Choosing your doll's clothing....

Interesting! Let's see..

What is the limit between overdressing and underdressing a doll, for you?
I don't really have an underdressing limit, as really pretty (adult) dolls can also be naked perfectly, according to me. Some dolls even looks like they were never meant to wear clothes, like the clothes are restricting them. Case in example: The beautiful porcelain bjds by Enchanted Doll. Those actually look better naked, if you'd ask me.
As far as overdressing goes... Well I suppose when they can't move any more because of all the clothes, the point of them being poseable would be gone. So that would be the limit: They should still be able to move.

Regarding the first question, do you also take into consideration the doll's value, when buying it clothes?
No. I don't think "she's an expensive doll, she deserves expensive clothing" or the other way around. For me, price doesn't matter at all when picking a doll (well it does in such a way that I can't afford any doll in the world of course). I go for the character, and when I fall in love with a face, I don't give a crap about whether it's face made by Volks or by Dollzone, or even Obitsu. The same goes for the clothes.

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" I do! xD As long as it's pretty underwear, and not some horribly old sloppy once-white-now-kind-of-yellowish-grey underpants... *shivers*
I do try to give my doll a nice outfit, and preferably more than one. I like them to have the same choices as me when it comes to their closet: "Do I feel like a fancy frilly dress today, or maybe something classy and stylish, or something really cute and hyper-coloured, or shall I just put on something comfortable?"
So for my first doll I have a casual outfit, cute modern outfit, lolita outfit and punky outfit and I tend to do the same for every future doll, as long as it's suited for it's character.
But the doll itself doesn't loose value to me when it's not dressed. It's about the doll. Clothes can be changed, characters not (well, most of the time).

Planning a doll's outfit based on its given back story/character...?
Definitely! Clothes are an important way of expression for both humans and dolls. My cute little girl always wears cute clothing, and my classy renaissance scientist wears either her simple dress to work in, or a fancy high-class renaissance dress, but both are as mature as she is.

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...
Hmmm... Tricky. I suppose I would feel sorry for a doll that has very bad clothes. Not necessarily cheap clothes, but clothes that are ill-fitted or seem out-of-character, or just not a complete outfit (this doesn't mean every doll has to have it's own matching purse, scarf, jewellery and everything, but more something like a nice classic skirt combined with an old sweater and no shoes: looks like someone started with the skirt and then ran out of money). However, if your doll's character is, for instance, a poor farmer girl, I wouldn't mind her seeing wearing no shoes and just a simple brown dress.

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?
I think it would matter. After all, one perceives humans also differently according the way they dress. This sounds horrible but it's true, and unless you're dealing with a stupid "brand sweater" or "gottahavethem jeans" issue it's usually justified: after all, people dress to express how they feel. If your doll has a very gothic character/ look to it's face-up and you would put it in a hip-hop outfit, I would get the idea that it has a personality crisis :P

Overall I would say the it's the personality of the doll (and probably also the owner) that defines which clothes it should wear, and therefore I look upon it as a very important part of the expression of your doll.

 

What is the limit between overdressing and underdressing a doll, for you?
I actually am influenced by the cost of the outfit. Even if the outfit that I really really REALLY want may be like say $80. I won't buy it. It's just too much for me. I know on a few websites they sell pretty cheap and really nice clothes so if I were to choose, I'd choose the cheaper version.

Regarding the first question, do you also take into consideration the doll's value, when buying it clothes?
Mmm.. not really. If it's cheap and it looks nice then I don't mind. I'm trying to get a Dollfie Dream and that costs roughly 400-600 dollars. In fact, I think BECAUSE the doll is so expensive I'd rather go with cheaper clothes. (But again it has to be visually appealing to me)

Does owning the doll itself as a possession mean more to you than the way it's dressed?
Mmm... I'd have to say it's equal? Like if I were to get a not-so-appealing doll but the outfit is GORGEOUS. I.. probably still won't like it. If the doll itself was gorgeous but it was in rags, I'd be bothered by the outfit. But if you mean by like a specific DD compared to a generic DD I guess owning the doll means more? Cuz you can always change the outfit to your liking anyways.

Planning a doll's outfit based on its given back story/character...?
I actually try to match outfits from other websites. Say I want a white dress from one site but their shoes aren't that nice then I'd go to a different site and get that. I do this as well when I shop for my own clothes. I think it's better than compromising. Of course this only applies if shipping is either free or if I'm group ordering to split shipping fee. I don't really want to pay for shipping for just a pair of shoes.

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...
Errmm.. again if it looks nice not really? If it's like super super bad maybe? (Like.. smacking a sock dress made in 10 seconds.) But maybe the owners can't help it cuz they don't have the money at the moment and they're just temporarily putting them in cheap clothes. Though sometimes I do find it frustrating when I come across pictures of really pretty dolls, but the clothes are really makeshift. It's like it had to potential of being super nice, but that's just 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?
Uhh.. Yes in some way. Once they're out of their OC clothes and into some other clothes it's sort of like a different doll. I personally think a lot of them don't even look like the OC once their clothes are changed. Though, some have really distinctive faces/sculpts that you KNOW it's that OC. I think it's more like at the back of your head you know it's that OC but it's not. (If that made any sense D: )

 

HRM....

What is the limit between overdressing and underdressing a doll, for you?
Honestly for me personally, I don't have a limit. *laughs* I let my boy wear undies around the house so much(I pay to be able to see a body too-*SHOT* Joking x'D), and that might obviously be underdressing to a lot of people. (Never outside though.) But when I do dress my boy, I really dress the heck out of him. x'D And the outfits vary too so…I mean I don't see anything wrong with dressing your doll in whatever you want. I dress my boy in a simple top and shorts sometimes, and sometimes I'll dress him up like he's ready for a fashion show. You have the freedom to do with the dolls that you purchase is what my point is.


Regarding the first question, do you also take into consideration the doll's value, when buying it clothes?
Nope. Nope nope nope. I really, really do not see the need for that honestly. Yeah, I guess you can say since a certain doll is worth so much, it can only wear the fanciest most pricey clothes with all the bells and whistles but again, you have the freedom to dress your dolls as you please. If I had a really pricey doll I'd dress them the same as my boy who honestly wasn't that pricey compared to a lot I have seen.


Does owning the doll itself as a possession mean more to you than the way it's dressed?
Well, I personally just LIKE to dress dolls in good outfits. *laughs* Just because I am really into clothing and design and I find dressing dolls in cute and cool outfits to be fun. ~ Dolls themselves don't make me interested in clothing though; I was just interested in that to begin with since again, I am really into clothing and design (and I also like to make clothing). I mean if I had a doll that looked fantastic naked, then heck I'd leave them naked, even though I like to make clothes.


Planning a doll's outfit based on its given back story/character...?
If you want to, why not? I personally just like to dress my boy in whatever I think looks nice so I just made his character to like dressing in many types of clothes but mostly in the style I like. *laughs*


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 would be NEGLIGENCE. That sounds a bit harsh. I mean, you'd think it would be nice for all dollies to have wonderful clothing but maybe some people cannot have access to it. I don't think it's fair for them to be counted as doll abusers. *laughs* I guess I would think for a bit how if they can afford such doll and not be able to get some good clothing as well, but you don't know the situation ehe.


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 lol, my little buddy is who he is and if I dressed in him a paper bag it'd still be the same. *laughs*

 

What is the limit between overdressing and underdressing a doll, for you?
Depending on the personality of the doll. I really don't care about the value of the clothing or the formality, as long as it's the look I wanted.

Regarding the first question, do you also take into consideration the doll's value, when buying it clothes?
Not at all! Some of my cheaper dolls will have the most expensive clothing.

Does owning the doll itself as a possession mean more to you than the way it's dressed?
The clothing is part of the fun. I see it as a full package. a naked, faceless doll isn't exactly the goal after all.

Planning a doll's outfit based on its given back story/character...?
Yup! I've bought clothing only to have it not fit the character or looked I'd wanted. Back to the drawing board!

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...
Uh, no. That's silly. Posession. Not living thing. People can do what they want to their dolls.

 

What is the limit between overdressing and underdressing a doll, for you?
Well, I'm generally happy as long as the outfit looks good and come together well. Only a sweatshirt and a pair of shorts can be acceptable as long as it looks good with bare feet, so I guess I don't really care in that way.

Regarding the first question, do you also take into consideration the doll's value, when buying it clothes?
Fff, no. I take the dolls size in account, since my dolls are probably going to trade around outfits anyway.

Does owning the doll itself as a possession mean more to you than the way it's dressed?
Yeah. I tend to sew my own dolly-clothes, so I don't really mind if it's dressed or not.

Planning a doll's outfit based on its given back story/character...?
Well, I might plan out a dolls overall clothing style based on it's character. Just one outfit is a little meh.

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...
Eh, no. It's clothes to dress the doll in, right? I can't see anything wrong with 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?
No, it does not. Except if they're cosplaying, I guess.

 

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

Mostly it's about how the outfit looks - I like old-fashioned and period styles BUT I'm fussy about them. There are many pseudo 18th Century and 19th Centry BJD outfits out there, but most of them I won't pay for because bits of them are wrong (they're more based on the inaccurate Anime/Manga ideas of the period style than on historical detail, or made by people who have inadvertently included modern aestetics which just scream WRONG! when I look at them.

Mens/boys styles have the aistband of the trousers or britches too ow so it shows below the waistcoat - or, worse, has shirt visible between the bottom of the waistcoat and the op of the trouser waist (It's ugly in modern clothes and downright hideous in period styles), and htye have short 19th century style waistcoats paired with 18th century frock-coats that should have long (thigh length) waistcoats paired with them... etc etc.
Women's/girls styles seem to be covered in obviously modern/synthetic lace. 18th Century style gowns are given puff-sleeves. Any "lolita-esque" outfit, it seems, can be sold as "Victorian" even whith the skirts too short, acres of nylon-lace ruffles and ugly sleeves that flare out at the wrists.

Many an outfits I'd otherwise be happy to pay the price for is "spoiled" by a glaringly wrong detail.... especially as I know I could make the thing myself without the obvious "wrong" bits (if I had the time.. of course)

As for more modern styles - getting jeans and trousers for boys that have the waistband set at the waist instead of at some random level closer to the hip is almost impossible. And I'm not about to pay the prices asked for items that just look wrong.

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

Sort of - the dolls aren't cheap so why skimp on the price of the clothes. BUT - it's tempered, again, with whether he clothing is right - why pay through the nose or something you know you'll have to alter because bits of t just don't look right. I'd rather pay a little bit more and buy from somewhere where they will customise their existing styles to change the bits you don't like.

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

For me, the way you dress them is part ad parcel of owning them as dolls.

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

Yes. I seldom do it in advance of getting the doll, however, as I could end up with a set of clothes that don't ft the character the doll ends up with (my Narae, for example, was supposed to be a sleek-chic sophisticated secret-agent type, but turned out to be a laid-back hippy-girl from the moment the box was opened).

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...


Pretty much it'd the doll-owner's choice - their doll, their vision of how it should be styled and dressed. Plus, sometimes the cheap outfit is the right one for the doll. I have a cheap dress that came off a mass-produced doll and cost me next-to-nothing second hand... which was the dress that settled one doll's style. I like the style and overall look of it so much that I'm working on making "better" versions of it with variations for other dolls in different sizes.

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 gang mostly have definate styles that go with their characters (including hair colour and styles), whihc I try to stick to (except for themed meets etc, which are pretty much the doll-equivalent of a costume party so whatever they wear then is their costume for the event regardless of their actual character)

Teddy

 

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?)

Mmm... to me, underdressing a doll means the doll being naked, half naked, only on underwear or so on. And there's not really a limit for 'overdressing'. I never think my dolls have too many clothes! xD


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)

I don't think so, I purchase clothes 'equally' for every doll -besides, mine share clothes!-.


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?)

The doll comes first, specially if I only have the money to buy it without clothes. If I have the money to buy the doll plus some clothes, then I do. But even if the doll is the most important part, I also care about buying good clothes when I have it on my hands. I cannot stand buying only cheap clothing for dolls ><

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 used to, but don't anymore. I buy whatever clothes I like regardless of what the character would wear. I wear whatever I like, why can't dolls be the same? My OCs wear whatever they like! =D

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 consider this negligence. I don't see the purpose of buying a $600 dolls and only $3 clothes which look cheap and 'shabby'.

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?)

It does... if I have a doll dressed in a way I don't like, I don't take pics of him >_<

 

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

Both, but as long as they look great and suits what I'm wearing that day (When I bring them out). Else, my boys will only be wearing an undergarment and no top/only a singlet.

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

No really. I dress them according to what I like/ my style.

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

No. Although the doll itself means more to me and I actually do prefer looking at their naked bodies (LOL), I will still try to get them nice clothes to wear around.

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

I just mix and match with whatever clothes I have. But since I'm going to introduce my boys into the cosplay world, I suppose I will start planning ahead on what to get in the future!

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. I don't see it as mistreating as some people do have budgets.

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?

A little. I prefer my boys to be more manly, thus I'll let them wear sexier clothes. However, I do get them wear cutesy clothes once in a while.

 

What is the limit between overdressing and underdressing a doll, for you?
I usually get outfits for my dolls based on if the outfit looks good on my dolls or not. Usually price doesn't bother me.

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

Does owning the doll itself as a possession mean more to you than the way it's dressed?
Once i get the doll, I like it dressed. Unless the personality I set for my doll has him running around the house half nake......but a girl doll should have clothes on at all times.

Planning a doll's outfit based on its given back story/character...?
Yes I usually plan the clothes based on their characters. But once in a while, my dolls cosplay because I just loved a certain outfit even if it doesn't fit their image.

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...
It's their doll so they can do whether they want with their doll. As long as they love their doll, i wouldn't mind the doll in the nude 24/7.

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.

 

What is the limit between overdressing and under-dressing a doll?
I suppose my goals could be seen as overdressing by some BJD owners. I want my dollies fully clothed in historical costume. I'm talking from the chemise to the supportive gowns to the layers of skirts and petticoats. We all have our own goals with our dollies so if someone wants day-to-day looks versus something really dramatic it is up to them. I suppose if you made something so big and voluminous that you lost the doll in the costume I guess that would be the max (in my eyes). lol

Do you also take into consideration the doll's value when buying it clothes?
Nope. If I had fallen in love with a more "budget" doll my goal have always been to make ornate and expensive looking gowns.

Does owning the doll itself as a possession mean more to you than the way it's dressed?
Well my whole reason for getting a doll was so that I could make historical clothing for it. So you could say my overall goal was the costuming and the doll was to be just the prop. However once I really got into the hobby I fell in love with the dolls as much as the clothing. I'm even losing some of my steam to sew but I did finally start on a chemise last night.

Planning a doll's outfit based on its given back story/character...?
Totally planned and based on her story and my tastes in historical costume.

Does makeshift/sale clothes/generally dressing a doll in very cheap clothes count as doll mistreating/negligence to you?
No. You get what you like whether it is new, used, made, or traded.

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?
Where or how I got the outfit doesn't matter. What the outfit looks like matters. We all dress to express our individuality so it is no different with a doll. For example, Luella arrived with blue eyes and I knew that she was my doll but it didn't feel right. I put in dark brown eyes and loved her face more for it. The wig she has right now is all wrong because it is all curly and red. I want her in a dark wig and I'm sure when I get one for her I'll once again fall even more in love with her. And finally when I maker her outfits I want for her I'm sure I'll feel that she is "complete".

 

1. 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 think what size a doll is reflects how pretentious the styles of clothes that may be available for that size. Lolita clothes are very pretty popular for the Yo-SD sizes, for example; and the Egyptian look is gaining some popularity in SD's, for another example.

Sometimes certain "looks" are only so readily available in certain sizes, otherwise, you have to make those "rarer" styles.

Personally, I live on a budget and I do prefer shopping for my yoSD girls rather than me, but I do also want to buy groceries and pay my rent -- but really, I think that my girls like what they like.

Regardless, if I can spare a bit of cas for clothes, I'm still pretty picky about quality -- I don't want scattered stitches or loose threads or fraying to happen.

But some of the nicest clothes my girls own are Barbie stuff!! I really think it's where do you buy your clothes from and who makes them, not how much the cost.

If a cute dress or nice shoes are very sweet and my girls' like them, and there isn't any issue with sizes, and if the dress is completed and doesn't have fraying, I don't really mind going to Goodwill and picking up a good LaLaLoopsy or Barbie dress. I think it's very exciting, actually, to find cute clothes at Pawn Shops or through sites like Etsy.


2. 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)

I think it's silly and not cost affective ... for someone like me.... who lives paycheck to paycheck....to spend over $50 on 1 dress when I only spent $270 for my Littelfee.

I mean, I have kitties to feed, and a wife to take care of! I do think that what's important to me is having well-made clothes in a nice style, regardless of price, that are within my budget...

....Because I use my dolls entirely for my photography portfolio, I want to have a few articles of clothing to mix and match, so cost is very important!! I can't afford to spend too much, but that's perfectly fine for me. I'm happy.


3. 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 owning a doll and having good clothes go hand & hand.

My dolls aren't more important than their clothes, and their clothes aren't more important than themselves. They just like owning what they own :-)

4. 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?)

My dolls are my friends. I don't humanize them, but I don't see them as dolls, either. I think I just know what they like buy spending time with them, especially since I use them SO much in my photography

With that in mind, maybe I buy things on a whim for them to wear, but maybe I also pick something special out. I shop for my girls like I'd shop for myself, or my sisters, or for my niece. I get things I hope they'll like and that I hope will look good on them because it's kind of like giving them a gift. But with dolls, I get the extra benefit of being able to use them as an art form!! Yay....

5. 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?)

Oh, heavens, no!! I LOVE getting amazing clothes randomly put on Clearance. Do people feel bad when they go buy Summer Sales at Old Navy, or buying cute, affordable "replica" shoes at Target?? I don't, so I don't really worry about that with my dolls.

If it's a cute, finished product and it fits, sure, I'll buy it.



6. 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?

I don't really have any favorite genres I follow right now that are mainstream. But I LOVE Anne Rice, so I'll use this as an example....If I saw a doll that looked like the spitting image of Lestat, and he was suddenly put into a tutu, yeah, I'd say I'd be kind of insulted. Mostly because he's a pre-existing character and it wasn't within the owner's artistic rights to go and alter a copyrighted work of fiction into something they thought would be funny, or "fan-service".

If they have a character that's doing something weird, but they made it up; I'm sure they have a story behind it. Why else would they do that? I think having a personality develop within a person's own creation is a fantastic way to learn about art in general.




I hope that I could add something to this debate. I'm loving reading everyone else's responses!!

 

I think people dress there doll the way there charachter would on most of my doll i have bome made thinhs on them i make the clothing becouse i put effort time and in the end come out with somethinh worth putting on my dolls i think if you have an expensice LE doll than you either shoul get good quallty clothes or buy some nice ones

 

What is the limit between overdressing and underdressing a doll, for you?
I don't spend any money on outfits- I make all mine buy hand; I'm a 17 year old with no job and my family is very tight on money right now. Overdressing my doll would be to put her in a bra, panties, socks an such. It's odd but she never wears underwear, only stockings. Really overdressing would be panties, bra, socks, elegant extravagent dresses with a fur lined jacket and so on. Underdressing would be an incomplete outfit.


Regarding the first question, do you also take into consideration the doll's value, when buying it clothes?
I only have a BBB NS Isabella, and she is a 'cheap' doll and she only has handmade outfits or cheap barbie clothes. But if I owned a more expensive doll (over £250) than she too would be dressed in my handmade clothes, I wouldn't buy her clothes because she is expensive! I can't afford to haha!

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

Once I own the doll, it compells me to work harder so she can look nice in better outfits. I'd like her just the same if she was always naked, but the appeal of seeing hard work pay off for her to look good in an outfit makes me wants to dress her up good.

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

Aurora doesn't have a character really, or a back story. She's just a doll to me, so I dress her up however I feel, wether it be for a contest, taking pictures or simply because I want to.

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 at all! I'd be furious if someone said that to me, just because I can't afford to buy lots of clothes. It's the owner's choice how to dress their dolls, and if they're mistreating their doll, then what they will do.

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's the doll that makes the OC I think. Even if I have a wizard OC, who one day I dress in lederhosen and a tank top, it's still the belief and my creativity, that still makes him a wizard. And if he was dressed that way, I'd probably try and tie it into some kind of story.

 

Not having a doll yet, I'm really not sure where I stand on some of these questions, but I definitely have views on others....


Does owning the doll itself as a possession mean more to you than the way it's dressed?
As of now, the reason I'm interested in having a doll IS to dress it (specifically, to sew clothing for it), so the fact that it would be dressed is the entire justification for owning the doll, and the way it was dressed would reflect my level of commitment to practicing my sewing with it, which I would hope would be high, given the initial investment of money in the doll, so yes, how it was dressed would matter a great deal.

Planning a doll's outfit based on its given back story/character...?
As of now, I don't plan to give any dolls I buy in the future back story or character, since I'm interested in them mostly aesthetically and as little sewing manikins, so that would not be a factor. On the contrary, the outfits would plan the doll, in a manner of speaking.

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...
When I see pictures of dolls dressed this way, I have to admit, I find it a little strange, seeing a very expensive doll dressed in cheap or makeshift clothing. It's incongruous, and suggests a lack of effort on the part of the owner (though I know that's not always the case). But since I'd much rather make clothes for a doll than spend yet more money on them, once I have one, that doll will be wearing a hankie until I get my hands on some fabric, and an idea.

 

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 think overdressing for me is when doll has way too many clothes that you cant actually see. Like buying bunch of underwear for your doll only to change it each time when you change whole outfit. If someone is making lingerie photoshoots then its a different story. Or easily when doll has so many clothes that some of them sit in a box for years with no use at all. Cheap clothing doesnt seems like underdressing for me. Some cheap things are better than expensive ones.

Regarding the first question, do you also take into consideration the doll's value, when buying it clothes?
nope. as long as something matches my doll`s style then it can cost 1 dollar or 100 dollars. I dont really care. my YOSD which was more expensive than my MSD has some barbie denim skirts, which fit her perfectly and are uber cute. why would I need to pay 15 dollars to get similar denim skirt when I can have it for 2 dollars or so.

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?)

both doll and clothing are important for me. honestly if I couldn't afford to dress my dolls nicely, I wouldn't collect them because if I had to pick between having bad looking doll or no doll at all, I would rather to sell my doll to someone else who could make her look pretty. I have my dolls mostly for display and photos so looking nice is the key.

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?)

my doll`s characters develop when I have them `in hands` so I rather to buy stuff when the doll is already with me.

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 think its just the taste. For me something can be cheap/crappy looking while for other person it can look gorgeous. so nope, its not mistreating for me. also on the other hand, some people save ages for their dolls, when they already have them, they have to save for the clothes too, so sometimes it doesnt make the owner a bad person. not everyone has hundrets to spend on doll clothing & accessories right after buying expensive doll, because let`s be honest, it does cost hundrets to dress them nicely. no matter if its a YO, MSD, SD or something in size of Lusion dolls.

 

I think one thing to consider is the comparison to designer clothes for people--you can have something that costs hundreds of dollars and looks like they rolled out of bed and tossed on the first thing that didn't smell like cheese. Especially considering the cost for one "designer" shirt for a BJD, the simpler look of jeans and a t-shirt is sort of outweighed by the care and meticulous detail that has gone into its production.

And then, like some people have said, there's the approach to dressing that is character based. A fur coat might be more "appropriate" to the cost of the doll itself, but it might be totally out of character for them. Personally I would buy clothes for the look in conjunction with the character, not because I think the doll deserves more or less expensive gear. For me the doll and the clothes are two halves of the same coin, I wouldn't want one without the other, so I want to enjoy both of them.

That said, I wouldn't just... you know... toss some Bratz clothes on a BJD just to cover up their nudie bits.

 

What is the limit between overdressing and underdressing a doll, for you?
... With overdressing, it's kind of hard to say because some characters just simply require to go over the top, being it due to their nature or their backstory. However, I'd have to say the quantity of a certain article of clothing, like 20 identical frilly panties when the character is never depicted nude or half-naked in photos. As for underdressing... There *are* nudist dolls, so it's equally as hard to say. I'd have to say it's more about the quality - if they're wearing a Hefty trash bag that's supposed to be a winter coat, then that would certainly be underdressing to me. (As a kid, I used to come up with ten different ways to turn rubber bands and paper napkins into a beautiful ballgown.)

Regarding the first question, do you also take into consideration the doll's value, when buying it clothes?
No, not at all... Although I might get a bit biased with clothing towards a certain doll If the character the doll's representing likes to wear fabulous chiffon dresses despite being a fairly low priced doll such as a Bobobie, then so be it! (No offense to any Bobobie owners, I'm absolutely in love with a couple of their sculpts myself.)

Does owning the doll itself as a possession mean more to you than the way it's dressed?
... This is perhaps a 50-50 for me. Once I'll get my first doll, I would DEFINITELY be immensely satisfied just by having him in my possession. However, clothes are a must because I don't want him to be an indecent little boy.

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'd have to say that as I'm saving up for my first doll, I do tend to plan ahead If I like a doll, I tend to have this habit where I need to see if there's a whole other character "within it's resin surface." /dramatics

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...
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Something extremely cheap-looking can be beautiful to its owner. Something as highly priced as the doll itself can be utterly hideous to another person. Unless we know the owner's thoughts and actions, we don't necessarily see the full story behind what they do with their doll.

That being said, buying clothes just to have clothes is kind of... well, you know.

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?
As long as the outfit looks alright to me, and it looks in-character, I think I'd be fine.

 

What is the limit between overdressing and underdressing a doll, for you?
Probably letting your doll 'run' around in the nuddie. I have my boys in just underwear right now, but if I were to take them out for a meet, con, shoot, etc. of course I'd dress them. (Except for the more 'intimate' shoots where undies are all that is really needed) Trying to get away with a few tissues and rubber bands on a bjd I think kind of defeats the purpose of spending that much money on a doll if the owner doesn't even bother with clothing.
Overdressing is really determined by the character of the doll. Its a bit weird to have a demon overlord or an oracle in just jeans and a plain T-shirt.

Regarding the first question, do you also take into consideration the doll's value, when buying it clothes?
I'd like to say no, but lets face it... I'm poor. A cheaper option is going to win almost every time, regardless of if I spend $100 on a doll or $500.

Does owning the doll itself as a possession mean more to you than the way it's dressed?
The excitement dies down a little bit for me after getting the doll. No need to wait by the postbox anymore. But I plan and buy some clothes during the wait for my doll. Most of mine are SD size and share similar styles so its easy to get a pile of shirts, jeans, shoes, t-shirts and play mix and match.

Planning a doll's outfit based on its given back story/character...?
Yes and no... again. I play mix and match after buying a few items from one company.

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...
Depends on the situation. In public outings and such I think at the very least my dolls should be in a T-shirt and jeans. That's just me, though. Other owners may feel differently, but growing up with body image issues I /can't/ have too much being revealed on my dolls in public.

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 at all. One of my boys was designed ages before I even thought of having him as a bjd. I've only /just/ ordered him as a BBB Apollo then went off to search for clothes that I knew the character loves to wear. I guess I'm just weirdly organised like that.

 

What is the limit between overdressing and underdressing a doll, for you? ...there's a limit? I guess underdressing would be nude and overdressing would be so many clothes they look bulky and gross. >>; Regarding the first question, do you also take into consideration the doll's value, when buying it clothes? Not really. I'm not going to buy expensive clothes just because the doll already cost me a pretty penny. I'm more likely to just look for bargains. Does owning the doll itself as a possession mean more to you than the way it's dressed? Not really. The reason I want my girl is so I can sew and make her clothes, tbh. Planning a doll's outfit based on its given back story/character...? Not really. I think I'd probably make her a lot of different things, just because I can. x3 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... Ah, well...I've dressed old dolls I've had in tissue paper and scotch tape and made some decent looking clothes before, and that's probably what I'll do for my doll when I get here. She'll go with me to the fabric store with a tissue and tape dress or top/skirt that I'll replace later, after I've managed to actually sew something. So definitely not. 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? Ofc not. No more than one of my friends dressing different than normal makes me see him differently.

 

Hmm.. Now this is a very interesting topic. A lot of the BJD owners that I know go to great lengths to make their dolls look decent, at least. Though many I know like to use them as models for characters from books, anime, movies, ect, or for cosplaying purposes (as what I will probably do).

I do not own a doll, but I am basing all of my answers on my current stand point (it is subject to change, but I doubt it will).

What is the limit between overdressing and underdressing a doll, for you?
More than likely I will be influenced on cost when it comes to dressing the doll. Cash is already tight for me. But, I will make an effort to make the doll look nice or 'in character' if I can help it. To me, under-dressing is just them in their underwear, or a plain robe. However I can make exceptions on that if we are in the privacy of my home, or I am doing a panel/info session at a convention I am attending and need to show some articulation points (save for under their pants) to those who show an interest in the artistic beauty in the dolls.

Regarding the first question, do you also take into consideration the doll's value, when buying it clothes?
I probably would not. To me there is really no difference in a doll's dollar value. I have my eye on a doll that costs $165 before shipping, and he is gorgeous. I've seen more expensive dolls (of the same size) that are just.. Not pleasing to my eye. And in any case, they would both be wearing similar outfits that I would buy from companies, or the ones that I would make myself.

Does owning the doll itself as a possession mean more to you than the way it's dressed?
As stated above, I will make an effort for the doll to look decent. But like most people, there will be days where just a pair of shorts and a shirt will work for the day.

Planning a doll's outfit based on its given back story/character...?
I think it would be nice to give my doll clothing that fits how he looks, and how he acts. A real bonus. But I know at times I will have to make do and go with what is available at the time. As long as I am pleased with how he looks, I think it will be okay.

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 see it as doll mistreatment. To be honest, this IS a very expensive hobby. I say some clothes are better than no clothes. Like I said, I will try to make the clothes myself, which in essence would be cheaper than buying them. But buying 'cheap' clothes does not mean that the clothes are poorly made. I am sure that, like the normal clothing community, people are able to find decent things within their budget that make the doll look good. A sale does not always mean poor quality.

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?
As I do not own the doll yet, and it would be a clean slate when it comes to character development, I feel that I cannot answer this question.