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FURSUIT REVIEW FORM

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Your Username
http://www.furaffinity.net/user/solarsailor/


Name of Maker and Links
http://www.furaffinity.net/user/faruku
https://www.facebook.com/FarukuCostumes/
http://www.farukucostumes.co.uk/


Your Relationship With The Maker
The maker was NOT a friend when the item was purchased, but they ARE a friend now


Item Being Reviewed
Character name, type of commission, etc. This will be used to help title the submission on FursuitReview
Micaela digitigrade fullsuit in a real/toon hybrid style as a commission.


Species of Character
Cat/Dragon (Dracat)





Photos of Completed Product
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/28389965/
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/28389976/
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/28345493/


Price Paid
3,000 USD paid in installments


Do you have any prior experience with fursuits?
YES. This was my 25th fursuit! (and my favorite of them all too!)


How many hours have you worn/used the item(s) you're reviewing?
Give your best estimate.
40+ hours


Date Commissioned or Bought
July 2015


Date Completed or Shipped
August 2018

Shipping Origin
United Kingdom

Did the maker finish the item by the expected date (ETA)?
YES - the ETA was accurate


Did you tell the maker about any issues you had?
Yes. This suit was semi premade? In the sense that the head/tail/character concept were created and listed at auction. If the auction went high enough it could be upgraded to a fullsuit (which is what I did). Faruku was happy to ship out the partial to me upon reaching a certain payment threshold. I received the head and tail in 2015 and wore them for 2 years at cons/events. early 2017 I noticed the ears seemed to be making a weird crackling noise (like crinkle paper sounds?) while still maintaining their shape I was just concerned they would deform or change shape. I brought this up to Faru who was just about at my spot in queue for my bodysuit and she took the head in and made a few repairs she found! The ears were re-done, the jaw was re-aligned and the hinge mechanism appears to have had maintenance done on them too! She shipped the head back with the body and I couldnt be happier!

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HEAD
The following questions ask you to explain how satisfied you are with each feature of the head of the costume. If you are reviewing only a set of ears, your answers would also go in this section.

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Wear Satisfaction
Please describe how it is to wear this piece of your costume.
I love the head. Its a resin based head with foam additions to make it unique. Its SUPER light weight for resin (the lightest I've owned) very breathable and fits like a glove. Faruku padded the inside with Lycra lined foam padding along your chin and forehead so no plastic is ever touching your face. The vision is great! I have very little trouble seeing (in low light or bright all the same). The jaw is extremely sensitive which is awesome, I don't need to exaggerate my speech to make it work. I will add, I suffer from TMJ (lockjaw) and this is the first moving jaw fursuit that doesn't cause it to flare up. I think its because my chin rests ever so lightly on the "chin cup" (a padded indent on the inside lower jaw) that there's no pull or strain on my jaw. The nose is drilled out, the mouth opens up wide, and the eye mesh is actually quite large (yet remains so hidden in photos) that ventilation is spectacular.

Appearance Satisfaction
Please describe how satisfied you are with how your costume piece looks from the outside.
The head is Symmetrical where it needs to be, shape of the yellow is exact on either side, eyes are balanced, ears are even I have no complaints there! The shaving is extremely even.. no backing, its even hard to find the transition between the yellow and black fur. Her seams are so well hidden on the face its unbelievable. The fur is soft even for some of it being airbrushed. The expression is perfect for her personality. I can get a flat monotone look, a sassy look, an excited or startled look. I love that! its all about your angles!!

I believe (and I can be wrong) that faruku designed this character, and it matches up perfectly with the concept art she shared with me prior to the build!!

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BODY
The following questions ask you to explain how satisfied you are with each feature of the body of the costume.
If you are reviewing armsleeves or legs/pants that are seperate from a bodysuit, your answers would also go in this section.
(Appendages, such as hands, feet, tails, etc., are discussed later.)

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Wear Satisfaction
Please describe how it is to wear this piece of your costume.
Body fits like a GLOVE. I've sent my DTD's off to many a makers and none have fit as well as this. Its snug in all the right places, and has give where it needs to (bendy spots). Allows for full movement (a little difficult to squat but thats due to the rigid padding in the digi) but I can sit, stand, lay down, dance, etc. just fine!!

All seams are durable from what I can tell. I did have a blow-out day 1 of the con but that was from ME being neglegant. I was abusing the suit a bit more than I should have and pushed the crotch seam to pop a small hole. It took me maybe 10 minutes to stitch it back together and all is well since then.

The seams are all finished and flat so nothing is poking or scratchy against your body. Faruku does an amazing job with her Digigrade and while it does have a "base" to it you can add/remove extra padding/stuffing to fit you best. I love the rigid padding as its sewn into these tight pockets. It makes it so when you move, adjust, sit, change position the padding doesnt do that "floating padding" thing where your thigh padding shifts or looks wonky. It all sits where its intended ALL the time and never floats around the suit. All padding pockets are lined with Lycra which is awesome too.

Airflow is great for a padded bodysuit. It can get a bit stuffy comparing to a non padded suit but I can stay in it for hours on end A-OK!

Appearance Satisfaction
Please describe how satisfied you are with how your costume piece looks from the outside.
10/10

One of the reasons I wanted to work with Faruku is for her digigrade style. I found her digigrade to flow and not looks as blocky or choppy as some others i've seen. I enjoy how form fitting her body suits appear too. Symmetry on my suit is great, all pieces are 1:1 on each side (minus spots which are at random), transition between furs is smooth and flawless. Whats interesting (and was discussed prior to work) was the fur on my head was no longer available for the body and Faruku found one similar enough. The furs match up almost perfectly the only difference is texture. I dont allow people to "pet" my head anyway so I had absolutely ZERO issue with this. The fur is luxurious and soft despite being a shorter pile. I'm grateful that faruku did not use the standard "lux shag" everyone else uses on my suit. I prefer this style of more "realistic" fur than the standard. Colors are vibrant and eye catching and match up to the reference perfectly.

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HANDS AND FEET
The following questions ask you to explain how satisfied you are with each feature of the hands and feet of the costume.

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Wear Satisfaction
Please describe how it is to wear these pieces of your costume.
Hands:
Fit me loose enough its not a struggle to get on, but tight enough they dont slip off. Silicone paw pads and resin claws, very soft and very comfortable to wear. The insides are not lined but the fur backing is surprisingly soft and plush against your hands.

Feet:
Feet paws are outdoor soles with a shoe adhered inside. They have a zipper down the back for easy access. They fit me perfectly and are very easy to walk in for being such large feet!

Durability on both seems great, no wear or tear so far and everything seems secure!

Appearance Satisfaction
Please describe how satisfied you are with how your costume pieces look from the outside.
I mean theyre black so.. yep! look fine! I love the dew claws on the feet and the blue pads on the hands are vibrant and stand out! no complaints here!

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TAILS
The following questions ask you to explain how satisfied you are with each feature of the tail(s) of the costume.

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Wear Satisfaction
Please describe how it is to wear these pieces of your costume.
I've had the tail for about 3 years now and its held up wonderfully! The fur despite being different from the body (See Appearance Satisfaction for body for details again) it somehow matches up perfectly? just a different fur texture is all. The tail attaches via faux leather loops that hold it snug to your bottom and it does not sag. It feeds through a "sheath" of sorts on the body suit to insure there is no gap and really gives a seamless uniform look. It has a lovely swish movement and just caresses the ground as I walk.

Appearance Satisfaction
Please describe how satisfied you are with how your costume pieces look from the outside.
10/10 no complaints. Its perfect and I have zero issues here again.

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OVERALL SATISFACTION
The following questions ask how satisfied you are with the overall buying experience, including your interactions with the maker and the resulting final product.

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How well does everything fit together and match up?
As a fullsuit its better than I could have ever imagined. Faruku really outdid herself with my suit and I cannot even begin to express my gratitude and adoration.


How easy was it to initially contact the maker for a quote?
There was no quote since it was at auction, but she reached out the moment the auction was over!


How satisfied are you with the response time from the maker?
How long did it take the maker to get back to you?
BEST communication from a maker I've ever had. She responds usually daily unless previously noted.


How satisfied are you with the professionalism and customer service and of the maker?
outstanding. The best maker I've worked with hands down. She balances Professionalism with Kind friendly banter and it just really makes the experience wholesome.


How satisfied are you with how long your project took to complete?
Project took about 3 years from start to finish. This is normal for her queues. We did have some delays (on MY end) that pushed us back a few times but all in all, I have no complaints of the wait!


Are you happy with the product you received?
Again, its better than I could have ever imagined. I knew Faruku produced quality work, but I didnt expect THIS high of quality.


Describe your overall experience with this maker.
My experience with Faruku was like no other. Shes kind, professional, efficient. Her work continues to grow and improve but its already some of them best out there (in MY opinion). What I appreciated most was how easy it was to communicate with her. Not once did I have anxiety or fear for my project, Faruku responded to me usually within the same day, and was more than happy to send progress photos, ETA, or just communicate. I've never felt so at ease working with someone before. The suit is just absolutely gorgeous inside and out. Never have I worn something so comfortable, no a suit that fit me SO well. The wait was long but again I have ZERO complaints about this as Faruku always kept me in the loop and was always available for communication. I would absolutely work with this maker again and recommend her work to anyone looking for a suit.

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FINAL SCORE
FursuitReview scores by having you answer the following question: Would you recommend this maker to another?
Pick one of the scores below that you feel honestly reflects your commissioning experience as a whole, including the quality of your item(s), the appearance, and how you were treated by the maker.

YES


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[YES] Positive = The reviewer would recommend this maker to another
[OK] Neutral = The reviewer may or may not recommend this maker, depending on certain circumstances (reviewer clarifies what these are)
[NO] Negative = The reviewer would not recommend this maker to another, unless the maker significantly changes their practices

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