Your Most Expensive Doll Dress Set

My most expensive dress set is definitely Hitagi's VOLKS x Alice and the Pirates Salopette collab. It was around $300. It popped up on Yahoo! Auctions randomly last year and after years of hunting for it and never having seen such a complete set in good condition before I jumped and didn't look back. The set is amazing and thankfully she loves it and looks just like imagined her to! 11/10 would definitely do again

Also putting in my 2¢ on the small-time dressmaker vs. well-known company clothing thing, from my observations of the community here in Japan it seems to be the opposite, people are more willing to buy/spend more on doll clothing from small-time dressmakers at events (but these days also through online sales/preorders) rather than well-known companies items. I have seen VOLKS sets that soldout instantly on the online shops sit stocked on the shelves of various Sumikas for months.

 

I intend on preordering a few of the $200+ three piece suits from Freedom Teller for one of my dolls once the next ordering period opens up. Their work is beautiful and worth the money

 

Among the three dolls that I currently own, two came to me in their fullset. They both cost about 800 USD (without shipping or taxes) and if the cost of the blank doll + faceup is about 520 for each (one of the doll was never sold without the fullset option, so I am putting it hypothetically), the outfits, including shoes, would cost about 280 USD. (For my boy, it was a two-piece suit, white socks, a scarf and loafers, for my girl, it was a white 3/4 dress, an overdress with golden embroidery, earrings, black socks and high-heeled boots. Both wonderfully crafted. So while it was expensive, I definitely am NOT complaining! XD)

I also very very impulsively just bought the most wonderful Ayuana mourning outfit for the remaining doll, which was 220 euros, so about 260 USD (but shipping included and without shoes!).

The dolls actually don't spend that much time in their fullset, but rather in my scraps of sewing/knitting projects or in cheap, basic clothes I got off taobao. XD But it's nice, from time to time, to look at beautifully, professionally crafted items so I can inspire myself for my sewing.^^ I want to stop at 5 dolls, but perhaps I'll make so that each of them has at least one professionally made outfit?

But yes, while I got some nice outfit pieces from taobao too, some are of shoddy quality and look way worse in person than on the website. Hopefully, if I get better at sewing, I could replace them with some of my own making.^^

I am not going to say "you get what you pay for", because it is not always the case, but well-made clothes, so usually pricier, really do look better IMO. I believe it is worth saving up to get one nice outfit or pieces rather than wanting several "cheaper" ones. Ooooor it's an EXCELLENT motivation to get better at sewing. XD (Of course, if you have a large crew to dress or just prefer mix and matching a lot of pieces, that's a perfectly valid choice too! I am just saying what I discovered for me personally^^)

I definitely like looking at solo/small team dressmakers' outfits ! Way more original IMO. As previously mentionned, I did buy taobao clothing, mainly to see how it looks on a doll/use as placeholders until I find something better. I actually don't really have any plans to get clothing from established companies like Volks or Dollhearts, because regardless of whether they suit my taste, it's too expensive to be "placeholders" and generally, I would have already seen that somewhere, which would diminish my interest. XD

 

Good purchase! Love Ayuana's stuff and definitely feel it's worth the price.

I do prefer to buy sets when I find stuff I like; I am not a very fashionable person IRL either and having the entire outfit together already is such a blessing for me. I love buying from Etsy and also have quite a few Dollheart sets I just adore. My most expensive was either an Ayuana dress or one of Soom's limited clothing sets for my Bermann...he's been wearing it for the past 14 years, so I have definitely wrung every last penny from it!

 

@Sandwich : Thank you! I am even more looking forward to it!

 

@lyaam12 I agree with @Sandwich , Ayua&Ana outfits are wonderful! Your Maskcats will look gorgeous inside (it is for Astrid?)

My most expensive dress set is the samurai armor I bought (in layaway, haha) this year. But It is worth the price. It includes everything from helmet to shoes (even the undergarment!).
Aside this set, I've some outfits made on order that are a little less expensive, but still quite pricey. Like this one:



I also have some hand-sew silk kimono that are in my dolls most expensive dress sets.



But nothing as much as the armor!

 

@Follow-the-Wind : You guessed right.^^ It is her "excruciating silence" dress. I just couldn't resist black velvet with hints of deep purple, and the discrete beading on the corset. I look forward to the armor, all of your dolls are so wonderfully outfitted (to match their excellent faceups)! I especially love that kimono, even the pattern is in scale!

 

@Follow-the-Wind, where *do* you find your gorgeous kimono? You painted that lovely Minawadou Saiki for me earlier this year and she looks fantastic in a Volks kimono (that wasn't cheap either!), but I'd like to eventually get her a more intricate set. Was also looking into the exquisite works by @flowergirl - pricey but absolutely breathtaking! I feel like a very detailed kimono could easily be my most expensive set.

 

@Sandwich I didn't make the link! I feel like an outfit by flowergirl would be perfect for your Saiki! This kimono is by hanatsukuri on instagram. I also have kimono by Xiaomaowang or by Japonsakura, mostly. Some from Spiritdoll or Infinite Love, but spiritdoll has seldom kimono and Infinite Love seems to no longer do dolls kimono.

 

@Follow-the-Wind - Where did you get the armour?

 

@xyuemoto It's @Almalexan (well, his boyfriend to be perfectly precise) who did it.

 

@Follow-the-Wind - Is there a website?

 

@xyuemoto - Sorry, for the moment we don't take any order for BJD outfits, but maybe in the future. ^^

 

@Almalexan - Ok, thanks for letting me know.