[YES] Ares the Wolf Partial by Caboodle Costumes The item being reviewed is 3 years old and may not reflect the makers current style, or work. Maker Information Alpine Anthros (ALPANTH) Based in British Columbia, Whistler. Crafting since 2019. Formerly known as Vixen Fursuits, Caboodle Costumes, Angel Vixen Studios. Year of Project2023 Completion Time (?)13 - 23 Months ETA AccuracyThere was no ETA given An ETA is the Estimated Time of Arrival for a project. In other words, an estimated turnaround time. An ETA is not a deadline. Review Date11 March 2024 RelationshipThe maker IS a friendThis relationship was indicated by the reviewer at the time this review was written. Review InformationReviewerAres Prior ExperienceThis is my first fursuit that I've personally owned, but I have borrowed and worn a number of fursuits prior to this Wear Time30-50 hrs. Informed Maker of IssuesYes, the neck was initially a bit loose, but since it was an at-con pick up they took it home and had fixed it by the next day. Ares the Wolf Positive ProjectThis item was a commission Paid: A Lump Sum of $1000 - $2999 Initial Contact: March 2022 Completion/Ship Date: November 2023 Shipping Origin: Local pickup Type: Partial Style: Toony Padding: None Specialties: None SpeciesName: Wolf Found in: Canidae(?) Features: Hair / Wig Concept Art Photos of Completed Product Overall Initial ContactI've known the maker for many years, and Ares has been a bit of a dream of ours for a long time. Real formal planning of the project started during mid 2021 when I started getting more into furry digital artwork and was able to finalize a reference for Ares, after which i reached out to them to start planning. Maker CommunicationEven though we were friends to begin with, Angel was always professional and honest while remaining friendly. They were very supportive and helpful when I needed advice on fursuit choices I was unfamiliar with, such as foam vs hard bases, types of eyes, and many other things. They always responded quickly and clearly, and gave me regular updates when progress was made. Project Completion TimeI am very satisfied with the completion time. While there were delays in the project partway through due to life complications, they communicated this early and clearly, and offered to fully refund me & cancel the project. However, I knew that Angel was the maker for me, and I declined the refund in favor of waiting until they were in a position to complete the project, which they were able to complete very quickly once they were able to start working again, despite also having other time commitments. Given the circumstances, I believe the project went excellently and I have no regrets. Overall Project QualityI am extremely impressed with the project quality. As I have become more familiar with suits after buying Ares and using it as a baseline to compare with the suits of other makers, I've noticed so many little details that set Ares above other suits. The quality of edge stitching, hidden seams, complete lining, especially the fact that you could try as hard as you wanted and never see the underside of a piece of fur – everything is carefully double-sided, lined, or fully edged. I've taken him by hand on 5+ hour public transit trips to and from conventions 3 times now, and this has had no negative effect on any aspect of the head, which is a testament to the build quality. I feel like I got an excellent deal and I can't see myself ever parting with or replacing Ares – He'll be with me for a good long while. Components Head Wear SatisfactionI'm extremely satisfied with the wear, I've worn ares to 3 raves now, and even with lots of jumping and dancing the head fits snugly and there is no poking, irritation, or pressure on continued wear, and he fits snugly on my head but not uncomfortably so. He also has excellent vision for a suit of this type compared to others I've worn, with only a small blind spot very close to the face. The inside is fully lines with neoprene and sewn in a way that you cannot feel the seams during wear The edges where the neoprene meets the fur is securely machine-sewed in a way that prevents fraying or discomfort, and is very pleasant. See attached pics for details. The open mouth provides good ventilation, and when combined with a small neck fan heat becomes a non-issue. The nose is pickable and connects to the mouth cavity, both of which are lined in a lovely soft minky fur. 10/10 Visual SatisfactionI'm beyond pleased with the visuals of the suit. the sewing is expertly hidden and the details are sharp and clean. the facial markings use minky in some cases and coloured shag fur in others. The fur that fades from black to red looks even better than i had imagined in my digital drafts of Ares, and the 3D printed elements (eye sockets, gauges, and teeth) lend a good variety to the visual texture. 10/10 Hands Wear SatisfactionThe paws have 2 separate interior linings – the wrist lining is neoprene held tight with a cross-cross stitching pattern and is quite pleasant (see attached pic for detail). The edge where the lining meets fur at the cuff has a nice cotton edging that prevent irritation and rubbing during prolonged wearing. The edging is ever so slightly crooked, but I've only just noticed that for the first time closely examining it for this review to make sure i didn't miss anything, so it doesn't affect aesthetics unless you're staring at it an inch from your face. The 4 fingers and palm are a cotton-based(?) liner, which while comfortable and allows for a good grip on the paws has developed the tendency to pill/bead in the 1.5 ish years I've had them (they were received separately and much earlier than the head). this is mildly annoying to clean as the pills migrate towards the tips of the fingers, but a quick 1-2 minute clean before any extended wears (such as conventions, meet-ups, etc.) solves this and quickly become an unthinking part of my routine while suiting up, and does not not affect my comfort. The fingers also all have a wide range of motion and i can touch each of my fingertips together individually while still being nicely padded and very soft. 9/10 Visual Satisfactionwhile a relatively simple design (white claws, red paw pads/wrist lining, and black fur, I could not be happier with the look. I've always wanted my paws to be pretty but in a secondary capacity to my head, and these pull that off perfectly. The soft minky claws provide a nice non-threatening look and the red paw pads add a nice simple pop of colour that i find really satisfying Special FeaturesThe tongue is removable on a small Velcro strip, and can be swapped out for different tongues if I wanted to. The Gauges are also unscrew-able so i can change out the hardware. RatingFursuitReview rates by asking the question: Would you recommend this maker? YES This review has been marked with a positive rating. This means the reviewer would recommend Vixen Fursuits. Final CommentsAres is an amazing suit that's well-constructed, beautiful, and comfortable. While the project time on paper may appear long, the actual time spend on the project was much smaller with circumstances cutting the project into two stages. Overall, I couldn't be more satisfied and would happily have waited longer or paid more to have gotten the suit I have in my hands now. 🙂 Are you the maker of this item? Would you like to leave an official response? Click here. In case the button above doesn't work, you can click here to launch the maker response form.
