Flair, Panache, Style, and a touch of Character........to go.
I don't know if it's due to the books I was brought up on, the theater shows I was taken to see, or the television I watched, but when it comes to my critter characters, I have a decidedly Victorian/Edwardian bias, with a touch of fairy-tale thrown in. Books like "Alice in Wonderland" and comics like "The Adventures of Rupert Bear" have definitely had an effect.
In other words........
I like Dragons in vests, Rabbits with pocket-watches, Lions in jacket and top-hat wearing little glasses, Bears in tie-and-tails or fancy dresses, etc. Just being said critter isn't enough, it's the clothes that make the beast in my book. When an agency calls me to work an event, it's not just a suit that they want, they want the CHARACTER. They ask "can you bring that girl bear with the purple jacket and pink shorts? She's so cute!". If my bear was just a plain bear, they wouldn't book her. It doesn't matter how cute a name I have, or how long a "backstory" I've given her. That's not what people see. What info can you provide for your character at a glance?
I know it's pretty much taboo in the furry world to clothe your suit, but I'm not sure why. Clothing, or an outfit, can say a lot about your character. Anymore, when I see a large gathering of suiters at a con, I see a lot of suits done in a similar style, acting in a similar manner. Oft times, what makes any one suit stand out is what little garb/accessory the character might have on. That's not to say that any of those suits that don't stand out are bad in any way, it's just that in a sea of surprisingly similar suits, only a few really get your attention. Sure, you can try a new and wildly different species, but that's only good until there's more than one of you out there. Weird color combinations are being done to death now too, as are unusually shaped markings. So why not pick an outfit or some accessories, (other than goggles, gang. done to death), that says something about your "persona"?
I mean, honestly, Husky suits (for example), are like '32 Ford Coupes at a car show. Yes, they're neat as hell, but EVERYTHING has been done or tried. Mix it up a little! Who are you going to notice in a convention hallway? The guy in the lion suit who has a cute name and an online persona, or the dapper Lion in spectacles, top-hat, and cane that introduced himself and graciously kissed/shook your hand?
Just something to think on.
In other words........
I like Dragons in vests, Rabbits with pocket-watches, Lions in jacket and top-hat wearing little glasses, Bears in tie-and-tails or fancy dresses, etc. Just being said critter isn't enough, it's the clothes that make the beast in my book. When an agency calls me to work an event, it's not just a suit that they want, they want the CHARACTER. They ask "can you bring that girl bear with the purple jacket and pink shorts? She's so cute!". If my bear was just a plain bear, they wouldn't book her. It doesn't matter how cute a name I have, or how long a "backstory" I've given her. That's not what people see. What info can you provide for your character at a glance?
I know it's pretty much taboo in the furry world to clothe your suit, but I'm not sure why. Clothing, or an outfit, can say a lot about your character. Anymore, when I see a large gathering of suiters at a con, I see a lot of suits done in a similar style, acting in a similar manner. Oft times, what makes any one suit stand out is what little garb/accessory the character might have on. That's not to say that any of those suits that don't stand out are bad in any way, it's just that in a sea of surprisingly similar suits, only a few really get your attention. Sure, you can try a new and wildly different species, but that's only good until there's more than one of you out there. Weird color combinations are being done to death now too, as are unusually shaped markings. So why not pick an outfit or some accessories, (other than goggles, gang. done to death), that says something about your "persona"?
I mean, honestly, Husky suits (for example), are like '32 Ford Coupes at a car show. Yes, they're neat as hell, but EVERYTHING has been done or tried. Mix it up a little! Who are you going to notice in a convention hallway? The guy in the lion suit who has a cute name and an online persona, or the dapper Lion in spectacles, top-hat, and cane that introduced himself and graciously kissed/shook your hand?
Just something to think on.