe that they have animal “fursonas” and they feel awful being in their human form.

The table below is a comparison between Fursuits and Kigurumis:

Stigmas associated with furries and fursuiters are usually sexual in nature. They are labeled as kinky, provocative and promiscuous. However, the strong advocates of fursuits do not share the same view. Furries believe that they are at their best when they are in fursuits. They express themselves and explore other aspects of life. Wearing fursuits gave them another venue to look at the world in a new perspective. There are several furries who found contentment through attending tame and regular furry conventions but most of them prefer those wild gatherings. In fact, several admit that they fixate on the fur itself and some were really attracted to stuffed animals.

Most fursuiters and furries are also called plushies. Plushie is the term for people who have a strong attraction to stuffed animals. Plushophilia does not only refer to sexual attraction to stuffed animals, the term also refers to those who have intense love and appreciation for stuffed toys and animals. Plushies are victims of negative stereotyping.  Society dictates that these people engage in sexual activities with stuffed animals and they derive pleasure and arousal from fur and plushies.

Fursuit enthusiasts stand in united front in hopes of changing the society’s perception of their passion. Fursuiting is their way of life. Many furries also believed that those who were marginalized before were liberated by the fact that there are other people who share the same belief.

Kigurumis and Fursuits may differ in a lot of ways but their similarities are also very transparent.  Both are worn as costumes and both are quirky. These types of garments do not look ordinary like your typical clothes, most of the time, these outfits attract the judging stares of the crowd. The wearers could look silly and peculiar but their passion conveys a very strong message. There are billions of people in the world and everyone is unique. Some wear Kigurumis and fursuits for fun, while some wear these outfits to be free. Most of the time, these are worn to hide and escape reality. Humanity should not be measured by the way we dress. Nobody should feel inferior because they are different. Diversity should be embraced and celebrated. Do not be afraid to be bold and creative. Be real, be YOU.