One vexing problem in costume design is allowing for the vision of the wearer. The two conflicting goals in this problem are (1) the appearance of the character, usually the character's face and (2) the ability of the performer to see what is happening around him. Usually, vision loses out to appearance. Most costumes, particularly commercially manufactured ones, have very limited vision. The performer can usually only see a small area in front of and below them, with no peripheral or upwards vision.

Compromises

It is essential to the believability and illusion of the character that the performer's "seeing area" not be obvious. At the same time, we must ensure that the person inside the fursuit can see enough that they can interact successfully with those around them. Exactly where to strike this balance between aesthetics and utility will depend on the individual costume and its planned uses.

Most costumes, with the notable exception of professional mascot costumes, use the eyes of the character to provide vision. Usually, the entire area of the eye is the vision area for the performer. The eyes are constructed of a material allowing the performer to see out without viewers being able to peer in.

The second most common solution to this problem is to have the wearer look out through the open mouth/muzzle of the character. This is particularly common in mascots and commerically manufactured "walk-around" character suits. This design allows a reasonably large area for vision, but usually ensures that it is useful only for seeing the ground and small children because of the angle.

Materials and Techniques

In order to address this problem, people have developed a variety of solutions. As I expand this page and collect relevant photographs, I'll include descriptions and my analyses of them. The various techniques include using mesh eyes, openings hidden in the head design (most commonly, open mouths), reticulated foam panels, and tinted solid-panel eyes.