Clothes Shopping

[Tewhano]

I just bought the WM Hazel Horace (160cm A-Cup #400 head) doll and she is on the way. I’ll be using her as a model for my photography hobby. As such I need to buy a lot of props (clothes) for her. I am finding that buying clothes for her is a confusing endeavor. So many different ways sellers use to indicate sizes. Online shopping is a nightmare. If the seller doesn’t provide a size chart with bust, waist and hip measurements then I am lost. Posting a dress size or using S, M, L or ages doesn’t tell me if it will fit my doll. Although she is 5’3” tall she is apparently considered to be petite. From the comparison charts I consulted she is around XXS-XS or even able to wear older teen clothing. Unfortunately, sizes aren’t standard throughout the world. I see one seller’s chart showing XS being slightly different from another. How do you guys make sense of all this?

[Treepusher]

1) Buy from stores with good return policies
2) Keep ample supplies of clothespins and/or safety pins
3) Throw your hands in the air, admit defeat, and learn to sew.

[Michaelangelo]

Can agree with everything Treepusher says! There's no magic bullet.

And believe me, my female friends tell me the same: you can literally order two pairs of e.g. leggings the exact same size from the exact same manufacturer and they will be two different lengths when they arrive...

Basically, our dolls have tiny waists, narrow shoulders and ridiculous underbust measurements, so you need (X)XS for dresses otherwise it falls off her at the top (shoulders). And you are going to be adjusting most bras, since the back strap is usually way too long (underbust). And most pants/skirts will sag at the back above her ass (waist).

But those kinds of adjustments really aren't difficult. Snipping and sewing the back strap on a bra is dead easy. I even adjusted a pair of jeans down for Mira and they look fine. Of course, clothes pins will avoid all of this. I have taken photos of Mira where she looks lovely from the front and like a hedgehog at the back. But the photo works, so all's good.

Also:

• See if you can get cheap used clothes, especially like bundles women often sell online when clearing out. Or thrift shops. Especially good for getting higher-priced stuff like dresses, jackets, etc. And SHOES!

• If you are looking online and things have reviews, aim for the ones where women complain things are too small, no joke. I have yet to find something online too small for Mira to fit into

• As you suggest, clothes for older teens might be a good fit. Especially for outerwear. I personally find it a bit weird buying children's clothes for Mira so I don't bother with this, but YMMV.

• Clothes from Asian sellers are always a better fit.

Seen as a fun challenge more than a chore, I think it's not actually bad at all. And, like I say, it's something RL women are used to anyway. Embrace the chaos lol.

[Tewhano]

Thank you for the suggestions. I had thought of learning to sew in the past. My 6" dolls didn't do well in the marketplace when first introduce so there isn't much in the way of clothes for them. Perhaps now is the time to learn. At any rate, sewing for a full size doll must be easier than for a 6" doll.

[Wheezer]

I just bought the WM Hazel Horace (160cm A-Cup #400 head) doll and she is on the way. I’ll be using her as a model for my photography hobby. As such I need to buy a lot of props (clothes) for her. I am finding that buying clothes for her is a confusing endeavor. So many different ways sellers use to indicate sizes. Online shopping is a nightmare. If the seller doesn’t provide a size chart with bust, waist and hip measurements then I am lost. Posting a dress size or using S, M, L or ages doesn’t tell me if it will fit my doll. Although she is 5’3” tall she is apparently considered to be petite. From the comparison charts I consulted she is around XXS-XS or even able to wear older teen clothing. Unfortunately, sizes aren’t standard throughout the world. I see one seller’s chart showing XS being slightly different from another. How do you guys make sense of all this?

Congratulations on getting your new doll, she will make a great model for photography.
You have a good perspective already when you think of clothes as a prop for your doll, which is actually another prop.

If you are considering clothes for your doll as a photo prop, then you might want to think a bit differently.
For a sex doll you generally want the clothes to fit well all over.
For a photo doll you only need them to fit perfectly in your cameras field of view.

As an example, you can take a nice top that is a bit loose and tighten it on the back to fit her well.
Your photo will show a sleek, form fitting top appearing to be a perfect fit. The adjustment stuff in the back is unseen.

Also since our dolls tend to have odd shapes and smaller sizes than woman, it helps to consider WHAT you want to achieve, rather than HOW.
So if you want a short and sexy dress for a shot, you may be able to achieve it with a longer shirt top. The extra length then makes it a doll dress.

I'm just suggesting that it becomes easier if you don't think about getting a specific sized woman's outfit on your doll to make it work.

Cheers!
... W ...

[Tewhano]

Thank you for the advice. You bring up good points that I will certainly put to use.

[Michaelangelo]

The points by Wheezer are so good! Just to add another tiny amendment to my points: shoes will need to fit better than clothes, especially if you want her standing and shoes often make the outfit as a whole pop (or not). I've never bothered to stand Mira in really high heels but ask around on the forum here for advice if you want to take those kinds of shots. Shoes tend to fit more as expected and our girls tend to be right at the lower end, so size 35-36 EU, size 2-3 UK, size 4.5-5.5 US. Stores often have these smaller shoes overstocked, so you can get some nice deals! I would definitely check thrift stores here.

[Wheezer]

Ah shoes ... an entire subject itself.
Michaelangelo makes some great points above on size and where to get them. Thanks !!

Just as with clothes, shoes for photography should be looked at a bit differently.
For a sex doll it is typically protection of the feet and stability.
For a photography doll it typically is what looks good, but not necessarily long duration (days or weeks)

If they are tall boots, then you can use multiple thick socks to bulk her feet to fit better, then wrapping on the calves for the same effect.
She will be stable and look good during a shoot.

In some cases EXTENDING the foot bolts can help out.
You can use them to dig in and help anchor her if using open toe type shoes where socks won't work.
In some cases I have gently tapped on the soles of the shoes with a dead blow hammer to help the foot bolts bite in.

High heels and stilettos can be a bit of a challenge. Not a lot of area to balance and they can go out quickly.
But if she leans against something or if you use a hidden support stick or rod then they work great.

Luckily since she is a doll then once you get her where you want and stable, she will stay there.
You just move and reposition yourself around the model to frame and get your shots.
Instead of having the live model move and alter her position.

Cheers!
... W ...

[AUselessNoob]

My ex-wife used to complain about how hard it was to find clothes that fit, because she was a size 0/XS, and America is a country of fat people

Pants and bottoms can be tricky to fit. Looking at the measurements for the 160A, you'll probably have a tough time finding off-the-shelf pants that fit correctly at both the hips and the waist. The 56cm waist is (in the US) either size XXS or 00 (double 0). But with 93cm hips, she's got a bit of a butt, haha; probably that's either S or maybe even M. Unlike most men's clothing, a lot of women's pants have a bit of stretch to them, even denim jeans, so you can stretch them a bit to get them over the hips, and the elastic will snap back once you get it over the butt. But I doubt XXS or even XS will go over that size hips.

Tops should be easier to size. Looking at your doll's measurements, everything looks solidly XS or 0 (US sizes). I generally find that tops are more forgiving and generally will look fine as long as you're close. Even dresses usually look fine, and I only pin them if I really want to emphasize the tiny waist.

I do a lot of my shopping on Amazon because I'm lazy. The nice thing about Amazon is that a lot of things you can "try before you buy." Find something you like and get it in a couple different sizes, and send back the one that doesn't fit as well. Eventually you'll just start developing a feel for what's going to work and what isn't, and you'll just know before you buy.

With few exceptions I won't buy anything unless it comes in size XS or 0. Even if the model is petite and makes size S look fine, I know it won't fit right on my doll. Sometimes, very tight tops (like sweaters) or very loose items (like rompers) are okay as size S.

Depending on what kind of fashion style you want your doll to have, I've also been really liking Francesca's lately. One of my girls is more of a youthful, casual personality, which Francesca's follows nicely. Their stuff is generally way overpriced, but you can find a lot of nice stuff in their clearance section. I just bought 15 items (retail for over $500) for $75 because I got everything out of the $5 clearance bin And they make everything in XS.

Also, be careful when buying pants... MOST manufacturers follow either one of two sizing schemes: either they follow dress sizes (starts at 0 or 00, equivalent to XS or XXS and works up), or they follow waistband sizes (if the sizes start at 23 or 24, it's probably the waistband size in inches). But every once in a while, you find pants that start numbering at 24, but it's dress sizes and not waistband - why they do that, I have no idea. I ended up with a pair of jeans that was so big that both me and my doll could fit in it at the same time

[The Doll Advocate]

I take up my dolls bras and panties.
Panties are easier because if you stick with low waisted briefs you won't get the loose waist ruffles.
Bras are tricky because the bands can't always be taken up and still look decent .
The main thing is the cup size and remove the under wires .there are numerous threads on bra sizes here with tons of info .
Outer clothes are all about your taste in fit .
The main thing I can tell you is don't buy anything until she arrives, except a measuring tape .
Take your own measurements when she arrives .
Shoes are a nightmare, doll feet are so small usually,you can't find cute adult shoes or heels .

[Technician]

Welcome to the world of solid love dolls, finding clothing is really not that hard. My Bubbles has a total fantasy body, she's short, has a tiny waist, huge boobs, and perfect hips over impossibly long legs and I still find all of her clothing online. Your doll is at least shaped like a living woman, lol.

The first step is to measure your doll every which way for obvious reasons. Also measure her head for wigs. I, personally have a pictoral measurement guide for all 3 of my dolls with the measurements overlaid that I made in Gimp.

Once you have accurate measurements just buy clothing that has the measurements listed. Also, if it's sexy you want just size down and make sure it's a good, stretchy material, and, don't rule out children's clothing, there's no shortage of reviews from grown women in the girl's section of Shein.
But remember the measurements are rarely for the woman, they're the actual clothes so an inch extra or a couple of centimeters extra if you don't want them snug.
When buying shoes, if you can't find solid measurements online think about going to a big store where a sales person won't bother you and just measure the shoes, lol. But once you have her shoe size you can be pretty confident buying because she definitely won't bitch if they aren't comfortable.

My top 3 sources are:

1) Shein has measurements for 99% of their clothing, sexy, (even in the girls section for some reason), great prices. Clothes are usually stretchier than indicated.
2) Amazon, most of the sellers have measurements, lots of reviews to guide me.
3) Mercari, lots of second hand name brand, but wait for this until you've made some purchases so you can be a better judge of size. Also, most of the sellers there will measure and PM you if you ask. Lots of Dollskill and sexy stuff a lot of which is new too.

If you just want something to put on right way, things that tie on are a 100% success winner so a couple of bikinis or some tie on lingerie. Also, tube tops and skirts, usually very stretchy so there's little risk of not fitting and an exceptional chance of looking hot.
IMO, all new clothing (except white) should be washed with 1/2 cup of salt per load to lock in the dye so it doesn't stain the doll, but others say different. It works for me, black, red, expensive, cheap, no problem.

So, in short, if you want to have clothing waiting for her, stick with some tie on stuff, your chances of getting something her size is very slim unless another member can give you measurements before she arrives.

[55mrradiohead]

Regarding the subject of shoe shopping. Can someone explain why doll feet are so small or tiny, in relationship to the rest of the doll body? It makes no sense why they can't be 100% scale to a human. The correct size of feet won't hardly add any weight to the doll. It really complicates shoe shopping. Surely Asian women models don't have that small of feet. There are a lot of topic threads on TDF about poor LHP and nipples being in the wrong place on the breasts. I searched the topic threads and the only mentions of feet in topics seems to be specific to certain brands and the model (I.E. a doll someone bought). I can't find any extensive topic thread about the poor sizing of doll feet.

I've got 5 dolls now and ALL OF THEM have poorly undersized feet. And they aren't even comparable to the shoe size that fits their foot. Most dolls feet are around 8 inches (20 cm). I ordered some athletic shoes to fit 8.25 inches (21 cm). The shoes have velcro straps. Received the shoes and put them on the dolls feet. They are just a bit long and wouldn't fit on a real girl's feet if her feet were the same length as the dolls feet (the feet would be sliding around in the shoe). But on the dolls feet, the velcro straps barely attach because the feet are so stupid small (girth/how wide the feet are). I pull the velcro strap around her ankle and the velcro connection just bypasses attaching - it ends up being too long to secure. I could pack something inside the shoe to make up for that, but why??? We don't do that with our human feet.

Why is this such a problem? Doll manufacturers - IF you're reading this, FIX the problem. This is absolutely ridiculous and uncalled for.

[koaplayer1998]

1) Shein has measurements for 99% of their clothing, sexy, (even in the girls section for some reason), great prices. Clothes are usually stretchier than indicated.
2) Amazon, most of the sellers have measurements, lots of reviews to guide me.

Isa and I just love SHEIN. They also carry a decent selection of petite sizing (dress example below), which I find sometimes to be the best fit, requiring little or no adjustment/alterations.

Great prices (see data at bottom) on quality wigs and jewelry, too. She currently wears (in the recent pics on our thread) a wig, necklace and glasses from there, with another necklace and ring currently on the way.

We have also found good success on Amazon, for the aforementioned (good size guides, reviews) reasons by Technician. Her new chemise is a good example (also below).

Screenshot_20231027-201435~2.png (1.29 MiB) Viewed 361 times

Screenshot_20231129-173228~2.png (1.38 MiB) Viewed 361 times

Also, here's a list which I posted to another (Valentine's Day gifts) thread, of things we've now bought from SHEIN, to give a good example of their pricing (USD):

ring $2.69
personalized necklace $1.60
necklace $1.28
brown wig $11.48
auburn wig $8.68
dress $9.77
brown glasses $2.03
black glasses $1.62
bralette $5.09

TOTAL: $44.24 (+ sales tax and shipping)

[playing_both_sides]

We have also found good success on Amazon, for the aforementioned (good size guides, reviews) reasons by Technician. Her new chemise is a good example (also below).

Screenshot_20231027-201435~2.png

Screenshot_20231129-173228~2.png

Wow! Great shots, they look professional. Looks like you got some excellent value out of those reasonably priced clothes and props! I’ll have to take a closer look at Shien.

[koaplayer1998]

Wow! Great shots, they look professional. Looks like you got some excellent value out of those reasonably priced clothes and props! I’ll have to take a closer look at Shien.

The two shots I posted above are from the product pages at SHEIN and Amazon, not mine.