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Doll Trends

Jun 8, 2022

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    1. So-- honestly I just kind of wanted to talk about trends I've noticed and how they change over time. I remember fur wigs being like very common-- but now they're kind of dwindling-- and also the super sparkly custom resin eyes. I think they kinda gained popularity in the late 2010s?

      Are there any trends you guys have seen come and go? I'm really curious to learn about them!
       
      #1 Eggenthusiast, Jun 8, 2022
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    2. I remember when I first got into the hobby, there was like a "standard" BJD look, with the round juvenile face and narrow pointy nose. Then Soom released their first fantasy doll and there was a HUGE explosion in not just fantasy parts (though there was a huge explosion of that) but also in the variety of facial shapes. This eventually lead to Iplehouse releasing their EIDs, and then for a while there was a huge trend of the giant, realistic dolls.

      I kinda left the hobby about 5 years ago, but now that I'm back it feels like the anime dolls are back in favour, with the rise of anime sculpts from a whole bunch of companies, as well as everyone buying minifees again.
       
      #2 Lelite, Jun 8, 2022
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    3. This! I feel like when looking at older BJD pics there's like that very volks esc -- it was also very like lolita/v-kei. this is cool to know though! thank you :'O <3
       
      #3 Eggenthusiast, Jun 8, 2022
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    4. The Dollheart fer!
       
      #4 Anneko, Jun 8, 2022
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    5. Centaurs. Once Soom released that very first one (big white fellow with a unicorn horn) , EVERYONE, had to try their take on it with mixed results on size balance and pose-ability.

      Centaurs were the reason I wanted to buy a BJD, and low and behold, the Fairyland Sirrica centaur was my first purchase because I discovered it while it was on its sale period. I couldn't be more happier with my horse girl XD
       
      #5 TheBlueWazaga, Jun 8, 2022
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    6. Yep.

      Several different companies' dolls have also been all-the-rage for a while then been overtaken by others (or gone out of businesss - like Custom House)

      Teddy
       
      #6 Teddy, Jun 8, 2022
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    7. Man, there's a trend I wish would come back.

      Or that I could find a Fer for sale xD
       
      #7 Jeanemon, Jun 8, 2022
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    8. Trends are a constant. Minifee were incredibly popular for a long while, then it expanded more into slim 1/4 in general. Then those stick thin 1/4 (like popovy) were in the limelight, followed by stylized artist dolls in not quite standard sizes. Generally the 1/4 scale range tends to be the most popular though.

      Currently I'd say the trend is anime aesthetics and vinyl is making an uprising. Many newer vinyl doll companies have popped up into popularity (such as TinyFox) and a few existing companies have released more anime aesthetic dolls be them in resin or vinyl (Myou and iMoMo come to mind off the top or my head). SmartDolls are also very popular right now (especially amongst newbies to the hobby, I've noticed) and Dollfie Dreams seem to be getting more popular again too.

      You'll also find that trends can greatly differ depending on what websites you frequent for this hobby. Facebook and IG often have different trends from Tumblr and DOA which might have different trends from Youtube and TikTok. I assume it has to do with the types of websites and what type of hobbyists like one platform over another.
       
      #8 Cap'n, Jun 8, 2022
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    9. Existing, off-topic, doll companies (children's playdolls and Barbie type fashion doll manufacturers) have also jumped on the "articulated doll" bandwagon recently too (with varying degrees of success, some of them have inroduced extra joints to their doll bodies that provide so little articulation they might as well not have the joints there), in the belief that more joints is THE marketable feature of the moment.

      Teddy
       
      #9 Teddy, Jun 8, 2022
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    10. not sure if it's a trend, but i see that many sculptors tend to do more bulky bodies 75-80+ cm. Some of them have definitely anime proportions, especially if talk about shoulder size.
       
      #10 xatshe, Jun 8, 2022
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    11. Some of the trendiest dolls of 2006-2009 were def the original CP Luts Delfs. Everyone had an El or a Shiwoo or a Lishe and then Chiwoo and Woosoo and Breakaway.

      Certainly the clothing trends of 2007-the early aughts were very niche, lots of Lolita and Goth/Visual gear. Platform shoes. And every theme seemed to be Alice in Wonderland. It was hard to find things like regular street wear, jeans and sneakers.

      The trend now for 75cm beefy boys seems to still be growing. @xatshe, indeed, the shoulders are sometimes bigger than their heads! Many of the dolls and heads being submitted for topicality are all huge guys. I rather appreciate the look of them, but I already know it's too much doll for me.
       
      #11 idrisfynn, Jun 8, 2022
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    12. Can't speak to the wigs but resin art supplies are so easy to find these days in the US (I've seen craft stores and even Walmart carry kits + embellishments) that I can imagine more people are taking advantage of it.
       
      #12 soulsoaker, Jun 8, 2022
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    13. I joined the hobby in 2008 and have seen a lot of trends come and go!

      -platform boots
      -wide leg pants with straps and chains
      -faux fur wigs
      -CP Delf (especially El)
      -Dream of Doll (especially Ducan)
      -Early Dollzone (Mo, Megi, Hid)
      -Converse style shoes that were meant to be keyrings (you can still find a lot of that on AliExpress)
      -Sock dresses
      -goth/lolita/J-rock style
      -band aids and stickers all over the face
      -scars/blood all over the face
      -Minifee obsession
      -white lip liner on the top lip
      -the most unrealistically tragic backstories one could possibly make up (it was almost like a competition. I cringe at my first two dolls' stories. lol)
       
      #13 CloakedSchemer, Jun 9, 2022
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    14. oh god I did this-- my first bjd clothes were literally socks-- I remember so many leggings tutorials.
       
      #14 Eggenthusiast, Jun 9, 2022
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    15. Back around 2008-2009, I won second place in a sock dress contest. I was SO proud of that outfit, I thought it was amazing! Looking back it was...well...not. :XD:
       
      #15 CloakedSchemer, Jun 9, 2022
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    16. I was only lurking in the hobby at the time, but I feel like around 2012-2014 ish, doll sculpts that were an aesthetic I can only really describe as, maybe, whimsical horror? Like a lot of DollChateau's work, I remember dolls like that being super popular at the time! Most of the BJDs I would see as a lurker were that dark but fantastical vibe, with lots of lanky limbs and such.

      Of course, as I was a lurker, this totally could have just been whatever I happened to see around lol maybe my corner of the internet at the time was really into that look!
       
      #16 sixtypagesketchbook, Jun 9, 2022
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    17. Shiwoos in dresses or schoolgirl skirts...

      The already-mentioned Too-Tragic-and/or-Edgy-For-The-World backstories. (Extra points if the character was a sex-addict into kinks that involved black leather and props from Moggie's)

      Ridiculous platform boots...

      Lolita frills or Goth or the occasional kimono. Anything else style-wise was rare and hard to find.

      ... There are some trends that I really don't miss. :lol:
       
      #17 Brightfires, Jun 9, 2022
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    18. I got into bjds in 2007 and it seems my lot are still living like it's that time being goth/alternative/visual kei and lolita, I rarely sell any of the clothes I've bought over the years so have quite a collection of that type of clothes but its deff not as common like it was as already stated but I'm always on the lookout for clothing like that which can still be found but isnt everywhere like it used to be.
      Dolls I remember being popular that havent been mentioned yet were cp delf LuWen, Dollzone Yu, puki puki's, Dollshe Hound and the Cheshire cats. Also now the dolls are getting much more realistic with not just the sculpts but also face ups.
       
      #18 CandyKane, Jun 9, 2022
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    19. Don't I know it - my poor Victorian children stood out like a sore thumb at meets!

      Teddy
       
      #19 Teddy, Jun 9, 2022
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    20. Yeah, the Shiwoo skirt-boy phase. I'm glad that died off, looking back a lot of the chat around it was super cringe, very "trap" oriented. Some of the slang used is also best left in the aughts, I got so tired of everything being "smexy". I know there's other slang I'd love to never see again but thankfully I'm drawing a blank.

      I think right after the Delf craze or maybe overlapping the end of it was the era of Dollshe Hound. Anybody who made 70cm clothing called it "Hound" sized for the longest time. Then it was all Hound, Saint and Bernard on repeat for years.

      I think the biggest craze after that was Soom fantasy Monthly dolls. Every month for several years, explosive discussion threads for the newest release. There were dedicated threads just for speculating on what the next release might be. Tons of splits for parts in the MP. Now it seems to be more about the Idealians as part of the current giant man trend.

      I suppose you have to mention the Mini-me craze of the aughts as well. The Custom Manufacturing threads in the MP for unique celebrity and character heads used to be pages long. That's almost completely died off.
       
      #20 idrisfynn, Jun 9, 2022
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