Paying more for your Doll's clothing than your own....

I don't really have problem that I would spend more money for dolls clothes than my own. I'm really stingy person overall. I don't want to pay much for my own clothes, and I definitely refuse to buy expensive clothes for the doll. Usually I make my dolls clothes myself. Shoes I had to buy because I couldn't do them myself. But even then I refused to pay more of them than I pay for my own shoes! I looked so long that I found nice shoes with not-too-expencive price ^_^'

 

I recently ordered my doll with a few clothing items[things like socks/stockings, garters, accessories in general, and one of the two actual article of clothing, which was 17 dollars.] The two most expensive things next to the doll were a pair of specially-coloured eyes and a set of flat feet for her, since she comes with heeled feet. And I've already solved the problem of buying carrying bags, furniture, shoes, and clothing; making most of it. I'm trying NOT to break my bank. xD But I mean, the skirt I got her which was about 9 bucks is about as much as I'll spend on a skirt for myself, so I won't spend more on things like clothing for my doll than I will myself. I'm handy enough with a needle that I'm willing to use up all the scrap fabric I have to make her pretty things~

 

I used to spend a LOT more on my doll's clothes than mine.

Then I started working in a clothing shop with a hefty discount.

Now MY wardrobe is the one that's out of control. XD

 

yeah i love to shop for my dolls.. but the prices for some stuff is crazy.. i mean i spend more on hair and shoes for them for sure.
i wish the stuff was a bit cheaper.. tho i did find a great maker who has nice cheap stuff.. so im happy to buy her things

 

Im still waiting for my first doll to arrive so I dont have much experience with all this, though I did order an outfit with him and was amazed at the high price! But, I have made clothes for my friends dolls, and also for myself, and I must say, It was actually much harder to make for the 1/4 doll scale than it was for full scale me. Making sure the fabric hangs right, that it wont catch in the joints, so much to think about that I can fully see why dolls clothes are so pricey!

 

I do sometimes swallow at the prices, but then again, if something is very detailed or takes materials that normal people usually can not so easily work with, such as with boots and stuff, I do understand they cost a lot.
Some item prices make me reconsider, especially shoes! I love those cute little shoes that look just like they were normal sized and I want them all for my dolls but the ones I like are often the priciest ones.
A while ago I could say for sure that doll shoes would be more expensive than my own - then I bought myself a pair of 100 Dollar sneakers...............................so the dolls are safe haha.
Other than that though, the only clothing I buy for myself is cheap stuff!
Luckily I am a craft-person anyways so I'm going to try making all sorts of clothing for my dolls. Whether it'll look any good is another question.

I know for sure though that I must never ever tell people who don't know BJDs how much certain things cost, or they'd have me committed lol.
My family in particular already complains when I spend over 10 bucks on a stack of quality paper; I'm sure it's impossible to justify a pair of little 60 Dollar doll boots - cute as they might be.

 

I have the same problem xD I went in the hobby two years ago and... Only buy clothes or accessories for my dolls! Never for me. >> But their prices are too high to buy both so... dolls first xD

 

I only spend money on one outfit a doll, and make the other clothings myself. Also I usually search for these kinds of clothes I find harder to make or can combine with self made clothes (like shorts for my msd girl, a stylish leather jacket, ...). Some of my dolls came as fullset, which is why they have 'expensive' clothes. But I like to limit myself to one bought outfit a doll, since I tend to have an expensive clothing style myself T.T And honestly I find it weird I would personally spend more money on a doll then I would on myself. But maybe that's my own selfisshness and myself liking fasion and nice looking clothes ^-^ And also the fact I enjoy making clothes I guess, but don't seem to be able to make nice clothes for myself. That's why I make them for my dolls.

 

I'm on the fence. For items I don't feel comfortable making myself (e.g. jeans), I'll bite the bullet and purchase from a vendor---if the price is right. Those little pieces of fabric can get expensive!

I often suffer "sticker shock" as they can cost more than my own clothes.

 

There is a reason that I want to learn to sew tiny clothes haha.
Quality doll clothes can get expensive very quickly.

 

It used to shock me, but now I don't even react anymore. It's like I've turned off that emotion whenever I buy for my dolls

 

Haha. Yes! I pay more for my doll's clothes than mine. I rarely ever buy myself clothes. New clothes I get is mainly through Christmas presents from my family. xD

I really don't know how I justify spending $40-60 on 1/3 scale BJD clothes. I have yet to spend over $100 on a single outfit/dress. I think I will check that off my bucket list soon to make a custom outfit of my favorite anime character. I don't even spend more than $30 on a pair of jeans.

 

See if there was a Ross for dollies, i would be paying the same, but no, I feel like im buying Hollister for them.

 

I think I spend more on my own clothes than I do for my dolls. When I first started the hobby, I definitely bought more doll clothes than human clothes because I was a poor college student and didn't think I needed any clothes. Now I work in an office and have to buy work-appropriate dress clothes, and I also buy a lot of winter gear (which can get pretty expensive) since it is cold for almost half the year where I live.

 

I personally can't fathom spending as much or more on doll clothes than I would on my own, so thus far I've made all of my dolls' clothes, Evelyn a simple pair of shoes for my boy. On top of that, I'm also slowly learning how to make for jewelry for them I would be fine buying doll clothes out of materials I know I couldn't work with or something intricate

 

I actually like to compare it to the massive amount of money I've spent on cosplay. And the highest for one cosplay so far is 600. So if I compare that to a 70 to 100 dollar dolly dress I guess it's more bearable for me.

 

I used to buy a lot of clothing for me that I ended to use really little, now I buy more for my dolls but I don't spend more than for me because I basically buy fabric and sewing notions...I sew almost all my doll clothing by myself, not only to save but also because I fear already made clothing will not fit my odd sized dolls.
Anyway, considering the efforts they requires I understand really well how a well made doll outfit can cost even 100+$ and I don't get shocked anymore. Well, I was a cosplayer, too, and having spent 300 euro on a single (mostly handmade) outfit it's hard to shock me ^^'
I have a pair of Dollmore shoes that came with a fullset doll that costs more than a lot of shoes I bought for myself and they're so beautiful I want to have more, but still I cannot force myself to spend so much money (especially with so much pretty shoes for me at that price ^^')

 

I spend more on everything for my dolls than for me. They got hair, clothes, props Because I have fun with photoshoot them.

 

Interestingly, my first response to the title on this thread was: Do I spend enough money on my own clothes?
I am not shocked by the prices for Doll clothing, as I have got an idea of how much time and pain it takes to work on miniature-sized pieces of clothing.
Prices for human clothing are not always justified, compared to the prices pieces of human clothing are sold by the manufacturers.
Personally, the issue is rather : why do I devote more money to my dolls' clothing than my own?
First answer : Because I can't find the kind of clothing I'd like to wear for people my size, and my dolls enable me to own clothes I'd like to wear.
Second answer: I can try fabrics and structures with my dolls' clothing that I wouldn't dream of trying on myself, and that comes at a bit of a cost, anyway.

Don't we all want our dolls to ROCK ???

 

I choose to spent it more on my dolls though, when I feel they had enough clothing, it's time for me to go shop for myself

 

I actually have the tendency to buy clothes for dolls or stuffed animals or pets but not for myself. I get hand me downs from brother, so more like hand me ups, or I just tailor my own clothes.

 

I'm into lolita fashion so I have spent up to 200$ on a single dress and considered it a bargain but I have slowed down my spending significantly. And outside of lolita I buy all of my clothes from thrift stores. So their always cheap. I refuse to pay a lot for something unless it's really really cool. Though I've never spent much nore do I intend to spend much on my doll. I'd love handmade things and supporting other artists, the problem is I can make most of it myself. Oxo So I do... even wigs eyes and shoes. *shrug* Not a bad thing I hope. Especially since I'm considering selling my lolita for more dolls....

 

I do spend more on my dolls than myself, for several reasons:

-There are 16 dolls, one me. Each doll gets their own wardrobe, they only share very basic pieces like jeans or blank tshirts.

-They're standard sizes, so finding things to fit is easier. I'm a weird size and standard clothing in regular stores is hard to fit me. Something is always wrong with it! Bust is too small, sleeves are huge, waist is too high or too low, curves are in the wrong places...my dolls don't have this problem. Buying for myself often results in tears, buying for them is fun.

-When I do find clothes for myself, they're usually mass produced and I can buy them at a local store, off the rack. I can also shop at discounted stores for myself. Doll clothes are a niche hobby, and there aren't local stores for it, so I have to pay shipping as well as full price, since I haven't really found any clearance bjd stores.

-I am completely spoiled on doll clothes. After buying from places like TTYA, Luts and Nine9 Style, I want my dolls' jeans to be every bit as details as a human pair, complete with zippers or button/snap fly, all pockets, fading in the right place, high quality denim, realistic proportions and tiny little top stitching detail. Which means a pair of jeans for my dolls is usually around $50 or more. The only jeans I've found that seem to fit me right are about $20.

-I sew for my dolls. I know how hard it can be to find in scale prints, fabric thin enough to not be bulky but thick enough to hold up, and tiny buttons. I know how hard it is to sew teeny tiny pieces together with a machine, especially YoSD and smaller. Hand sewing and looking professional is even harder. The people who do this for a living deserve to be paid for their hard work and talent. I would much much rather pay someone else to make a dress for my 12cm girl than to attempt it myself! Also, most people who are selling doll clothes have had to make the patterns themselves, unlike human clothing where millions of patterns are easily available. So if you're commissioning someone, you're likely also paying for the time for them to draft a pattern.

 

Sewing small is a challenge, and people who do it deserve to get paid for their work. Yeah, that means I pay as much or more for a doll outfit than I would one of my own, but they're also not going to wear things out as quickly since they obviously don't sweat or move around as much in their clothes, and they don't need to change as often.

 

I've noticed that too!
And to be honest I hate paying a lot of money for my own clothes and I hate paying even more for doll clothes! x)
But I'm also cheap haha. Also, I don't know about you but I think buying doll clothes seems like a lot of money all at once, because I like to buy a lot of stuff rather than just one thing.


Although I do agree that making doll clothes is hardwork and the people that make them do deserve the money, I'm just tight! x)

 

That is so true! Hahaha! I think about this all the time! I could have bought myself some BOMB outfits and I would be fresh to death with the money that I have spent on my dolls clothes!!! I think the reason why doll clothes are so expensive is because of all the small details that go into these outfits. Especially if you buy off of etsy alot, many of the sellers on there make the clothes themselves and it takes alot of time, effort and skill to put together little outfits for dolls. So it's understandable, but at the same time it is ridiculous that I have not limit myself more when it comes to doll clothes hahahaha. BUT don't you just love buying clothes for the dolls? The dolls look so cute in their new outfits its like how can you not? hahahaa

 

i've never bought clothing for any of my dolls and most of the fabric i use to make the clothing is recycled anyways so... I hate buying clothes in general for my self but the amount of money spent on doll clothes (or rather fabric to make clothes) is still probably less than the almost non existent amount i spend on myself lol

 

I don't mind paying more for my dolls' clothes than my own, considering I don't care about fashion and I'm still wearing stuff from high school six years out. Besides, I only like my dolls to wear extravagant fantasy or historical outfits which would cost way more in human size (and I wouldn't have the body to pull them off, anyway). So it's really all justified to me.

 

Shhhhh! No one is suppose to know. I don't know why I always go the cheap route when clothing myself. However, I will spend more on my Dollie outfits. They make them so darn cute!

 

My boys get good clothes. I work for a department store so get things at a discount, but I'm on a kick lately shopping goodwill for pants at $5 ea... I've gotten many great pieces for dirt cheap & im helping a charity, somewhat......
I also can sew but I hate small scale so I'll pay for my boys clothing as it relieves me of the stress of doing so lol.

 

As far as you are able to justify your spending, I don't see why this is a problem. Doll clothes are quite intricate, in most cases. I kind of think pricing a bathing suit, there's not a lot of fabric but the designs are so different the different prices can be charged for each one.

 

I definitely have spent more on an outfit then what I typically spend on myself. I was initially surprised at how much some of the outfits I was looking at cost when I was introduced to this hobby. I have since developed an appreciation for the attention to detail that goes into the clothes I buy and the price that goes with them.

 

As I buy a lot of my clothes at thrift stores (I have found a few really nice ones) it is very easy to spend more on my dolls, which doesn't really bother me. I have gotten some Dollheart clothes and Volks clothes and other expensive clothes because I just love the quality and the fit. Of course I have found cool clothes for my dolls at doll shows and thrift stores also. I just like spending money on my dolls!

 

I definitely pay more for my dolls' clothes than I do my own. My reasoning for this is simple:
1) I don't give a crap what I look like anymore. High school ended long ago and having the latest style is no longer important. Thus I no longer spend a lot of money on clothes for myself.
2) My dolls are not bound to the same rules humans are. We humans are often bound by dress codes for school and work, but dolls are not. I get to make (and break) the rules!
3) Believe it or not, some BJD outfits are cheaper than outfits that I'd want for myself. There's this cute wa-lolita dress online that I want for one of my girls, for example. It costs seventy bucks which is pretty steep, far more than the jeans and t-shirt I wore to work today. However, it's significantly less than a wa-lolita outfit in MY size, which would run three to four hundred bucks, maybe more!

In other words, it's more fun to dress my dolls than it is to dress me, so I'm willing to shell out more money for them than I do me!

 

I do think its a bit odd that ive been spending money on my dolls rather than myself, i have been looking into handmaking my dols clothes but small scale clothes are hard v.v
I don't mind it as much as i thought i would, i find dolly shopping relaxing.

 

Making clothes at doll size is extremely difficult, so I figure that the price tag is worth it! I also know what it's like to be in the Lolita fashion hobby so I'm not as fazed by certain price tags...^^;

 

It still manages to amaze me how someone can sew those tiny tiny details, but that is exactly why doll clothes are so expensive. It isn't the cost of material, but the time and talent you need to make them. So I'm more than happy to pay.

 

If any item of clothing for myself costs more then $12 (and even that is pushing it) I will not buy it. I like my current hoodies and jeans, and only buy more when I have to, because I don't want to look a total mess!xD I buy all of my clothing secondhand and the most I spend on a new pair of shoes is $40, but they can last me for a long time if I take care of them! I also cut my own hair because I hate spending money on things that don't last a long time... hair grows to fast. Point being I spend very little on my own things!

Dolls... I'll buy a $100 outfit that has 5 items without even thinking about it when I know I have the money to spend. If I like a wig I'm willing to spend $60 on it if it's something special. I'll happily shell out $80 for an amazing pair of shoes. All of these would be my limits most likely, but I'm talking about things for tiny YOSDs!xD Mind you I'll spend less if I can, but if I find something I want, and I have the money, I'll buy it!

I want to save up $500 to buy a bunch of shoes for my dolls so they have lots of options to go with outfits I'm making them! I can't even imagine spending 500 on shoes for myself that seems crazy.... :')

 

I am a former professional seamstress, so while I spend too much money on fabric, I spend almost nothing on clothes. I am a cotton and denim sort of person, the dollies wear silk, brocades, velvet, and linen. I am willing to spend quite a bit on nice things like Freedom Teller outfits and boots though, and I definitely buy too many wigs and eyes for them. I almost never buy myself new clothes, but I am always working on something for the dollies. My first doll probably has two or three dozen outfits. My dolls are pretty spoiled, so yes, I probably spend more on them than me. Especially since my best friend is a professional silversmith. The dollies all own at least one signature piece of really nice jewelry. Recently, we glued a ruby in my Iplehouse Lahela's belly button! I am going to be making lots of skimpy little tummy baring outfits for her now!

 

At this point, I WISH my doll's clothing costs more than my own... getting into the lolita hobby along with the BJD hobby has not been good for my financial health hahaha.

I do end up spending quite a bit on the shoes, clothes, and wigs for my dolls. If I let myself think about it too much, I do start to slip into possible buyer's remorse and doubt. Recently in particular, I've spent more on dolls and also my own clothes than I ever have before. I'd like to thin out my collection (of clothes) and be a lot more moderate in the future.

The quality and detail that goes into doll clothes justifies the price to me as fair. There is going to be a lot of hand-stitched work, which is much more laborious than machine sewing, and the margin of error for both the hand-stitching and the machine-sewing is far, far smaller than for human clothes. It's a very specialized skill for a very small market, so it makes sense. But it's still, of course, hard to swallow sometimes.

I'd really like to stopper my spending soon though. I mean, just, I don't feel good spending so much on material things that ultimately don't have any practical value. SOME spending on frivolous things, I love. But it has reached a point to me where I'm question it, yeah.

Comparing the cost of the doll things I buy to the cost of things for humans can really help bring perspective back to the spending for me. I don't do it enough. It's too easy to become numb to the sticker shock.

 

I always feel anxious when thinking about spending money on doll clothes... So i end up buying lots of cheap clothing i dont even like for them. At least, thats how i used to be. I think all in all i've spent more on clothing i don't want, rather than if i'd just bought what i wanted and dealt with the large price tag all at once rather than small sums here and there.

 

Me and Doll
Pants:
40 Euro - Doll 20 Euro
Shirt
20 Euro - Doll 20 Euro
Shoes
30-50 Euro - Doll 8 - 30 Euro

the dolls are cheaper

 

I just did...spent a $250 for a doll suit.

 

wow, thats is much money

 

Me: Ugh, 15 bucks for a shirt? Highway robbery.

Doll: 30 bucks for a shirt? Seems reasonable.

 

I buy more expensive clothingfor dolls rather for myself xD just recently my friend invited me to go ice skating. Each hr is around $20 and I was like NOPE. Seconds later I saw a very cute outfit for my girly that was worth $25 and I was like yaaaasss!! And instantly bought it. My priorities though

 

I was shocked, SHOCKED at how high some of that tiny clothing is! I can understand the cost because of all the detail and precision, but I plan on making all my dolls' clothes. I have such a huge fabric stash that it would be a shame if I didn't at least use some of that.

 

perhaps its a different from countrys. Clothes here also expensive. My last jeans cost 50euro and a shirt 25euro.
Jackets between 50 and 80 euros

 

Definitely my dolls' outfits. I doll them up a lot more than I doll myself up lmao. Heck, even their underwear costs more than mine.

 

I hate shopping for most everything except dolls! Don't spend much at all on myself...my husband even wants me to shop so that tells you something. I get my clothes at the thrift store for my jeans and tops for $1.99 each. Really nice skinny jeans and tunic tops plus a few days ago I scored a very nice leather jacket for .99 cents. So, yes, I spend more on my dolls.

 

I try to buy pre-owned doll clothing because of the price difference (usually)

 

I bought a pair of doll shoes that were £38 including shipping, which is £5 more than my trainers!

 

I haven't bought myself any new clothes in months, but I just bought my female doll 7 new outfits.

To be fair, I'm also in the process of losing weight, so until I stabilize I figure why bother?

 

I almost never buy clothes for myself because I'm fine with what I have already. I don't need anything fancy or glamours for everyday life and I wear sweats/PJs at home. But I love intricate outfits for my dolls! So yes their clothes prices are a lot higher than for myself, but they're also a lot more detailed and intricate than anything I would wear. It also makes me feel happy to see them all dressed up! While I'd probably feel really silly if I was all dressed up for no reason.

 

Oh most definitely.
I make all my dolls clothes, and I know that if scaled up to people size, the fabric would cost way more than a £100-£200 sometimes (about $124-$249ish) for one garment...obviously at doll scale it doesnt cost that but you get me hehe xD
Their shoes at times cost much more than what I'd buy for myself, too being £40 for a pair of plain black shoes which for what they are I would never have spend that much if they were for me!

 

I can justify spending a lot on doll clothes if the clothing is of high quality and if i'm not going to be changing the doll out of said outfit quickly. The Volks outfit I bought for my Dollfie was more than i'd usually spend on an outfit for myself, however it's of great quality, fits perfectly, and she's been wearing it for two years now and i'm still happy with her wearing it as she looks lovely in it. It does tend to be much more fiddly making clothes for dolls rather than humans so you're paying for the skill of the person who made them as well as the fact that the more expensive doll outfits are not mass produced.

 

Personally I think more skill goes into making tiny doll clothes, so therefore the price is higher. I do buy myself quality clothes, but that doesn't always mean the price is high, it just means they're not gonna fall apart in a couple of months!

 

yeah i spent $300 on a leather coat for a doll that I didn't have yet.... What I learned: I apparently will not back down in a bidding war.

 

I am more or less indifferent to my own wardrobe, because outside of work clothes, I prefer to own things that I'm not afraid to get dirty--except for the winter months, I spend a lot of time in areas like gardens where everything from the pollen to the dirt is out to stain your clothing.

But for my boys, I can and will fearlessly indulge my fashion impulses--and that means spending money. Even if I flinch a little at the sticker shock, I'm definitely of the opinion that they are all deserving of pretty things.

And after all, some of the outfits available for bjds are much closer to textile art with a limited number of "prints" than they are the mass-produced clothing that I'd buy for myself.

 

I love new clothes for myself and my dolls. But they do get some of the pricier items... simply because I don't have to worry about them wearing their clothes out or dressing up for special occasions. It's one of the reasons why I have dolls... to clothe them in elaborate, flouncy, impractical costumes that I can't wear more than once a year. I have a doll in a longed sleeved woolen dress and gorgeous heavy winter coat. It never gets cold enough for me to wear something like that here. I envy her a little.