About Therian Gear

Great post! Very well said I like your bluntness

I guess that there's a divided opinion between therians on wearing gear, and if it's really necessary! But I feel that some therians have a bit onesided view when it comes to wearing gear. Because they them selves don't find any need to wear gear and because it does not make much sense to them, some might see it as a bit silly! Wearing your gear though is not silly, or makes you a poser or a fake therian, that's simply not true! I understand the worry that people forget about the spiritual and focus too much on material stuff, forgetting what really matters. But not all therians see them selves as spiritual therians. Some of us are also people who identify as human beings as well as we identify as our animal selves!

Yes I'm a therian, but I'm also human so I'll wear my spirithood, ears and tail if I wish! Human's since the beginning have had a fascination with animals and shared strong bonds with them. It's normal for our human sides to even want to wear things with animal features on such as ears, paws and tails. Or clothes with animal print on. Furries for example is an example of that. That's just part of who many people are.

I think that most therians understand that accessories is not what makes one a therian, but how we feel, identify and see our selves on the inside! As long as we understand that, then I don't see what's so wrong about wearing therian gear?!

Although gear alone does not make one a therian, it still becomes a part of many therian's identity. Some of us feel better when we can match how we feel on the inside through what we wear. It's like letting out some of our inner selves

(2017-06-12 14:33)elinox Wrote:  

(2017-06-10 18:36)BearX Wrote:  Having an item of bearish origin on my person makes me feel closer, spiritually, to my kin.

Honestly, I'd love to wear them when out and about but it's not worth the weird looks or comments from people around me.

Same with me, but I don't like to be judged and stared at so I don't wear my tail outside. The only thing I do wear are my fox and wolf puffet and spirithood, and wrist warmers when it's winter.

Like I said before, I don't think outfits or gear invalidates someone.
Therianthropy is very spiritual for me, and I do understand that therianthropy is about sense of inner self and identity. However, it does also bring me comfort to wear my paw gloves and leopard-spotted scarf. It's a physical connection to my theriotype. I think that if one understands who they are and what it means to be otherkin/therian, then it doesn't matter how they dress, with or without gear.

(2018-06-03 21:50)Aster Wrote:  Like I said before, I don't think outfits or gear invalidates someone.
Therianthropy is very spiritual for me, and I do understand that therianthropy is about sense of inner self and identity. However, it does also bring me comfort to wear my paw gloves and leopard-spotted scarf. It's a physical connection to my theriotype. I think that if one understands who they are and what it means to be otherkin/therian, then it doesn't matter how they dress, with or without gear.

This is my opinion about kin-gear in a nutshell. Good post, both you and the OP.

I completely agree. I don't really like kitsch either. I definitely wouldn't wear any kitschy ears or tail or anything. I really wish I could get a functional set of ears and tail, that I could move so I can express how I feel, but I haven't found anything like that. I have been thinking about getting gear mainly because I want to express my theriotype as much as I can, it just makes me feel a little less dysphoric. I also completely agree with using parts from animals that have deceased as I hate waste. I have gotten some waste fox and rabbit skins off hunters who would have just discarded them. I am currently tanning them. I really don't know what I am going to do with them now, but I am just glad they haven't been wasted. Maybe I will make some gear out of them, but I still don't know where I stand with gear myself.

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I am also looking into getting custom contact lenses made to look like realistic wolf eyes. If (and that is a big if) I wear gear, it would have to be realistic

I understand that wearing gear alone does not make you a Therian. But even though I only wear my spirithood and paw warmers during winter, and the rest of the year they decorate my bedroom wall, my gear is still important to me.

My gear isn't very realistic since it's faux fur. But I tried to find something that best resembles my Theriotypes fur color. It's a little something I wear now and then when there's cold outside to feel more like the inside me. I don't physically have fur, ears and a tail, and I can't shapeshift so I get drawn to these things. I probably also get drawn to these things because I once called myself a Furry a couple of years ago, before I joined this forum. And a part of me also tries to fill in that emptiness I feel in my life.

It bothers me a bit when some Therians say that you don't need these things to be a Therian. And gear alone isn't what makes one a Therian. Like I don't already know that... It just makes me feel like it's a bad thing to have. Like you are being looked down on. (It also make me think of these Therians as a bit snobby though.) It's not something you want to hear when your gear means so much to you. To who ever thinks that way, you may not need it, But well this Therian does!

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Oh gosh, sorry about the rant

The only therian gear I wear are wolf shirts and my tail ( indoors) and my wolf head. Also indoors. That's about it. I don't see anything wrong with wearing stuff like that. It would be up too the individual therian to decide what he or she wants to wear. Just as long as it is not hurting anyone. So that person can wear all the therian gear he or she wants and it doesn't bother me one bit.

I have a mask I wear. I do what I want

(2018-09-07 23:10)Khol Fox Wrote:  It bothers me a bit when some Therians say that you don't need these things to be a Therian. And gear alone isn't what makes one a Therian. Like I don't already know that... It just makes me feel like it's a bad thing to have. Like you are being looked down on. (It also make me think of these Therians as a bit snobby though.) It's not something you want to hear when your gear means so much to you. To who ever thinks that way, you may not need it, But well this Therian does!

I don't think it is meant derisively towards therians wearing gear but aimed at those that wear gear as a must.
See, there's the other side of the problem you mentioned I have seen too; if you do not wear gear you cannot be a therian. It's one of the reasons I never sought out therianthropy because I thought it was some sort of must.
"You cannot have species dysphoria if you do not have ears, a tail etc."
For me, wearing gear makes me extra dysphoric and really depressed. I understand that for some it's the other way around. And whether gear is brightly colored kitsch or very natural looking is also a matter of personal preference IMO.

I'm into wearing a printed shirt, armband or anything that reminds me of my type but nothing more. If, however technology would advance I would definitely look into it but it would be more into body modification. The thought of anything that is detachable makes me personally uncomfortable.