Human beings are extremely unique in their existence on Earth because of their desire to copy and create. Perhaps one of the most interesting examples, of this desire manifested, is the invention and design of mannequins, still life replicas of the human form. Today these uncanny imitations of the human, three-dimensional images are most closely associated with the fashion and retail clothing worlds, which makes sense for display and presentational techniques. Mannequins' show off the latest clothing trends flawlessly and without complaint, but the origin and history of the mannequin has shows us that it was not always used for selling merchandise.

There are records as early as 1300 BC of mannequin forms in ancient Egyptian tombs. There were life-size, miniature and oversized replicas of the human form. Some imitated kings and others the forms of gods. The purpose of these was obviously not the display of clothing, but rather they held deep religious and historical significance. Though these tomb vigils were not designed for the purpose of clothing, other very early mannequins were used exclusively for tailoring and storing clothing items. Though they were not used for display purposes, these early mannequins of wood, wire, wicker, leather, and fabric were very close to the purpose of their descendants.

As human development and commercialism progressed the need for sales displays grew. Charles Worth created the first recorded mannequins for the use of display in Paris, France, sometime in the 1840's. His goal was to make mannequin forms that resembled his customers so that they could truly observe the clothing from an exterior vantage. These developed into mannequin forms made from wax, wood and heavy fabric that were kept standing by heavy iron feet, planting them to the floor. Sometimes they were shaped with papier-mâché or filled with sawdust. These forms were costly to produce, but as the market for expensive clothing climbed, so the production of mannequins increased and became the center stage for clothing display.

By the 1930's, plaster sculptures were being developed for department stores in New York City. Mannequin forms grew hair or wore glasses to create realistic portrayals, while other less detailed versions drew more attention to physique. As large glass display windows and expensive store lighting became a common trend, mannequins became an essential part of retail window shopping as well as centerpiece displays, and so display mannequins evolved again into fiberglass models that could be easily mass produced. In the 1960's, detailed and lightweight mannequin forms were manufactured by the thousands. This abundance allowed some manufacturers and designers the freedom to create abstract forms and styles of all shapes and sizes.

Today, the mannequin is an essential part of any retail store display. Shoppers expect to see clothes modeled by these unspeaking models to show them the vision of today's fashion. Like many things, mannequins have developed from the human desire to create and copy and have developed into a vital part of modern commercial society.

About the Author: Ron Maier is the Vice President of S & L Store Fixtures, a leading online provider of mannequins and mannequin forms solutions. For more information, please visit http://www.slstoredisplays.com

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