by magkelly » Wed Jan 25, 2012 12:32 am
Transparent shoes, any shoes that look like they could be worn by a character in Frank Baum's Oz books or a character in a Tolkien book. I like unusual shoes, but I also like them wearable. The recent trend toward stilt shoes in painful shapes, those I don't like. Boots of all kinds are a major thing. I used to be more of an evening gown person but lately my dolls are getting dressed more in day wear. But I still like really over the top things like the crystal corsets and stuff with major beadwork and metallics. Oh and leggings, tights, I'm crazy about making tights and leggings.
I also like historical outfits, from different periods, anything that looks like it could have been made by Chanel, Dior, Schiaparelli, any of those really iconic designers It really depends upon the doll. I have dolls dressed in everything from Titanic era clothes to 40's clothes to 60's mod clothes, the eras really range wide. The Mel Odom dolls they're in his Hollywood 40's outfits and in anything that looks like it could be a costume for stage or screen. My MA fashion dolls, the Tonners, mostly modern clothes, but with a high fashion couture flair. The Barbies, Bratz, Liv and MT's anything goes.
I've got one Midge in transparent pink platforms wearing a glittered Fashionista outfit that basically otherwise looks like it could have been made for the musical Grease.Her hair is totally Frenchy. I call her "Bombshell Midge" usually because she just has that 50's casual look only it's updated a little like she was playing in a semi-disco revival Broadway version. Another of my Barbies she's a 60's That Girl with a little Twiggy style. You walk into my house and look at my doll shelves and it's like a fashion museum exhibit, or so I am told. They're all different and they all have their own unique look.
I love to do that, shake it all up and make each doll look distinctive. If an outfit doesn't totally "pop" on a particular doll, give that doll a really memorable look, then she (or he) doesn't get to wear it. I'm very fussy about what goes on my dolls. I've been known to sit there and fuss for hours with every single outfit in their not inconsiderable wardrobe if necessary to get it right and if that doesn't really work then I often will resort to designing and making a whole new outfit for a particular doll.
My one roommate at first she never got my doll thing. She was pretty dismissive of it at first, but then over time she started to get it. That it wasn't just me playing it was an "art" thing and that really I was totally into fashion and design, that the dolls were basically a 3D canvas for me. I've always done the outfits thing via purchasing, but it's only recently that I've started to full out design whole outfits and to even OOAK my dolls via painting, rerooting and stuff.
I've always been into fashion in a big way though. I used to try to make Barbie clothes like the ones in the big fashion magazines when I was a kid. I'd raid my Mom's scrap bag and go to town with it even if I couldn't really sew. It used to drive her crazy actually. I'd steal her fabric to make sarong dresses and evening gowns and stuff and I'd cut up my socks (or my Dad's laugh) if I had to to make Barbie/Ken shirts. I suppose if the fashion design business wasn't so cut throat I'd have ended up working in it, but you have to be too nasty and competitive working in that industry for me.
I'd rather just design for my dolls, shrug. Maybe at some point if my sewing skills get to the point where I can actually do professional work I'll make pieces to sell but I'd have to get a lot better at basic sewing for that and I'm still learning to sew with a machine. It will be a while before I start making anything like what they make at Tonner...