Do you think fabric tails are getting to similar silicone tails

[seaair16]

We have to bigger monfins there is pro magictails now which makes them harder to swim. Kids will want the most realistic one do you think they cause more risk to kids using them. Do you think they should they should be look different and be easier to swim in for kids. I was just wondering what the community opinions on this matter.


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[SelkieCyrus]

i doubt very highly that these new designer tails will affect the younger audience at large:

firstly, price.
a huge gate to entry for a lot of those more professional looking mermaid tails is price. kids may look at them and see 'wow look at this really pretty realistic tail' and ask for their parents to buy, but no responsible parent would look at that price and say "ok sure."

secondly, aesthetic.
truely, mermaid tails advertised for kids are truly meant as such. they would all be designed photo-realistic if it sold well to the target demographic.
and just because it is designed for kids doesn't mean it is a lesser quality, look at finfun's designer line over the past year. every single tail skin they've made since last year (introducing the built in tail tip protector) has had gorgeous tail after another that even many adults opted to use.

thirdly, safety.
children shouldn't be mermaiding without supervision in the first place. mermaiding is a moderately difficult swimming practice that requires practiced independant swimmers. and even practiced swimmers shouldn't be alone in a pool or body of water.

i don't think that the new series of tails is going to affect the safety of children opting into this wonderful hobby any more than the hobby ilicits, and hopefuly they are indeed engaging the hobby in a safe manner to begin with.

[SalemMermaidTrials]

Most kids don't get tails for the aesthetic, they get tails for the fun and colors. Swimtails designer & pro line and Magic Tails don't sell to kids anyways, that's what Finfun and Swimtails normal line is for. The only thing that really could be concerning is the competition for silicone tail makers.

[inanna]

only thing i've noticed are new adult only lines a la swimtails, so kids wouldn't be able to get them anyways since they don't carry small enough sizes. the only thing i can think of is maybe what salemmermaidtrials said, competition for silicone makers. i don't think the super quality places like merbellas or mertailor have anything to worry about though

[SelkieCyrus]

we should be supporting the competition. if we find a way to have fabric tails to match quality of silicon tails, while still remaining a cheaper option, wouldn't it force the silicon makers to find new innovative ways to differentiate themselves? people who want silicon tails will still buy silicon tails, but if the process of making better quality fabric tails ups the quality or the efficiency of production of silicon tails, im all for it.

[Mermaid Alea]

I'm excited about the rise in higher quality fabric tails! There have always been people whining about how fabric tails are un-realistic and silicone tails are so hard to obtain. A few merfolk with great talent and determination have made super realistic fabric tails, but overall people haven't been able to buy or make tails that meet that realism they are looking for. Now it is getting easier and easier to get a realistic looking tail that won't cost you selling your voice to a sea witch.

I do want to add though, that when I say realistic, I don't want anyone to feel like they need a more expensive tail to look realistic. Mermaiding is fun no matter how real your tail looks. I personally think a lot of tails look really beautiful and real in person. Many tails seem to lose some of their luster in photos and video. Like I can't remember where I read this recently, but it was mentioned that in photos Hannah Mermaid's tails are obviously sequined tails, but in person they look like real fish.

I think the silicone tail market will continue to do well. Nicer fabric tails might equal more people getting into mermaiding and then those people will learn about silicone tails and they might eventually decide to buy a silicone tail so it could attract a bunch of new tail buyers. Silicone tails still have great things going for them because they really are 3D, you specify the colors, fluke, fins, and the tail is sized just for you. You get to customize it so much and I'm assuming getting to talk with a tailmaker is a lot of fun. I like to imagine tailmakers talking to clients with both of them getting excited bouncing ideas off of each other. I dunno how it goes haha.

[BlueCorvidae]

The fabric tails certainly don't look like silicone tails in person. They look great, photograph better, but silicone is still in a league of it's own in terms of realism.

[Mermaid Delphinidae]

I'm excited about the rise in higher quality fabric tails! There have always been people whining about how fabric tails are un-realistic and silicone tails are so hard to obtain. A few merfolk with great talent and determination have made super realistic fabric tails, but overall people haven't been able to buy or make tails that meet that realism they are looking for. Now it is getting easier and easier to get a realistic looking tail that won't cost you selling your voice to a sea witch.

I do want to add though, that when I say realistic, I don't want anyone to feel like they need a more expensive tail to look realistic. Mermaiding is fun no matter how real your tail looks. I personally think a lot of tails look really beautiful and real in person. Many tails seem to lose some of their luster in photos and video. Like I can't remember where I read this recently, but it was mentioned that in photos Hannah Mermaid's tails are obviously sequined tails, but in person they look like real fish.

I think the silicone tail market will continue to do well. Nicer fabric tails might equal more people getting into mermaiding and then those people will learn about silicone tails and they might eventually decide to buy a silicone tail so it could attract a bunch of new tail buyers. Silicone tails still have great things going for them because they really are 3D, you specify the colors, fluke, fins, and the tail is sized just for you. You get to customize it so much and I'm assuming getting to talk with a tailmaker is a lot of fun. I like to imagine tailmakers talking to clients with both of them getting excited bouncing ideas off of each other. I dunno how it goes haha.

And it's just as well, silicone and fabric tails are kind of made for different markets anyway. Silicone tails appeal to hardcore enthusiasts who have some money. The kind of person who is willing to buy a silicone tail right now isn't likely to see a nice fabric tail and go for that instead. They probably already own fabric tails.

[September]

Silicone tails are far heavier, more expensive and more custom with both size and aesthetic. Yes, fabric tails are becoming more complex with different flukes and fins, more detailed designs and larger flukes, but there will always be a difference between silicone and fabric.