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Doll Fashion Trends?

Jul 26, 2007

    1. i feel guilty now.

      Haha i like gothic style clothes so my dolls are going in that direction. Rae is more suited for dark colours and black is his favourite to wear though i dress him in every colour of the rainbow when i have the colour of fabric.

      there are loads of styles, i've seen plenty. I'm actually glad once Cain gets here i can experiment with a few more types of clothing.

      Rae goes for gothic, Cain is elegant gothic ^^" there is a difference, one's frilly, one has chains. Yue is punk, bright and colourful punk (when he gets here) Seiran is peaceful, no black for that boy only silky and traditional Asian. Asmodeus... leather and red. Jez is casual formal.

      Even with the dolls i have planned there are differences. Personality and face up does help alot.

      My boy has nothing definate, depends on what i want to design and make on the day. He has elegant, casual, gothic, traditional.

      it can be hard to find clothes that are suitable. I reckon commissioning is the best way. Once i get all 3 Eden-Tenjou brothers (2 more to go) i think the battle outfits are ready to be ordered.

      That's a main reason i make my own clothing. It's the part i like most about dolls, it saves money but i know exactly what i want. It takes near forever to find an outfit that isn't conversional and my boys taste. Tricky boys
       
    2. Dollmore and Leekeworld offers casual and dress shoes for boys. :aheartbea But most doll sites that I've seen sell chunky black boots. -_-;

      I dont know if there is a fashion trend going on here, but I know that there is a large variety of fashion that exists on the board, as several people have mentioned. If you look, you will find it. But I feel as if some fashion are more popular/well recieved than others. Then again, that popularity/reception depends on who's looking at the thread and who's willing to post.

      Personally, my boys are men and I want them to dress as men, not boys. So for me, it's hard to find casual, but stylish clothes for them. I know they exist, but I'll probably have to do more work to find them. I'd also love them in suits, since I'm a big fan of suits. I'd really want to see more suits (ones with pants) for girls too.

      I guess my fashion style leans more to a modern look and I think it's a fashion that most people dont want for their dolls cuz its too normal. But I like it and I'll dress my boys like it. ^^

      I'll do agree that I'd want to see more fashion for dolls that goes beyond the norm, like the crossdressing girls as someone has said. ;)
       
    3. But don't feel guilty! Please! That's the whole thing about style-- it comes from within, and shouldn't be governed from pressure outside. Do not let someone make you feel bad for liking your style, just because they have to click a few more pages into an online store (oh, it's such gruelling hard work, all that clicking, to find something in beige) to find the shoes they like.

      You like what you like. Part of this debate is getting folks to grasp that, respectfully, before demanding to know "why there's so much" of a style they're not into.


      *Afterthought EDIT: I'm with you, Aquarius-- more women in suits!! <3
       
    4. @JennyNemesis: lols I hope I posed my beginning post okay. I was pointing out certain stereotypes as starting examples (for what I've been hearing around the forums anyway). Though I do understand what you mean, the tone of the post is important. ^^'



      I will also admit I like more of the dark/gothic styles out there, but I like to put it like this: there will always be that trend (or I guess style) that you'll use as kind of a base, but then pull off that and go beyond! I generally like darker colors, and the lighter or fruits style is something I'm not really good at pulling off, but at the same time, I want to try and find a way to set my dark/punk whatever apart from others.

      I guess my Larue's style is very fantasy/gothic punk based. I use those dark colors, but also give him the long coat and the "pantaloon" look...lols I dunno. I'm still striving to have a more original style for Larue, but heck...the process is what's keeping me interested! ^^

      (EDIT: and I think it's fun trying to dress boy dolls more manly b/c their molds already start off as a bit feminine. ^^')
       
    5. I like just about anything if well designed and well sewn. I think my least favorite is probably high fashion (modern gowns). To me it's too much of Barbie formal look. I also don't care for lacy toddler Loli (loose poofy and very short with bloomers) on teen and adult dolls.

      One of my favorites is Mio stuff that look just like your favorite jeans and t-shirt. I can never afford any though!

      Carolyn
       
    6. as much as I agree with JennyNemesis that there is plenty in stores besides the goth/gothloli tide, I can also identify with those who are finding it a challenge to track down the right items for their dolls. in terms of the gallery, I see a wide representation of styles, but when I was shopping for business/business casual clothes for my doll I found that niche under-represented. I know that's partly because I'm picky (for example, I just don't like sandals), and upon consideration, it's probably also because many people have to dress in that style themselves, so it's not a fantasy they'd like to live out through their dolls (per brandie.HOLIC)...but neither is it fair to say that the people who have trouble finding clothes to fit their dolls' styles are lazy shoppers.

      (you might not be surprised, but I'd like to third the cry for more suits--even skirt & jacket ones--for both sexes!)

      as far as the trends I like, I love the "dark" styles, and look forward to getting a doll who wants to dress that way, and I love my sister's boy when he wears dresses, but there are basically no fashion trends I dislike. I look at fashion as a buffet...I don't follow fashion (that'd be a joke/you know we're going to set them, set them/so everyone can take note, take note) but when I see something I like, I add it to my repertoire regardless of what style it falls under (or whether it's So Last Year or So Typically El).
       


    7. Ahahahahahhaaarrrr, just the topic for moi!
      ::loves fashion xD::

      I LOVE seeing dolls in OUTRAGEOUS clothing! Clothes that no one could afford ::coughcouturedesignercrapcough:: or clothes that no one would ever wear out in public! Dolls can pull anything off, and with them being sooo realistic, it's like WOW THATS COOl!

      I wouldnt say that there's an exact "trend" going on, primarily because people dress thier dolls to thier liking! And there really isnt a trend in personal tastes :]

      And i'd really like to see more couture, high-fashion, editorial stuff ò_ó
      modern victorian curl poof hair [that was one word xD] and floof dresses.

      and fruits fashion!

      ZOMG FASHION FASHION FASHION.
      im going crazy.
       
    8. Tell Larue to fly his own flag, and his own unique style will come naturally outta that. :) I happen to think he's purty.

      I hear you-- you're wondering why there are so many posts lately on the forum complaining about dark/goth/girly-boy/crossdressing/j-rock/etc. dolls? That is also a good question! It's true, there have been a lot of those free-floating complaints lately. Maybe what we really want to know is: why they are complaining? Do they feel truly threatened by, say, an effeminate guy in black lipstick? Or do they merely feel like their own styles are under-represented? Is the REAL reason they're mad because they don't feel they can shop for mundane-type clothing easily? Or do they purely object to BJDs being done out like 'freaks', and just use the "I can't find anything" excuse as shorthand for their frustration?

      Frustration is a valid thing for everyone to have, when they feel their 'flavor' of doll is being maligned, or underrepresented. And both sides can simultaneously feel like they're the one being the most slighted, or feel like it's always the other group getting the most attention.

      (I ask a lot of questions. I think a lot about this kind of thing.)

      Edit: :lol: Henrietta! Sweetie dahling! Take some deep breaths! Deep calming breaths into a paper bag! ^^ ....fashionfashionfashion... it's a La-croix, sweetie...
       
    9. --
       
      #29 Devil's Trill, Jul 27, 2007
      Last edited: Jul 19, 2016
    10. @yukihotaru: There's no reason for you to feel guilty. You like what you like and this debate is not intended to bash that in any way.

      I dont feel that anyone should be going into 'viva le revolution take them down' mode simply because someone else doesn't feel a certain way, and that goes both ways with people in debate forums.

      And brandie.HOLIC, as for defining the word trend..that can be a tricky one. I see trends being defined simply as 'something you see a lot of'. I give no real regard to point of origin because who can say who really did it first? There's a lot to take into account such as people who dont take pictures of their dolls or people on different forums that we've yet to see because we might not go there. With so many people in the world more than one person has to have thought of or attempted to go through with any given idea.

      @Carolyn: I agree with you on Mios stuff. She creates a lot of every day styled clothes that still look unique. I love that she experiments with color and patterns and matching pieces of outfits together that you may not have thought would go well together but they look good anyway, like polar hats with skinny jeans XD. Not to mention they look very comfy.
       
    11. Yeah, that. For me its timid, and also a little too old and fat. :lol:

      One reason I got the Mini Gems is because there seemed to be such a wide and varied source of clothing for them. I'm also a Barbie collector and they can wear just about anything I've got in my overflowing clothes collection. They actually rock it a little harder than the Barbies do, sometimes. :)

      But I can also go out and buy more gothy, stripey, dark stuff as well. There are also fantasy options. I just kind of dress 'em however I'm feeling that day in what makes me happiest. Casual sweatsuit stuff? Got it. Ren Faire dress? Got that too.

      As far as how I feel about the trends? Well, when it comes to other people's dolls, if I can't say something nice I don't say anything at all. A lot of the time when I look in the Gallery I like to look at as much as I can because I'm attracted to the different and unusual. And every single time I look at someone else's photoshoot I learn something new about how people interact with their dolls.
       
    12. lols I just thought of something while I was doing a lovely drawing (has nothing to do with the drawing....XD)

      So maybe it doesn't matter how others are dressing their dolls. And maybe it's unnecessary that some people are complaining about those that are following those more popular trends. But what if there was some kind of valid reason to why this can bother some?

      Say, there are different types of entertainment that has these same kinds of issues. Movies. Lately movies have began the trend of well...being the same. Rarely are there any movies out there that are original anymore. And there are those that do not like seeing the same thing over and over again. How about manga? There are lots of manga out there that are starting to seem the same as well, and American artists are following the manga trend with all the Japanese names, school girls, etc.

      lols sorry if that didn't make much sense, but my point is, maybe this following of trends is concerning people because maybe people are losing creativity and originality. Maybe there are those that are following a certain style and never think to make something of their own.

      Now I do stick for original ideas and concepts, and even in fashion, I'd like to see something unique other than the styles I've seen used all the time. (lols I hope I made my point make sense...XD it sounded so good in my head)
       
    13. Someone could certainly view it that way, and it wouldn't surprise me if some people did. However, it also makes some assumptions--namely that so and so dressed their doll goth, because everyone else is doing it, and isn't creative enough on her own. People can like the same things, and sometimes multiple people have the same ideas without ever being aware of it. For instance, my descision to dress Hikaru as a girly boy had nothing to do with the amount of girly boys seen on DoA--it just seemed to fit who he was. There's also going to be repeats of certain styles, because we are all human, and the things we draw from are sometimes similar throughout the human experience.
       
    14. Actually, yeah. I know lolita, punk, gothic, and other "dark" styles are popular because they DO work REALLY well on dolls, but I would like to see more variety, mainly so my "ganguro' doll can have something to wear besides her school uniform, yukata, and "onee-gal" outfit. I am all thumbs and hate sewing. Not everyone's doll can be a vampire...

      And I'd like to see more "drinks whisky, smokes cigarettes, thinks fart jokes are funny" men-looking dolls. they are more complicated, no doubt, to design, but... that's why doll designers are artists! Rise to the challenge! (Not saying there aren't SOME out there, but guy-guys are defin. less common then fem-boys.)
       
    15. I like black, but that's because nearly all my dolls are either law enforcement, criminals, or businessmen with a side job in the black market. So naturally, they're going to be in uniform (well, the criminals aren't - they're more jeans and leather) most of the time. I do have a wide variety of colors in my wardrobe, but I'd say probably 75&#37; of the stuff is black.

      However, I have a LOT of trouble finding clothing for my crew. Why? Because while they wear a lot of black, they're NOT gothed out. Their black is tanktops and suit jackets and slacks and MA-1 bomber jackets, not bat-wings and D-rings. How many places have you noticed that sell flak jackets and assault gear? Do you have any idea how hard it is to find a decent combat boot? (A real one, not something that's taken on a life of its own and developed massive buckles, dangling chains, and a sole you could use to cushion an airplane landing?) When I do find a holster, it's almost always "cowboy" styled. That's fine and dandy, but does me no good at all - my crew are dealing in semi-auto's, AK-47's, SMG's, and UZI's. That just doesn't work with the tan tooled leather with horses and cacti embossed on it.

      My answer? I've started making my own. I make my own modern shoulder rigs, duty belts, drop-leg holsters, and more. I'm working on a design for a full tactical jacket. It's far more productive than complaining about the lack of what I want and the prevalence of things that I've no use for. And am I a seamstress? Heck no! I hate sewing! But I don't exactly like flipping burgers, either, and unless I do that, I don't have money to buy these dolls. Between the two, I'd rather poke holes in my fingers and bleed on their wrist braces than deal with drunken customers and smelly meat products.

      Note that all mentions of "you" in this are the abstract reader, and not pointing at any particular person. While I AM addressing the reader, I'm not accusing. I'm asking honest questions.
       
    16. As a follow up, I'd love to see a movement away from the 80's glam rock inspired face ups. Makeup is cool and all, but when your boy doll looks more like a girl than the lead singer of Dead or Alive, you might want to just consider a girl doll. ;)

      That said - if you're gonna glam up the doll, glam up the clothes. More vinyl and chains and leather and big hair. That's the ticket! :)
       
    17. Yes, I see where some people could view it this way. A big group of people who like the same style... tend to shop at the same places... so their dolls wear many of the same things... and it must look like they're not putting any thought into it. Maybe some of them ARE copying the specific "looks" of others.

      But I don't think a similarity in style-elements-- for example, the pristine White Rose group from Volks, vs. the trampy S&M-ish group of outfits from DoD-- necessarily indicates any true "loss of creativity". Or originality. Each type of look is popular with a large crowd, but those two crowds don't have very much crossover. Unsurprisingly, each crowd thinks the other is uncreative because of what they like. But within each crowd, you'd see the same outfits used differently for most of the dolls.

      The same clothes can be worn in totally different ways, to make personal style. My boys have tons of regular-belching-guy clothes... but no matter what they put on, they still always look like rock-stars on their day off. It's how they wear it. Put the same shirt or pants on another person's doll, and he'll look like he's ready for a job interview.


      SO not true! Then it wouldn't be a superlatively-queeny boy doll, which is special. It'd just be a girl. :yawn

      I tellsya, the whole western hemisphere is currently in the grip of an 80s Revival... so, if anything, you're only going to see MORE. Better get used to it quick, or else close your eyes.

      So by the way, can I ask: HAS anybody made a Pete Burns doll out of their El or Moon yet? ^^ Love to see that. Full makeup-and-robes-and-feathers Pete Burns cosplay.... and more girls in suits! Somebody, take your Dollstown Estella & make me a tuxedoed Annie Lennox doll! If we must suffer an 80s Revival, then at least revive the good bits. XD


      Why do anything half-assed, right? [​IMG]
       
    18. Okay, you have me there. I must admit to seeing your point.

      Mmm. Annie Lennox doll. I'd so get behind that.

      Precisely my point!
       
    19. Amen! Owning my own crossdressing boy doll, I know he would not be remotely the same to me if his head was a girl's body.

      Trends exist in fashion, and each person can decide whether or not to buy into that trend. I am currently IN LOVE with the 80's layering and bright colours and patterns that go against the laws of God and man mixed together look, so I totally have been buying way too much clothing. Now, should the early 90s with the long t shirts over leggings, slouch socks, and 5 inch tall hairsprayed Jersey bangs come back...you can bet I will run far, far away from it.

      Doll owning should never be treated as an originality contest and if it makes someone happy to own a gay vampire El who wears skirts, more power to them. I'm more offended by the clothing when it's poorly sewn than when it's trendy. I think it's sad when you see posts about how the only way you can have a thoughtfully dressed and characterized male doll is if you shun anything that is remotely popular and stick him in butch construction worker gear. Do it because you love it, not because it's popular or because it's the opposite of what is popular.

      My own boys I tend to dress in modern, metrosexual trendy casual because I love how the well known seamstresses who do that look, like Mio, make their clothes. The fit is amazing and the pieces are often easy to mix and match to make a lot of different outfits.

      Try owning an adult character in a YoSD body - then I want to see complaints on not being able to find appropriate clothing.
       
    20. I say, it shoudn't really matter. When I get my doll I'm going to dress him in what suits him, and the whole goth thing I like because it's really what I wear and feel comfortable in, but I don't like the emo thing. Contrary to popular belief, goth and emo are definately different ^_^

      But the girlyguy thing is nice to, if it fits the doll. Like Ayame from Fruits Basket, I want a boy like him someday. *dreams*