*How* do dolls look "happier" or more "annoyed" in particular outfits?

Avesha looks grumpy in any outfit I make that I am having her model with the intention of taking a picture to sell it.

 

This has definitely happened to me too. My CP Breakaway Loki usually looks pretty content, but once I dressed him up as a girl in a frilly dress (due to my cousin's begging) and his expression just seemed to completely change. He looked pretty pathetic, sort of like he was begging 'Get me out of here!' And then I gave him a punk girl outfit, which made him look snarky.

It doesn't always happen with all my dolls though, just specific ones (Loki being the most noticeable). That is also the reason I tend to favor him- because of all my dolls, Loki seems to be the most alive, in a way.

Or maybe I'm just crazy

 

It's really weird how this works. I got Miyu from Luts last week and it has taken till now to find the right outfit to make her look good. The first few I tried she just looked miserable. It may be projection on my part but I don't think so. I do believe there's a combination of colour ans style that's right for each one.

 

It's probably mostly projection, but it's true, different fits/clothing/colours will screw with your head!
That's why you'll see makeup and hair artists wear black pretty much all the time - if we wear a different colour it will reflect onto your face and change the look of your hair and makeup Different hues of resin/hair/fabric will definately have an effect on your doll in combination of each other. Thos changes will make us think the doll has changed in appearance, and our natural feelings towards them will squew what those appearances mean.

 

If someone says to me that their doll looks miserable in a certain style or whatever, I figure it's because they don't like that style and project that onto their doll, or they find reasons to try and justify it (poor posing, which might actually be contributed to poor clothing design or fit, is a big one). People naturally make assumptions based off of appearances, so it's easy to understand how a doll can "look angry" or "seem happier" in certain clothes.

 

A little thing called imagination.

 

The theory that people don't like a certain style and project it onto their dolls is a tidy one, but it doesn't work in my case. When I got my first doll, I wanted him to be my goth boy, and thought we'd dress up together for cons and things. Unfortunately, he clearly hated everything goth/punk I'd bought for him; he just looked sulky. My dolls are characters, so they "talk" to me, and he demanded jeans, t-shirts and "guy clothes." Conversely, I hate pink and white and sweet lolita style, but that's what my Baha loves. I really think it's the conception of the character. Most of us are very creative people, and lots of dolls on DoA have extensive backstories and developed personalities. Just like you can look at an outfit on a friend and say, "That's not you," we can look at outfits on our dolls and think, "Rats, that's just not him!"

 

the animist in me knows why it happens

If they don't like it, it won't stay on, won't button, flies off, they won't stand... and sadly it has nothing to do with what I like because Dennis won't wear half the things I'd love to see him in.

 

Well, the new outfit I made for my doll did make her seem angrier and slightly more evil...

 

With Adelheid, I have a theory...

She is a Katie.A from Souldoll and she has a pout. A really really convincing and heart wrenching pout. Now, from certain angles she looks happier than at others, but for the most part she looks miserable.

When she is wearing what I call her "strawberry dress" (which is really the Red Riding Hood outfit from Dollmore), she looks a bit more happy. When she wears the Cherry Dollheart dress I just recently got for her, she doesn't look sad at all.

The more red that is in her outfit seems to make her look happier and I'm guessing this is because it accentuates the more red and pink parts of her face-up and through that, changing her expression entirely.

So I think this has to do with colours in an outfit and a face-up and how they go together.

 

It's true!

my DoC Petsha, Eitka, loves loli and frilly things. As an elf who is used to wearing woodsy riding clothes and such, she relishes dressing cute and girly. She absolutely loathes jeans, however. I put her in a pair that were way too big anyway, and she just glared at me the whole time. No street clothes for her.

My newest girl, Wareyu, is a Dolkot Handfairy Peya nad hse is the happiest when she's wearing nothing . That's fairy's for you, I put her in this lacy tulle outfit I got from Dolkot for her and she looked like she wanted to crawl in a hole and die of shame.

my Black Catsy, Ankh, thinks she's the sexiest thing ever nad hates to wear loli or frill if she isn't showing of her legs or cleavage. She'drather wear evening gowns at noon than be seen in cute clothes. I put her in a Kelley fairy outfit the other day and she was absolutely miserable.

 

I do think they will be happier in an more lovely outfits, also when I decide to bring them out for photo taking, they also will look happier

 

This happens to me a lot with Kyoharu and it's not just when I change his clothes. If he's posed with someone/another doll he doesn't like, his picture clearly shows it. lol But I had one shirt for him and the first time I put it on him, he seemed to have this look of; "Um. No." Then I decided to sell it, but before I did [months later >>] I tried it on him one last time to make sure 100% I wanted to get rid of it--and...he flipped forward so hard, his head and wig hit me. I took that shirt off of him so fast after that, and he's never been in it since. LOL As for the rest of his clothes--I guess I'm a good judge, because it's never happened with anything else. lol

But my reasoning is; he has a soul. Now I'm not sure if you're a believer or not in that, but that's the best answer I can give. lol

 

Well I think, dolls can express their emotion not just by outfit that they wear but by the pose they have and different light level
For example. at strong light, my doll Kuiyang seems happier, at dully light level he seems angry and sad.
Warm and bright coloured cloth can make them seems happy and cold dark coloured cloth can make them seems cool ;D

 

Even I think I sound like a crazy doll lady when I say Moswen hates red. Doesn't matter what style or shade of red or type of clothing, I have to wrestle him into it. Once it's on, he looks pissed off. The Hubby (who thinks BJD's are creepy) even asked me one time what I did to Moswen as he looked supremely ticked off when I had him in a red coat to model it for pictures. He looked normal again when I took it off him.

Moswen also hates going outside. I can pose him anywhere indoors and he stands like a dream, solid as a rock. Outside? Instant rubber noodle doll. It once took me nearly 5 minutes to get him to stand outside while leaning him against a tree. Jaiseki (from the same company as Moswen) assumed the same pose in under 30 seconds.

Moswen also poses better/more naturally the more naked he gets. This actually fits with his character so.... Jaiseki seems rather a flirt and although I got him without a face-up, you'd swear you could see that mischievous look to his face. Kijika just ends up looking embarrassed when he's nude. He does take on princely airs when I put him in certain clothes and I swear the tiny smile he has turns into a smirk.

 

I was trying to get one of my girls short wigs on to my boy, Simon. He was kicking and flopping and flailing (he kicked me in the chin!) and when I finally wrestled it onto him, he looked so mad! I don't know how they do it, but our dollies expressions change, no doubt about it

 

Apollo refused to stand when I put on the yukata my senior made for him. He kept giving me a disgusted expression and was so uncooperative that I just gave up.

Ed was all cooperative albeit pouty when I removed his pants. Maybe MSDs are much more obedient... But after turning him to face Apollo, they both decided to 'chat' and ignore me(at least that's the feeling I get). And when I was putting them back to their proper positions so I can sleep, Ed was so not pouting anymore.

Apollo hates anything that looks remotely like a skirt. Especially when said item is gonna be put on him. -sigh-

 

I don't know how it happens, but Callahan definitely looks disgruntled if I put on an item of clothing that messes with his hair (a hooded cloak, or a hat, for example). He'll get very sulky until I remove whatever it is and smooth his hair down again. He also has a tendency to look much more at ease in skirts than in pants: when wearing pants (even loose, baggy ones!), he seems to pose stiffly, but in skirts, he's more graceful.

 

I think it definitely has a lot to do with angles, most of the time. But there are a lot of times where it just can't be explained as easily.

My boy, when I first got him, was pretty uncooperative, all the time. He wouldn't stand, would flop at the drop of a hat, the works. He's mellowed out now, but he'll still have his grumpy moments.

There's also some "shades" (I'm..a bit of an anime geek. :'D) I made for him, and when his eyes are covered he looks positively -livid-. So for me, it's easy to think he just hates those shades. :C

 

I would say colors and shadows. Humans have a very very particular taste for aesthetics, and can be very picky. Resin comes in slightly different colors, not only this, but colors reflect on the doll's skin. A white doll wearing red will look more rosy, whereas wearing blue or green will look more sickly. Not only this, but choosing poofy clothes may not compliment the doll's body as much as more skintight clothes. By changing these details, the aesthetic changes, and because it's humanoid, we attribute emotions to it. It looks better (even if the outfit may be uglier, it harmonises more), therefore, the doll is "happy".