Dressing your dolls - realism or ease of access?

I really don't have a preference for either, although I usually make dresses and tops with back closures and sweaters/hoodies/sweatshirts as pullovers that require me to remove the head to put them on.

 

Due to the genius that is one touch system, I do not care if I have to remove hands to put a shirt on. I could add snaps to the back of shirts to avoid head removal, but it's not that big of a deal to me and I'd rather not sew more snaps. As for buying clothes, if I were to buy clothes again, I would prefer no visible accessibility helpers.

 

For my 60cm+ dolls, I prefer realism since there's space for all that detail and it's not like they are gonna have 1mm buttons. Like I prefer real button holes instead of nonfunctioning buttons and metal snaps underneath. I was a bit put-off by an overbearingceo outfit I got where the coat does have shoulder tabs, but zero attachment mechanisms for the epaulettes so they basically fall off constantly! I don't mind being complicated to put on since I don't change my big boys' outfits very often since they are heavy and it gets tiring. My Dollmore Dell hasn't changed clothes for like three years since he is so heavy.

For my smaller dolls, I'm more willing to tolerate stuff like velcro and fake layers and etc. A mature tiny is gonna hit an overly bulky look very easily so I would rather sacrifice some realism for aesthetic since I don't take a ton of pictures of my dolls from the back anyway. I play with them in a much more Barbie-ish way, so I would prefer clothing that is easier to change. Might be a chicken and the egg sort of thing. Cheap tiny clothes means they have way more and thus I have more outfits to change around compared to how my 70cm boys outfits are either a big money splurge or a big giant project so they don't get new outfits as often.

 

I have some dolls that are sewn into their clothes, so changing them is pretty much impossible. For casual clothes additional closures are fine but I like realism for more detailed clothes.

 

As much as I love more realistic clothes, I loathe button holes on clothes this small (I only have two SD+ sculpts, so most of the clothes I buy are for 1/4 and under). For me it's less of an accessibility issue and more that because of the size of clothes, the threads around the button holes are very finicky and can get looped around the button as it's being removed. I'd much rather have button-downs sewn to look realistic with snaps or velcro on the back.

 

I'm definitely team realism, even at the cost of my sanity
I don't mind taking the heads off the dolls for dressing and undressing at all, it's the sewing that causes me a lot of pain. I think sewing small clothes (1/5 and smaller) would probably be easier if I went with velcro instead of realistic neckholes for example (my goodness, the neckholes give me so much grief) but it's a battle I'm willing to fight in the name of realism.

 

Honestly, I'm probably gonna have to go with realism just because it usually fits the vision I have for my dolls better, even if it ends up being more frustrating. I also tend not to cycle out clothes too often (i don't even own a lot of doll clothes atm) so that also helps with the choice for more realistic clothes.

 

I don't mind if I have to take the head off of the doll if that guarantees the neckline and the shirt will look more realistic, but I really hate taking off the hands so I will avoid any shirts that force me to do that as the plague xD
Overall, realism is better for me, even if I have to sweat a bit on the process both sewing and dressing the doll.

 

This. This is exactly how I feel as well lol

Even at the 1/6th scale, and with my longer nails, I definitely prefer as close to realism as possible, no matter how frustrating.

 

I prefer realism but some ease is nice, especially if it doesn't interfere with the overall look.

I have a couple of corset dresses for SD, one has hooks so I don't have to undo the ties once I have it fitted. The other I have to lace up every time I put it on her or take it off. So tedious. I'd be ok with the easier version for both dresses since the overall look is pretty much the same.

 

I'm very much in this realm of things as well. When they're larger dolls, they have space for the things that semi-realism allows on their bodies. With MSDs and smaller, you begin to hit a point where it impedes the look and function of the doll. It brings a Maggie Simpson in her little snow suit sort of vibe, to me.

 

For me, it depends on where on the garment the compromise is, and why it's a compromise.

I abhor removing heads and hands, so if I'd have to deconstruct my doll to put a garment on them, it's not happening. The only exception is pieces made for the doll or two I have with magnetic hands, or the ones I have with small heads and faceplates. Since I can pop those off and on again without completely undoing any hooks, I'll make/purchase clothes for them that require removing those bits. My dolls with s-hooks in the hands, or bigger heads that don't fit through neckholes even if I remove faceplates? I'll cut the cuff wider, or put a snap in, and put snaps in the back on the shirt if it doesn't open in the front already.

For things like working buttonholes versus snaps, I'm fine either way, but I agree that I prefer actual buttonholes and other closures for "nice" garments! In-scale buttons are nice, but not necessary for me, so long as they don't look downright silly. I don't have a ton of access to stores where I can see and buy buttons in person, so finding tiny buttons is just a bonus.

And that's all for sewing, mostly. For my knitting, I try to avoid having to make fit compromises, though I use whatever the heck weight of yarn I have on hand and whatever size buttons work, still. Why sew in snaps when I can make the neck hole stretchy enough to accommodate a big noggin, after all?

 

You are not alone ;-) I also catch myself making the mistake... Despite enough experience, getting into the clothing becomes too narrow. Velcro is horrible - bad for lovely dolls' hair. My favorites are zippers and snap fasteners. And if I'm really into the BJD, sometimes a nerve-wracking lacing ;-)
When I buy clothes, I try to find out in advance whether the clothes are easy to put on.
So definitely yes to additional fasteners in the back, although this is not the case with sweaters and t-shirts in the real world.

 

I kind of like both? I do not make my own doll clothes (yet) so I do a lot of buying. I do get annoyed with having to remove heads or hands but I will do it for the look. For my SDs and MSDs, I don't mind snaps/buttons/laces/hook and eyes. But for my smaller 1/6 dolls (like Soom Minigem) - I don't mind the velcro because they own so many off topic clothes as opposed to clothes made by BJD companies. But even at that size, I'll do snaps and ties, I just gotta be patient with myself hahaha.

 

I'm indifferent to either. Except i hate functioning buttons. I like the look of real buttons, but i hate having to button them. ><) when i buy something with them, i deal with it, but sewing my own I'll avoid buttons and fake the look if i need them

 

I've definitely talked this over with friends before, and I've always been on the side who wants easy dressing options please and thank you! Real small buttons are the bane of my existence for some reason and I despise them. Oh sure, they look very nice...but my fingers seem to forget how to function whenever I go to dress/undress my dolls with buttons and I'm scared I'm going to rip something. And I cannot sew.

That said, it's not a deal breaker when it comes to buying doll clothing. I'm happy as long as the overall quality is good. But easy access clothing is a bonus for me!

 

I totally prefer easy dressing options too and it can be a deal breaker for me. Snaps, hooks and eyes, zippers or not too tiny laces are my preference. I don't always mind removing the head on smaller dolls, but on larger dolls I need to ask for help and I don't like that. Most of my dolls have the S hook rest for hands, but not all of them, but I do have everyone alternate hands and usually one can fit in the sleeve, so that has not been an issue for me yet. In any case I don't want to feel frustrated when dressing my dolls and any clothe that gives me that impression is not getting used here.

 

It depends. If it's as easy as popping off the head or hands, I prefer the realism. I really don't care for t-shirts that snap up the back. But for something that laces up...corsets, boots, shirts, etc....give me a cheater way PLEASE because all those laces coming undone every time then struggling to get them twisted right is such a hassle that I've actually sold things off because I'm too frustrated with it.

But under no circumstances should velcro ever touch doll clothes. I hate it with a passion. I hate that it sticks to wigs, pantyhose, lingerie and other delicate fabrics, I hate that hair gets caught in it, I hate when it gets all fuzzy and doesn't work well, I hate how bulky and stiff it looks....I feel like velcro can make even the most detailed high quality outfit ever look cheap.

 

Caveat here - I'm not particularly interested in recreating specific human fashions.

I think Volks has found the perfect balance between realism and ease of access (look at me, turning into a Volks cheerleader). However, for me, it's not so much realism as it is detail. I love tiny details. I love the craftsmanship, thought, and care that goes into tiny details on tiny clothes. A tiny zipper just fills me with delight - cuz it's so TINY.

But at the end of the day, these are dolls, not people. People are covered in skin with a subcutaneous layer of fat underneath. People are squishy. You can move little parts of your body to fit into certain clothes (sucking in your tummy to zip up a zipper, e.g.). Dolls are hard, solid, and unyielding. Stuff that would be realistic for people becomes a real problem for dolls - and tend to drives me a little batty: like sewing doll clothes with no "give." I'm not saying everything should be made of knit or contain spandex, but at least sew stuff on the bias so there's a little give to the fabric. Otherwise, the outfit fits only one doll ever, or it fits no doll because it doesn't give enough to slide over parts of the doll.

So I bought this poofy white dress from Volks used off Mandarake, cuz I thought it was pretty. Didn't realize until I got it that it was a wedding dress, but ce la vie. The dress has hook and eye closures in the back - BUT, Volks also added small, almost invisible thread "hooks" that make the bodice adjustable. This is the kind of detail that I LOVE in doll clothing. It creates a natural look and drape, AND it's adjustable for different body types.

Corsets with tiny grommets are amazing, but for the love of dog use elastic cord, and seal the ends. You don't have to cinch in a doll's waist. You CAN'T cinch in a doll's waist, cuz hard, unyielding plastic. No squish. When the polyester ribbon starts to fray, which it tends to do almost immediately, now I have a realistic corset and a mess of frayed ribbon. I am unhappy. Same with shoe laces - use elastic cord. Dolls can't flex and point their feet like people. They can't lift their toes.

Since I'm starting to learn to sew for dolls, I've been thinking about this a lot (sorry for the novella). I think that lots of techniques that apply to people clothes, when shrunk down to doll size, just don't make sense.

 

Case by case, for me.

The bulk of my collection are mature minis, with a few mature tinies as a separate group. I make most of my dolls clothes myself, for adjustability for fit isn't an issue. When I do have to sew something for a doll I don't have access to I usually just design around it and make garments that are less sensitive to exact fit.

Most of my dolls have long hair, so I mind less if there is a discrete opening in the back of a t-shirt or dress. I usually prefer that over having to remove the head, but it's not the biggest deal either way.

I do mind if the closures are out of scale or bulky. I've seen dolls shirts with full size human scale shirt buttons. I get why it makes sense for mass production as I suspects those are the smallest button hole machines easily availabe, but I always wonder who in their right mind would buy them? Maybe it could work for a heavily stylized dolly looking doll, flirting with the look of home made doll clothes made for children to play with, but for otherwise in scale garments and human looking dolls? Big no, for me.

I hate "hidden" snaps in the front on blouses and shirts with a passion, because, let's face it, they always show and they make it impossible to wear the garment open, so they really limit the use of the garment. I know small buttons can be fiddly to close, but there are tricks and tools for that (try tweezers and button hooks). Snapps "hidden" by buttons always makes me think of those toddler clothes made so that a very small child can dress itself. Putting that on an adult doll looks so wierd and I often find myself wonder if the dolls character is ment to have some imparement to their motor skills.
If button holes are simply not an option, I prefer a false opening with buttons sewn closed in the front and a discrete opening in the back. That way at least the opening can be hidden by the dolls hair or by other garments worn on top (cardigan, jacket, waistcoat or similar) and it tends to look a lot more realistic when worn.

I'm split on zippers on doll boots. Much of the time I'm ok with it, but there are some types of boots that really shouldn't have them. I would love it of there were more options without. I have some doll boots without and the lacing has never bothered me.
But then, I wear lace up boots myself every day, so I am probably biased.

I've yet to find a zipper thin enough to work for a fly for a 1/4 pair of pants, so for them I am 50/50 on either a button fly or a fake soloution with a large modesty flap and sometimes a hidden button or snap on the inside to keep it from gapping. For the waistband I prefer I real button every time.
I have two pairs of ready made jeans that I bought despite them having not so hidden snaps at the waisband. Everything else is beautifully detailed and in scale with functional pockets and the tiniest top stitching, but I can only ever photograph them from certain angles, or the snap will show. It's a minor annoyance, but one that could so easily have been avoided.

For the really tiny dolls, I still use real buttons and button holes or thread loops, but I avoid snaps as they are far too bulky.
One of my favourite back openings is a simple slit with tie strings at the top. When the strings are tied the slit lies more or less edge to edge and you can tuck the ties into the slit to hide them. As long as everything is thin and neat it adds very little bulk so layereing clothes is not a problem and when done right it's very discrete. It's not a how I would do it in human scale, but at least there is no obvious out of scale elements to ruin the illusion.

 

Honestly, it can depend on the doll in question. I collect primarily 1/6 scale dolls and for that scale, I much prefer ease of access. I think for bigger scales, realism would win out but then... Well, I sometimes have joint issues in my fingers so ease of access becomes easy to deal with.

 

I make it easy to dress them when I am sewing their clothes. Most of what I make them shirt wise has an opening in the back so that I can slide it onto the dolls easily. I don't really like to even take off their wigs when changing them.

If it's something that I am buying I expect the realism. It makes it feel like a higher quality garment to me. Although it is usually fancy dress shirts and suits for my guys. So, except for those tiny little buttons it's still fairly easy to dress them.

 

depends. I would prefer something that looks real enough to take a picture and also doesn't require from me a lot of time to undress/change head etc. My big girl has hooves which is stupidly difficult to change, so in order to dress her in shorts or panties, adjustments should be made to the clothes. Yes, it makes outfit less realistic, but without it it would be nearly impossible to dress her in something different that skirts or dresses.

None of my crew has magnets, they are all big and I don't have enough strength to re-string them all the time.
Plus not all realistic outfits really have to follow rules for the human clothes. For example I once ordered a jacket from a seamstress, when it arrived, inside I noticed specific cuts on the shoulder seams. Yes, such things usually done for people since human arms has more range for movement, but this is useless for dolls in general, plus it affected the seams itself. After several tries I just had to cut off the sleeves, since seam didn't held up because to this cuts.

Same goes for functional pockets, if it makes pants bigger where it shouldn't be, I'll choose non-functional pocket, since it will look more realistic on the photo.

 

I think it depends... For buttons, I'd definitely prefer fake buttons with snaps underneath - I struggle sometimes with normal buttons so I can't imagine buttoning something so small! Velcro is fine if it's in a less visible spot, but I think realism can be fun. In the end though, ease of access is a bit more important to me!

 

I don’t mind removing body parts to have a realistic look but I also don’t mind if fasteners show because I can photoshop them out in pictures.

 

I agree with @MaleficentMrsofEvil – Volks clothes are the perfect compromise for me in terms of detail and easy fit.

I redress my dolls too often, so I don't want to remove heads or fiddle with very tiny buttonholes. I'm still learning to sew, especially at 1/3 scale, but I make use of hidden snaps and decorative faux buttons in my own sewing.

 

I like realism but I know damned well I wont ever use clothing that means taking the dolls head off to get it on, and am very unlikely to use any that invovles removing hands or feet. It's too much hassle.

Human clothes have openings/fastenins at the cuffs so I'll happily add them to clothes that don't open at the wrist. Doll proportions aren't human proprtions, so adding openings/fastenings to make the neck big enough for a head to get throguh is a necessary evil. I try to make them realistic, but on occasion have added an opeing that looks like a seam when closed edge to edge and fastens with super-thin velcro on a hidden underlap that doesn't show once the doll is dressed.

Teddy

 

For me personally, I believe in using whatever works. I do a lot of sewing for my dolls…in fact my exploration of fashion styles was one of my main reasons for getting involved in this hobby in the first place. In exploring so many different styles in doll scale, it only makes sense to use all sorts of different methods to achieve the look I’m going for and be able to get it to fit properly on the doll. Snaps are a big favorite of mine (and my usual go-to.) But by comparison, I’ve had to use thin strips of velcro up the back of a boy’s fancy lace shirt in order to get that smooth, sleek silhouette. And I just finished making 3 Lolita blouses where cute buttons and buttonholes were the only proper option for the realistic look I was going for. And when it comes to removing heads and hands…yeah, I do it all the time. My dolls are quite used to being my fashion guinea pigs so they wouldn’t dare complain.

 

I think a mix of both realism and functionality is best. Especially if there's pokey fingers, sleeves aren't fun.

 

It depends on the ease of disassembly of the head part.
I prefer realism, but if it's too complicated, I don't enjoy it.

 

I prefer realism, even if I have to take the doll apart to make the clothes fit. This is not something I had a clear preference for from the beginning but something I've kind of fallen into over the years, if it had velcro or some other unrealistic elements as closures it would annoy me more than it should. I would prefer it wasn't the case for my sanity but here we are

I can tolerate small pieces of velcro and other closures for example for a small part in the upper back and similar things (although chances are I will change them), but I don't like when for example a dress only has velcro in the back as closure, or a coat has the same in the front, or if snaps/zippers are too big to be remotely in scale (unless it's part of the look).
It's not a massive deal when it comes to buying since except for some types of snaps most closures can be changed if desired, velcro is my number one candidate for this always. I don't like velcro in my clothes or shoes and it's the same for my dolls.

The only exception to all of this is the shoes. I'll still avoid velcro but it's impossible in many cases to avoid zippers even when they look kind of unrealistic but I try to find alternatives in style when possible in order to avoid them as well.

 

When I had YoSDs, there was no way I would NOT do some buttons in the back for pretty much anything.

However, with my SDs, it's easier to be realistic. Also, lots of things are buttoned up anyway even for humans e.g. jackets, etc. As for tops that normally aren't buttoned - it depends. If they're tight-fitting, then I add buttons. Otherwise, not necessarily

 

Realism and aesthetic - I don't usually undress my dolls so it's usually a one-and-done kind of situation. Usually, for BJDs I like having a concept beforehand. My plan for my next blank dolls is designing the outfits myself and having them done by a professional! I don't usually find outfits that are EXACTLY what I am looking for, so I would rather do it this way.

 

I prefer ease of dressing, especially for smaller dolls, but there are plenty of tricks to hide the mechanics so it looks good in photos.

 

Realism > ease of access. Though rather than realism, I would say it's the overall aesthetic that I care the most about. For example, I prefer fake bows over bows that are actually tied with ribbon (and probably would so even if I weren't apparently incapable of tying them neatly no matter how many tutorials for it I've watched ). When it comes to buttons I do consider realism to be the more aesthetic choice as well so when buying clothes I will go for that, though so far when I've been making clothes myself I've usually done the fakes with snaps since doing real buttonholes feels weirdly intimidating, but I'm hoping I'll get over that intimidation soon because I have noticed that I barely end up dressing my dolls up in the ones with the fakes.

Velcro is a complete NOPE no matter what.

I always take my dolls' heads off when I clothe them or sew for them, I've no difficulty doing that so I don't see any sense in not doing so. Maybe I've been lucky with my dolls' hands or the clothes themselves but I've never come across the need to take the hands off / put them back on for the sake of dressing them up. I change my dolls' outfits quite rarely but even then that's something I wouldn't be willing to go through, it's enough of a pain having to do it when restringing.

 

I prefer something in the middle, I guess. Like, for t-shirts, I'm fine with closures in the back (but preferably not old bulky velcro! The more modern thin velcros are ok though). But for nearly everything else, I prefer the closures to be where they'd be on the real thing (so, in the front usually for pants and button-up shirts, unless the character has a tail, then the closure can be in the back on pants if it's a design to accommodate the tail). I don't mind snaps instead of functional buttons though, since I operate in MSD and smaller scales, so functional buttons are difficult, messy, and rare. And TBH, one of my boys's style is wearing open button-ups over a t-shirt, so I actually usually don't even bother sewing buttons onto his overshirts unless they really play into the print's motif.

I do have a preference for the clear plastic snaps when sewing because there's no risk of them rusting or otherwise corroding and staining the project later on, and recently have started ordering them online instead of buying them in store because I found I can get smaller ones online than in person and can get them in bulk. They're also more discrete since they're clear.

For garments that tie into place, I prefer more authenticity

 

I don't go for it generally, but I've resorted to it in cases where, for example, a real fastening wouldn't work with the doll's prooportions so I put a fake fastening there for the look of it, and use ultra-thin velcro to hide the real opening in what looks like an ordinary seam when closed. I don't like taking head or hands off in order to dress a doll. I know from experience that clothing that requires that just sits unused (the same with alternative heads, hands, and feet - I might as well not have them for my dolls as I never swap them out, they sit unused in a box)

Teddy

 

Generally, I prefer realism, even if it requires removing body parts, but if that's impossible or inconvenient, I like clothes that comprimise in ways that aren't super obvious. If the clothing hides the extra closures/etc well, I certainly don't mind if they're there. But with some clothing, I also don't really mind, especially with smaller dolls where realism can be really tough to pull off due to scale.

 

I prefer realism in general, I like to look for historical patterns when I want to make clothes for my dolls, learn from the wise ancient seamstresses and artisans.

Although over time, I have realized that with sizes from 1/4 at down, it is very difficult to recreate a realistic pattern shape exactly. It also depends a lot on the design of the doll in question, if it is disassembled simple, you can dwarf the scale of your pattern, but let's say there you have to prioritize simplicity and common sense, many times. Accept that it will not look good if you do it as a professional who works at human size does. And I insist, that doesn't make you less professional or it will make your pieces less realistic to look at on your dolls.

I opened my mind a little by learning from the miniaturists of dollhouses and the dressmakers of barbie and licca-chan. They are other small scales and for their dolls they have had to master other forms of patterning. I think you can be realistic, using common sense and making it easy to use in tinies scales.

 

...Damn, you're actually making me consider giving velcro a chance. The ultra-thin type, that is, I don't think I've ever gotten to handle any, but if it really is that thin, it would make sewing for a couple of my dolls soooo much easier. How does it compare to regular velcro that's typically used for human sized things? Specifically, is the other part of it as or almost as stiff, and does that same part feel more or less the same to the touch? I hadn't thought to mention it in my previous post (probably because it's kinda hard to explain), but on top of the velcro I'm familiar with being too bulky and stiff and sticking to hair, there's also just something about the overall feel of that one part of the velcro that I've always had a strong sensory aversion to.

 

We'ere straying off-topic for this thread so I'm messaging you direct

Teddy

 

I generally prefer realism. I have mostly 1/3 dolls, so I don't mind buttons and clasps since they're large enough for me to handle (and I'm pretty deft with my hands). I've sewn kimono for my dolls, and I'm happy to learn how to tie proper obi knots instead of pre-making an obi knot and using clasps. I also like my dolls to have real ties when they're wearing suits -- none of that premade tie with elastic neckband nonsense. Yes, it's fiddly and tricky to tie small full windsor knots, but my dolls stay in their clothes for a while, so I only have to do their ties once instead of, y'know, every day.

I once bought an outfit from a crafter that had only velcro for closures. It was done tastefully and hidden well, but I was somewhat disappointed that they didn't use realistic closures at all.

 

I usually go for ease of changing clothes over realism since I like redressing my dolls and I do not like having to take off heads, hands, or feet to change their clothes. I'm ok with taking off the magnetic hands and feet my Fairyland dolls have since its easy. I sew a lot of my dolls clothes and generally prefer snaps or hooks and eyes to velcro.

 

I swap clothes a lot, so I like realism until it's an obstacle (read: taking off the head). I have a strange hangup on kimono that have a velcro obi, I don't like that.

 

Being raised with velcro Barbie clothes, I'm personally indifferent. Ultimately, I prefer whatever looks the best in photography (which usually isn't velcro because of how bulky it can be.)
When it comes to taking doll clothes on and off, I prefer snap-on buttons. They're easy to set and undo, look subtle,

 

I would prefer an altered piece, with "easier access" so to speak.
In my first days in this hobby I was super into 'ultra realism', wanted everything to be on scale and perfectly accurate, I wanted dioramas scaled to the dolls and the lace trims in the clothes should follow suit. And the historical reference (if any) should be perfectly accurate too!

But lately.... after almost two decades of hobby, I was like.... you know what. They are dolls through and through, nothing will change that and wax replicas do better realism than we ever will. Sometimes there's no fighting it and it is best if you don't. Ultra realism (ie. very tiny buttons that you need tweezers to actually unbutton them) can be pretty, but also makes the whole doll annoying to handle. So now I don't mind at all and sometimes I am even amused when the design very evidently flaunts that it is meant for dolls

 

I very much care about ease of access when I make doll clothes.

The last dress I finished was a sundress with crossed shoulder straps in the back. My first go with this dress, I sewed the straps in the front and back. It took one attempt of trying the dress on my doll before I grabbed the seam ripper to remove the back stitches and use snaps instead. If I left it as it originally was, I would have had to remove my doll’s head every time I wanted to take it off or on. Now that’s not necessary.

I don’t mind if it’s not as realistic, I think it adds to the doll aesthetic.

 

I prefer ease of dressing. I do not photograph my dolls from the back in general, so fasteners back there don't matter. But I suppose I'm the most evil end of the spectrum, because I am not ashamed to use velcro. There are situations where using snaps makes a big enough difference I will sew them on but usually velcro does the trick for me on the back of a dress. I love being able to dress my dolls so easily. I also prefer Elastic waist pants and tunic tops that cover the waistband where it's not a level of realism I'm visually missing.

 

I think realism for my dolls depends on the scale - the smaller dolls are way less realistically dressed and styled while the big'uns have props and accessories that scale very nicely. I also have strong preferences for how patterns, clasps, closures and so on look at the right scale. Many of my dolls wear clothing with buckles, chains and other "fancy" closures. My big pet peeve is when shoes look wrong at scale, doll shoes that look doll-like is my biggest pet peeve.

 

As I make my own clothes 99% of the time, and I am older now, I make things that don't require me to remove things. Snaps and elastic are my friend. Do I still make frilly dresses or things in layers that look cool to me? Sure, but if I have to take off the hands, or the head, its getting snaps or something somewhere because I cannot be fussed to do all that. Sleeves better be big enough for the hands to go in or they're not big enough. If it needs to open down the back to get in, fine, almost no one but me has to see it and I don't care.

 

Oh, as someone who makes a lot of my own clothing from historical patterns, I have STRUGGLED with this.

Do I want them to have perfectly correct historical undergarments? Yes. It would be adorable and it's so fun to make as part of the project.

Do I want their outer clothes to look right, and will more people see those? VERY YES.

So in the end, I've had to compromise. I made an 1840s ball gown for Maryse years ago, but ultimately her little monogrammed chemise messed up how the bodice lay- and any attempt at stays would have thrown the whole thing off completely. So I had to just use her corded petticoat for the shaping, and leave off the chemise underneath. Sigh!

 

I tend to find a nice middle ground. I want it to look good from the front. If something (like my 1/4 doll's MSD-sized fancy lolita gown) doesn't quite fasten right in the back, say...well, if it stays up and looks good from the front, then that doll is a display-only doll unless I change out the clothes.

I also have ADHD, so I don't often sew very detailed clothes. I do like to use tiny embellishments to make them look nice, though.

 

Yeah, I've come to the conclusion that in the necessary cases, I'll make the undies so my doll has them, but build the dresses that go over them with faked parts where the undies would show to eliminate the bulk of the actual layers underneath.

Mine results in many many many unfinishsed sewing projects.

I took a bag bag of unfinished dolls clothes (many of them just needing fastenings or other small final bit of work to finish them) to a Craft Day to work on a couple of weekends ago. I got the sleeves for two dresses I made 14 years ago sewn into the armholes (they were wearable skleeveless and I had the sleeves mostly made) and a couple of hooks and eyes sewn onto other things, but now the rest are in an box on my sewing room floor waiting to be put away in my unfinihsed doll-sewing bags.

Teddy

 

I think personally if the outfit still looks good, then I prefer ease of access. I prefer fake buttons with snaps to real buttons and am more likely to change out an outfit if it means I don't have to take off my dolls wig and head every time.

 

I'm picky with my dolls wardrobe, so I prefer something realistic over ease. I don't change them much, but
I would like to see more outfits that are easier to take off/put on as it would help someone like me whose joints are awful.

 

I’m in Camp Details. I like functional buttons but my hands can’t deal with the fiddlyness (I’m looking at you Dollheart Fer). I intensely dislike Velcro closures because it’s forever catching wig hair.

Most of my dolls have easy to remove hands/hands and I do mind removing body parts to dress them. A couple of doll heads are very difficult to manage off body - my Lilis Liv head has special ears and a couple of my old Volks heads have no magnets and I’ll bend space and time to avoid removing their heads.

When I make doll clothes, I use snaps. I saw a video recently (Beth Ramsden maybe?) where they hid the male snap under the fabric and made a small hole to poke the snap through (there’s a joke in there somewhere ). Non functional buttons were sewn on the right side.