Sock dresses and the anger they seem to generate.

Your opinion is wrong and biased.

What you consider "lazy" may be someones temporary solution to dress their doll, while still pay for other stuff. Face it, not everyone has enough money to buy the best clothes for their doll. However, most people, I assume, have socks.

BTW you are being rude by assuming everyone who does "this" is "that".

 

This is one of the most amusing threads I've read in a while...^_^;;

- Do you have an aversion to sock dresses?
It doesn't really matter to me what other people's dolls wear, but well-crafted clothing definitely draws my attention. So 'sock dresses', or poorly made things in a similar vein, are things I tend to just skip over.

- Do you think it makes a doll less of a doll when it doesn't have what the avarage owner calls proper clothing?
A doll is a doll no matter what it's wearing. O.o As for me personally, an overall aesthetic is important, especially in photography. A doll could have the most stunning faceup, body, props and amazing lighting, but if the clothes don't match the surroundings I'll just move on.

- Do you think less of the owner when they choose to either have a temporary sockdress or a permanent sock dress?
I am of the 'can't-we-all-just-get-along' persuasion in all of my hobbies. ^_^; Even if our senses of style or priority are different, we still have a common bond in our mutual love for dolls, don't we? Besides, everyone needs to start somewhere. On the other hand, if you're out to represent yourself as a 'doll artist' and refuse to move on from cutting holes in socks, you'd have to expect that you'd be met with some criticism.

- Let me now how you feel about sock dresses in general.
I don't make them myself, though I have used socks to make sweaters for my boys. ^_^ Nothing wrong with socks, especially if you eventually learn how to use them well!

 

Heh, I can certainly see why they chose to keep this and the Dolly Debate forum over the artists' forum.

But to get back on topic (as it were) I have no strong feelings either way about what other people choose to do with their dolls or what they choose to have them wear. But maybe there should be a "sock dress" tag so people with an aversion to them don't have to look.

That being said, I now have the irrational urge to put all my boys in sock dresses. Since they haven't been humiliated in public for a while. . .

 

How is it not rude for you to say that, exactly? "Your opinion is wrong" is, well... Completely wrong, for one. You can believe incorrect facts, but an opinion CAN'T be wrong. You're coming across as horribly argumentative and brash, and more biased than the poster ever was.

The poster mentioned a ton of ways that it is NOT lazy to learn to sew, or do ANYTHING other than cut the toe off a sock. The poster pointed out many ways that would not require money. Did you not read the post that you quoted? Because that's how it comes across, with you also being outraged for some reason. Socks are less expensive than a fat quarter of fabric and some elastic, which you can make outfits from. Or handkerchiefs, which you also can make outfits from. Or just about ANYTHING. It's the laziness and sloppy look that drives people away, and nobody in this thread has ever said "OMG yeah I saw this doll in a sock dress and spat on it because EEW so fugly then I told the owner off for not buying a $300 t-shirt for their doll!" It's always been "No, I think they don't look good, so I don't look at pictures of them because I don't like them."

I have no idea where you got this great personal offense from.


Also, I must be some kind of crazy person, because I don't fit into the sock dress group (never had them on my dolls-the first doll I ever got was given a simple rectangle dress and a tank top made out of stretchy material with ribbons for straps, but dangit I tried) and I don't buy my dolls' clothes-I sew them. I care about how my dolls look and didn't always have the money to buy stuff, so I taught myself to sew. If it was a really crummy looking outfit, I tried to get better. I always knew that until my stuff got better, and until my faceup skills got decent and all that, that people would not find my work aesthetically pleasing and wouldn't comment on my gallery posts. In fact, I would actually think hard about if I should post something or not, and if I would be proud of it. I understood that if what I sewed was, frankly, awful, that I didn't have the right to call other people elitists for not liking it.

 

- Do you have an aversion to sock dresses?
I haven't seen one in ages, to be honest, so they rarely enter my thoughts. I don't like them, though.

- Do you think it makes a doll less of a doll when it doesn't have what the avarage owner calls proper clothing?
It certainly takes away from the presentation of the doll.

- Do you think less of the owner when they choose to either have a temporary sockdress or a permanent sock dress?
I'm not going to respect their ability to dress and style their doll. Choosing the right clothes etc., is actually a skill, in my opinion. I'm not fabulous at it, but I do appreciate very much people who can style, present, and photograph their dolls in wonderful ways. I'm probably not going to think about what kind of a human being they are either way.

- Let me now how you feel about sock dresses in general.
I don't think they're attractive.

I seem to be one of the nasty, lazy elitists. I don't know how to sew and don't have the time or patience to learn, so I buy all my dolls' clothes. Increasingly I'm turning to commissioning and more expensive clothing, because I enjoy having things that fit right and look good. (Yes, more expensive doesn't always mean better quality. But if the better quality's there, I'm willing to pay to get it.) I've never put a doll in a sock dress, and don't see it ever happening. I have no particularly strong feelings about sock dresses and would never say anything to someone for dressing their dolls that way. Nor have I ever seen anyone bashing somebody's doll in a sock dress in a gallery or box opening post, and I'm on DoA constantly.

Just on a tangent, I don't care in the slightest how much effort it did or didn't take. I find the result aesthetically pleasing or I don't.

 

I'm with timid-- "Dammit, Jim, I'm a doll collector, not a tailor." I know it comes as a shock to many, but some of us don't sew, can't sew, don't like to sew, and have no interest in learning to sew. I can reattach a button in an emergency, but it ends there. If I attempted handmade clothing, it'd look like a sockdress. Quite frankly my dolls deserve better than my handiwork. I want the dolls to look good. So I pay people who can make goodlooking clothing for me. Everybody's happy.

"I don't like chocolate."
"YOU'RE WRONG!!!"

Uhhhh, yeah! Fact Number One about opinions is, there is no right or wrong. Fact Number Two about opinions is, they're all biased, because they're your own. What we have here is a fatal blowout in the semantics department, resulting in the catastrophic failure of somebody's verbal diaper. I personally blame Fox News for the pandemic spread of incorrect-buzzword usage these days.

 

I actually didn't know about sock dresses until recently. I wished I'd known when Amalia was naked, it would have been perfect until I could afford/obtain proper clothing for her. It's better than not being able to display her at all because she's naked :/ Besides, I'd be recycling socks. Aren't we supposed to be environmentally friendly now?

 

This made my day, just thought I'd share that. I'm really quite suprised by how this thread has taken off. Somebody said it earlier - if it looks well made I like to look at it. If it looks crappy (in my opinion), then I don't like to look it and I don't. It's pretty simple. I do sew, and when I'm feeling lazy I still find clothing that fits - ill fitting things bother me on dolls and humans alike.

 

SOCK PERPS! Woohoo!!!

The "Sock Couture" contest was vivid proof that a sock can be made into a really gorgeous thing. I have to laugh, though, because just last night I cut apart a single lacy white sock to see if it would make a good under-thing for a mini who needed such a garment. It does, and will even more so once I've finished the seams and so forth. Right now it looks like a sock with a few holes snipped in it. BUT! I put a beautiful semi-sheer kimono over it, so you can't see it and you can't call her ugly. ~_^ (<-- please, read all of the previous with a healthy dose of silly tone. )

At the same time I own a couple of doll outfits that cost more in the $200 range. They just happened to suit the dolls that are wearing them, perfectly. As does the sock that's on my old mini

I think it's the unfinished/rushed nature of some of it that makes some people cry "ugly." When someone doesn't take the time to at least TRY to finish the look, I can understand. On the other hand, hey, you get to learn how to sew somewhere, right? What's better; cut into a bargain bin sock, or ruin a really expensive piece of brocade while you learn the ropes? And for people with no particular sewing skills, a sock is a great starting place because voila, one or more seam is already finished!

In other words, I really agree with Stella Maris - people like to feel superior. It just kind of goes with the territory of being human -- you really need once in awhile to feel like you've got an edge over SOMEONE, at least . (And some days that's more of a struggle than we'd like...)

But the real reason I decided to post was that "Sock Perpetrator" sounds like a user title waiting to happen. I love it!!


Coming back to echo JennyNemesis: Please, folks... learn the difference between FACT and OPINION. Opinion is neither right nor wrong, it just IS. (Argument for better education everywhere. Really).

 

Oh yes. I think my Sard needs a new toga.

 

Same here. It reeks of an attitude- "you aren't worthy enough to be in 'my' hobby."

To me if I saw a doll in a rough looking sock dress I wouldn't be going "A Sock dress! How tasteless!" I'd think exactly what I expressed here, the person wants to make something of their own for their doll but is intimidated by sewing, afraid it's more difficult that it actually is.

A number of my coworkers have expressed that feeling of intimidation and awe when they see pictures of my doll costumes and costumes I've made for myself- cosplay and historical. I explain hand sewing is much easier than they think, and it's also quite relaxing- I've fallen asleep while sewing many times, it's that soothing an activity (unless you are trying to finish a costume a day before a convention, or even at the convention! )

I don't consider myself a fantastic sewer, merely decent, but that's good enough for me. But I think it'd be great at meetups for people who know how to sew to ask if anyone is there that doesn't know how to hand sew that would like to learn the basics and do a demonstration. I know I'd be glad to do so. I'm a librarian- I like to share knowledge for free.

 

I don't care what people do with their dolls. Different people have different ideas about what is acceptable, and it's not up to me to judge who is right or wrong. A lot of the younger kids in this hobby simply don't have the sewing skills to make a nice outfit or the money to buy one, so if their doll ends up dressed in a sock, I don't care. If they're happy with the sock outfit, then no one gets hurt. If they aren't happy with it, then maybe it'll inspire them to learn some skills or save some money.
But if someone shows up at a meet with their doll in a sock dress and they seem happy with it, why should I judge them?

 

- Do you have an aversion to sock dresses?
Nope! My doll "sleeps" in a lightly colored sock dress that has seen many washings so she can rest her string without staining or being nekkid! I turned the toe part I cut off into undies XP

- 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! In fact, I'll bet unloved socks have pretty good chances at being pretty dresses with more editing than just cutting off the toes, or sweaters! I believe I saw a sock hoodie tutorial around here somewhere... Socks are a pretty good thing to look to when you start out actually...

- Do you think less of the owner when they choose to either have a temporary sockdress or a permanent sock dress?
Meh. These dollies eat your wallet. I wouldn't blame the owner :3 I just happened to live nearby doll store that sold old doll clothes in Toki's size, so she didn't have to wear my obvious time worn sock dress anywhere...
- Let me now how you feel about sock dresses in general.
You know how you lose socks randomly, never to be seen again? This is a very resourceful use of a widowed sock! Keep dear dollie covered up untill you can either make or buy something more complicated! Or not! Your choice, really! lol

 

Honestly, I seriously want to applaud EVERYONE in this thread. Not because I agree with everyone (because that's impossible...) but just because you've taken something so ridiculous as a SOCK DRESS and turned it into the frikkin Justin Beiber of Den of Angels......

Minus the haircut.

 

I guess on that same token, I don't understand people who think they HAVE to dress their dolls in expensive clothing.

So many people refer to their dolls as "luxury" items... but in all reality, they aren't. They, in all honesty, aren't THAT expensive. I mean, has anyone ridden on an airplane lately? My television cost 4x what a doll would cost and I don't even consider THAT luxury.

I think alot of people have this self-imposed feeling of worth by the things they own. If they see someone that owns the same thing with "cheap" clothing they immediately freak out because OMG WHAT IF SOMEONE CLASSES ME IN A CATEGORY? People don't like to be generalized. The people that freak out over what a doll is wearing, generally speaking, and this isn't for everyone in this thread or even for anyone in particular in this thread - are the ones who are so insecure in their own hobby and their own doll that they have to pick on other people.

It's like bullying, but alot more ridiculous because we all like the same thing. I won't bully you, howabout you don't bully me?

 

I'll try and keep as on topic as possible, but answer in an indirect way.

Sock dresses are born of necessity. Just like modified dollar store clothes and those strange over sized shoes that are meant for baby dolls. A lot of doll owners are broke after buying their doll, and unlike a real child, it's not some kind of abuse to have one and not be able to take care of it properly at first. You can blow all your money to buy one and be broke for a few months during your doll's 'transition period'. You may have a very silly/unfinished looking doll for a while, but that's what being a newbie is about. It helps you discover your doll's style and what you want from your new doll and hobby. Some doll owners buy a fullset or pre-loved doll for their first, in which case they avoid this awkward stage but can still fall victim to the second stage.

Everyone wants to take nice pictures of their doll from day one, but most of the time, that doesn't happen. Unfortunately, everyone wants to be acknowledged as if they are taking nice pictures from day one, even if they aren't. This is normal, but can lead quickly to disappointment. Don't let it get you down, but chances are your camera, clothes, and props are not up to par with what the community accepts as average yet. That's just because we've seen some amazing stuff, not because your skill is any farther below any other newbie. Practice and effort gain attention in time. The second biggest investment in this hobby is often a high end camera. With the broadening of the community, this has just become part of the standard.

If people who've been around for a long time see a sock dress, they feel it's some kind of disgrace to the owner and doll. This is really a strange reaction in my eyes, and is part of the misconception that all doll owners must be competent doll owners, and in order to be competent, they must be able to perform a predetermined list of actions to avoid public embarrassment.

This list includes, but is not limited to;
proper faceup, wig keeping, eye position setting, and stain removal methods,
ability to make or buy fitting, semi-realistic clothes and in scale props/scenery, and
proper usage of mid to high end camera, lighting and natural doll posing/positioning for photos.

It is one thing to not want to associate with or give position feedback or comment to a doll owner who has yet to complete their doll, as some people feel it can harm their professional image (if they vend doll related items or make popular photostories/picture sets), but it is another thing entirely to berate them on the forum about their incomplete doll because they should 'know better than to post them looking like that'. This goes for bad faceups, inexperienced modifications, and 'lazy' clothing creations.

I've seen all of these things happen, to myself or others, at some point in time. I am also guilty of some of them.

This is a very real issue in this community, and I can't be sure of.. why. We all take our own dolls very seriously, but there's a lot of underlying bitterness sometimes when it comes to other owners. Personally, I've made my mistakes as a newb user and have grown away from the user base because of it. I enjoy my dolls differently than most users, and value face-to-face interaction with community members over forum-based praise.

When I see an incomplete or imperfect doll, it doesn't make me upset (anymore), it inspires me to want to help. I've taken to doll meetups lately with the mission of fixing any doll that comes my way, whether it be restringing, eye placement or changing eye putty, stain removal and cleaning, wig fitting or restoration, etc.. Instead of sitting around and.. well, bitching about what others won't do for themselves, I do it for them! The proactivity of it has made me so much more positive in general when it comes to the hobby and the people in it, I can only wish that more people started doing the same.

*Ahem* But, this thread is about sock dresses. There was a rather candid contest on the forum for one of the past anniversaries; The challenge was to make a beautiful dress using only socks. The contest proved one thing; THE SOCK IS NOT THE ENEMY. Neither is your fellow user. Some people are just happy with different levels of achievement. To some, a sock dress doll is a completed doll. For others, they won't be happy unless their doll photos are mistaken for real people.

Now, does that mean that a user with a doll in a sock dress deserves the same attention as someone with a gallery+ photoshoot? No, nobody deserves anything just because someone else has it. Does that mean that nobody should be allowed to comment positively on a sock dress photoshoot? Of course not, nobody should be put down because someone else is better than them.

Common courtesy for all is the policy of the forum, and should be the policy for life in general. We'd all be alot happier.

 

I've never seen a sock *dress* that was flattering, but I've seen a sock sweater that was truly amazing. Some things you can make out of a sock and you can't tell what it used to be, and some things I guess will always look like a sock.

I got a pack of cheapo underwear (we're talking granny panties in the biggest possible size) because it was a thin fabric with small prints, and I made a pretty decent shirt out of one pair. Not perfect, but it doesn't scream 'made out of panties', and it sufficed until I got my boy a 'real' shirt.

=^__^=
Anneko

 

This whole thread inspired me to go to a sock shop, buy some socks, have my girlfriend make sock dresses for our girls, and make a stuffed sock mascot and link the results in this thread.

My snark knows no bounds.

 

- Do you have an aversion to sock dresses?

I have other things to dress my own dolls in, but I don't have any aversion to sock dresses.

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

No.

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

No. They can dress up their dolls however they want. I wouldn't want them judging me about how I want to dress my dolls, so I don't judge them! (I happen to LOVE elaborate outfits on my dolls. To each their own, I figure. I hope no one is judging me--although I'm sure SOME are...! And I bet some are thinking that just because I like fancy outfits that I think badly of people who might put dolls in sock dresses--but they would be VERY wrong.)

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

I've seen some cute sock dresses on other people's dolls. I've seen some creative outfits made out of scraps of fabric or other things. Why not? Some people have naked dolls. Others have no faceups. Others have just heads... Doesn't matter to me.

I'm actually surprised that people actually DO have a bad opinion about certain kinds of clothing! I have other things I'd rather dress my dolls in--so sock dresses have never been a part of their wardrobe, but I've never thought about sock dresses being hated!