They stand in the window, gazing past us with detached hauteur, modeling the latest styles, tempting us to go in, try those clothes on, and make a purchase.
Their use originated in the 15th Century, when miniature milliners’ mannequins were used to demonstrate fashions for customers. But it wasn’t until the 1880s when plate glass windows began to be installed in shop windows that retailers began to place them in their shop fronts.
These shop front mannequins were made from wax, wood or heavy fabric, and they had iron feet to help them stay upright. Papier-mâché and sawdust were used to give them a more realistic shape, and they often reflected an ideal of beauty. They were also expensive to make.
By the turn of the century, mannequins had given birth to a new industry, ‘window trimming’. ‘Window trimmers’ got more and more artistic. Their mannequins developed facial expressions, glass eyes, and real hair. After the First World War, women’s dress changed, and the mannequins changed with them, developing a more realistic, simpler body shape.
Then, in the 1930s came a remarkable development. A New York soap sculptor, Lester Gaba, produced six plaster ‘Gaba Girls’ for a large department store. They even had names and at a party to unveil them were dressed in jewels and the very best clothes of the time. Gaba took one ‘sitting’ mannequin (called Cynthia), with him wherever he went. She sat with her elbow on her knee, cigarette in hand, and travelled by taxi with Lester. She even accompanied him to the opera and sat in his box. Mannequins, it seemed, were the new ‘it’ girls.
During the Second World War, the mannequins began to look drab, reflecting the clothes rationing of the time. By the late 1940s, they had become happier again and wore smiles. The 1950s and 60s saw mannequins made in new materials, such as fibreglass and plastic. Today, the design potential of mannequins is immense; they can be made to retailers’ own specifications in any shape, color or pose.
Contribution to Retail History
Mannequins continue to be central to the art of visual merchandising and they remain an important part of a retailer’s marketing message and sales efforts. The colorful and oftentimes striking and dramatic mannequin displays effectively communicate style, image and personalization, and the must-have outfits and accessories. Most importantly, they still attract attention and influence impulse purchases.