How do I choose the right dress form

If you want to know how to choose the right dress form, you need to learn something about it at first. Dress forms are often made to represent a body’s torso. They are usually constructed with a hard interior and a foam or fabric exterior, which is helpful for pinning. We usually come across mannequins in clothing stores. It generally has a hard outer shell and often represents an entire body. And, mostly, they don’t stand straight or their bodies aren’t in a symmetrical position, so don’t try to drape or fit on them. Have you ever wondered why these mannequins were chosen?  Let’s know more details about dress form so that we may find the final answer.

1. Display dress form

The first thing to consider when choosing a dress form is what you bought it for. If you’re only going to use your dress form to display your clothes, you’re probably leaning toward cheaper, more affordable options. Most dress forms are inexpensive, usually costing less than $100. While the proportions of these dress forms tend to be unsuitable for fit and drape, display forms often have adjustable heights and are easy to be pinned.

2. Professional dress form

If you’re a professional costume designer and looking for a dress form that can assist you throughout the construction process with draping, pinning, fitting, and more, a professional dress form can help you with it.

While these professional dress forms typically cost significantly more than regular dress forms (usually between $150 and $1,000), they have a distinct advantage over regular models in functionality and longevity. On the one hand, professional dress forms have more accurate proportions and are available in a variety of sizes. On the other hand, they also come with wheels, so you can move and change the position of them easily. They also have foldable shoulders for easy on and off clothes. At the same time, their height is adjustable.

3. Bifurcated dress form

Bifurcated dress forms have distinct advantages over professionally dressed forms in terms of functionality and price. The main difference is that they include legs for trying on shorts and pants. These bifurcated dress forms are especially useful if you plan to drape or do a lot of pant accessories for any of these garments.

Another feature to consider is whether you want your dress form to have arms. Likewise, if you do a lot of draping and/or pattern work, you may find a dress form with arms useful. Many companies make dress forms with detachable magnetic arms that you can easily assemble if necessary. Here is a source worth checking out: 

https://www.alibaba.com/product-detail/Adjustable-Dress-Form-Mannequin-Torso-Manikin_1600282026138.html?spm=a2747.manage.0.0.2df371d2t5VoZh

4. Adjustable dress form

Adjustable dress forms are exactly what they sound like. They are forms that can be adjusted with dials to match different body sizes.

They are usually light and are basically made of plastic. Just like the display forms, but their proportions are more realistic. The awesome thing about these dress forms is that they are more affordable than professional forms, as they are usually cost under $300. Some adjustable dress form can also accommodate pants and shorts, and they often come with a hemming tool that attaches to an adjustable-height pole. However, they are much less durable than professional forms, and their shoulders are not foldable, and the structure is not as easy to fasten or drape.

There’s also the issue that as soon as you start turning the dial, the panels start to expand away from each other, creating gaps at the seams. This can lead to immobilization at the waist, anterior midsection, and many other important landmarks. Also, it is difficult to shape these tables to your exact size, as they have a limited range of sizes for adjustment. This means, for example, that if your bust is significantly larger than your waist, you may not be able to expand your model’s bust enough to fit your needs.