The 18 Styles & Types of Mannequins For Your Store

If you’re thinking of purchasing mannequins for your store you must make an informed decision. So we are here to provide our knowledge and expertise when it comes to mannequins, manikins, dummies, call them whatever you like.

There are quite a few types and styles of mannequins to discuss, that’s why we’ve split them into two categories main, namely style and functionality, so let’s see what they’re about:

The 3 Most Common Types of Mannequins

Realistic Mannequins

They are called realistic, natural or life like for a very specific reason, that being that this type of mannequin depicts a human face and body most accurately. Also the fiberglass skin resembles that of a human being. It is tailored only for a specific size, the make-up on them is in general permanent and the wigs are perfectly styled.

These mannequins are used mostly in high-end retail stores and of course come in both female and male versions.

#2. Abstract Mannequins

This type of mannequin is highly appreciated due to its minimalist design. Abstract mannequins are the contemporary pieces of art displayed in retail stores all over the world. In general, features such as muscles, fingernails, some facial characteristics, elbows and so on, are not sculpted, the end result being a modern fiberglass sculpture.

Make-up and wigs are rarely added as to not upset the aesthetics of abstract mannequins. They also are fairly tall, they have beautiful poses and of course come in male and female versions, in different colors and with a glossy or matte finish. Check out our abstract mannequins here.

#3. Headless Mannequins

Headless mannequins are perfect for stores that have a limited height of the ceiling. They are crafted from fiberglass and come in different shapes, sizes, poses, colors and finishes but all are beautifully crafted. The neck is generally long and cut straight and their fiberglass construct ensures durability over long periods of time. They can be used to showcase any type of clothing because they don’t express any emotion and of course represent both genders.

It's clear that make-up and wigs don’t have to be considered in this case.

If you’ve been looking for fantastic headless mannequins then check out our female and male versions.

Mannequin Styles By Audience

# 4. Plus Size Mannequins

Bodies that come in all shapes and sizes need to be showcased in stores all over the world and plus size mannequins do exactly that. They offer customers a realistic view of the clothing they want to buy and helps them create a more accurate mental image of what they look like in that specific item on the mannequin.

There are multiple sizes of mannequins that can help make your customers feel more at home and much more comfortable with their own bodies. Our selection of plus size mannequins include full-figured and curvy but feel free to check them out by yourselves here.

#5. Pregnant Mannequins

Mommy shoppers need a special kind of attention, so it is clear that if your store sells maternity clothing items then you should showcase them on pregnant mannequins. These types of mannequins are high quality and always show great emotion, namely love for their mannequin babies. Help mothers-to-be by showing them how good your clothes will look on them and rest assured that they will thank you properly, by spending money in your store.

If pregnant mannequins is what you’ve been looking for, then check out our Mannequin Mall picks here.

# 6. Children and Teen Mannequins

Children and teen mannequins are very big in this industry, they show mothers how items of clothing would look on their precious bundles of joys. It gives your store a great advantage over your competitors. Child mannequins can come in three forms, namely baby, child and teenager which allow you to display your merchandise.

Parents have a hard time thinking of how a clothing item will look on their children so help them out with our high quality child mannequins. They come in all “ages” for both genders and even unisex, they also have numerous positions (baby mannequins come in crawl, sitting or standing positions) and have angelic faces.

Pick the ones you need for your retail store here.

Mannequin Style By Pose / Audience

#7. Sexy Mannequins

The sexy mannequins are hyper realistic and are for specific stores only, these include lingerie retail stores and of course, adult shops. They are constructed from high quality fiberglass, are sculpted in great detail and have detachable limbs in order to ease the process of dressing and undressing, they also come mostly in female form.

These gorgeous mannequins have voluptuous forms and come in very provocative and lascivious poses, all in other to get the customer in to the “mood” of shopping for some sexy apparel.

Find a beautiful and sexy mannequin for your store here.

#8. Sport Mannequins

As in the case of the sexy mannequins we discussed above, sport mannequins come as realistic, headless or abstract, in various colors and in very specific poses. Some might be set while running while others come in yoga poses, playing golf or soccer. Indifferent of their posture, they are the perfect display mannequins for sports retailers.

If you sell sports apparel we recommend that you check out our very muscular and athletic male sport mannequins and our fit female sport mannequins.

Mannequin Style By Color

#9. Black Mannequins

We are not referring to African-American mannequins but to literal black mannequins. These specific display mannequins are in general abstract mannequins that have a glossy or mate finish. They are purchased and displayed by high end retailers and are very flashy, yet classy and contemporary. Black mannequins look fantastic in almost anything so give them a shot.

#10. Chrome Mannequins

Chrome display mannequins are absolutely dazzling, they are so shiny and show off such graceful postures that they are a must for modern retailers. Besides their power to enchant customers anywhere they are placed. Chrome mannequins are made from fiberglass and come as abstract mannequins or as mannequin torsos, in both genders.

Having a chrome mannequin is like showcasing a silver doll in your store and if you’re interested in how they an increase your sales, we invite you to check them out here.

#11. Gold Mannequins

Gold display mannequins give off the idea of luxury, because they look like a million dollars. Can you even imagine having one in your store? How they would brighten up a display or a room with that mirror like “skin” and a super shiny finish. They generally are abstract mannequins with all the features that come with them.

#12. Other color Mannequins

Custom color mannequins - they are absolutely gorgeous and while they mostly fit in the abstract category and have the same features as the rest of them, these in general are custom made and rather pricey. Also in this color theme we can discuss a little about hand painted mannequins which have something similar to a tattoo on their bodies, but again, these too are custom made.

But if you want to do something special for your customers and your store then the investment might pay off or if you wish to invest a little but do something amazing with your mannequins we have some advice on how you can spruce mannequins up.

Mannequin Types By Functionality

Moving on past the dazzling style of the mannequins we have to take into consideration their functionality.

#1. Dress forms

Also known as tailor’s dummies and mannequins, display dress forms are used for fashion design. These are professional products that come in a variety of forms and sizes, some even having special features that help the dressmakers create the perfect items of clothing for their customers. They can also be used in retail stores to create fantastic displays and effects.

The special features we mentioned earlier include collapsible shoulders to make it easier to remove clothing items from it. Moreover they can have adjustable height, rolling bases to help with moving around, magnetic shoulders which allow for the adding of arms, some are even expandable which aid in the making of various sizes.

They are generally made from heavy duty canvases that are designed to withstand the test of time and of course scissors and needles. Besides the general dress form that is a torso with a wire bottom, we have suspended bodies which include arms and legs and are suspended from the neck.

We have high quality dress forms for any type of fashion design need, check them out here.

#2. Ghost Mannequins

Also known as photography mannequins or invisible, these exquisite types are absolutely fantastic for retailers, photographers or whoever might need them. This bestseller type of mannequin is very popular nowadays because they focus strictly on the customer, they can imagine how the item of clothing looks on them without being distracted by the rest of the mannequin.

Their fantastic advantage, besides the fact that they come in both genders, is that they have multiple removable parts to make the clothes seem like they just float. These removable parts include multiple neck layers either v shaped or round, arms, hands, legs, and some parts of the torso.

If you want to see exactly what we’re talking about check out our ghost mannequins.

#3. Flexible Mannequins

Flexible or poseable mannequins are very special and sought after these days. It’s easy to understand why. Business owners can set these mannequins in incredible poses that defy imagination.

While other mannequins are made of plastic or fiberglass in stiff postures, flexible mannequins can be set in different poses, taking into consideration the type of flexibility they dispose of. They either have shoulder, elbow or knee joints or are made from a high density foam that can be modeled into any position. Even their heads can be tilted or moved from side to side.

The head is generally very realistic in terms of facial features and make-up and it is possible to find both here.

The best thing about them is that it’s just like dressing a real human, you don’t have to detach parts or unscrew anything.

#4. Torso Mannequins

Torso mannequins are widely available, easy to transport and can be made from hard plastic. This is also the building block for any type of mannequin, sometimes having the possibility to attach arms, legs and heads.

They are also more economical than other mannequin options so feel free to check out our excellent prices on torso mannequins.

#5. Standalone Mannequin Parts

Neck pieces:

Mannequin necklace displays stands are perfect for jewelry stores because they represent the upper part of the torso. They come either in the form of the torso from the waist up with no arms or head, as the neck and décolletage, or in some cases with half of the face, Velvet, plastic, foam or various types of canvases are used to create this particular type of mannequin part, it is up to you to choose which one suits your store and make the jewelry or even scarves pop out from the rest.

Hands & arms:

Mannequin hands and arms are used to display rings and bracelets or other types of jewelry, gloves, and they can also be used by nail artists to exercise their craft. They can have a stiff hand, that comes in a preset pose or they can have all the finger joints so you can move the fingers however you wish. Mannequin display hands and arms come in various lengths and are made from various materials such as plastic, wood, high density foam and so on. The hand poses are perfect for displaying tasteful rings and bracelets, most of them being very graceful and almost inviting.

Legs:

These mannequin legs are generally used to display stockings because they begin from the mid-thigh area and continue down to the foot. It doesn’t matter what kind of stocking you sell, leg mannequins can showcase any type of stocking and socks.

Calf:

Calf mannequin are used to display leg bracelets or anklets, high heels and boots.

Foot:

Foot mannequins are those that begin from the ankle and continue down. They can be flat to help showcase or designed to fit into high heels. Also they can be made from a wide variety of materials, can come in multiple colors and with various designs.

#6. Display Mannequins

Display mannequins can mean a lot of things, as it includes a wide selection of some of the best mannequin types out there, being used pretty much in all windows displays, from the the small corner store to the high end retail stores or in rather unusual places such as Las Vegas hotels.

If you lack the perfect mannequins for your displays, be sure to check out complete selection of display mannequins. For our beloved blog readers, we're listing here a 10% Off Coupon here that works on all our display mannequins - just use the code DSPL100 on the checkout and you'll see a 10% price reduction on all display mannequins. This code works even if specific mannequins are already under another site-wide promotion (don't you just hate those "You can't use a coupon on this product." errors?).

This pretty much wraps up the main types of mannequins according to style and functionality. Of course, there are some more, but they're not relevant to retail businesses.

We hope this clears up any kind of concern regarding mannequins and that it will help you make an informed decision when you decide to purchase one for your store. If you need advice, feel free to contact us!