How Are Mannequins Made?

When you’re using a mannequin to model your latest fashion line, it can’t just be ‘vaguely human shaped’. If you want your clothes to look their best – which is, after all, going to give the best chance of you selling them – the mannequin needs to be as accurate as possible.

That means that your clothes will hopefully fit and hang from the mannequin in the same way that they would on an actual person (or at least a person of the same build as the mannequin). Making mannequins therefore requires a higher level of skill and knowledge than you might think.

But what are mannequins made out of and how are they actually constructed? Before we answer those questions, let’s take a quick look at where it all began.

It is believed that the first mannequins appeared in France in the 15th century, and were in miniature form – the word essentially means ‘little man’, as in manikin. Just like today, they were used to model the latest fashions.

The first full-sized mannequins were made of wickerwork and date from the mid-18th century. Over the years, a number of different materials have been used, each with its own advantages and disadvantages – these include papier maché, wood, wax, polyurethane and plaster. Some are lighter than others, some are more flexible, while others are more durable and built to last.

Today, however, most mannequins are made out of fibreglass or plastic. One advantage to both of these is that they are lightweight, which makes it cheaper and easier to transport them. Let’s take a closer look at both types.

Fibreglass is the most expensive option – some examples can cost into the thousands of pounds each, but what you get for your money is as natural a figure as you could wish for. Naturally, those top-quality fibreglass mannequins tend to be used only at the top end of the fashion industry.

Making a good fibreglass mannequin can take over a month and involves many stages, starting with building a clay figure onto a wire framework. Subsequent moulds of first plaster and later fibreglass are created out of this original mould to produce the final production model. At each stage, the moulds will be gradually honed to eliminate any blemishes until the final – and hopefully ultra-realistic – version emerges. This final mould will be used to cast the actual mannequins used in-store.

Although highly realistic and conveniently lightweight, fibreglass mannequins can be less durable than other options,

Plastic mannequins come in a wide variety of styles and are the ones you’re most likely to see in the average high street store. They are made in a similar way to fibreglass ones, in that a mould will be constructed from which the shop mannequins will be cast. Plastic mannequins tend to be more durable but less realistic than their fibreglass cousins.

Increasingly common these days are mannequins made from degradable materials that won’t pollute our soil for generations to come. Here at Morplan, we supply eco-friendly mannequins made from bio resin, raffia paper and rice powder that will start to break down within twelve months of being consigned to landfill.

Morplan can help with all your mannequin needs, including male and female figures, tailors dummies and torsos, plus eco-friendly mannequins, all available in a variety of natural poses. With free delivery on orders over £120 and over 175 years of experience in the business, we’re the nation’s leading retail supplier – get in touch today to find out more.