Clothing and costumes are visually appealing if it is displayed on a mannequin. It provides the correct shape, posture and size of the clothing giving it more emphasis that recreates as far as possible how a garment looked when it is worn by someone.
Mannequins are an important tool or equipment used by clothiers and tailors for centuries and has been the centerpiece of shopping centers, clothing shops and fashion houses as it displays the realistic feature of a clothing or wardrobe.
Mannequins are always associated in the military scene for being used as human dummies in the 1950’s in a series of nuclear tests to showcase the effects and damage caused by nuclear weapons to humans. Mannequins or others call it lay figure or dress form is an articulated life sized doll used by artists, tailors, dressmakers, window dressers and other crafts related to clothing.
In visual merchandising, mannequins plays a vital role to attract customers through fitting the clothing to it in a near perfect shape, sculpture and proportion creating an appealing image that convinces a customer to buy that clothing worn by the mannequin.
The posture as well as the proportion and the sizes of today’s mannequins are made primarily for display in clothing stores, shopping centers and fashion houses that are made only suitable for modern garments.
Mannequins are usually made up of wood, plastic, polysterene or fiber glass.
The very first mannequins used in business were made out of wood. Since wood is considered as the most convenient material available to make a mannequin, many businesses use wood to make their own mannequins but later on, many clothier, tailors and dressmakers complain about its heaviness that is why in the 1960’s to present day, there are many mannequin making companies use polystyrene to create mannequins that has proven to last longer than wood. Aside from being very lightweight, it is also a cheap material and has proven to be durable and can be made into different colors but it is quite expensive compared to wood.
Many mannequin makers nowadays uses fiberglass because of its balanced ratio of weight and sturdiness. Fiberglass mannequins are also sold at a reasonable price that can last for a lifetime with proper care. Fiberglass can easily be painted in different colors and can be modified depending on the clothier’s perspective.
This material can also be affixed with balls and joints—enabling the model to look even more realistic. Though fiberglass is mostly sturdy, if it falls, it will completely shatter—making clean-up difficult and dangerous if proper precautions are not taken.
In order to purchase a mannequin, there are mannequin for sale that is second-hand that has been left out in the warehouse. Just a simple clean or repainting, these mannequins can be as good as new but always check if there are cracks or chips on the mannequin to make sure to take the full advantage of it rather than using it broken.
Mannequins that looks lot lesser than a real-life human are cheaper than the ones that looks like one. Mannequins are usually costs 20-dollars up to 10-dollars depending on the material used in making it, the sculpture, the detail and the resemblance of a real-life human it features.
Before purchasing mannequins it is essential to do some research about reputable mannequin makers that are reliable. Mannequins are proven to be a big help in promoting clothing to customers that is why it is very important to choose a mannequin maker or manufacturer known to produce durable mannequins. Also it is important to ask if there is warranty or replacement in case any untoward accident happens that damages the mannequin.
