Early vintage mannequins..

Joe 90 · Post by **Joe 90** » Wed Feb 09, 2022 9:12 pm

There are complete figures and separate heads created by Pierre Imans for his displays.
A mannequin is a dress makers form originally created for the design and fitting of garments for Royalty. The earliest mannequins were found as far back as Ancient Egypt.

Mr Franz · Post by **Mr Franz** » Wed Feb 09, 2022 9:24 pm

Man, so much nicer than the faceless and often headless figures of today.

Joe 90 · Post by **Joe 90** » Wed Feb 09, 2022 9:50 pm

Mannequins have always fascinated human beings. Be it as a kid or a grown up, we all tend to stop for a moment to witness their larger than life image at window displays in the retail stores and at malls. However, what makes them so captivating remains a big question to this day.

seagull · Post by **seagull** » Wed Feb 09, 2022 9:59 pm

Real artistic talent

Joe 90 · Post by **Joe 90** » Thu Feb 10, 2022 12:08 pm

The mannequin is derived from a French term and means "an artist's jointed model" and their use started as early as the 15th century. This was the time when the smaller version of “milliners’ mannequins” were employed in order to exhibit fashions. Often kings and queens like Pharaohs would get a mannequin made of their body dimension. The court dressers would tailor special outfits for the Royals and display them on the mannequin. This crude dress form was designed to avoid fitting embarrassments to the kings and queens.

Joe 90 · Post by **Joe 90** » Thu Feb 10, 2022 10:19 pm

gogodolls wrote:

Thanking you for the thumbs up gogodolls I have a few more posts to go before I wind up this thread.

gogodolls · Post by **gogodolls** » Fri Feb 11, 2022 7:01 am

Mr Franz wrote:Man, so much nicer than the faceless and often headless figures of today.

It's perhaps understandable in a way... these breathtaking " mannequins " steal the show from the clothes or accessories they wear!

Joe 90 wrote: I have a few more posts to go before I wind up this thread.

This is one of the very interesting and educational threads I've seen here! BRAVO Joe!

Cheers!

Joe 90 · Post by **Joe 90** » Fri Feb 11, 2022 1:45 pm

When archaeologists opened King Tutankhamen’s tomb in 1922, they found a wooden torso bearing the king’s likeness near a chest containing the young pharaoh’s wardrobe, this was considered the oldest known forerunner to modern mannequins.
This bust was likely used to model Tutankhamen’s elaborate garments and jewelry, providing a stationary figure matching the king’s specific measurements to assist with clothing design and adjustment.
Below you can view images of Imans' mannequins displayed in stores. Can you spot the rare black mannequin..

Joe 90 · Post by **Joe 90** » Fri Feb 11, 2022 2:00 pm

A display form is made for tailors and seamstresses and was used almost like clothes hangers back then. Eventually, those clothes hangers became mannequins, the figures that sell fashion.

Joe 90 · Post by **Joe 90** » Sat Feb 12, 2022 10:47 am

At the turn of the 19th century, you had bustier mannequins with tiny waists. Suddenly, going into the teens, they got a little more slender. Close to World War II, female mannequins had these broad shoulders. After World War II ended and the soldiers were coming home, all of a sudden the female mannequins were very voluptuous, a welcoming sight to the soldiers coming home.

Joe 90 · Post by **Joe 90** » Sun Feb 13, 2022 5:29 pm

Mannequins are used primarily by retail stores as in-store displays or window decoration.
Today, the classic female mannequin has a smaller to average breast size. However, manufacturers are starting to sell sexy busty and voluptuous female mannequins with 40DD's and Barbie Doll sized waists.

Joe 90 · Post by **Joe 90** » Mon Feb 14, 2022 6:07 am

Art Nouveau influenced styles, with straight uncorseted figures and minimal breasts, creating clean lines.
With the burgeoning cultural trade between East and West at the time, Japanese art was a major influence in shaping Art Nouveau.
The Style moderne was an alternate name for this aesthetic in France.

Joe 90 · Post by **Joe 90** » Tue Feb 15, 2022 8:11 am

The Victorian period marks the beginning of the decline of straight laced figures and censorship of the female body. The Women’s Christian Temperance Union protested against stores with mannequins modelling corsets and lobbied hard to banish them. Because of this, some cities passed laws that forbid dressing or undressing mannequins without first covering store windows. The law remained until the 1960’s.

Mr Franz · Post by **Mr Franz** » Tue Feb 15, 2022 4:41 pm

Joe 90 wrote:The Victorian period marks the beginning of the decline of straight laced figures and censorship of the female body. The Women’s Christian Temperance Union protested against stores with mannequins modelling corsets and lobbied hard to banish them. Because of this, some cities passed laws that forbid dressing or undressing mannequins without first covering store windows. The law remained until the 1960’s.

When I worked for Woolworth in the 70's, company policy stated that display figures were to be prepared for display off floor by female staff!