Materials: Fox tails, coyote tails, leather

Earlier this year (2012) at FaerieCon West, I did a bit of wandering vending in addition to my usual booth, wearing a bunch of my carabiner tails hooked onto a braid of leather I made as a "skirt". When I posted a picture someone had taken at the con, people really liked it. I'd been threatening to make a more permanent version anyway, and so this was the perfect impetus to get me to actually make it happen. And so I present to you: the Skirt of Tails, quite possibly the most ridiculously over-the-top and awesome thing I've made. (Definitely one of the more pain-in-the-ass stitching jobs, since the tails wanted to go EVERYWHERE while I was making this, and it took me FOREVER.)

There are twenty-two tails stitched into this skirt, including red, silver, tundra, snowtop, kit, and dyed black Arctic fox tails, as well as a couple of coyote tails. They're firmly stitched to a long leather strap similar to my belt tails, only reaching all the way around; the belt is made from alternating pieces of brown and black leather reclaimed from old coats. The belt ties shut with braids made from more recycled leather, all with extra stitching as this is a *heavy* skirt! The tails are fixed in place and won't move along the belt, no worries about an accidental "peek-a-boo". All the tails are discards from the fur industry that would normally end up tossed out since you can't make a coat out of them, so they've been reclaimed from that fate, along with the secondhand leather--and, as always, part of the money I make will go to nonprofit groups that support wildlife and their habitats.

Currently the skirt will fit a 30" - 32" waist/hipline and still stay completely closed; on larger bodies there would be a gap and so you'd definitely want something on underneath! (Well, depending on the sort of party you're at.) Each of the braids is 18" long, so it could fit a waist/hip up to about 45" - 46" and still tie securely, though again with the gap. I can shorten the skirt a bit as needed, though you'll lose a couple tails. Or if your waist/hip is bigger around than 32" and you'd like to wear this as a proper skirt I can make it larger, though I'll have to charge extra for materials and labor.

Don't want to wear it as a skirt? It could also double as a mantle or wrap for further costuming purposes, and when you're not wearing it you can even hang it from the braids as decoration (which would also be a better way to store it than stuffing it in a bag somewhere). And if you want me to make some modifications to it before I ship it off to you, we can certainly talk custom work!

One final thing, which should be obvious but I'm gonna mention it anyway--this skirt is WARM. It was 80 degrees in the apartment when we were taking the pictures, and I was glad when we were done. The tails layer when the skirt is worn, so there's a substantial amount of insulation. This may be one you want to save til closer to Halloween, or at least air-conditioned conventions rather than outdoor summer festivals *coughBurningMancough*

So there you have it. This unconventional bit of taxidermy-flavored fashion is ready for its new home; surely there's somebody out there who wants to be wearing more tails than anyone else!

Price: $400

On Etsy: [link]