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Monday, January 25, 2016

LatexCatfish.com Cosplay Review

This past Christmas I ordered something I've been wanting for a long time- a full latex Mari Makinami plugsuit! I ordered it from LatexCatfish.com, and I am SO SO HAPPY OH MY GOSH.

Crappy selfies cannot describe how gorgeous this thing is.

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PRICE:

My plugsuit cost about $230, which for the quality and craftsmanship is very nice! I had a few extra charges for how I wanted it customized, which I'll get into down in QUALITY.

10/10

SHIPPING:

Shipping was DHL and cost me $28. There are more expensive options, but I doubt they're worth it since mine arrived in only 2 days! The manufacturing time was about 2 weeks, so all in all it arrived within the same month I ordered it. The site warned that it might take longer but WOW that was quick.



The suit came folded and sealed in a zippable bag, which I've kept to store it in when I'm not wearing it.

10/10

COMMUNICATION:

Since I've never worn or worked with latex before, I emailed the site with some questions. They responded within 24 hours with tips and advice and were super nice!

I also received emails when my order had gone through, when the suit had finished being made, and when it had shipped.

10/10

QUALITY:

HOLY SHIT YOU GUYS THIS IS SO NICE.



I went with 0.40mm gauge latex, which seems to be standard for most latex clothing. I have no previous experience with latex so I wasn't sure if it would be thick enough, but this feels very sturdy and I have no worries of it ripping. The site offers different gauge options for whatever piece you want, but 0.40mm should be fine for most any clothing piece.
I was advised to wear little to nothing underneath the suit. I tried it on with an adhesive bra and thin underwear, which works ok if you really need to do that- the adhesive bra is great, but I'd go for a thong or no-show underwear, since there were some lines visible around my hips.

Edit: after wearing it a little longer, the sweat from the latex caused the adhesive bra to start slipping off, so it's not recommended. I'll update if I find something that works.

I was impressed with how relatively easy it is to move around in the suit. Obviously with a 100% latex bodysuit you're not going to be able to do any crazy dance moves, but I tried sitting, walking, reaching, bending, even jumping and running and I was able to move just fine! This definitely made latex less scary for me, I could see myself wearing this suit around a con (probably not for a long period of time, but still) and maybe even ordering myself another one should I ever want to.

It also looks fantastic on me, which was my main concern. I have the usual amount of body image issues that comes with seeing overly-shopped people smiling at me from magazine covers. I'd figured once it arrived I'd put it on, hate myself, lock it in my closet and proceed to eat some ice cream and cry.
However, once I put this on I felt great about how I looked! Any lumps and bumps I had were smoothed over, and I feel comfortable enough to wear it in public. This is such a great confidence booster for me!



It depends on what you're getting, but LatexCatfish has SO MANY CUSTOMIZATION OPTIONS. You can choose the color for every single part, whether or not the gloves are attached, and on and on. If you order one yourself be sure to look very carefully at the color options, since there are so many pieces and you don't want to order the wrong thing! Some colours will cost a bit extra, so choose what you think is worth it. I went for the Metallic Silver for the grey bits, and they arrived not quite as shiny as I'd hoped.
The site also charges 20% extra for the more expensive materials no matter the piece size, so if it's a larger part of the suit it'd be worth it, but if you just want small dots or buttons in that material it wouldn't be worth forking over an extra 40 bucks or so.



The options I'd seriously think about when ordering one yourself are zipper placement, custom sizing, and inside coating.

I got the zipper placed down my back, which looks great but does make the suit pretty difficult- there's absolutely no way I can get in and out of it by myself. If you got a more reachable zipper you might be able to, but I'd make sure you have a handler or a friend to assist you either way, especially since the latex suctions right to you. (I could almost hear it whispering "FEEEEED MEEEEE.") It takes some maneuvering and some pulling- I got mine off by peeling so it was inside out when it was all off, then turning it back the right way.
**Side note: when it comes off there's a smell I can only describe as "sweaty balloons." Wear lots of deodorant and maybe look online for tips on cleaning latex.

LatexCatfish has default sizing, the measurements of which are available on a chart on their site. However, if you want a really custom fit I'd go for the "Made to Measure" option. I think it's pretty mandatory if you're getting such a large piece, since it's going over your entire body you'd want it to fit well.
Get yourself some spare time and a tape measure, and go very slowly and carefully when measuring yourself. It'll ask for some pretty bizarre stuff I'd never even considered before- I now know the width of my mid-bicep and how many inches from my crotch to the back of my neck. It's absolutely worth the time and cost though, it fits like a (very tight) glove with no creases or ripples.

When ordering you can also choose options for inside coating- I went with the default powder, which worked alright. I'd recommend getting lube to get yourself in, since that would have made mine a lot easier. You can order the suit already lubed up, or go to the drugstore and see the look on the cashier's face when you buy KY jelly in bulk. There's also special latex lube (sometimes called "shine") available in different places online.
It might be more cost-effective to just order the default powder and get the lube yourself if you decide you need it, since ordering it pre-shined is 20% extra on top of you total cost, and will have to be reapplied yourself anyway.

10/10

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OVERALL SCORE: 10/10

I could not be happier with what I received, and I will definitely order from them again. If you need a fancy latex plugsuit (which you KNOW you do,) this is the place to get it.

Before ordering I did some research online, here are some resources if you're a beginner like me.

Happy cosplaying!

6 comments:

  1. Please don't use ky jelly as a lubricant. Use a silicone based lubricant.

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  2. yup going to echo the previous commenters post, latex clothes, like other rubber items (condoms for example), can be degraded/damaged by using the wrong sorts of lube, so be sure to do a quick google search for what is safe before buying any, nothing would be worse than spending that kind of money on a suit only to ruin it because you used the wrong product on it

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  3. Hi, nice blog. Online shopping is right way for people to buy latex outfits. Latex dresses help to make people looks stylish and attractive. Keep sharing information like this. To get best latex dresses you can visit UNHOLY

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  4. Saw your youtube video today and have been considering getting a Kaworu plugsuit from Latex Catfish. I've had other Latex catsuits before so here are some tips:

    1. Latex is a natural product, so it can decay. Keeping it away from oils (other than silicone oil) and sunlight and properly cleaning and caring for the garment will make it last longer, but it still has a lifespan.

    2. Silicone oil (used in silicone based lubricants) is still the best thing to use to put the catsuit on. Chlorination (one of the options available) is a process in which the garment is given a chlorine bath/soak which removes the grippy/sticky feeling Latex has, although whether this impacts longevity is still quesionable.

    3. Be aware of things that your catsuit can snag in. Imagine that your wearing a catsuit made from the most delicate nylon or silk which snags and runs very easily. The tiniest little thing can snag your suit and it can tear like a run in nylons. The first con I wore mine, I tore it taking it off in the shower. It was a weak point in one of the collar seams but it tore down the entire shoulder blade.

    4. Repairs are possible but are highly visible. With a "show piece" like a cosplay for a con, that's a big issue.

    5. Avoid lotions and skin oils at all costs. Deodorant can also leave marks on the inside of the suit but if not overly applied it's okay. Also keep it away from contact with metal, which can contaminate or discolor the latex.

    6. Shining up the feet with silicone lube makes it look great, but on non-carpeted floors you can leave some silicone oil behind and it's quite slick. Finding good shoes to protect the feet of the suit is a priority.

    7. You get used to wearing it after a while. However, don't shower right before you wear it because you will just sweat like mad. Also if it's a darker suit, you'll want to avoid hanging out in direct sunlight for long periods of time. Also, keep walking distances in mind when wearing latex socks or stockings with shoes because you will get blisters.

    Thanks for posting the review!

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