How to determine which style mannequin is for you – part 1 (realistic mannequins)

Buying a mannequin – even a used one – can be expensive, so here are some tips to help you select the right style of mannequin for your needs. Whether you have an online store, retail store or sell at a trade-show, your mannequins are an extension of your brand.

A mannequin is your silent salesperson and the right mannequin will enhance your image and your products, the wrong one will detract or send a mixed message to your customers.

There are four basic styles of mannequins

1. Realistic
2. Abstract
3. Headless
4. Bendable

This post discusses realistic mannequins. The other styles of mannequins as well as how to select the right pose for your mannequin are discussed in individual postings in our “How to select the right mannequin for your business” series on our blog.

Realistic mannequins (aka realistics ) have clearly defined facial features, eyelashes, perfectly applied make-up and can wear a wig. Realistic mannequins are like supermodels – they are beautiful and a little high maintenance, but their striking presence causes people to notice them.

Realistic Mannequin are showstoppers

Some realistic mannequins like the ones manufactured by Adel Rootstein are fiberglass representations of actual real-life models, celebrities and dancers. Erin O’Connor, Agnes Deyn, and Coco Rocha and recording artist Beyonce are just a few of the fashion icons that are Rootstein mannequins.

Realistics are versatile because you can put different wigs on them. This not only dramatically alters their “personality,” but makes it appear as if you have a different mannequin. The mannequin will wear one style of wig when she is wearing dressy clothing and a wig of a different style and color when she is wearing casual clothing.

And since good visual merchandising requires variety and change, the impact of effectiveness of your “silent salesperson” increases when you can change her look with her outfit.

Different wigs change the personality of Realistic Mannequins

While most realistics are Anglo, there are African American, Asian and olive colored ones. There are realistics that look youthful, sophisticated or sexy. And there are even a few that look “mature” despite the absence of wrinkles or gray hair. All of these choices allow you to have a realistic that mirrors the demographics of your clientele and image of your clothing. Since Obama has been elected President there has been an increase in the number of requests for African American mannequins, especially ones that resemble Michelle Obama.

Diversity in Realistic Mannequins

Recently restaurants, bars, and casinos have started buying the busty mannequins that we sell which have realistic looking faces and UNrealistic bust sizes (Think Jenna Jameson or Pamela Anderson)

Realistic Mannequin with Big Breasts are coveted by certain customers

There are two prevailing schools of thought regarding realistics. Some retailers feel a realistics take away from the clothing the mannequin is wearing because people will focus on mannequin’s face and persona. Other retailers feel realistics can enhance the fantasy of what a customer will look like wearing the clothing. Both are valid points.

The decision comes down to your personal preference as well as factors such the type of clothing the mannequin will be wearing, what your competition is doing and what are the current trends. Some seasons realistics are all the rage, other years it is headless or abstracts. Large store chains often keep a stable of both styles and alternate using headless, abstract and realistics in the window. It is considered a visual merchandising faux pas to mix these different style mannequins in the same display.

Realistic mannequin

The time involved for the maintenance of the hair and make-up on realistics is why many major retailers have ceased using them because they want their staff to focus on other things. If the hair and make up does not stay contemporary it can make the mannequin (and the clothing she is wearing) seem dated. Unless you are selling vintage clothing, this is not a good thing.

A mannequin with a dated hairstyle and make-up

A brand new realistic mannequin from a high end manufacturer can cost between $750-$1200. Mannequins imported from Asia can retail between $150-$400. The disparity in price is a function of the quality of the materials used, thickness of the fiberglass, type of paint, and craftsmanship of the mannequin.

Lifelike mannequins are still made the way they’ve been made for more than 100 years. A sculptor makes a form from a live nude model. Less expensive mannequins are made by machines and resemble dolls and look stiff instead of fluid. If you stand a quality mannequin and a cheap mannequin next to each other and there is a noticeable difference.

The attachment arm and leg fittings on cheap mannequins are aluminum or plastic (sometimes painted to look like metal) instead of metal that expensive mannequins have. Also the support stands on cheaper mannequins are not as strong or sturdy as expensive mannequins.

These are some of the reasons why you can pay more for a used mannequin made by a high end manufacturer than a brand new mannequin imported from China. Similar to buying a used but authentic Louis Vuitton purse at a consignment store versus a knockoff version from a street vendor.

As a rule of thumb the more expensive the items you are selling, the better the quality of mannequin you should use. For example the type of mannequin at JC Penney is different that what you’d see at Neiman Marcus.

Retail stores where the mannequins have to be the latest trend, look good and are durable enough to withstand frequent clothing changes and manhandling (by lots of staff and customers) buy the more expensive mannequins. Not everyone needs to pay the premium prices for these.

You can either buy gently used versions of the high end mannequins (see list of manufacturers below) or buy the better quality imports from China. These imports are ideal for online vendors, smaller boutiques or people who use a mannequin infrequently say at trade-shows or for seasonal displays.

Here are some of the high end mannequin manufacturers:
Rootstein Patina V Goldsmith Hindsgaul Greneker Pucci
Silvestri CNL Mannequins Fusion Specialities Schlappi

This guide was written by Mannequin Madness, www.MannequinMadness.com mannequin liquidator that carries new and used mannequins from . All of the images in this posting are of mannequins that we have had or currently have in our inventory.

Mannequins create unrealistic standards of beauty

As much as we love it when advertisers use manneqins to sell other products beside clothing (Sony Vaio for example) we are a bit disheartened with this cosmetic ad. We saw this on the AboutFace.org blog and decided to post it here. About Face is devoted to combating negative and distorted body images of women. 

Allow Elizabeth Arden to Point Out Your Flaws     Vogue April 2009 Prevage AdIt’s not enough that in advertising most photos are endlessly retouched, often beyond recognition. But to have the chutzpah to use a mannequin in place of a real woman as part of the ad is ridiculous and insulting! Well, that’s Prevage, the new product from Elizabeth Arden.

The obvious dividing lines around the major limbs of the body (for easy detachment and renewal, perhaps) are what caught my eye in the ad in the April 2009 issue of Vogue. Of course, such lines are never found on a real woman, but only on a mannequin.

The ad is seemingly innocuous and even pleasing to the eye: simple colors, simple lines, and a simple message. The text is also simple: from a terse “total transformation” to a full statement, “I want firmer, smoother looking skin with no sign of stretch marks or age spots” to the actual name, “Prevage” which of course reads: “prevent age.” However, the psychological effect it has on women is anything but simple.

The tube of Prevage is strategically placed at the forefront and blown up to the size of the wom– er– mannequin. The advertisement states to the consumer that not only will this cream help with all the head-to-toe problems (come on, admit it, you’re just not perfect), but that every woman is plighted with such problems that need to be either prevented or taken care of ASAP.

Great, where do I buy a tube, or three, or, what’s the limit again? Finally: a solution to ALL our (women’s) peskiest problems! This is exactly how the advertisers want the consumer to react. But who allotted those problems?

Although a bottle of Prevage first appears as a salvation, they are not actually promoting a solution. What they are doing is making women feel damaged and shameful of being a functioning human being. How about this for a retort: “It is better to be a diamond with a flaw than a pebble without.”? Thank you, Confucius.

What I don’t understand is this: Are they saying that after using their ground-breaking cream a woman will end up looking as “perfect” as a mannequin? Or that the mannequin is the epitome of beauty, which a cosmetic surgery enthusiast can’t even live up to? To use Photoshop to take a blemish or two off a model is the rage, but to use a man-made statue as the promoter of a cream is just absurd.

I personally do not know of any men who have complained about crow’s feet or a stretch mark, or whatever else the cream is supposed to erase and banish from existence. But a perfectly lifeless girlfriend? That might raise a few complaints.

Crafty Idea leads to Successful Business

Tired of hearing nothing but bad news? Check out the website of former CNN anchorwoman, Daryn Kagan, www.DarynKagan.com. Her website’s tagline is “Show the World What’s Possible” and is dedicated to inspirational news and profiles of ordinary people doing extraordinary things. Oprah Radio on Sirius XM broadcasts content from her website – need I say more?

Daryn found the story of Mannequin Madness to be inspirational and featured us on her site this month – Oprah are you listening? We are a woman owned, minority owned, green business in the recycling industry (how is that for being a niche business?)

Plus I started the company in the midst of the last economic downturn (2001) after being laid off from my dot-com job. Yes people thought I was crazy to start a business then, especially one involving stiffs and dummies. Plus I had never touched a mannequin before or worked in the retail industry. Hence the name Mannequin Madness, because I certainly had to be a little “crazy” to start this venture.

Check out what Daryn Kagan had to say about us:

http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid16977212001?bclid=447868031&bctid=17029061001

Using a mannequin to practice photography lighting

Many of our customers are photographers and photography students who buy and rent mannequins from us to practice their lighting. Mannequins have many advantages over live models – they never complain, are always available, they can hold a pose indefinitely without moving and they never get bored. Plus they don’t have to sign a model’s release form.

On the serious side, I was following a discussion thread on Flickr for photographers  (Strobist.com) and saw this helpful comment about using a mannequin for photography lighting. practice. This is courtesy of ac12basis’ photostream on Flickr

I have a mannequin and I got it for a single reason. I wanted to work on and understand how lighting affects the face shadows. And she is very patient with me, and won’t tell me to “hurry up I’m tired of sitting here. ” And she won’t complain about so many flashes in the face.

The one I bought was based on a specific recommendation. It is a rubber one, as I was told that it reflects light closer to real skin than others (styrofoam, cloth covered whatever, hard white fiberglass).

The only fix I made was to the eyes. I used clear nail polish over the eyes, so they would reflect light similar to the human eye. Warning, a decent one is not cheap. Then you have to get a wig (or 2 or 3).

 

True the more “lifelike” the mannequin, the more expensive it will be. There are some mannequin that look more like dolls – the cheap imports from China. The mannequins that you find in the windows of high end retail stores, resemble people and are also much more durable. That is why they cost so much – unless of course you purchase a used one at companies like Mannequin Madness.

 

 

Professional Sewing Dress Forms: how to find the right one for you

A  professional sewing dress form like the contestants Project Runway use can cost anywhere from $600 for a skirt form – $1400 for an ankle to neck version.  These forms are industrial quality and can withstand lots of use (and abuse) for years. But if aren’t ready to make that type of investment, there are other options.

First you can look online to find a used one. Mannequin liquidators like us frequently acquire used dress forms from retailers that are going out of business. Many of the high end retailers had a tailoring department so we acquire their professional dress forms – but often these are well worn. But you can get them for 50% or more off the normal retail price.

You can buy a “generic” brand dress form. There are lots of dress forms that are soft enough for pinning but they will not have some of the features that you see on a professional grade one.  For example, they might not be on a cast iron base with wheels,  or have wheel locks. The padding might not be very thick on the form and the form might not be adjustable. Sometimes they don’t have a neck cap.

But considering that the price difference can be huge, it might be more cost effective to consider these, especially if you are an occasional sewer. Or if you just like the look of a dress form and waat to use it as a prop. Many people buy a dress form to display jewerly on or to use as a coat hanger.

The name brand professional forms are Wolf, Superior, Royal and Fabulous Fit.  We get emails all the time from people asking us what are differences between  them  (besides price). Since we don’t sew, I can give an answer based on personal experience. Both Fabulous Fit dres forms and Wolf dress forms are made of the highest quality materials. Fabulous Fit carries dress forms that are adjustable – meaning you can have 1 form adjust to 3 different sizes. 

We found some information on the Fabulous Fit website that explains the difference between them and Wolf forms (see orange text). Click on this link to see their product line. http://www.1shoppingcart.com/app/?af=947154  

The main difference is that the Fabulous Fit® dress forms are constantly updated to match fashion’s industry requirements. Since we are the only company that follow the new industry trends, the Fabulous Fit® dress forms are used by major Fashion Companies, Theaters, Costume Designers, Schools, etc. around the world.

The Fabulous Fit® unlike Wolf dress forms offers a Patented Fitting Solution called Patented Fitting System which allows you to duplicate the exact measurements at each area of your body on a dress form. This is an essential tool when working with commercial patterns, draping, and fitting. The Patented Fitting System is available only from Fabulous Fit® or its affiliates.

Some facts about Mannequin Heads

Today’s modern mannequins are not limited to full-body creations. If you were to take Barbie’s head and enlarge it to life-size, with preternaturally long and smooth hair and all, you’d get an idea of what a hair mannequin looks like. Hair mannequins are basically head models on mounts used in the cosmetological industry for practice. They are commonly fiberglass mannequins or plastic mannequins and usually have a face painted on.

They can be adult mannequins or child mannequins and can represent any race or skin color. Their crowning glory may be either human hair (as hard to believe as it is, there is a market for human hair) or artificial hair. They are used to practice any number of cosmetology procedures such as haircutting, perming, dyeing, bonding, and layering.

They are also used to practice make-up application. This is a much better proposition than the old method of trying it out on a real person and botching it, leading to an encounter with an irate customer. Hair mannequins are considered to be very good tools for cosmetology.

At the end of each semester, a local cosmetology school sends us their mannequin heads that students have used for practice. They are great for props and art projects, since most of them are devoid of hair by the time we get them. Check them out here: http://www.mannequinmadness.com/www/product_info.php?products_id=25&osCsid=eib0amaqa7d17kj6g8h5rpt3b5

Features of Hair Mannequins

Some practice mannequins are provided with basic eyes and mouth. Other, more sophisticated products come with eyelashes and better-looking facial features as well. These are often reserved for competitions. To steady them, they are often set into a holder or clamp of some kind. There are also some types of hair-bearing mannequins which are used for practicing massage therapy. These can be extended to include the neck and shoulder area, so the user can practice on them, too.

Head mannequins are not limited to cosmetology. Instrumented versions can also be used to test helmet crashworthiness and ballistics. Mannequin-like heads with changing facial features are used to study how people interact with one another.

Five Reasons to Rent Rather than Buy a Mannequin

How many times have you wanted to rent a mannequin or dress form for a short term need  but balked at purchasing one because of the cost? Perhaps you didn’t realize that companies like ours provide you with an alternative -  you can rent instead of buy. 

Perhaps you have having an exhibit at your place of business or having a silent auction fund-raiser of clothes/jewelry.  Maybe you are attending a trade-show or appearing on TV and want to demonstrate your product on a mannequin.  Special event planners have known for a long time that they can rent a mannequin when they are having a theme party and are displaying costumes,  but now the general public can rent a mannequin or dress form as well.

                                      Why buy a mannequin when you can rent instead? Here’s why-

1 Mannequin rental rates average anywhere from $100-$150 a week, depending upon the city. Special rates can be negotiated for shorter or longer term rentals. Considering that a high end mannquin can cost $700-$1100 brand new, renting a mannequin is a good way to stretch your visual merchandising dollars.

2 Renting a mannequin keeps you from having to worry about how to safely store it. We’ve had lots of customers who bought a mannequin at a great price at a garage sale. They use it a few times and then store it in the garage or closet.  Next time they need the mannequin they often  discover  something fell on it or knocked it over. Now the  mannequin has a  broken appendage and is unusable. 

4 If you are attending a trade-show, especially in a different city from where you live, transporting a mannequin is cumbersome and expensive.  If you rent one you can write it off as a business expense.

5 Sometimes you need to test drive the mannequin to see if it is right for you. Do you want a mannequin in a certain pose? A headless mannequin or one with a face? A mannequin or a dress form? Renting different styles of mannequins and dress forms before you purchase it gives you a chance to determine what works best for your needs. Most mannequin rental companies have a rent to own option.