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Our Mannequins, Ourselves
By admins | October 27, 2009
Recently, we came across an interesting report at breitbart.com regarding mannequins. Basically, they interviewed one of the worlds leading producers of mannequins and found that race still plays a prominent role in sales. Worldwide Black mannequins just don’t sell. Other ethnically diverse mannequins don’t fare well either. The one exception seems to be, in the United States, where Black and Asian models are doing decent business. We can’t say, we are exactly surprised by this. At the same time, it’s like, come on people it’s 2009 already!
Oddly, it is not only the White customers keeping diverse mannequins down, but minority groups as well. It seems Asian businesses and countries prefer to purchase the White, European looking, mannequins too. Racism aside, the most disturbing bit of information was this quote, “We only sell headless, limbless, bodies to Saudi customers.” We suppose it’s the all too common images of Middle Eastern women being oppressed and victimized that makes this quote so disconcerting. On the other hand, perhaps they, like many high-end fashion brands, prefer the streamlined look of headless mannequins, so the focus stays on the garment not the mannequin.
For those of us who work in the design and manufacturing side of fashion, mannequins are rarely thought about. They belong to retailers, which are on the complete opposite end of the fashion spectrum from us. What we do have are tailor dummies or body forms, usually headless, and without hands and feet. Unlike mannequins, they are made of fabric and stuffed so that garments can be pinned and fit to them. Our body form’s race is never considered, they are all a dull cream color, which is the natural shade of their cheap unbleached cotton.
When discussing the retail mannequin’s size, a mannequin producer stated, “As for body shapes, every time we try different sizes, it fails. It’s not relevant.” We find this quote quite telling, because for us, size and shape are everything. Often retailers will supply designers and manufactures with body forms or fit models that represent the shape of their customer. Based on extensive market research they will mimic the customer’s actual size from rounder shoulders, or shorter height, or even love handles if applicable. Certain mass-marketers that have a higher population of Black and Hispanic female customers, use a dummy that is slightly shorter, heavier and with a more curvaceous behind. However, in their store the shopper sees tall, slim, white mannequins with flat torsos, large busts, and barely-there hips and bottoms. Basically, the image they present to the public is of a life size Barbie doll. So what kind of message are retailers sending, when they spend thousands of dollars on mannequins, that they know does’t represent their customers either in shape, size, or color?
Here is more related scoop;
Topics: Opinion, models, size | 6 Comments » 
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October 27th, 2009 at 2:19 pm
Well said! I use to only work with industry standard forms for fittings, but recently at a larger private label company I realized that many retailers do provide customer sized forms (took me over 8 years to catch on). I found this fascinating especially when I hear people complain about clothes only being made to fit a size 2, so not true!
As for race, I’m with you, why is this still an issue? I’m not a woman so maybe I don’t get it, but when you’re shopping and see something you like would you really buy or not buy it depending on the mannequins race?
October 27th, 2009 at 7:07 pm
I would hope that we aren’t subconsciously influenced by the race of a mannequin! I think ads have more influence than a window mannequin. The only thing I think of when I see one is how creepy it looks the more it tries to be realistic. I actually prefer mannequins without faces for that reason; one needs only look at those creepy Old Navy commercials for evidence.
October 28th, 2009 at 11:05 am
WTF mannequins are creepy, MizzJ is right! I think we should just get rid of them altogether.
Having worked in retail when I was young, I guess the difference in shape from a manufacturers dummy to a store mannequin explains why we always had to pin and clip the clothes on them in the display windows.
October 29th, 2009 at 1:38 am
I agree with MizzJ as well – I’d rather have those stark white faceless mannequin molds that are non-descript than have to deal with mannequin-racism!
October 29th, 2009 at 10:20 am
Love this article, but I wasn’t that surprised. Culturally I was aware that in asian countries pop stars spends absurd amounts of makeup, plastic surgery and wardrobe too have a more ‘western look’. There is really only so much the industry can do to shape what the status quo believes is ‘beauty’ over night, and in agreement with the rest of you I prefer the less ‘lifelike’ mannequins, I don’t need a freakishly frozen doll-like fact to sell me clothing. That’s what models are for… just kidding ;)
November 26th, 2009 at 3:53 pm
I’ve read this article before on several other sites, I collect mannequins as a hobby, and I have 1 african american male, 1 asian male, 1 biracial female, and 1 latino mannequin and I looking to get an asian and black female to go along with my “family”. Personally, I like the more realistic mannequin over the abstracts, there is more engagement for me.