Doll Clothes - a Hobby for Some, a Livelihood for Others

Added: 12/29/2005

What is the most interesting and most important part in playing with dolls? Every girl will answer you immediately - changing clothes on their doll. The clothing for dolls is so variable. Every shopping mall offers toy or hobby stores that offer a wide array of different doll clothes. But for some older women, making handmade doll clothes is not only a hobby, but a livelihood. They can spend hours sitting and designing and selling handmade doll clothes.

In this article we shall talk about doll clothes in common and about handmade doll clothes in particular. The art of making clothes began a very long time ago. The need for wearing something has always existed, but the sewing machines were invented comparatively not very long time ago.

The reasons for wearing clothes are different: the very first reason is to protect your body from cold. Without clothes human beings wouldn?t be able to survive during a cold winter period. That?s why people wore animal skins during the Ice Age. Other reasons are fashion, your body protection from everything outside and simply comfort and hygiene.

With the life cycle materials have changed and purposes also. But still natural leather and fur are in great demand and cost a pretty penny. Now that we have warm houses we don?t have to think too much about getting frozen, but fashion has always dictated what to wear and when. That?s why now people mostly buy clothes considering the latter fact.

Parents are the first people whom the child sees and wants to look like. No wonder that a little girl tries to wear mother?s dresses or puts on her high-hilled shoes. All this she will reflect in her playing with dolls. She will have a desire to have such doll clothes that she saw on her mom or in modern magazine.

Of course, nobody wants to buy or have a naked doll. That is of course unless we?re talking about little boys. And that?s a habit they will hopefully outgrow. No less important is the quality of dressing: what kind of material it is made of, how good it was sewed and the price, of course. Now at specialized shops you can choose any kind of doll clothes. Of any size, of any material.

And it is very important to have a feeling that you are confident in what you are buying. Nobody wants to waste money. You have to be sure that the dress or jeans that you bought for your doll will be in use more that two or three days. How can we avoid such unpleasant situation?

There are several variants. First of them is to buy doll clothes at professional shops. For example, such boutiques that sell Barbie products take a good care of their product and you can be sure that this clothing is of good quality. Of course, the price is higher than in the market or at other shops but the confidence is much higher.

Such companies as Mattel, inc. cooperate with professional designers such as Christian Dior, Donatella Versace, Calvin Klein and others. Have you ever heard some complaints about these people?s work? Bet NO!

Another way is to buy handmade doll clothing. Handmade work was always in great demand for its originality and quality. Here every stitch is made with love and accuracy. Such kind of work is also not very cheap but you can be sure that your doll?s dress is of a high quality because arms feel more than the sewing-machine.

The last variant is to make something on your own. If you wish to try here are some tips for you:

- Do not use buttonholes for closures. Better would be to use snaps.

- For such clothing as jackets or poodle skirts you may use felt

- Scallop-edge scissors will help you to finish the edges off more accurately

- For most clothing use 1/4 seams, but for very small parts use 1/8

And who knows, maybe having tried to sew something new, you?ll discover some talent in you or your child.

Rate this article:

Bad