Experiences in buying clothes for your dolls

I used to be very "whatever" about what a lot of my dolls wore, so they got a lot of hand-me-downs and sock clothes. I've settled into finding each of them a "look" now so I'm a lot pickier about what they wear, which means I'm spending more on each outfit. But now I don't look at them and go "what was I thinking????".

One thing I like is when artists on etsy (like wickedstitchery) have grab bags of doll clothes for great prices. My favourite doll is wearing a grab bag outfit since it turned out to be absolutely perfect for her. I know the doll companies sometimes do similar things so if you're willing to take a chance, those can be great options too.

 

Clothes are actually one of my favorite parts of the hobby! I used to be very very thrifty, but I bought a Sadol set once in a whim and I just tanked, haha. That said, Taobao is a GREAT resource, especially for casual clothes.

 

I've been costuming since I was a teenager - done it professionally (at RenFaires, & for belly dancers - of which I am one...). Also am in the SCA or was for years. So OMG thank goodness! I can draft patterns, know about the way material hangs etc, & I'm NOT at the mercy of some of those doll clothiers to come out w/exactly what I need or what will fit my dolls. Oh, no, THAT spot is reserved for the SHOES & WIGS ~sigh~

 

I'm still waiting for my bjds to arrive but I've already ordered another outfit for my Angell-Studio Elizabeth. I managed to find one of their Rococo dresses and I had to get it. I also have a Fairyland minifee red riding hood outfit stored away I bought second hand. Clothing is expensive but I'm just getting the outfits I really must have and will try my hand at making the rest of their things.

 

Yes, this is me!

 

I can't even sew a pair of socks. So I have to buy EVERYTHING. But Taobao is a great place to shop from, and even cheaper when I join a GO for them. There's a nice GO leader who absorbs the shipping from China to our country and we just pay the shipping from her to us.

My SD17 guys don't give me much trouble because everything can be used between them.
My EIDs and Idealians also share everything as well.
So there isn't a piece of clothing that I own that can't be worn by SOMEBODY.

 

When you buy cheap doll clothes, most of the time you end up with doll clothes that look like... doll clothes. *womp womp* I want doll clothes that look like real clothes. Which usually costs. But the alternative-- settling for less-- is just a waste of money. So I'm willing to shell out for quality. Since the dolls' only job is to look good, I spend what it takes to make them look good.

I also don't care how much the doll's clothes cost compared to my own. I can shop at the Goodwill and still look great-- the dolls can't!

 

I'm definitely in the "my dolls have better clothes than I do" camp, though as JennyNemesis said, I can shop at thrift stores and still be ok, my dolls can't. The amount of money I've dropped on doll clothes is ridiculous, but worth it! But, I can't sew for anything, and all my "kids" have specific styles, and I'm willing (if I can part with the money in ANY feasible way) to drop the cash on what they need. I do, however, bargain shop, find what I need - or as close as possible - at the very lowest price I can find it at.

 

I used to sew all my own doll clothes. Literally, didn't buy anything but wigs and shoes. Only recently did I start shopping for them and I'm learning to take my time and look for a good deal on something I actually like. I can't get everything I want, but I've got a decent wardrobe for my gals.

 

I'm used to the cost of BJD clothes, nothing associated with BJDs really shocks me anymore haha. I like to buy high-quality outfits so I typically only buy one or two outfits per doll. A lot of my dolls have a fantasy theme, and I find it difficult to create intricate fantasy outfits so I prefer to buy

 

I swear, I spend more on my dolls clothes than I do on my own. And that's okay by me! I usually like the more ornate and gothic looking clothes. But recently I've been trying to modernize my dolls and get them more trendy looking attire. But so far, my girls get all the pretty, frilly dresses, and my boys get jeans and sweaters/shirts. I think I need to start diversifying their closet.

 

Oh dear just thinking of all the expenses I did to buy doll clothes more than my own clothes which is bad.
As long as I am happy I shouldn't be regretting.
I just need to budget myself.
But then I discovered Taobao O _O; Oh my.

 

I agree with JennyNemesis above, that cheaper clothing looks...cheaper and sorta spoils the illusion. I don't buy a ton of clothing but every so often go on a spree. The good thing is that since I own a variety of dolls by different companies that if something doesn't fit one, it will fit another. A DC msd outfit fits my Rosette etc. I would like to sew for my dolls but my skills aren't up to it. There's those outfits that sell out that I would like to recreate but whatever. Over time I've gathered enough to clothe my growing family. The biggest problem for me has been getting a couple msd's. Most of my dolls are SD sized so most of the clothing is in that area. Now I'm starting out again.....at one time I had the idea to say to hell with all the outfits and just put everyone in Raouken Corsets but unfortunately she doesn't sell them in a selection of SD sizes....of course that would not be a cheap endeavor either. But like many others I spend more on doll clothes than my own.....

 

I'm able to sew decently when following a pattern, and as my dolls are mature tinies finding patterns is easy. I can't really make shoes, and finding ones that fit and look decent is hard.

 

I totally just tried ordering shorts and a pair of pants for my big bottomed SD girl. Finally got them in the mail and the online measurements lined up but she cannot bend her hip joint to sit down while in both the pants and shorts! Back in a dress she goes. Oddly enough the pants fit my larger SD boy perfectly. They are a bit of a girly cut but he rocks them out very well

One of my problems, outside of being cheap, is when I do finally break down and buy a few items I still feel like its missing a lot for their characters. I need more accessories or something. All of my dolls still dont feel like they are 100% completel (personality wise) in their various outfits.

My BIGGEST problem is that Ill tell myself "oh you can just make something similar" which I could, but then I get lazy and it usually doesn't get done

 

Are you me? This is totally me. "Oh, I could totally make that" *doesn't make that* *winds up buying something else at 4am instead*

 

When I first started looking at BJD clothes, I balked at the cost. Recently I ordered some clothes from Iplehouse, and when I got them I was blown away by the quality! They looked just like clothes I would wear! I started to really think about it, and a lot of BJD clothes are just as high quality as clothes for humans, albeit scaled down. It's even more difficult to produce an article of clothing at such a small scale, especially those beautiful ball gowns that can be found on the Iplehouse website and other BJD stores. Clothes like that at a human scale would be many times the price while just as much (if not more) work went into producing it at such a small scale. $150 for a lovely BJD gown is actually quite a steal, even though it's doll clothes. The clothes are worth it, even though the cost is quite stunning at first! I have a sewing machine and fabric, but my sewing skills are pretty rusty to say the least. It's been years since I've sewn anything complex. One of these days I'll get back into the swing of things!

 

Yeah...I was shocked to discover that doll clothing (underwear, dresses, socks, and even shoes) cost the same as or even more than what I would buy for myself! It wasn't until I tried, unsuccessfully, for a couple of years to make my own doll clothing that I realized why. Pretty much it's labor, quality of materials, and access to these products that drive up the price. When I was trying to make my own doll clothing, finding fabric wasn't the issue so much as patterns that are the right size (or patterns at all), and actually learning how to sew. And even when you sew, you have to look at it from a different perspective than if you are sewing for a human sized person, so you have to make sure your stitches are proportional to the doll you are making the outfit for. And then there is the issue of finding the little bits and pieces like buttons, zippers, or even accessories too for with the outfits. There are times when I see a dollie outfit going for over $150 where I am definitely never going to buy it. But when it comes to at least one pair of shoes for my doll....*sighs*....yeah...if I know it will fit and not ruin my doll's feet to get them on her, then yeah....I'll bite the bullet and get it for my doll. It doesn't go away really that feeling of "Omigawd! That's more than what I'm wearing right now!" but it gets easier with access to the Marketplace, finding BJD websites, or learning to make your own stuff as well.

 

I just got my first BJD outfit today I'm very happy I got a nice professionally made outfit as the first real outfit for my boy, this way he has something nice to wear and if/when I do make him things I'll have a good standard to compare my efforts to (I expect the comparison will only make me more willing to pay high prices to buy the good stuff, lol).

The clothes really do make the doll, I think finding clothing that suits the dolls can make a huge difference in how they look and I'm willing to pay more for good quality.

It is difficult for me to tell the fabrics used and the quality in general if I'm only looking a pictures online, it makes it harder to hit the "buy" button, as most BJD outfits are pretty expensive.

By the way, do your dolls wear underwear if they are wearing pants? I find there isn't much room to fit additional clothing under the pants, especially if I still want him to be able to sit easily.