Clothes/shoes for odd size dolls: companies should stock them?

i also had a problem with buying shoes for my Dollzone Demi MSD girl.. her feet are long but VERY slender so normal shoes that would fit MSD would be too wide on her feet T.T

 

I agree! I have a Narsha Female doll and she's the only doll (I know of) that's 35cm... That's what I get for getting a special doll... but I couldn't help it, she begged to come home to me... now she has like no shoes that fit and the dollmore site is constantly out of stock of her shoes... :emo:

 

Sounds like you'd need to actually mail them and ask for clothes to be specially made... or have a large number of people do it, hoping they'll start supplying them more. Shoes, which are much harder to make than, are really the type of thing that really should be supplied often...

 

I don't think this is quite exactly a debate topic... We'd all love it if companies would make clothes & shoes for every size doll-body they make, and make 'em in all the styles that we could possibly like, and keep all styles of all clothes in stock all the time. But it ain't gonna happen. It is the nature of the hunt, the blood-sport of shopping, that the thing you want will always be sold out, the wrong size, or only available in pink.

Last year I was happy when so many more companies started making mature-boy bodies 65cm+taller, because I had this big SD16 boy with all these awkward curves, who couldn't fit into anybody else's clothing on the market, and for whom Volks hadn't made anything yet. (I still thank my lucky stars for 4D every day, so that the poor boy can have pants.) I am still waiting for Volks to support their beautiful big-boned creation a little bit more. But one cannot wait idly, otherwise one's doll will be going pantsless for a long time. If there is a hole in the market, somebody will start to fill it, but you often have to seek them out.

There are TONS of people here on DOA who have Minifees; of those Minifee multitudes, a ton of them are fabulously-clad. I admire at least three every day in the Galleries. Therefore, the clothes & shoes are out there. Somewhere. Go shopping! Have fun.

(And PS. If you ever do find some good SD10 Boy clothes, that aren't lace-trimmed sailor-suits, let me know! I feel your pain!)

 

I don't really think it's necessary for companies to carry a lot of clothing and such for dolls that are odd sizes, but I do think it's nice when they can provide at least one or two styles of shoe and wig if they're not a common wig or shoe size- clothing is easier to make or get custom-made for your doll's size. : /

Though I've noticed that a lot of the dolls that are somewhat odd in size are made by rather small companies, and I can imagine that even if they're experts at making dolls, they may not have the first idea about making shoes, wigs, and clothing, and especially for a small company making small product runs it can be very expensive to hire another company to produce shoes, etc.

 

It would be nice if there was a wider variety of shoes available. I don't think clothes are such a problem because people can sew them or commission and outfit. Shoes, however, are much more difficult.

Dolls need shoes people!

 

I can understand your point JennyNemesis... but if its a "larger" company, esp. with with multiple (odd) sizes, and they have a clothing section of their website, I feel that they should keep a basic level of stock clothes. Even if its only t-shirts (2 colors) and pants (one casual, one dress). At least your/our darlings will not be naked all the time or wearing a toga.
I feel that if they are not going to support clothing, they should remove that part of the site or post a note saying clothes will be "limited editions" with limited availablity.

 

I have had some odd size dolls, and I think the fun is finding places that make the clothes for them. Some have been really odd finds on Ebay for example, or finding someone who makes them tailored to fit. I think its something that makes it more enjoyable than easily buying the clothes on a company site. Its an easy option to buy from the company hence they sell out quick, I rather find more individual ideas for clothes (but doesnt mean I dont buy from comapnies either).
I had an Orientdoll Tae and found alot of wigs for him, I was spoilt for choice! But in the end I had to sell him. I am attracted to some odd size dolls such as the Zaoll dolls, and I would enjoy the challenge of making the clothes and finding ther shoes, but thats just me

 

A company that makes dolls does not always have the skills, resources or supplies needed to also manufacture clothing, shoes, wigs or eyes. There is also a huge range of styles that a company would have provide to satisfy everyone. The doll world is incredibly large, so for less-popular sizes you may simply need to look at generic doll supply stores or ebay. I'm always shocked by the number of people who don't realize that there are so many more options than the BJD companies. The size forums all have several threads asking what other brand items (BJD or other) fit different types of dolls, so they're a great resource. My favourite aspect of DOA is the Marketplace, because there are so many creative people making clothing and yes shoes, either selling premade or taking commissions. It takes some searching, but it is possible to acquire almost anything!

I definately agree that some companies need to work on keeping their out-of-stocks versus discontinued items more clearly marked on their websites.

 

How easy or hard it'll be to find clothes is a factor when I decide whether or not to buy a certain doll. I opted not to get a Narsha or a Minoru World Junior Leila because they're difficult to find clothes and shoes for. If minisupias didn't generally fit in Unoa and minifee clothes I wouldn't have bought one.

I don't think companies are obligated to sell anything. I do WISH there were, say, more shoe options for mature minis (even many of the mature mini shoes I've bought were too large), and I wish it wasn't so hard to find wigs that fit my dolls with smallish heads, but I've always figured it was my fault for buying dolls that are a funny size.

 

They should most defiantly keep shoes, wigs, ect in stock. Clothes can be made, but it's harder to make shoes. And it's always nice to have atleast one heavy duty pair of shoes. (For photoshoots, it's always a mystery of what they'll be standing on!) Like a good pair of boots or something with nice hard thick soles!

~Chaos

 

This is definitely a big thing to consider. I'm thankful for all the resources available here in terms of measurements because when I got my Minoru World Jr. Leila I knew she was going to be odd sized and hard to buy clothes for. I know Minoru does just about all the work herself and while her clothes are amazing, I know she can't keep up the stock and variety that I might want for my girl.

I think sometimes it comes down to research and deciding if the doll you want is worth possibly having to commission clothes, sew for, or is able to fit into other companies clothing before buying. Also, to the person that mentioned SD10s, I totally feel you~ They're my favorite size and body style but near impossible to buy for especially if you want casual boy clothes.

 

Try Denver Doll Emporium--look under all their "Shoes" category and the "fitums" they sell work well too.

 

I want to second Astronik's comment that BJD owners with odd-sized dolls really need to check out the non-BJD doll sources. Just as many (most?) BJD people have no prior experience with "traditional" collectors' dolls, the people who make & market clothes / wigs / shoes for vinyl & porcelain dolls know very little about Those Mysterious Asian Figures. And ABJDs are so expensive by comparison to the average "fashion doll" that sewers & cobblers are afraid of making bad guesses that will bankrupt them.

Which is a pity, because the very fact that BJDs *are* so expensive and "customized" means that people are willing to pay extra for high-quality materials & workmanship. For instance, there is a well-known German company called Boneka (aka 'Petites Creations') whose wonderful outfits, including shoes, are one of the big reasons I started collecting vinyl dolls 10+ years ago. When I bought my first BJDs, a Pukisha and an Orientdoll So, I heard that Boneka's Size 10 dresses might fit my new Tinies. With a certain amount of pestering, one of my favorite sources was able to get ahold of a bunch of Size 10s, and they do indeed fit very nicely & are amazingly detailed. But Boneka had more-or-less stopped making Size 10, because there weren't enough collectors who paid $50 for a dollhouse figure willing to spend $25 for a dress -- even a hand-smocked dress with silk ribbon embroidery. On the other hand, for a $200 Puki, the same dress is a bargain!

So -- if you can't find the clothes & shoes you want for your BJDs here in the BJD World, do take that extra step & check out the "classic" doll suppliers, and the individuals & small companies who sell through Ebay, Dollpage.com, etc. If enough BJD people ask, creative sellers *will* find ways to accommodate this (relatively) new market.

 

Not only that, but no one says that clothing for a certain sized doll will fit only that particular doll. I have a pair of pants that came with my souldoll girl, and no only do they look smashing on her, my Soom boy and my Doc Bee-a can wear them quite well. I've also found some dresses off of cheap-o porcelain dolls you can find in Wallgreens will fit both the minis and the larger dolls. Granted, they do have a different look, but a lot of it really depends on having an open mind and being willing to make a few tucks and darts here and there. I mean, even with human clothes there is a huge range of tigthness in fit.
Shoes are a bit more difficult, but I feel that since the dolls don't have to actually do any walking in them, a little bit loose or tight won't bother the doll too much
In fact, SD boots on a mini can give a cool, anime/video game kind of effect.

 

I have no problem with the fact that fitting my oddball crew is a challenge. Because my dolls are all different sizes, if it turns out a new pair or shoes/outfit doesn't fit one, it can usually go to the next-smaller or -larger. Also, I can sew and figure out my own patterns or mod existing ones, so if I really want an item, all it takes it patience, time, and a bit of fabric and notions.

What I wish, though, is that sellers of doll items would post the measurements decisive to fit on their clothes. Some shoe sellers do this and it makes me much more likely to buy if the sizing is right (oddly enough, those sellers that do this are often top-notch in quality and value-for-price )

 

I think they should absolutley stock clothes. I had that trouble when I ordered a senior delf girl, the only thing that would fit her were boy sized things which was annoying becasue I wanted her to dress like a girl. It's ok lately as I have found custom made clothes to fit her but it took ages for them to stock clothes for the girls. Also I've order a super Gem whos size is 65cms, I've hread they are quite tricky to clothe, you'd expect the company to make a wide range of clothes if they are selling these dolls.

 

I have a huge problem finding clothing for my Isabella Bobobie.
I know, I know, Barbie clothes kinda fit her. With alterations.
But it would be nice if Bobobie would offer 27cm doll clothing, so I can have an easy fit for once.
But the shoes! My God, the shoes!
Bobobie doesn't EVER carry the correct size shoes for Isabella, and when they do~They're horribly ugly or sold out.
I know there are other places that sell her size shoes..but they tend to be omigodexpensive. I don't even pay more than $15 for my OWN shoes, why should I be forced to spend $28 on clothing for a teensy doll?!

Blargh. She's shoeless, for now