Choosing your doll's clothing....

What is the limit between overdressing and underdressing a doll, for you?
I'm don't think I have a limit for them and it depends on what I'm going for, a summer lazy day or a black tie affair. I also feel like I have a lot more options than when I first started as I have been able to collect a wise range of clothing options - it sure does make it easier to achieve the look I want when I have more options to choose from.

Regarding the first question, do you also take into consideration the doll's value, when buying it clothes?
No, I buy what looks good to me or clothing that will fit the dolls personality. I have no problem dressing my expensive dolls in $2 shirts, if they look good and pull of the look I wanted that's all that matters.

Does owning the doll itself as a possession mean more to you than the way it's dressed?
No, I think part of owning the doll is dressing it and having fun accessorizing. It's what gives a doll character.

Planning a doll's outfit based on its given back story/character...?
If I have a certain character in mind, then I specific clothing pieces I want. IF I don't I will most likely get a variety of clothing options and play around and mix and match things and just have fun!

Does makeshift/sale clothes/generally dressing a doll in very cheap clothes count as doll mistreating/negligence to you? Or as owner-side-only gratification with the possession of the doll itself.
I don't think it really matters, that may be the only thing the owner can afford at that moment after spending so much money on the doll or it might be the look the owner was going for.

For persons who also have a particular OC/character assigned to a doll, does the way it is dressed influence your perception of your doll/OC?
For me it doesn't matter. Their personality is tied to the doll, and not on what they are wearing.

 

What is the limit between overdressing and underdressing a doll, for you?
(are you influenced much by the money you would need to spend on an outfit, or are you more influenced by the look of the outfit itself - gowns, fur jackets, generally "pretentious" looks?)

I admit I try to dress my dolls up for meets but sometimes I'm just too darn tired to care what they look like and stuff 'em in the same outfit they've worn a zillion times. I don't see how overdressing a doll can happen..I make my dolls special clothes for special events like Christmas, party meet ups and the like but the normal ones to the Japanese marketplace? Skirts, pants, sock clothes and all.

Regarding the first question, do you also take into consideration the doll's value, when buying it clothes?
(example, buy more expensive clothing for more expensive dolls)

Nope. I don't hemorrhage money. :/ The most expensive set of clothing I've bought was my Kazumi's kimono...Now if I could get TRON Tonner outfits for my MSD's...Then we'll talk.

Does owning the doll itself as a possession mean more to you than the way it's dressed?
(Of course nobody likes their doll to go around in its underwear, but does clothing lose its interest to you once you have the doll in your possession? Or on the contrary, once you get the doll you try to give it a good/very good outfit?)

Nope. Making Avalon pants was the first priority list when I got him since all he had to cover (JUST BARELY COVER) his doll bits was an oversized American Girl flannel shirt...Even my guy friends begged me to make him pants. So no..It's part of it. I love my dolls either way and I do have things pre-sewn for them before they come home. I made an MSD dress for Kazumi before I got her home so I could stick her in it and take pics of her right away. Avalon had a shirt...I had to Macgyver a really crappy pair of shorts since again..NO PANTSU. Once they're all dressed if anything I'm MORE interested since I can take pics and not feel weird posting them.

Planning a doll's outfit based on its given back story/character...?
(Yay or nay? Do you plan ahead, taking the trouble of trying to fit one piece of clothing from a site, another piece from another site, or you just go ahead and buy from a single company whatever you think looks "decent" and mix&match it then to fit the doll somehow?)

I don't..Unless it's very specific like I want my Yo-SD to look like what she is: A hunter who's sixteen years old and trying to keep things together. Of course I've looked through sites to find the right SHOES and luckily found a really awesome pair of slim Yo-SD jeans for her but she's going to look like she's a teenager not a little girl. The rest I'm sewing...Of course I'll make her dresses but she'll look her age.Heck one of her 'gifts' (and mine) is a Hunger Games doll so I can mug it for the outfit and bow and arrows.

Does makeshift/sale clothes/generally dressing a doll in very cheap clothes count as doll mistreating/negligence to you? Or as owner-side-only gratification with the possession of the doll itself...
(..which is afterwards dressed in the minimum necessary to keep it from being naked?)

I've had to re-type this several times because for some reason this question irks me as someone who basically has to find or pre-make stuff for my dolls.
NO! IT'S NOT NEGLIGENCE. HOW DO YOU EVEN MISTREAT A DOLL!? Okay now that I've let the 'crazy' side out let me talk calmly...My doll, my choice, if I wanna dress my doll in a sock sweater (Which my MSD girl sitting next to me IS wearing and I spent the better part of an hour sewing to look nice) then she's in a sock sweater..

And to further make my point...

Avalon's first outfit:



Yes...I just cut up a sock and stuck him in it...And made some really crappy shorts without a pattern that later got tossed out mysteriously. I have no regrets. This was the first day I had him.

For persons who also have a particular OC/character assigned to a doll, does the way it is dressed influence your perception of your doll/OC?
(or it doesn't matter much, the doll-OC is the same no matter whether you dress it in a napkin or a ball gown?)

Again no. They're my OC's and I create their clothing to match their personalities..Not just to put my influence on them. When I'm drawing them yes I have a set outfit as a 'default' to make MY life easier drawing wise but when it comes to those of my OC's who are shelled in doll form..Sky's the limit. My girl has a ball gown, a pleated skirt, a sock sweater that looks adorable if I do say so myself, keychain shoes in several colors, flats, long skirts, a sun hat...My boy has several pairs of pants, long sleeve shirts, shorts (that I need to mend, his bits keep poking out) both own kimono's/yukata's. To me it doesn't matter...Heck I still find realpuki's adorable even if their running around in their birthday suits (and I laugh really hard when I heard a funny story of how that happened) heck you could leave your MSD's nude all the time and as long as it's tastefully done I don't care...

Heck you could dress your SOOM Heliot in a sock sweater and a crappy kilt and I will applaud you. Long as it's not a recast and a sharpy done face up then I don't care about the clothes...I can dislike a clothing choice for a particular doll but I won't think badly of the owner of said doll. We all have our different tastes and I'm sure people are cringing at what I stuck Avalon in...He has better clothes now I swear.

 

What is the limit between overdressing and underdressing a doll, for you?
There isn't a limit for me. I dress my dolls based on their personality. Some tolerate chiffon well and others look ridiculous in it.

Regarding the first question, do you also take into consideration the doll's value, when buying it clothes?
Nope. I'm a detail snob, so I buy the best that I can afford for my dolls if it suits them.

Does owning the doll itself as a possession mean more to you than the way it's dressed?
No, it's a combination of both factors. Each doll has a concept or character - which is why I buy them. I continually work to bring their personalities to life through clothing and accessories.

Planning a doll's outfit based on its given back story/character...?
I buy clothes and accessories from everywhere. I have my favourite manufacturers of course but they don't fit the personalities of all of my dolls. But when I buy clothes I think more on the lines of who would wear what or look best in it. I rarely buy complete outfits unless it's a suit. I prefer to create their style from various sources.

For persons who also have a particular OC/character assigned to a doll, does the way it is dressed influence your perception of your doll/OC?
No. No matter how they are dressed they are always "that character" and as that character they have their specific style or interpretation of a "suit" or "evening wear" etc.

 

What is the limit between overdressing and underdressing a doll, for you?
(are you influenced much by the money you would need to spend on an outfit, or are you more influenced by the look of the outfit itself - gowns, fur jackets, generally "pretentious" looks?)

I have more of a problem with under doing things than over doing it. like with my faceups they are never quite enough but as soon as I get the courage to do more it looks awful. And with clothing choices I tend to stick too close to one or two colors and have to force myself to bring in more accessories and such to add a little more flare to it. and i guess i lean to the pretentious looks. If it looks nice but its expensive then I teach myself to wait until I have the money to get it instead of buying whatever just because its cheap. I think thats how you waste more money in this hobby by buying things out of convenience instead of committing to something you actually like.


Regarding the first question, do you also take into consideration the doll's value, when buying it clothes?
(example, buy more expensive clothing for more expensive dolls)

Not really but I do think about how I have definitely spent more on clothing, accessories and supplies than I did on her. I don't think she was an expensive doll but just like me she has expensive taste :p


Does owning the doll itself as a possession mean more to you than the way it's dressed?
(Of course nobody likes their doll to go around in its underwear, but does clothing lose its interest to you once you have the doll in your possession? Or on the contrary, once you get the doll you try to give it a good/very good outfit?)

Yes and no. I bought a second doll head last month and while her style is going to be an important part of her character Im honestly just glad to have her head whereas my first girl I had everything bought for her before she arrived. But that being said my first girl was cheaper so it was easier to accumulate more stuff for her.


Planning a doll's outfit based on its given back story/character...?
yes. that actually makes picking clothing/eyes/hair etc... much easier for me. it helps me get a feel of whats 'real' and 'important' about the character :p

Does makeshift/sale clothes/generally dressing a doll in very cheap clothes count as doll mistreating/negligence to you? Or as owner-side-only gratification with the possession of the doll itself
not really.

For persons who also have a particular OC/character assigned to a doll, does the way it is dressed influence your perception of your doll/OC?
yes. I get really 'distressed' over outfits >3< I dont feel good about anything (doll related) when her outfit isn't coming together the way imagined it would ughhh

 

Do the SD 16 outfits fit on the Iplehouse nYID medium bust dolls? Iple doesn't have too much to pick from, but there are a lot of other outfits from other places that I like.

 

There are threads devoted to finding clothes for Iplehouse dolls. This one is probably most relevant for you. You could also use the search function to try to find helpful threads.

As for the questions from the OP...

What is the limit between overdressing and underdressing a doll, for you?

I don't think I have an upper limit. Most of my characters would be pretty at home in super-fancy clothing of various kinds so overdressing isn't much of a problem. For underdressing...I mean, I always try to have a decent outfit available for each new doll I get, whether that means something I buy specifically for them (most common for my odd-sized dolls, like the ones from Iplehouse) or something I "borrow" from another similarly-sized doll I already own. I don't buy things I don't like.

Regarding the first question, do you also take into consideration the doll's value, when buying it clothes?
No, and I don't really understand why the cost of the doll would influence my doll clothing choices...

Does owning the doll itself as a possession mean more to you than the way it's dressed?

I think it's more important for me to own the dolls I want than for each one to have an extensive, fancy, expensive wardrobe. But I also think I finally managed to buy my last doll, so I think from here on out I'll be focusing on buying things like clothes for my dolls.

Planning a doll's outfit based on its given back story/character...?
Absolutely. I try to buy or make outfits that suit my dolls' characters. I would say that's more important than pretty much anything else except cost (which is important because I can't buy things I can't afford).

Does makeshift/sale clothes/generally dressing a doll in very cheap clothes count as doll mistreating/negligence to you? Or as owner-side-only gratification with the possession of the doll itself


I'm not really on board with the concept of "mistreating" or "neglecting" dolls to begin with, so no, this wouldn't count as an example of either for me.

For persons who also have a particular OC/character assigned to a doll, does the way it is dressed influence your perception of your doll/OC?
Not really. Like I said above, I try to buy/make things the dolls would wear, according to their character. But if my dolls is wearing something "out of character" it doesn't influence my view of the doll or character. Sometimes, a doll has to dress slightly out of character because I don't have a more in-character outfit available, and that's okay.

 

For persons who also have a particular OC/character assigned to a doll, does the way it is dressed influence your perception of your doll/OC?
all of my dolls are based on characters i created and the personality of the character is what influences the way i dress them. they each have their style and i would never put them in something that didnt suit them to start with.

 

For me my dolls are my little creativity helpers. They allow me to experiment with sewing patterns without wasting loads of cloth. So sometimes they wear outfits that aren't exactly professional. I'm working hard to improve everyday so hopefully soon the outfits I make for them will be at a level where they will be photo worthy...until then they wear a lot of Mattel clothes in their photos. I don't really think it's doll negligence since I'm putting in a lot of time, love and effort into it. I think the dolls that wear the "shoddy" handmade clothes are often times more loved than the ones in the $100 designer outfit and so when I see them it makes me smile because I know somewhere out there, someone is pricking their fingers to death for their beloved resin friend.

 

Well, I make all of my bjd clothes, so from the perspective of someone who never spends more than 5 dollars on a complete outfit, I'd say it's up to the bjd's sense of style. I don't have set OCs for my bjds, so their personalities evolved on their own. My first boy seemed to want to be a punk at first, but started wearing more dress shirts and plaid shirts once my first girl was on the way. I expected her to wear pastels and skirts all the time but she turned out to be a super bright, vibrant, shorts-wearing girl. I always have them dressed, unless I'm giving them a bath, which never lasts for very long (I mean with a Mr. Clean sponge, not in a bathtub). They're all usually casual, unless it's a special occasion. That being said, I always do my best when making tir clothes, so they don't look shabby, even when they're just in jeans and a t-shirt.

 

Until there's the right faceup done and right eyes/wigs on, i can't tell what their clothes gonna be, 'cause my guys don't have a backstory, so i never know what characters they are, hence the clothes is the last step. But doll has to sit naked though while waiting for clothes to be bought & arrive, that's not quite good...

 

Good questions!Woosh!


What is the limit between overdressing and underdressing a doll, for you?
There isn't really a limit so long as the doll isn't kept wrapped in a single cloth or remaining in her underwear. I'm not always influenced by the money to spend on an outfit, because I never actually buy the outfits. I end up making up my own things with some inspiration I get from a mix of other outfits. I'll buy her accessories like wigs, shoes, and such but that's only if I can't make them. I'll try to find affordable things to mix and match but I plan on turning it into something detailed. Atm I love to overdress her with jewelry and things. I love making her fancy like a showcase doll. Especially with the opportunity to do different themes for Holiday occasions.

Regarding the first question, do you also take into consideration the doll's value, when buying it clothes?
(example, buy more expensive clothing for more expensive dolls)
Every doll has value. I honestly don't mind how much their doll value is for potential clothing/ outfits. A less expensive doll could still be made up to look as excellent as a more expensive one if it's given the time and loving effort from it's owner. It depends on the owners tastes though really, especially in what they're looking for in a doll to fit/ match what they're going for.

Does owning the doll itself as a possession mean more to you than the way it's dressed?
Not exactly, I'm in this for the fun, not so much the collection. My doll sat around for a while, nearly naked (she had a tank top and underwear made from a cut up sock) until I had time to make her something. I had plans on eventually making her something elaborate, but to keep her from being naked, I cut off a shirt sleeve and incorporated it into a mini dress for the time being. From there, I kept adding things so she wouldn't look so plain. Had to wait a while for the accessories to be ordered online too. She still has her first outfit, but I prefer her to be more dolled up. Took a lot of time to put it together, but now she's more vibrant, and seems to be smiling more than when she first came.

Planning a doll's outfit based on its given back story/character...?
I planned an OC story for her and other dolls way ahead. Even have planned outfits and styles in my mind. The original doll story she came with (being she's an IPH Isar) didn't quite stay with her. Her appearance and size was fitting to what I was looking for. Sewing outfits wise, and finding affordable accessories wise.

Does makeshift/sale clothes/generally dressing a doll in very cheap clothes count as doll mistreating/negligence to you? Or as owner-side-only gratification with the possession of the doll itself...
Seeing a doll stay in underwear/ bathing suit is pretty sad, and to me, it comes off like it was only bought to collect dust and fill space. Bit of a waste there. Otherwise, if a doll is in a T-shirt and jeans, there's some love there. Regular clothes are fine, it's kind of like it's a child in that way instead of a toy to dress in costumes. Depends on the owner I suppose and how they see it. Getting a doll a good outfit sometimes takes time though, so it's better something than nothing for a time being. As long as the doll looks decent enough to not offend anyone when brought out in public, carrying a naked doll with no hair... eeeerr... Looks questionable to me.

For persons who also have a particular OC/character assigned to a doll, does the way it is dressed influence your perception of your doll/OC?
Depends on the personality they give the character that is the doll. I'm sure it matters for some people who would rather have something dangerous looking vs. obnoxiously adorable. Or something classy looking vs. grunge looking. For me, my doll is open to many things, except for wearing pink or a napkin. I wouldn't want her to stay naked longer than periods between my dressing her. Pretty much anything goes for her though, as long as it's fun making it/ putting it together. Variety is exciting, and it's kind of nice that not everyone decides to do the same thing with their dolls. It's a small exotic world, for those to express their dreams or wishes through their dolls. I know that's how it is with me anyways.

 

What is the limit between overdressing and underdressing a doll, for you?
(are you influenced much by the money you would need to spend on an outfit, or are you more influenced by the look of the outfit itself - gowns, fur jackets, generally "pretentious" looks?)

I have no limit for overdressing a doll, but anything less than a very basic outfit (a shirt/skirt, a dress or shirt/pants) is underdressing for me and I need to get cracking to sew the poor thing some clothes... I don't really mind the outfit's price -I've owned several quite expensive outfits and still buying more- and as for the look, of course I'm influenced but in a different manner. For me the outfit will have to fit a character and that's really all the requirements it will have to meet in order to be worn by one of my dolls.


Regarding the first question, do you also take into consideration the doll's value, when buying it clothes?
(example, buy more expensive clothing for more expensive dolls)

Not really, my "cheap" Doll Leaves msd boy got a pretty expensive old, limited, long sold-out outfit set made for Minifee from Fairyland/Luts for his "birthday" and my equally cheap -if not cheaper- old Dollfie Dream/Obitsu hybrid is getting an amazing dress and shoes from Angell Studio for Christmas. At the same time when my Volks Ran arrives she will dress in some amazing dresses I got off the marketplace that, although very well made and overall perfect style-wise, each costed me about $15 I believe...


Does owning the doll itself as a possession mean more to you than the way it's dressed?
(Of course nobody likes their doll to go around in its underwear, but does clothing lose its interest to you once you have the doll in your possession? Or on the contrary, once you get the doll you try to give it a good/very good outfit?)

Yes and no... Of course owning the head of the doll is the most important part since it is what defines a doll, then comes the body. Clothes come last but are in fact equally important. I just don't really need to have them "right away" as soon as the doll arrives. The doll can always wait for me to save enough money on the side to buy them their "perfect" outfit and borrow clothes from the others in the meantime or wear things I sew or put together for them.


Planning a doll's outfit based on its given back story/character...?
Yes. I cannot "yes" this enough. I will not buy an outfit that won't fit the doll character-wise even if I love it, after all that was the very reason I made my Unoa hybrid a model in his story... -u- that way I can just take all the cute clothes/wigs I see everywhere but can't buy because they won't fit my other characters and just dump them on him!

Does makeshift/sale clothes/generally dressing a doll in very cheap clothes count as doll mistreating/negligence to you? Or as owner-side-only gratification with the possession of the doll itself...
No. Outfits can be cheap and made from nice materials without being bad looking, a lot of people like to sew, and sometimes it just fits a doll's style/character better.

For persons who also have a particular OC/character assigned to a doll, does the way it is dressed influence your perception of your doll/OC?
Yes, I suppose. I strive to give my dolls outfits that suit their characters so it's hard for me to see them dressed in a way their character would be realistically unable to in their story (or would generally just hate it if it happened).

 

What is the limit between overdressing and underdressing a doll, for you?
Outfit is one of the field where I can save money (no choice for wig, eyes, shoes)
I'm more influenced by the look I want for my doll in my choices but this is not mean that I don't look at the price.
I couldn't spend 100$ in a outfit for example : it's just impossible for me
Good look is not about money only, is about creativity and personal taste.



Regarding the first question, do you also take into consideration the doll's value, when buying it clothes?
No. All my doll have the same level despite the price. I do things step by step because I cannot make it for all my doll at the same time.


Does owning the doll itself as a possession mean more to you than the way it's dressed?
Doll is not only a possession. My dolls are characters and they are a mix of several things ; the doll herself, the look (wig/eyes/outfits) and the role I give her when I took pictures.
There will be no interest for me at all to own a doll just for having a doll.

Planning a doll's outfit based on its given back story/character...?
I can mixed outfits from different website : this is not an issue for me and generaly I don't like «general look» with complete outfit from a company
General look of my dolls are about my personal taste : I love old and vintage things so I try to give to my dolls this look.


Does makeshift/sale clothes/generally dressing a doll in very cheap clothes count as doll mistreating/negligence to you? Or as owner-side-only gratification with the possession of the doll itself...
sometimes pictures of naked dolls , or just with panties are so beautiful.
so to have dolls wearing clothes is not always my taste.
cheap clothes can be beautiful : they are so many ways to find a good deal.and everybody has its own taste : I just can say when I like or do not like something. I never can say that someone is mistreating his doll.


For persons who also have a particular OC/character assigned to a doll, does the way it is dressed influence your perception of your doll/OC?
No, but it can give me ideas or inspiration
my doll look can change as per my mood anyway

 

What is the limit between overdressing and underdressing a doll, for you?

The main limit for doll clothes is "price-quality" and "look". I could spend more for better quality of material but the price should be in reasonable range. There has some clothes which are extremely expensive but the quality isn't better than cheaper one. So I always spend sometime to check the review from buyers and compare them to other companies before making a decision. Another most important thing is their look. My dolls have their style/character and I would never buy gothic punk outfit for Ren because he would look really terrible. But...this kind of outfit could suit Katsuki well. So I have to consider about which doll's clothing I'm buying now.

Regarding the first question, do you also take into consideration the doll's value, when buying it clothes?

Not at all...Since every doll is precious to me equally, not by value but by feeling. And some of them can swap and wear clothing together, except for dolls with unique size...which I have to spend money more to get the right size clothing for them.

Does owning the doll itself as a possession mean more to you than the way it's dressed?

I think both dolls themselves and their clothing are quite important for me. I love them, even though they're still a blank and nude doll (beginning) but I do want them to become completed character as I've planned. So I don't think I will let them be like when they arrived so long. I always buy or make some clothing for them to wear. And...they must have underwear! I don't know why but...I feel uneasy and strange if my dolls wear no underwear.

Planning a doll's outfit based on its given back story/character...?

I plan outfit to fit their character but they can still wear various style, except one which doesn't suit them at all.

Does makeshift/sale clothes/generally dressing a doll in very cheap clothes count as doll mistreating/negligence to you? Or as owner-side-only gratification with the possession of the doll itself...

No, cheap or expensive one does nothing to mistreating doll. It's up to the owner and character of this doll itself. And also up to the price to afford for owners. No need to buy expensive clothing only. People can choose everything they want their doll to wear and I guess dolls are happy enough what their owner choose for them.

For persons who also have a particular OC/character assigned to a doll, does the way it is dressed influence your perception of your doll/OC?

Yes, but just partially, I guess.

 

What is the limit between overdressing and underdressing a doll, for you?
Overdressing: buying somthing worth about $75 usd and keeping it in a box after a couple of wears. And keeping it because it was expensive and it still looks awesome
I have learned from that, price has become very important to me. I'd rather switch around clothes that are less expensive then pile up on things that are awesome but are not really usable.
I also have to keep in mind who will be wearing the clothes, because of size and style some things cannot be exchanged and are for one doll alone.
And to keep things realistic - real life demands a lot of money as we all know.

Regarding the first question, do you also take into consideration the doll's value, when buying it clothes?
Well that's the first time I hear about that.
I do not take value into consideration when buying clothes.

Does owning the doll itself as a possession mean more to you than the way it's dressed?
No, the way they dress is important to me. They all have their own personalities and styles. It's about the complete picture.

Planning a doll's outfit based on its given back story/character...?
Not really. They all have a certain style which has developed along the way. I have never really planned ahead. I have a few basics laying around and went from there.
So I guess I would be the mix and match type. I get stuff from everywhere and part of it I make myself.

Does makeshift/sale clothes/generally dressing a doll in very cheap clothes count as doll mistreating/negligence to you? Or as owner-side-only gratification with the possession of the doll itself...
If that would be the case, then I had a bunch of poor dollies
So no. I'd rather have them wearing something cheap then having them in awesome clothes that absolutely do not fit (do nothing for) their personalities.

For persons who also have a particular OC/character assigned to a doll, does the way it is dressed influence your perception of your doll/OC?
It does. I have an OC doll and in my opinion he needs to be as close to the original as possible. That's why I got him in the first place.
It would be awkward to dress him in a totally different style.

 

What is the limit between overdressing and underdressing a doll, for you?
(are you influenced much by the money you would need to spend on an outfit, or are you more influenced by the look of the outfit itself - gowns, fur jackets, generally "pretentious" looks?)
Money and the look are both important to me, but the look slightly outweighs the cost. Regarding the question itself, I consider a doll overdressed if they're so elaborately clad that moving or holding them becomes a chore. Underdressing is a bit trickier for me. If I look at my Johnny and want to add something else to the outfit he's got on, then in my eyes he's underdressed.

Regarding the first question, do you also take into consideration the doll's value, when buying it clothes?
(example, buy more expensive clothing for more expensive dolls)
Not really, no. A doll's cost determines how careful I'll be with him or her, but it has no bearing whatsoever on how much or little I'll sink into a wardrobe.

Does owning the doll itself as a possession mean more to you than the way it's dressed?
(Of course nobody likes their doll to go around in its underwear, but does clothing lose its interest to you once you have the doll in your possession? Or on the contrary, once you get the doll you try to give it a good/very good outfit?)
For me clothing is part of the fun of having a doll, and clothes are pretty much useless without a doll. So once I actually have the doll in my hands clothes become VERY important.

Planning a doll's outfit based on its given back story/character...?
(Yay or nay? Do you plan ahead, taking the trouble of trying to fit one piece of clothing from a site, another piece from another site, or you just go ahead and buy from a single company whatever you think looks "decent" and mix&match it then to fit the doll somehow?)
I do a little bit of both. I had a set look that I wanted for Johnny, and I bought most of his things one or two at a time. When it came time to actually order the doll though, I went to the website, threw some items that I liked in the cart, and checked out. When Johnny came I rotated the items I had until I got an outfit I was pleased with.

Does makeshift/sale clothes/generally dressing a doll in very cheap clothes count as doll mistreating/negligence to you? Or as owner-side-only gratification with the possession of the doll itself...
(..which is afterwards dressed in the minimum necessary to keep it from being naked?)
No, it doesn't equate to dolly mistreatment to me. If it's poorly made it makes the doll look sloppy, but that's the only issue I have with cheap items.

For persons who also have a particular OC/character assigned to a doll, does the way it is dressed influence your perception of your doll/OC?
(or it doesn't matter much, the doll-OC is the same no matter whether you dress it in a napkin or a ball gown?)
In Johnny's case it influenced the way I perceived his character a little bit, because his clothes are so colorful. It wasn't a big influence; I just adjusted his personality to be a bit more foppish and went on with my life. April won't be quite like that. She'll just be a cute girl with cute clothes

 

I don't own a doll yet, I'm still saving up. But I already have my own opinion about things. I like to write stories and make up characters and to me, my dolls would be part of that.

What is the limit between overdressing and underdressing a doll, for you?
(are you influenced much by the money you would need to spend on an outfit, or are you more influenced by the look of the outfit itself - gowns, fur jackets, generally "pretentious" looks?)

Both. I want my doll to look good, but I don't want to spend a lot of money doing it. So, fur jackets and gowns? If I can get some cool material for a decent price and make it myself? Sure, if it fits the dolls personality. Sock outfits that look tacky because you just cut armholes and stick it on your doll? No, unless it fits the dolls personality. For me, underdressing or overdressing just depends on what your dolls personality is.

Regarding the first question, do you also take into consideration the doll's value, when buying it clothes?
(example, buy more expensive clothing for more expensive dolls)

No, as I said, it's what fits the dolls personality.

Does owning the doll itself as a possession mean more to you than the way it's dressed?
(Of course nobody likes their doll to go around in its underwear, but does clothing lose its interest to you once you have the doll in your possession? Or on the contrary, once you get the doll you try to give it a good/very good outfit?)

I think I would like to have my dolls to have at least one outfit that really fits them. If that is what qualifies as "good," or not well that depends on what the viewer of the doll believes, I guess.

Planning a doll's outfit based on its given back story/character...?
(Yay or nay? Do you plan ahead, taking the trouble of trying to fit one piece of clothing from a site, another piece from another site, or you just go ahead and buy from a single company whatever you think looks "decent" and mix & match it then to fit the doll somehow?)

For me it's the personality of the doll that matters so I'd try to make each piece fit the look the doll likes to project, but sometimes that isn't possible for a while so you use whatever you can until you can get what you want. As for planning ahead... I don't even have my doll yet so I don't know them. It seems silly to me to plan things for someone you don't even know yet.

Does makeshift/sale clothes/generally dressing a doll in very cheap clothes count as doll mistreating/negligence to you? Or as owner-side-only gratification with the possession of the doll itself...
(..which is afterwards dressed in the minimum necessary to keep it from being naked?)

Doll negligence?!? Seriously?!?! That's just ridiculous. Sometimes the doll decides they want to wear next to nothing for a while - trust me, I know owners that seriously think something like "I'm gonna dress you up so you look so good tonight, since you're going to a fancy place" and the doll decides to stay home dressed only in their undies. But also, quite often we need to save up so much just for the doll that for the first month or two the doll goes around in a sock dress, either because we're can't sew and are then saving money for the clothing, don't want to sew, are too busy to do anything, or any other number of things. Also, sadly, sometimes the owner and doll don't bond the way the owner had hoped, so maybe that could have something to do it.

For persons who also have a particular OC/character assigned to a doll, does the way it is dressed influence your perception of your doll/OC?
(or it doesn't matter much, the doll-OC is the same no matter whether you dress it in a napkin or a ball gown?)

Okay, so the OC is the same no matter what you dress them in I guess. But to me it's now how the doll is dressed that influences my perception of the character, it is the character of the doll that influences how I will dress them. So, honestly, I have a cyberpunk character that I would love to have a doll of. She could wear an ultra frilly dress or what-not if she really wanted to, but that's just not her style. She likes punk clothing with just a hint of femininity for the most part. So unless she had to or was forced/coerced into it, she would never wear anything with a whole lot of frou-frou.


Okay, so I know that maybe I sound a little schizophrenic, talking about the doll as a separate personality or something, but I am a writer. And I believe that, though my characters may be part of me, they are not me. If they were, then all the characters I write about would be exactly the same. So I think of a doll like that too, and believe that at least some other people think of their dolls the same way. Hope I made sense and didn't sound too crazy.

 

What is the limit between overdressing and underdressing a doll, for you?
My 'limits' have to do with my characters and what they need to be wearing for the shoot &/or diorama they sit in.

Regarding the first question, do you also take into consideration the doll's value, when buying it clothes?
Not at all. The CHEAPEST of my dolls is much more than any other dolls I've ever owned.

Does owning the doll itself as a possession mean more to you than the way it's dressed?
Clothing - making outfits & cosplays, then dressing the dolls & photographing them - is the biggest REASON I own these dolls.

Planning a doll's outfit based on its given back story/character...?
Well of COURSE. All my dolls are characters. Now, they are characters who live in a little Georgia town outside Atlanta, who happen to be cosplayers/nerds & geeks etc, so that means lots of everyday street style clothes. But each doll wears what suits their characters. I'm a costumer - I LOVE making clothes & dressing these dolls for photo-shoots.

Does makeshift/sale clothes/generally dressing a doll in very cheap clothes count as doll mistreating/negligence to you? Or as owner-side-only gratification with the possession of the doll itself...
This makes no sense to me - although some clothing CAN stain dolls. I found that out the hard way

For persons who also have a particular OC/character assigned to a doll, does the way it is dressed influence your perception of your doll/OC?
My characters remain my characters. I see each of my dolls AS their character. So if they've got something on that's wildly OUT of character, I have to figure out why they are wearing it (which since I write I enjoy doing)

 

What is the limit between overdressing and underdressing a doll, for you?
Hmm I think that depends on the price of the clothing! A collection of cute simple shirts & skirts in the range of $10 each are nice to give to a doll for pajamas / relaxing clothes or just to give their wardrobe some variety or casual options. For more expensive outfits ($100+) I'd expect them to be pretty fancy!

Regarding the first question, do you also take into consideration the doll's value, when buying it clothes?
Not at all! All dolls deserve love, lol.

Does owning the doll itself as a possession mean more to you than the way it's dressed?
I think that dressing the doll's a super important part of owning a doll and giving it character, so just having a naked doll would be a little bit sad for me...

Planning a doll's outfit based on its given back story/character...?
Hm, I personally wouldn't but I'm more attracted to BJDs for aesthetics than for story & design - for me, I'm happy shoehorning any character into the prettiest clothes I can find and coming up with a convoluted explanation for it afterwards, lol.

Does makeshift/sale clothes/generally dressing a doll in very cheap clothes count as doll mistreating/negligence to you? Or as owner-side-only gratification with the possession of the doll itself...
Mistreatment? I think I'd only call it mistreatment if the owner themselves hates the clothes... But if you like the clothes, or if you spent a long time making them yourself then go for it!

For persons who also have a particular OC/character assigned to a doll, does the way it is dressed influence your perception of your doll/OC?
Yes, drawing from the above answer I think I'm more inclined to draw inspiration for the OC's personality & history from the clothing I like dressing them in than from vice versa!

 

I am going to answer these as referring to my own dolls, not those of other people. I set standards for myself, just as other people do for themselves, so my answers are in no way meant to put down anyone else's dolls, just how I feel in regard to my own.

What is the limit between overdressing and underdressing a doll, for you?
Overdressing just depends on the doll. I don't usually do really expensive formal looks, but I have a couple of times. Underdressing would mean either being naked or shoeless, or have very poorly made scraps of clothing that don't fit the character.

Regarding the first question, do you also take into consideration the doll's value, when buying it clothes?
No. I try to dress them all in about the same price/quality level of clothing, though I may put in slightly more work on the cheaper dolls just because they do get the rep of being lower quality or 'beginner dolls' because of their prices, so I work a little harder to make them look extra complete and attractive.

Does owning the doll itself as a possession mean more to you than the way it's dressed?
It's about equal. If I'm going to spend a lot of money to buy a doll, I'm not going to cheap out on clothes, wigs, accessories, etc. You can make the cheapest doll look great with the right pieces, and likewise you can make the most expensive doll look awful if you take no effort in presentation. There for, I don't see the point in spending a lot on something that isn't going to end up looking like it's worth what I paid.

Planning a doll's outfit based on its given back story/character...?
All of my dolls have a backstory and character, and that doesn't change from one outlet to the next (role play, photo story display, etc) so I like for them all to have several different outfits, but they all have to be things the character would really wear.

Does makeshift/sale clothes/generally dressing a doll in very cheap clothes count as doll mistreating/negligence to you?
A doll is a chunk of resin, so you can't really neglect or mistreat it like you can a person or animal. You can do whatever you want with it. I want all of mine in high quality clothing, but when you have 16 dolls (or more), it's not so easy to spend $50 on jeans for them all, $25+ on shoes, $50+ on coats, and so on, so some will have temporary cheaper clothing just so they aren't naked.

For persons who also have a particular OC/character assigned to a doll, does the way it is dressed influence your perception of your doll/OC?
My dolls' OCs are a deep part of who the doll is. A change of faceup, eyes or wig might change it, but clothing won't. If it's something they won't wear, it's weird to see them in it, but it doesn't change their character.