Ball-Joint Doll Style Tights

To continue my theme of "things I have been obsessing with over on Tumblr", I'd like to talk a bit about these ball-joint doll styled tights that have been popping up quite a bit lately!

Dangerous Nude's "Nude Sox"

Lolita has always had a bit of a connection to both the slightly creepy side of things (of course, not all Lolita in general, but it's undeniable to say that for some Lolita styles and trends "creepy" is as much a part of the fashion as is "elegant" or "cute"!) as well as dolls, so it's not really an uncommon occurrence when trends or stylings pop up that are heavy on the creepy doll aesthetic! So, just in time for Halloween, I am all about these BJD style tights!

Tableau ball-joint tights. Buy them here, if they're in stock!

According to what I can dig up on Google, and through translated sites, the original pair that started the trend are made by the small indie brand Tableau and are sold via Selfer (Potentially NSFW). The originals are made in small batches by an independent artist (I believe the artist is Koh Ueno) and are typically pretty difficult to get their hands on because of that.

Quite possibly even more difficult to get your hands on, because of the whopping ¥3,990 price tag (that's just over $50 at the moment) and the fact that I don't believe you can order them internationally (see their shop-via-blog page) sinceI've only seen them on their blog, are the Dangerous Nude ball-joint tights. However, if you're willing to spend a bit and hunt down a shopping service their own sock line called "Nude Sox", and DN has a plethora of stunning ball-joint styled tights to choose from! Just check these out:

Not only do these feature ankle and thigh joints, but they come in a variety of options! The "plain" pair comes not only in white but in "Dolly Pink", and the other two are grunged up in a couple of different ways, Google translate tells me that's "Resident Evil" up there in the middle, and "Steam Punk" on the right!

If either of these pairs are out of your reach, all hope is not lost! If you're desperate for a pair of BJD tights (and I know you are, I certainly am!) there are a number of other, more easily obtainable and cheaper, options for you! If you're even a bit crafty, there are a couple tutorials out there how to make a very similar pair yourself. The best part about making these yourself is that you can include the ankle join that's missing from the originals that sort of irks every BJD collector out there, or even switch from black to a dark brown for a more naturally shaded look.

If you're looking to make a pair just like the Tableau pair, check out this semi-tutorial. It's all pictures, but the pictures are pretty self explanatory if you're capable of using stencils and an air brush. If you're not so handy with an air brush, here's a somewhat easier tutorial over on FairyTale a la Mode. The acrylic paint ones don't look so pretty off your legs, but they look just fine worn, and acrylic paint is often used to customize your tights.

Beadborg's custom airbrushed tights.

If you're in search of another shop that sells these, because let's face it, like any of us are ever going to get to our craft to-do list, you also have a couple options. Lockshop is currently running a preorder for a subtly styled pair of ball-joint tights here, and the Etsy shop Beadborg offers a more intensely painted pair of air brushed BJD style tights here. I'm actually really loving the Beadborg pairs, because of their custom color options and the detailed paint job! Unfortunately, the one thing the Beadborg tights lack is the back ball, but I've messaged them to ask about it, and was told that for $10 more, to cover the extra work, they can add it. However, if you want more up-to-date BJD tights (as most BJD's in production now rarely have a visible front knee ball) you can pretty much just wear them as-is backwards if you ask for an elastic channel to be painted on the joint.

If you really don't have the room in your budget for ridiculous doll tights, and really only just need the look for a costume (Halloween is right around the corner, and "creepy doll" is definitely a perennial favorite for the lazy Lolita!) there's an old cosplay trick I have heard of that basically just involves a number of black rubber bands of various sizes worn around the joints, see what I mean:

No idea who this is! It's a Shinku cosplay that's been floating around the web for years!

It looks convincing and is cheap and easy, just remember to take them off after a while so you don't end up losing circulation!

If you want to check out some more looks with these stockings, punch in 球体関節ストッキング to Google and you'll end up with a ton of results! I have noticed a weird trend of wearing the tights backwards, with the elastic slot in the front. As someone who has a number of BJDs, this is sort of irritating to look at, because I know that the vertical slot means that's the channel the elastic goes through to bend, meaning that their legs bend backwards! So if you do manage to either make or purchase your own pair of these and jump on this trend, remember that the vertical line on the ball joint goes behind your knee!

What do you think of this trend? I think it's currently a love it or loath it sort of thing due to the high creep factors. Like I've raved about this whole post, I'm seriously in love with the look! I'm a big fan of ball-jointed dolls, and of being sort of creepy, so these are definitely a trend I'm loving!