Snap on shirts? or Head off wearing shirts?

Snaps are just barely tolerable when they are done right. They are rarely done right. Velcro is an abomination. I much prefer shirts that have no snaps and require head removal.

And several of my dolls have very difficult to remove heads. I just have a pair of forceps and a pair of pliers. Makes life so much easier. Also, pants that fit like real skinny jeans in the leg, I am fine with foot removal. Same with hand removal and shirts. I like things to fit properly and well.

 

Regular velcro is definitely visually unpleasant, however, the micro Velcro found at Volks store has worked great for me. I dont take their heads off, I kind of want to see what they look with the head on when I am styling them. I love zipper and stretchy fabrics for a snug fit.

I have spent a good portion of my life struggling with shoes/outfits snaps. I also dislike lacing corsets.

 

Definitely head off for tshirts and hoodies. I do photograph the backs of my dolls at times, and I just generally prefer my dolls to have clothes looking as realistic as possible. Worth the effort of head removal for me.

 

I usually just take their heads off, even if there's another way to go about putting it on, like with snaps or whatever. It's just easier for me to get the heads off and on rather than fiddling with the little snaps.
This being said, I'm fine without snaps, since I don't use them anyway.

 

While most of my dolls wear button-down shirts (and I prefer shirts with real buttonholes on them for that), if I'm putting a tight-necked shirt on one of my boys, I'd rather remove the head than have unsightly snaps or velcro fastenings. I've got a head-removal tool from Volks which makes it super easy to do, and I like the way shirts will lay better on their bodies if there are no snaps.

I do have a couple shirts where the snaps don't look too bad, and aren't very noticeable (some of my Japanese dealer items from Y!J are like that) but in general, they just don't look very nice for photography. My boys almost all wear short hair, and I'm very likely to take photos from the back in multi-doll photoshoots, or photostory situations. Having nice looking, realistic fitting clothes is a priority for me.

 

Oh how I hate taking their heads off! With se of them it's a downright nightmare, especially when I have to put a pencil to hold the elastic. So my ovious choice is snap on because with them changing cloted is easier and less of a pain. And I don't think they look bad.

 

mine wear mostly sweaters and stuff i've knitted, and change a lot for photo's so they always have either an opening in the back (part way down and closed with buttons) or a front opening if it's right for the style. (like a cardigan or jacket)

 

Definitely snaps on the backs of t shirts, just one in the neck is enough to get it over the head without touching the face up. I dislike removing doll heads too.

 

I honestly have very little preference. Both my boys started as floating heads, so I'm not afraid of taking off heads. I personally think shirts look better if they don't have Barbie style snaps up the back. Oddly enough, Raphael has a lot of button ups and and v-necks so he seems to do okay with or without head removal right now.

 

If possible, tiny zippers or buttons with buttonholes.

 

Like others said, it depends on which doll I'm buying for. Minifees have very easy to remove heads, so I don't mind buying head off shirts for them. But I don't even know how to get off my DIM Happy's head completely (the back of the head connected to the body, with a separate face), though his face is at least removable, so I don't mind if I have to pull shirts over his head, really, but snap up shirts are more convenient. :P

 

I greatly prefer snaps! I hate removing their heads because I worry I'm going to damage the head somehow. One time, I was removing a head with pliers and I managed to send the head flying through the air while simultaneously pinching my finger badly enough to break the skin. Of course, most of the time it's not that hard to remove the head, but it's still annoying and requires some physical strenth on a tightly strung doll. Out of all the doll clothes I have, I believe only two shirts require head removal. Most of my guys wear button-up shirts, though, rather than casual T-shirts. I think it's so much easier to get the arms in shirts with snaps/buttons as well, relative to over-the-head tops. I can see how some would think it would look bad for a hoodie or T-shirt to have snaps in the back, though.

 

It has always been that amazing amount of realism (compared to other dolls that is) that drew me into the BJD hobby -- and large ugly snaps or velcro on the back would ruin the realistic look of a t-shirt for me. So yes, I prefer the head-off versions .

 

I can sympathize with those who have replied about being scared to be removing their doll heads all of the time because many years ago I too was new to this resin hobby. If you stay in the hobby, you will eventually become proficient with disassembling and reassembling your dolls without any mishaps no matter how difficult for numerous reasons other than how you prefer to dress your dolls - Customization as in seam sanding and body blushing; tweaking their stringing for maximum posing performance and restringing of aged stringing that has lost its elasticity; routine cleaning of the resin to keep your doll new looking. As soon as I overcame my fear and knew each one of my dolls inside and out, I well and truly enjoyed every one of them.

I can understand about being just “lazy” to do so in order to dress a doll and used to think that Velcro/snaps up the back was less annoying and more desirable for ease of dressing in addition to being the best way to protect my doll’s faceup.

But I learned differently the hard way. Just because one is putting on a garment that opens up the back with either Velcro, a snapping closure, metal or plastic zippers, does not stop the doll from twisting in your hands somehow and allowing any back/front closure system to come in contact with a precious face up.

No Folks, I am no longer willing to take what seems to be the easiest approach at anytime to dressing any of my dolls.

The doll’s head/face plate comes off of the body period, full stop. The doll is completely dressed and then the head/face plate is put back on and finally the wig, without exception.

I totally agree.

Real-person clothing is also what I value.

I also do not want the added bulk and agree about the photographing from the back.

Too right!

At best sewn on snaps are passable. If gripper snaps are not applied through two layers of fabric, they will tear the fabric upon opening the snaps quickly and wreck the garment.

Two pair of forceps and a length of copper wire are my doll's best friends. On and off with a head in a heartbeat.

My sentiments exactly!

This is precisely the same reason I moved into the resin BJD hobby.


The bottomline for me is the largest amounts of my money are spent with sellers that make the MOST HUMAN REALISTIC clothing items for whatever style theme.

 

Head-off! I agree that the more realistic the clothing is the more realistic the photographs.
Although my plans are to make costumes for my dollie and historical ones usually are open front or tied in the back. So not velcro or snaps but still not a head-off system. ^_^

 

I tend to like head off shirts better unless it's a button up shirt and then I'll put snaps on and buttons over them for decoration. Although I love the ease of changing snap on shirts rather than having to take out my twine and take of the head only to put it back on 2 seconds later, I prefer the realism of shirts that, unfortunately, require the head of the doll to be removed. I have one shirt from my msd I ordered from dollmore before I was good at making my own clothes (was part of the brain fighter set that I ordered for the pants and glove thingy) and I generally ony put it on him if he's wearing a cape or something to cover his back cuz I just don't like seeing the snaps on the back.

 

I honestly don't mind either way. I find it pretty easy to remove the heads of my dolls. Most of mine have S-hooks or rings holding the head on - and the rings all have strings attached to make putting the head back on easier.

 

I don't want to pull/force a shirt over my doll's head or take off his head. Snap-ons please

Actually i haven't taken off his head yet... i'm afraid to

 

For me i like snaps or zippers. I cannot stand velcro, in almost every outfit I've ever seen it on it was used with a fabric that should not under any circumstances be used with velcro.
Also it's not that hard to find small metal snaps that don't add a bunch of bulk, i tend to use these with my own doll outfits.

As for why. i don't have very good hand strength. I also change my dolls a lot when i'm active with them and the thought of having to pull off her head every single time i change her? (depending on my mood my dolls can get changed a few times a day!) It just wouldn't work for me.

There is also the fact that the style i prefer for my girls won't work with a seamless back especially with my fabrics. I love outfits made out of brocades and such (they don't stretch) that are cinched very tightly to the torso and nicely fitted.
All of my girls have thinner waists than they do hips/shoulders. If it didn't open in the back via a zipper or snaps, a good portion of their clothes aren't going on at all.

So i suppose it works for some things (having a head off option), But it certainly depends a lot on the style.

 

I just HATE when I hve to take off the head to put her clothes on ><