Dolls and your own body image

• Have you ever felt that You wanted to look just like your dolls?
  • Absolutely! they have beautiful features, big eyes etc...but that's just a wish..
    
• Have you done anything about it? (Whether that is weight loss or gain, cosmetic surgery, clothes, hair, or other body modification)
  • I have tried to lose weight and all...but im really new to BJDs, so i think im more influenced by magazines/models/media than my doll per se.
    
• Do you feel resentful of your dolls that you may never look the way that they do?
  • Definitely not...but i love looking at her because she's reall pretty
• Do you feel that there is too much pressure to conform to how these dolls look and in effect, the way that our society sees beauty?
• There definitely is alot of pressure to stay thin, pretty etc...but i think at a certain stage (age), one grows out of it and start to accept being healthy is better than being anorexically thin or "perfect".

 

Being that i'm still a teen and would actually not mind to be a model, i've always wondered what having the stunning beauty of a bjd would be like XD Being that there's so many bjds out there, though, I think people might not be on the same page since everybody has different preferences. With some bjds, it can be possible to have a body type like them, but with some other sculpts, not so much...

 

I know that I'd never want to look like a bjd because, like it has been said before, perfection is boring! People's physical "imperfections" are part of what makes them them and can be extremely endearing. I want people to look like people, not dolls!

 

I'm so glad I stumbled upon this thread because I have had the same feelings of "I will never be like I used to be." I weigh 100 lbs more now that I am 30 than I did 10 years ago. I have a tendency to gain weight so it was important for me to watch what I eat and exercise regularly. Then, as I became more comfortable with my ex, I just didn't care anymore. I ate what I wanted, didn't exercise, and even stopped putting on makeup or doing my hair. Now that I'm 30 and have a 4 month old I want to be a "pretty mommy" and I don't want him to feel embarrassed by my size or frumpiness. Anyway, you have put the idea in my head that maybe this isn't the way I will always look if I put some effort into it! Thank you!

Have you ever felt that you wanted to look just like your dolls? Yes and no, I guess I never really thought of it before.
Have you done anything about it? (Whether that is weight loss or gain, cosmetic surgery, clothes, hair, or other body modification) No (see story above!)
Do you feel resentful of your dolls that you may never look the way that they do? Ha, no because they don't have to work at it to look like that because they are just sculpted pieces of resin.
Do you feel that there is too much pressure to conform to how these dolls look and in effect, the way that our society sees beauty? I think there is pressure in society to look a certain way and I think some of those expectations are impossible to achieve. I think the important thing is to be the best version of yourself rather than trying to look like someone else.

 

I'm always on the look out for a doll that resembles me. I certainly have physical flaws, but I'm content with my looks. So, in short, no. I have never felt any desire to look like my dolls as they tend to be perfect in my eyes. An impossible ideal that shouldn't be aspired to in my opinion, as it doesn't leave room to accept yourself as you are.

Although, I commend anyone that wants to be healthier. It really improves your quality of life.

 

Have you ever felt that You wanted to look just like your dolls?
No, I never had the desire to look like my dolls. To me, they are not human, and as such, I cannot relate to them on the same level, than, say, a super model on the cover of Vogue. The moment I start to feel that I need to look like my dolls, I will drop this hobby in a flash. I've dealt with enough body-image related issues through my life, to have a hobby evoke feelings of discontent with myself. I struggled with eating disorders (anorexia, for the most part) during my late teens and early twenties; it took me a lot of self-reflection and work to get to a point where I don't want to achieve some unrealistic waif look put forth by the fashion/beauty/glamour industry.

Have you done anything about it? (Whether that is weight loss or gain, cosmetic surgery, clothes, hair, or other body modification)
No, not on account of dolls.

Do you feel resentful of your dolls that you may never look the way that they do?
Absolutely not! I love looking at my dolls - they are stylized and fun sculptures to me. Each doll I pick for my collection has qualities that satisfies my desire to surround myself with pretty, beautiful, cute, interesting and unique objects. They bring me nothing but enjoyment. Like I mentioned above, once dolls start to evoke in me anything but positive emotions, I'll be done with the hobby.

Do you feel that there is too much pressure to conform to how these dolls look and in effect, the way that our society sees beauty?
To society, absolutely. I have experienced this first-hand through my struggles with eating disorders, and, as a nutritionist, I see women (and, in some instances men) go through these struggles daily. There's a lot of pressure to strive to look like photoshopped faces on the cover of magazines, models, Hollywood stars, etc. Even though my eating disorder days are behind me, I will never be fully immune to body image issues. I was born and raised in a society that values physical beauty and has a very unattainable (to most women) ideal; as such, it will always be a part of me, and I'll always wish that I could change certain things about my body. But, I'm at a place right now where I am comfortable with my body, and I will try and keep anything that tries to change this out of my life as much as I can.

 

Have you ever felt that You wanted to look just like your dolls?
Nope but my parents does. OTZ
They want me to be slim like my doll.

Have you done anything about it? (Whether that is weight loss or gain, cosmetic surgery, clothes, hair, or other body modification)
Not really.

Do you feel resentful of your dolls that you may never look the way that they do?
Nope. I love the way my doll is and it will stay that way. Plus that's the reason I bought it in the first place, I mean like it being cute and all. C:

Do you feel that there is too much pressure to conform to how these dolls look and in effect, the way that our society sees beauty?
Meh society... OTZ

 

I noted that began to copy style at zaoll

 

**post deleted***

 

I'd have to admit if there was one thing I did envy of my BJDs it would be their ultra-smooth complexion. 20+ years of acne left my own skin anything but so that even after treatment with accutane / roaccutane / isotretinoin I'm still left scarred. I would never part with my freckles but my acne scarring and the occasional spots that still pop up I could do without! If anything I might be able to say that my dolls (as well as my intermittent issues with social anxiety based on my appearance) probably helped to inspire my push to finally go though with my decision to finally try isotretinoin as a final acne solution (and may result in me getting laser resurfacing on my scarring later on.)
I also envy my doll's ease in changing looks so easily & readily ~ pink, black cherry and purple hair, & playing with coloured contacts is something I left behind with my university art college days and my early 20s. I'd love to go back to having that much fun with my looks. I think my dolls all form a bit of a proxy there, for sure.

 

I never wanted to look like any doll I've ever seen. I'm happy in my own skin and thankfully that has never really changed in size, except when I was pregnant. I do like the idea of wigs, however......lol.

Most of my dolls are boys, though I do have girl dolls that are of the 12 year old variety.

 

I would Loveeee to look like some of the dolls I've seen before!

 

Considering the things I do to my dolls... (http://www.onegreyelephant.net/onegreyelephant.net/mod)..nope, I can't say I have ever wanted to look like them.
Plus I would have to gain weight and that would be way too much effort, but it is an interesting thought.

 

Eh..I've never had a problem with my body and I don't believe that I have the desire to look like my dolls. Although my Souldoll's body is absolutely gorgeous, it is also very exaggerated.

 

Wow, I'm impressed how open people discuss this rather delicate topic.


Have you ever felt that you wanted to look just like your dolls?

Yes and no. I am a 23 year-old girl, I'm 5'8" tall and weigh 116 lbs. I may not be fat but seeing that I'm on the taller side I'm not petite either. I would love to look smaller and cuter and have a perfect complexion without worrying about freckling and turning into lobster-girl as soon as I get out in the sun.
But that is a wish that doesn't necessarily have anything to do with the dolls. While I have my dolls around I relate it to them but gimme some random photo magazine and I'll relate it to that. It's a general desire to be more feminine.

Do you feel resentful of your dolls that you may never look the way that they do?

No. While I'd sure like to look girlier I won't actually try to achieve that since it'd involve changing and I happen to be comfortable with myself. I love dressing my girls and changing their style non-stop, especially dressing them first casual and then changing the clothes to cute dresses. I wouldn't wear dresses or skirts myself, I wouldn't feel like myself, so I do it with my dolls and I'm happy with it. It doesn't make me love them any less, it's quite the other way around, I love them even more because of it.


Do you feel that there is too much pressure to conform to how these dolls look and in effect, the way that our society sees beauty?

I do feel that there is too much pressure but I think that actual problem is the way people handle that pressure. I'm tall, I've got great legs and my male friends always tell me they'd love to see me in skirts and how hot it'll be but I won't cave. I feel I'm confident enough to handle the pressure just fine and be okay with myself. In my opinion self-confidence is the big key.

 

This is a topic that definitely hits home for me. In high school (I am now a sophomore in college), I was definitely that "awkward child". My hair wasn't cute and I didn't put much effort into my outfits. I was overweight and generally not comfortable with who I was.
However, right out of high school I shed lots of weight and all that awkwardness melted away. I worked out and got the attention I never got in high school and can say, without a doubt, that I am much happier than I have ever been.

To that end, I began collecting dolls in high school. Only one is a girl in my general age demographic and, while she is beautiful and has a fabulous body, I have never looked at her with envious eyes (regardless of what my self image was at the time). To me, she is just a beautiful doll, not something I want to aspire to look like.

 

Have you ever felt that You wanted to look just like your dolls?
Yes, I have. She's just so thin and pretty.
Have you done anything about it? (Whether that is weight loss or gain, cosmetic surgery, clothes, hair, or other body modification)
Well, considering I just bought her a little while ago, no, not really. But I don't plan to either. I do plan on loosing weight but that wasn't because of my girl. (more because of my mom pestering me that I gain weight all the time hahaha!)
Do you feel resentful of your dolls that you may never look the way that they do?
Not in the least. It's not her fault that I'm fat, now is it? Hahaha!
Do you feel that there is too much pressure to conform to how these dolls look and in effect, the way that our society sees beauty?
I'll agree to what someone else said before..."meh, society". Haha~

 

I do wish I had smooth, poreless skin, like my dolls. But I think I'd be too heavy to move if I was made of resin!

The girl dolls I have or plan to have are mostly blondes, though. I have pitch-black hair and always wanted to be blonde... I did bleach my hair a lot in high school, and I suppose I miss it now, so that's why!

And I'm built like an SD10 girl, so they've always seemed most relatable to me-- And so I plan on sewing lots of doll clothes that I'd love to wear, if making human clothes didn't take so much time.

Oh, and makeup! I love wearing lots of it, but I rarely have time to put it all on-- so my dolls are made-up on the more dramatic side these days.

So I guess my own appearance does determine what I like on my dolls, to some degree.

 

Have you ever felt that You wanted to look just like your dolls?
I don't have any female dolls but I DO want to look like a doll. More often than not, people consider me to be strong and independent, a complete opposite of what I really am and I want my image to reflect who I am inside.

Have you done anything about it? (Whether that is weight loss or gain, cosmetic surgery, clothes, hair, or other body modification)
I've been on a diet and have lost some weight. I'm a US size zero to begin with, but from the point of view of the people in my society where the ideal weight for someone 158 cm tall is 42 kg (aka Hatsune Miku), I'm not quite there yet. I'm 161cm tall, weighs 45kg and am still trying to lose weight (less fat mass.... I need to excercise more... a friend of mine weighs much more than me but has a nicer figure). I do realise, though, that my obsession sometimes goes too far. To illustrate this, there was a time I try to convert the DOD female dimensions to my height's only to realise that it's not quite attainable
As for the clothes, the style I like sadly doesn't fit me ._. so unless I have sufficiently changed my bodily appearance to accommodate that, it won't as of yet happen.
I do consider going under the knife but haven't quite gotten that planned out yet.


Do you feel resentful of your dolls that you may never look the way that they do?
No, and not towards any dolls. However, I sometimes feel some resentment towards other humans whose gene just allow them to look better than me

Do you feel that there is too much pressure to conform to how these dolls look and in effect, the way that our society sees beauty?
conform to dolls: no
society: yes
but ultimately, it is what one's wants rather than what the society wants. As for me, the image I have for myself isn't the society's ideal either. It's too little sexualised and too much on the "delicate" side (picture a petite, frail and fragile girl in a frilly pastel dress who wants to be protected. No confident model strut. I don't want to be tall either.) To me, it comes down to personality and I want my looks to reflect it. I've had enough of people liking me for who I am not and mocking me for pretending whenever I gather enough courage to be who I really am.