Should I Buy a Dress Form or a Mannequin?

If you’re trying to decide between a dress form or a mannequin, we hope this blog will help you decide which figure is right for you.

Why Choose a Dress Form?

What is an Adjustable Dress form?

A dress form is a three-dimensional model of the torso used for fitting clothing that is being designed and made. Whilst commonly referred to as a ‘Mannequin’, ‘Dressmakers Dummy’, ‘Tailors Form’, or a combination - our dress forms differ from traditional mannequins (which are commonly just used for displaying garments) by allowing the user to adjust the dress form to reflect their body shape.

Why should I buy one?

Traditionally when making clothes much of the process is done on a flat table, but this does not give you any idea of what the garment will look like when it is worn or how it will fit you. There are also many aspects of dressmaking, such as fitting zips at the back of a dress, cutting fabric, creating a level hem or fitting a lining into a jacket that are very difficult without the correct tools.

A dress form gives you the opportunity to work on the garment while it is in its natural shape - keeping both hands free to work on any area of the garment and letting you stand back to see the final effect from all angles.

Here at Sewing Direct, we have stock of the Sew Deluxe model.  This enables you to tailor trousers as well, therefore making it a great all-rounder. Click below to find out more and visit our website.

Why Choose a Mannequin?

What is a Mannequin?

A mannequin is a three-dimensional figure often used in storefronts to display clothing. Often made of fibreglass or plastic, they come in a variety of colours, sizes, shapes and genders to show customers an accurate look of the garment on a body. 

Why should I buy a Mannequin?

If you have clothing to display then a Mannequin is a helpful way to show your customers how a garment would potentially look on the hanger. 

Due to their slippery material and lack of adjustments they are not typically used in dressmaking, but may be useful for holding a garment after production whilst you add embellishments.

Top 3 reasons for purchasing a Dress Form

Here's our top three reasons for purchasing a dress form:

1. It's adjustable! - We all know the human body doesn't stay the same shape (especially during Christmas time) so it's ideal that you can adjust the dress form to reflect the ever-changing body.

2. It's affordable! - Professional mannequins can cost up to £1000 for one fixed size. Our products are the perfect option for the home sewing enthusiast combining great quality at a great price.

3. It's an Adjustoform! - We pride ourselves on producing the majority of our forms in the United Kingdom and set the bar for quality far higher than that of our competitors.

Interested in purchasing a Dress Form? 

At Sewing Direct we recommend the Adjustoform Dress Form for your dress-making requirements. Check out our range of sewing machines, Dress Forms and haberdashery for all of your sewing needs. 

Contact our team today for any questions you may have, or check out our blog for more information.