What You Need to Know Before Purchasing a Dressform

Mannequin, Dressform, Dummy- whatever you want to call it, just call it a big ticket item. 

I remember when I bought my first dress form in college it was a huge deal. It was my pride and joy until I gained more industry experience to realize that I wish I knew more before I purchased it. Don’t get me wrong, it’s still in my collection and we hang every now and then, but she’s not my go to. 

Before you drop the cash I want you to know a few things and review your priorities. 

Where Do You Buy Dressforms?

Just to be clear, we are talking about professional grade forms. Not the ones that you can find at your local big box fabric store with adjustable dials for measurements. Nope, these forms are industry grade. The most commonly utilized dress forms are Wolf, Superior, Alvanon, and PGM. For each of these you will have to order in line or get in touch with a sales consultant. 

Because these forms will be shipped to you, make sure to factor in the shipping costs into your purchase budget. 

There are different kinds of dress forms

Well, obviously. But the differences can be very specific. There are dress forms for sportswear, evening and bridal and even coats and suits.

Most Dressform manufacturers have stock forms that are the most commonly purchased. Before you buy, make sure you review all the measurements to make sure these align with what you need. For a significantly higher price you can have a dress form made to your specific measurement requirements. 

Are you Draping or Trying on?

Draping forms such as Wolf or Superior have nuances built into the structure that factor in certain things that you have to consider in a pattern so it fits a moving body. For instance evening gown forms have a much more defined bust than a sportswear form would. Additionally, these forms are softer and have a more pliable surface that allows you to pin into them. 

One of the major fitting forms is Alvanon. I do mention them quite a bit, but they are the specialists in sizing studies, sizing in general and dress forms. The dress forms that they make are strictly for trying on. If you try to drape anything on them you are going to have a hard time as they are very rigid and give very little to the pressure of pins. They are popular because basically every retailer and large brand uses their forms to review fit. 

What size Do You Need?

It’s a common practice that for a lot of beginning designers that they want a dress form that will fit them. The thinking is that it will make your life so much easier if you have something that matches you and you can try on directly. Eh, not always. You may get the circumferences right, but the dress form can’t move and doesn’t give you a lot of feedback or insight into garment functionality. 

This is not to say that you shouldn’t get one that is your size. If you are your fit standard size and fall at a good halfway mark in your sizing range, then definitely get one. Bodies can evolve over time. If you can maintain all your circumference forever, good for you. But even the best models fluctuate in measurements so it’s worth the investment of a fixed form. 

If you are a tiny size, then getting a dress form that only fits you could be a costly move. You’ll find as you grow that having a fit sample size somewhere in the middle of your range will benefit you more. 

If you are doing Plus/Extended sizes this may be a consideration as well. If you don’t have someone to always try on your garments, a dress form can help you to better assess proportions.

Half body or Full Body? 

You can purchase half stand forms which are just the torso and hips. If you are only doing evening wear or tops then this is all you really need and also a budget friendly option. 

However, if you are doing dresses, skirts and pants then I would definitely recommend the full body which includes the legs. I don’t use my dress forms a lot, but when I do it’s usually to review full proportions, so I need to factor in the legs as well. 

Dressforms Have Quirks, Just Like Human Bodies

I don’t want you purchasing a dress form with the assumption that it will solve all your fit problems. It absolutely will not. As I mentioned, dress forms cannot comment on functionality or movement and you will not be able to judge them on this. It’s even hard to assess body circumferences. Many times something can be draped tightly on a form but when you put it on a person of the same circumferences it is too tight.

I found this out that dress forms are not perfect early on with my original dress form. I draped garments on it and then made the patterns. Every single time the shoulder was so crazy sloped that I had all sorts of weirdness popping up. I had to give her some giant 80’s shoulder pads to help even things out. 

So yeah, shoulder slope is a big fit concern. I’ve found this on basically every brand out there. Another crucial fit point that no brand seems to get right is the apex level. The busts are always very perky and the apex much higher than a real person. 

But you find these things out and work around them. Once you know what’s not right for you to either pad one up or add relevant markings for reference.