A zentai suit. Note that it covers the entire body - hands, feet and face. This zentai has an "invisible" zipper running from the small of the back to the top of the head for entry.

Skin tight suits that cover the entire body are commonly called zentai (from the Japanese ゼンタイ). This is either a contraction of zenshin taitsu (全身タイツ) ("full-body tights") or a direct translation of "full body" (全体 zentai). Zentai is most commonly made using nylon/spandex blends, but other materials such as cotton and wool are used as well. Image File history File links Size of this preview: 450 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (600 × 800 pixel, file size: 73 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Author: AndyELycra Source: http://www. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 450 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (600 × 800 pixel, file size: 73 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Author: AndyELycra Source: http://www. ...

Uses

Such suits were first developed for use in modern dance, but are now used in the arts to diminish the presence of an actor in a scene. In fact, in the traditional Japanese art of puppetry called bunraku the apprentice performers are completely covered in black garments against a black background to produce the same effect. Zentai is also used by artists as a medium to accentuate the body, sometimes making use of vibrant patterns. By making the performer anonymous, the performance of the body itself becomes the focus. Modern dance is a dance form developed in the early 20th century. ... Bunraku (Japanese: 文楽), also known as Ningyō jōruri (人形浄瑠璃), is a form of traditional Japanese puppet theater, founded in Osaka in 1684. ...

Practical uses

In major cities worldwide (but especially in Japan), zentai suits are becoming an increasingly common sight as recreational wear for both men and women at a wide variety of events ranging from conventions to dance clubs, furthering the growing popularity of the subculture.

Flesh tone cotton suits are often used by cosplayers to provide a base layer that looks like the cel-shaded skin of the animated character. When such zentai are worn under masks painted to resemble a character's drawn features, the total effect is called kigurumi. Animegao is a variant on this. Cosplayers Cosplay ), a portmanteau of the English words costume and roleplay, is a Japanese subculture centered on dressing as characters from manga, anime, tokusatsu, and video games, and, less commonly, Japanese live action television shows, fantasy movies, or Japanese pop music bands. ... Categories: Computer and video game stubs | Computer graphics ... Animegao style Kigurumi Kigurumi is the Japanese name for costumed animal characters. ... Miharu Nakashima, an original Kigurumi character. ...

In film and television special effects, solid-colored zentai suits are sometimes used to chroma-key or digitally remove actors from a scene. Special effects (abbreviated SPFX or SFX) are used in the film, television, and entertainment industry to create effects that cannot be achieved by normal means, such as depicting travel to other star systems. ... This page is a candidate for speedy deletion, because: it is patent nonsense. ...

The suits are also finding a place as a useful tool for meditation. It can provide a medium for body awareness, a focus for meditation via the senses by allowing for both sensory deprivation as well as sensory enhancement, as well as a symbolic barrier between the self and the world. It also allows the wearer to experience a sense of nakedness without the exposure of being truly nude, especially when one meditates outdoors. A large statue in Bangalore depicting Shiva meditating Meditation describes a state of concentrated attention on some object of thought or awareness. ...

In other uses, multiple organizations including NASA have experimented with a skintight space suit to replace current air-pressurized designs (with a transparent dome helmet instead of a soft fabric hood). This design is tentatively named a space activity suit. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is an agency of the United States government, responsible for the nations public space program. ... Apollo 15 space suit A spacesuit is a complex system of garments, equipment, and environmental systems designed to keep a person alive and comfortable in the harsh environment of outer space. ... Space activity suit A space activity suit is a kind of spacesuit, which provides mechanical pressure by means of elastic garments as opposed to pressurizing the suit with the breathing gas, as is standard practice in regular suits. ...

As fetish clothing

With practical uses aside, zentai is also strongly associated with spandex fetishism. Some zentai fetishists are after the experience of total enclosure, while for others it provides a way to anonymously enjoy exhibitionism. One might also experience it as a form of sexual bondage, even though it does not restrict the motion of the body or even act as an effective blindfold. However, there are also those who enjoy zentai for the recreational sensory novelty or physical comfort without any sexual connotations.^{[citation needed]} This article or section contains information that has not been verified and thus might not be reliable. ... Fetishistic activities based on total enclosure of the body exist in several forms: Rubber fetishists often fantasize about being totally enclosed in rubber suits and gas masks; Vacuum beds rigidly enclose the entire body under a rubber sheet with a small breathing tube Some bondage enthusiasts also use sleep sacks... An exhibitionist exposing himself at a soccer game. ... A model in bondage cuffs with a leg spreader In the context of BDSM, bondage involves people being tied up or otherwise restrained for pleasure. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Sensation and perception psychology. ...

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Zentai

• Catsuit
• Cosplay
• Dancewear
• Skinsuit
• Spandex fetishism

Image File history File links Commons-logo. ... A woman wearing a black latex catsuit and thigh-high boots. ... Cosplayers Cosplay ), a portmanteau of the English words costume and roleplay, is a Japanese subculture centered on dressing as characters from manga, anime, tokusatsu, and video games, and, less commonly, Japanese live action television shows, fantasy movies, or Japanese pop music bands. ... Dancewear is a term used to describe items of clothing commonly worn by dancers. ... the skin suit is to allow for more aerodynamics and less drag with traditional clothing. ... This article or section contains information that has not been verified and thus might not be reliable. ...

External links

• Make a zentai
• The Zentai Project Site dedicated to people wearing zentai in public