Foxgirl military Furgonomics!
Some goofy world building I've been thinking over in relation to foxfolk (and other relevant demi-humans) in a modern sort of setting, specifically applying to modern military equipment. Inspired by discussions with a few others, especially this ask to @puppytoast who i very much thank for indulging me. HELMETS:
Hi-cut helmets (Ex: CVC helmets, FAST helmets) wouldn't need much in the way of alteration assuming the ear canal is in the same place as our own (see this post here by @softausterity for examples) as they already give enough room for the ears. You *would* need to redesign stuff like headphones to accommodate the ears, but the helmets themselves are fine for foxgirls by default.
Lower cut helmets (Ex: M1, PASGT, ACH, SSH-68, etc etc) would require you to push down the ears - As highlighted by puppytoast, the cartilage can bend pretty easily and while it would be uncomfortable at first, they'd get used to it eventually.
Fully enclosed helmets (ex: flight helmets, Gundam normal suit helmets, etc etc) would most likely have 'pockets' for the ears to insert into within the helmet. If this'd make some form of visible bulge outside the helmet or not would depend on the design really.
UNIFORMS:
Hats would vary a lot, depending on how things work. You'd likely see side caps/pilotka have more popularity than berets since they'd be easier to fit to the head. Items like utility caps and such might have gaps to allow them to be fastened around the ears, but i'm generally unsure about this.
Regular uniforms (Dress, Service, Utility, etc etc) would likely feature an adjustable hole where the tail sprouts, kind of like a fly, using either buttons or some form of elastic. Zippers wouldn't really be an option, since they'd very easily catch on the fur.
Coveralls that need to cover the whole body including the tail (ex: CVC coveralls & flight suits for fire protection, MOPP gear for NBC protection) would likely use a sort of sleeve to enclose the tail. This sleeve would probably have its own fasteners to allow it to be tightened, preventing loose material from swinging around and getting caught in things. On that topic, while some vehicle crewman and pilots could just tuck their tail onto their lap, those working near moving parts (ex; loader, gunner, artillerymen, etc etc) would likely either have pockets or straps to pin it to the body along the leg or back, keep it from being eaten by the turret monster.
this concludes my hyperfixated rambling about military furgonomics. Once again, thank you to Puppytoast, Softausterity, and everyone else I have talked with or taken inspiration from - y'all are kickass!
