Sock dresses and the anger they seem to generate.

But do you need to purchase leather seat covers for your lamborghini? Would you belay the right of a person to leave food wrappers in their backseat or paint their new car in zebra stripes? It may not be your taste, you may not find it agreeable, but do you have the right to tell someone they can't have the car they paid for?

I think the key point here is that people are completely allowed to think and feel what they will and even to express it when asked. There is a difference, however, between telling someone I think that affordability is important, I wouldn't spend that kind of money if it wasn't in my budget ect. and telling someone they have no right to have something.

I think people arn't "forcing" themselves to get one, as much as they are finally purchasing something they have wanted for a long time.

I do think there are some budgeting choices that are unwise and have seen some people make decisions that were probably not the best just to own a beautiful doll. I still think it is not my right to tell them so. I do not know these people personally and even if I did, it is not my money and not my doll.

 

- Do you have an aversion to sock dresses?
Only very poorly made ones.

- Do you think it makes a doll less of a doll when it doesn't have what the average owner calls proper clothing?
In my opinion, nice clothes don't make the doll, the doll makes the doll. If their personality still shines through despite the lack of "proper clothes," then that's perfectly fine with me.

- Do you think less of the owner when they choose to either have a temporary sock dress or a permanent sock dress?
A temporary sock dress, no. It's better than being naked, after all, and done right they can look nice. A permanent one, I might think less of them if the dress is incredibly crude, but again, if it's well done, I think it's fine.

- Let me now how you feel about sock dresses in general.
In theory, I think they're good for beginners to get at least a LITTLE sewing practice with and they're a good temporary (or permanent, if done well enough) solution to doll nakedness. In practice, however, most sock dresses are so poorly made that a safety-pinned handkerchief would look better...but even so, if the owner REALLY wants their doll to wear a sock, then it's their decision.

 

- Do you have an aversion to sock dresses?
Not really.

- Do you think it makes a doll less of a doll when it doesn't have what the average owner calls proper clothing?
A doll is always a doll, no matter what they are dressed in, or what is on their face.

- Do you think less of the owner when they choose to either have a temporary sockdress or a permanent sock dress?
No, I don't, I feel like it's kinda silly to think less of someone because I don't like what they choose for their doll to wear. The owner of the doll has their own reasons for the doll wearing a sock dress, whether it be temporary or permanent. A sock is just another piece of fabric to me, just another something we can use to have fun with our dolls. My thinking is that it's their doll, they can do what the please with it.

- Let me now how you feel about sock dresses in general.
Just like I feel looking at other handmade clothes, OOAK outfits, and the company clothes. Some I like, and some I don't.


Everyone who wants to be in this hobby belongs in it. Who are any of us to say that someone doesn't belong here because they don't dress their doll to the nines? It's like we are all back in HS and we don't get to sit at the popular table because we don't have the right clothes. <_< (this isn't directed to anyone in particular, just answering the "you aren't good enough vibe" that is being mentioned. )

We all have different tastes, and some of us choose not to buy our doll clothes, because it's not part of the hobby that interests us. I don't have any plans to buy clothes in the near future. I prefer to sew clothes for them, and I think they look great no matter what they wear. And yes sometimes they will wear shirts and hoodies made from socks.

On a side note, does anyone else think this should be moved to Dolly Debate? XD

 

I think this is probably a good idea.

 

reply to #261

1.i dont know, as ive never got the chance to own a lamborghini.

2.i wont. neither do i see leaving food wrappers or paint their new car in zebra stripes part of basic mantainance. i think food wrappers = filthy finger prints on dolls, zebra stripes = repaint.

3.i dont see how that is a taste thing, at least you didnt get the idea from my post right?it was repeatly said in previous posts for 101 times and i will be echoing here one more time. most people if not all dont like sock dresses because they are most likely poor made, not because the material is from a sock. there are many examples showing positive feelings toward well made sock clothing through the 14 pages, if you didnt see it, then i recommend you to read through the 14 pages first.

4.as i said in previous post, i see people's saying 'if you cant give the basic maintainance of a lamborghini, then why force yourself for getting one?'
yes, i think it's a concern towards affordability.

 

- Do you have an aversion to sock dresses?
Not so much. It does irk me a little if the dress is clearly just a modified sock and being worn as a serious clothing article, though.

- Do you think it makes a doll less of a doll when it doesn't have what the average owner calls proper clothing?
No, I couldn't; that would be terribly unfair of me. As someone who previously lacked money for proper clothing I think that it's acceptable to have a substitute outfit for the time being. Also, I personally believe that if there are many sock dress variations, it can actually be better than having only one set of clothes for the doll..

- Do you think less of the owner when they choose to either have a temporary sock dress or a permanent sock dress?
I can't think less of the owner for any kind of aesthetic reason. The only time I would is when I see a doll treated cheaply. About permanent sock dresses though, I can only end up questioning tastes as to why or how the owner could leave a badly-sewn sock dress to stay on a doll when there are better things for that doll to don.

- Let me now how you feel about sock dresses in general.
I wouldn't say I have a problem overall so long as the sock dress looks as though some effort has been made into making it not look like a sock dress. I've seen some brilliant pieces of clothing made with shirt sleeves, I'm sure the same can be done with socks.

 

Hello, excuse me, what? Are we even talking about the same hobby? Last I heard, the BJD hobby is all about customization and making things for your own doll. Maintaining a car isn't the same as customizing a doll. When you buy a car, you're not expected to assemble it from parts, paint it, put in the headlights, install the engine, and all that. For that matter, do you have to rotate a doll's tires regularly or give it lube jobs and oil changes?

On the other hand, I have seen a $400 car with a $3500 stereo system. Did I think it was a bit silly? Well, yes, I did. But did I tell the owner he didn't have a right to what he had or he should surrender his driver's license or stop listening to music? Hell, no.

To suggest that someone is in the "wrong" hobby just because they can't afford all the trappings is insulting. Period. It makes the one who suggests such a thing look like an elitist snob. When you say things like this--

--look behind you. There's the line.

(There you go, JennyNemesis, I used a direct quote.)

There's enough elitism in this hobby already. Freakin' quit it.

 

haha! doll people are hilarious. ^_^ i skimmed this thread enough to see that - wow! people are getting really heated about this topic! i never even knew it was an issue. so, i'll answer your questions...

- Do you have an aversion to sock dresses?

not in general. i'm sure they're not always the most esthetically pleasing type of garment, but i don't care about that so much. people can show their love for their dolls or their creativity in a million ways, whether or not socks are involved.

- Do you think it makes a doll less of a doll when it doesn't have what the avarage owner calls proper clothing?

not at all.

- Do you think less of the owner when they choose to either have a temporary sockdress or a permanent sock dress?

not in a million years. someone could wrap their doll in raw bacon, and i wouldn't think a thing less about the person.

- Let me now how you feel about sock dresses in general.

i don't have huge opinions either way. i probably prefer the look of naked dolls to dolls in socks - in general. but i'm sure there are some great sock dresses out there.

 

of course!

yay for rationality!

if people want to buy an $800 doll and chop into a hundred pieces and put into a styrofoam cup, that's their prerogative. if that's what they enjoy about this hobby, they belong in it. people can do what they want here, and remain the wonderful people they are. it's their business to do whatever makes sense to them, and whatever makes them happy. this hobby is just that. how could this even turn into some sort of right and wrong issue??

 

- Do you have an aversion to sock dresses?

I definitely don't have a fondness for sock dresses. To answer this assuming we're talking about a sock dress being uses as permanent clothing or being held as acceptable for daily doll wear then yes i would say i definitely would rather not see a doll in a sock. I've never seen a sock turned into anything proper looking. As a kid i used socks to try and make barbie clothes and asked my mom to try and even as a child they didn't suit be because in the end it will still look like a sock. all in all though if someone really likes their sock dress that's up to them. I wouldn't insult someone over it or make any comment about it. I'd just wish to see the doll in something nicer.

- Do you think it makes a doll less of a doll when it doesn't have what the avarage owner calls proper clothing?

of course not. If the doll is pretty it will still be a pretty doll even in a shoddily made sock dress. It will however make the sock dress and even sadder site if the doll is pretty.

- Do you think less of the owner when they choose to either have a temporary sockdress or a permanent sock dress?

my overall opinion on it depends on the situation. If it's just to cover a naked doll for the sakes of taking a picture when she first arrives then i wouldn't think much more of it. but like i said if it's used as permanent clothing i'd wonder why the owner would spend so much on such a pretty doll but not dress her well. Either way though it's not my place to judge it's their doll so i wouldn't think less of them. it's all personal choice.
- Let me now how you feel about sock dresses in general.
I wouldn't use them and i don't like the way they look, but to each their own.

 

last time i heard, this hobby is NOT ALL about customization and making things for your own doll. there are lots of people buy the dolls and put them on display.

though i can not see how it is relevant to this discussion.

 

OctoberAnna: I did read the discussion so far and I do note several others who are in favor of sock dresses. Several others have made valid points on the lack of aesthetic inherent in a poorly made sock dress. My comments on the car post shall now further (and hopefully more clearly be explained). Sorry for any confusion!

General Audience of Sock Admirers or Opponents:

If someone purchases a car, and have shelled out the necessary funds the car is legally their property. Were it an issue of spending so much money on the car, you could not afford to fix a break light if it were to go out, then yes, there is no point in purchasing an expensive car you clearly can not afford. A doll does not require break lights to be fixed. You should have a basic maintenance kit on hand, and if planing to alter the doll in anyway, i.e. face ups, dye jobs ect. you should also have the proper tools to do these tasks.

Now how you clothe your doll is a question of aesthetic. Someone can purchase a car and decide that they do not like the sleek black color and think it would look much better with something funky and different splashed across it. This does not mean they will be unable to take care of the car if it breaks down, nor does it imply they are a "bad" or "unworthy" car owner because they happen to like strange things that you find unappealing. Likewise a person can purchase an expensive doll, cover them in a sock, and leave it at that. They do not need to cover the sleek doll in a nice well constructed piece of fabric from a doll store with a high mark up, that maybe out of their price range. You are of course still allowed to think the doll looks less appealing then it would have in the lovely dress from the company. But you should also respect that the other person might actually enjoy the effect of the sock.

Further, I have been sewing since I was six years old. I have made clothes for myself, friends, and my dolls. One of the reasons I bought the dolls in the first place was to attempt clothing for them. I am sure other people find this to be a driving factor. Maybe those people can not sew well. They may therefore be proud of a sock dress that was ill constructed in your mind simply because it was something they made themselves. While asking for critique IS opening themselves up to be told their dress is ugly, it does not invite someone to tell them they are not qualified to own a doll simply due to their choice to make clothes for their doll with a minimum of skill. I am sure people have found the things I make less then desirable, and I have seen store bought clothes that were poorly constructed and fell apart after a few uses (mostly in human clothes but still) I further, personally, feel that there is no reason to spend more on a doll outfit then I would on something for myself (Which is often the case with the cost of shipping added in).

People have the right to spend, or not spend as they see fit, they further have the right to say someone's doll clothes are ugly and think they are foolish for keeping a beautiful doll (or car) in a state they find unappealing. I support everyone's right here on this thread and others, to agree and disagree freely and to their hearts content. As this thread was originally started to ask people's thoughts on the merits of socks as dresses it is only natural people should disagree. I do not, however, think people have the right to turn a fun and friendly discussion on the joys of socks into an attack against someone's worth as a doll owner. I do not single out any one person and I selected the car quote as it was readily accessible and provided a witty side note. I do feel that this thread has wandered away from it's original intent and should be moved or reworked to follow it's original train of thought.

Please to those for or against socks and their many uses...try to respect each others love and interest in the hobby and refrain from attacking someone's right to bare doll arms The socks are the ones on trial

 

I agree with JennyNemesis and (coming from my own personal situation as you might have read in this thread) I think that Kim's opinion isn't elitist. If you can't afford it, you can't afford it. There's nothing snobby in realising that, it's just a reality check. Kim didn't say that those people had to GTFO. To me the way she worded her opinion sounded like an advice to consider if you really want to spend so much money on something you don't need, when you have trouble getting by.

Don't go reading things into people's statements. Read what they actually wrote. There is enough drama as it is.

 

Clorista: Hurrah for cars and socks!

My two cents: I'm saddened that people who are wealthy and who have the most expensive dolls feel the need to scoff at those who make these sock dresses, when they should focus more on taking care of thier own dolls not condescending other dolls and thier owners. I'm not saying that ALL wealthy people are mean, there are a lot of nice ones out there, but there are those who do make negative comments on the poor dolls and thier owners. All I'm saying is, people are creative in thier own way, it's our rights as individuals to be unique. Socks, dolls, cars, yachts, microwaves...really who cares? Let them have fun, and if they enjoy it, then hurrah for them. Sock dresses give the dolls something to wear anyway.

I personally would pay to see someone make underwear tuxedos to match, since we are on the subject. XD

 

Certainly.

Nobody is going to force anyone to settle for what they consider "second best." And the definition of "competent accessories" is certainly open to interpretation. As is how one person wants their doll to look opposed to how others think the doll should look. Perhaps the doll's character is not so concerned with "competent accessories." You'll never know that because you won't look at threads that might feature a doll in a sock dress. Of course, some people's idea of "competent accessories" may provoke eye rolling by others who are just too polite to say (or type) things out loud.

On the other hand , there are days when my boys wear nothing but a smirk. Ah. . . my favorite days of all. Of course, there may be somebody out there who thinks what I call a sexy smirk is the facial expression equivalent of the sock dress.

Nobody should be all that concerned with what a bunch of random strangers think. The only people whose good opinion I seek, and want to maintain, are my friends'. Although I don't shop for my own clothes at Wal-mart, I'm guessing Old Navy or Costco would net me similar personal scorn from some. But oddly, I'm good with that.

 

My my! Quite a few posts in this thread harken back to the "Do you think some people abuse their dolls?" thread.

- Do you have an aversion to sock dresses?

I haven't been looking for them, so I've missed pictures of them on the forums. DOA is pretty big for a busy newbie and I've been making my girls first clothing (For the record, no, I didn't make a sock dress. I may in the future if I so choose.)

However, I have no innate aversion to something that a person made for their doll. Even if it only takes five seconds to make something, and that something is poorly done and disgustingly stained, it still shows they interacted doll. (FYI, collectors interact too, just because it's in a case doesn't mean the doll receives no love).

Isn't that the most important thing? Love makes the world go 'round.

- Do you think it makes a doll less of a doll when it doesn't have what the average owner calls proper clothing?

It's a doll. Considering that some dolls don't even have bodies, and that doesn't make them less of a doll in my eyes, I hardly see how clothing would.

High school never ends?

- Do you think less of the owner when they choose to either have a temporary sockdress or a permanent sock dress?

I follow this philosophy in life: the right to swing your hand ends where another's face begins.

Take that as you will, but I feel that a sock dress made by a person who I will probably never meet doesn't keep me up at night. I think bombs, deaths of children, disease, poverty etc. are a little more important than a doll's fashion choices.

If it does keep you up at night, I'm really sorry for you, and your insomnia.

- Let me now how you feel about sock dresses in general.

See above.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

So, in general: It's not my doll, it's not my doll, it's not my doll.

Feel free to borrow my chant when you feel the need to worry for a "poor" doll's fashion sense. It makes you feel so much better.

Edit: By the way, another FANTASTIC option is to take your anger and turn that frown into FABULOUS!

Whenever you get upset by a sock dress/face-up/wig/etc. GO MAKE YOUR DOLL SOMETHING PRETTY! The doll will love it, you'll feel like you showed the other person up and no one needs to be hurt/insulted/whatever!

 

Where do people keep getting this "people who don't like sock dresses are elitists who look down on the poor" thing? Most of the posts I've read here -- with very few notable exceptions -- have made it quite clear that it's not the cost, the material, or the origin of the outfit they care about. In fact, most people have said they don't care if an outfit is made out of a sock! What they care about is if a fellow hobbyist shows interest in learning, care for their doll, and skin thick enough to engage in a normal conversation.

Whatever happened to being able to express personal opinions about dolls -- from preference in clothing materials to favorite skin tones -- without it somehow being construed as an insult by a stranger? Holding a preference and daring to express it in a non-confrontational manner is not the same as going on the attack. People need to learn the difference.

I mean, come on. It's a thread asking what for opinions on sock dresses. Some people have stated they don't care for the look of sock dresses that are made without care or thought. And they're getting called elitist snobs who want to exclude "the poor" for having the temerity to have answered. Does this bother no one else?

 

I had no idea I was a rich, elitist snob! Right. I don't post about my own financial situation since I don't feel like it should have to be relevant in these threads, but I am far from rich. I'm an office drone who thankfully is only beholden to herself, so with careful budgeting and planning I can afford the fun hobby things I like. There are plenty of dolls and doll things I can't afford and have to admire from afar. All of my dolls have been bought through a lot of planning and saving and waiting until the right price came along. Shocking announcement - I can't afford to simply hit buy on a doll because my doll hobby budget per month is less than the cost of an inexpensive MSD. I dream of a pair of Antique Rose eyes. Those eyes would cost me my entire food budget for 2 months. It's not a buying decision I can make lightly. In the end, it means I buy less doll things and save for a few pieces of higher quality. That is how I prefer to approach the hobby because I, also me and myself, would not be happy settling for the more inexpensive things that I do not like. I was the girl with one Barbie with a few really fancy outfits. My younger sister wanted 20 barbies and could care less what their clothes looked like.

My post was not saying that anyone who only makes a certain amount of money are the only ones who should be involved in this hobby. I am pretty sure my income, should a bar be set, would be far below it! However, if someone has to struggle for a seemingly horrendous amount of time to simply be able to purchase a doll, unable to buy it anything else - be it eyes, a wig, art materials to paint it, or yes, clothes - and they want these things and they are integral to their enjoyment of this hobby (I know there are some people who simply enjoy them as blank pieces of sculpture), then maybe they really can't afford this hobby. This was in response to being told some people may only be able to afford a chopped up sock dress for their doll and have to settle for that. I hold by my belief if you have to eat nothing but ramen for months, can barely pay your rent, and neglect yourself in order to pay for dolls and doll stuff, this may not be the hobby for you.

There are a lot of things I would love to collect but I simply cannot afford them. It's not elitism. It's being realistic.

ETA for even more clarification - And no, I am not saying people can't be in the hobby or thrown out or anything like that if they do have trouble with the money aspect, but it is valid advice to tell someone they should stop and really evaluate their situation before becoming involved.

 

I have to love the irony of all the anger on a thread about the anger that sock dresses generate

It seems to be an unpopular opinion, but personally I agree with those that don't see the point in spending so much money on a doll if you don't have the creativity or intention to do something within your budget thats more original than sticking a sock on it *shrug*

That said, I also don't feel at all that this hobby is only for the 'rich'. The recent triathalon was proof that you can do the most incredible things with nothing more than masking tape as a material, so really, wealth isn't an issue here. Even socks can be made into really cool things with a bit of effort. I don't care what materials people use to clothe their dolls, I just like to see some effort/creativity/originality put into it. I equally love to see something amazing made on a budget of $2 as a $200 limited full set...

 

I am rubbing my hands together with glee (GLEE, I tell you!) at the thought of perpetrating a sock dress on one of my boys. It may not rise to the level of "infamy" but. . . oops, I've said too much.