Advice on buying 2nd manni

MyVintageCocktail

MyVintageCocktail

VFG Member
I'm going to buy a 2nd mannequin, and need help deciding what "size" to get. I have 2 now, but am going to sell my 1st manni, who worked well for a starter one (esp. 'cuz she was cheap!), but wasn't designed for photography work with multiple changes in a short time. She was a store-display unit, is very, very heavy (good quality--a vintage Hindsgaul), too much for my short body to be wrangling with, and not the proper pose. But she's GREAT size for showing medium to large/XL stuff, which is mostly what I try to sell. Anyway, I recently bought another that I'm not happy with, but am keeping.... Was smaller than stated in listing, and is one of those skinny-mini mannis who takes about a 2 or 4. Does well with smaller stuff (replaces the hanging dress form I used to for my small stuff), but trying to pin, clip & otherwise make a size 16 dress or XL coat look anything close to decent is about impossible! The manni I'm eyeing is 35-25-35, which would put her at about an 8, I think. Claire was a bit too hippy for a lot of my things, at 38", but though she's 37 1/2" bust, she's an A cup & didn't fill out tops very well. This 35" unit is fuller in the bust, and I think would do well with some "bombshell" summer dresses I have. Or should I go larger to fill out the 12/14/16/18 size range, and use the smaller one for the 2/4/6/8 range? I can get one that measures about 36" bust, 38" hip.

I'm just in a quandry! Does anyone else use 2 mannis, or does anyone have a size 6 or 8 they use for everything that can also take the XL things in style? Thanks!
 
"Does anyone else use 2 mannis"

Erm - I think i had about 5 at my last count, and I'm sure there's one in the attic. Like everything else it's becoming a 'collection' all to itself!

The one i use the majority of the time is the headless 3/4 mannequin, that I really like but as you're saying with yours she is too tiny for some things really (regardless of clipping stuff to fit), about 32/24/34.

So I have a tailors dummy that I use for larger items which is 36/26/38 (so similar to that you're considering).

I must say though, I tend to do the majority of items on the skinnier gal, up to and including about a UK 12/14 (so US 10/12)

over that size I use the dummy, but find myself having to clip the dresses on that too, so I have been considering buying an even larger dummy. I have a couple of strapless prom dresses that probably measure a 38/40" bust and i had such trouble making the chest area look acceptably realistic that I gave up and they went back on the rack.

Do you have a fair amount of larger garments to deal with?
 
Yes, Harriet, I do try to deal more in the larger items and have numerous on hand. Right now I have about a 50/50 mix of small/med vs. large/XL items, but I really prefer buying & selling the larger stuff! The manni with the 38" hips is appealing, but a lot of the garments I have on hand measure right around that 38" to 40"mark or so, and I hate to have them look tight on her! Unless, of course, they should be! But pinning a 40" hip to look right on a 32" hip is nearly impossible! I have a stunning-in-real-life black velvet dress up now that, though it's only about a size 10 with a 38" hip, it looks like hell on my little manni.... Should probably have not listed it till I get a larger manni, but it's velvet (though sleeveless) and I thought better now, in January, than in March! Problem is, I think I could get more for some of my stuff if it presented better on the mannequin. Or, maybe not.... Who knows? The vagaries of this business cannot sometimes be fathomed!
 
I'm probably the wrong person to answer since I have several display options.

1) Glamazonia is my store display manny. She's about 6'2 and a size 2 to 4. She's wonderful for displaying small and dramatic items. But she's also heavy, has a pole in her bum which makes pants impossible (get one where the pole is in her foot for sure) and her dramatic pose is a bit awkward for some items. But I bought her for a song and really love buying wigs and accessories for her --- she's my big doll!

<img src="http://home.grandecom.net/~cosmiccowgirl/ebay/1061vcc1.jpg"><BR>

2) Traditional French dress form that's about a size 6 to 8. I find myself using her the most often. She's easy to pin things on, lightweight and easy to change. I sometimes stuff her sleeves with tissue to make arms if needed.

3) Large men's fiberglass display form. He's got about a 52" chest and a hole that can be used on the base and pole of my traditional dress form. I also use him for plus size women's clothing. I bought a large bra and stuff it --- voila --- I have a plus size woman's form.

4) Inflatible small men's dress form. This one is a real gem for displaying very small, particularly early, items. It has a hole in the base that works with the traditional dress form base and pole. Air can be let out to make him squishable to conform to small tight fitting garments. He also has a hole on the top for a line that I tie to a ceiling hook to give him stability when he's less inflated. Here's an example of a Civil War era dress I just shot on "him."

<img src="http://home.grandecom.net/~cosmiccowgirl/ebay/1062ad3.jpg"><BR>

I also have a hanging half mannie that I rarely use --- she's about a size 12 and really much too large for most things. I used her when I first started selling. I think an important thing to remember is that you can always pin and clip onto a smaller manny, but there isn't much you can do to a larger manny to make it accommodate smaller items.
 
I do take Claire's (the Hindsgaul gal) arms off & stuff bubble wrap up the sleeves if need to make her have more suitable arms, but with summer coming I have a lot of sleeveless & short-sleeved dresses & she just won't do, and the little gal is just too thin.... I wondered about using an inflatable for some things, but had no clue if one could really use it in any functional way!!! Maybe I'll add one of those to my repertoire as well--your dress looks wonderful on that! I was going to sell my hanging half manni dress from, but maybe I'll it for larger men's items, as she is tiny & one wouldn't see her little bumps-for-busts under a large men's item, I don't think. I'm trying to spend my money on stock rather than equipment, but if one needs the means to display one's stock, then one has to spend the bucks!
 
I'm thinking about inflatible mannis too, mainly for display at shows. interesting to hear that about yours Leigh - has anyone used a female one? They're pretty reasonably priced so I think i had better just bite the bullet and try one myself too.

I know what you mean about having to spend the money on display Anne, and it's so true. But I'm sure your sales of plus size dresses will soon pay you back, as your pics really are great already :)
 
I have a size 2 manni, a size 0/teen dress form, a 4-8 form and my busty gal at 8-20 dress form with a stuffed bra on her.
I would LOVE to have a manni that is an 8/10, though. There's something about the manni shots that look so much better to me, with expression and arms and a little body language. I find the larger dresses are fine on the busty gal, but it leaves the arms dangling, and stuffing is never just right.

Wonder what size mannis they use at Lane Bryant?
Ha! There could be a rush of robberies at Lane Bryant stores where the theif yells "give me all your manni"! :hysterical:
Oh, I'm just kidding.....
Jenn
 
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