5 Tips for Dressing a Clothing Mannequin to Increase Sales

Are your mannequins increasing sales or distracting customers? Boost sales with these tips and tricks for dressing your clothing mannequin.

To use a mannequin or not to use a mannequin? That is the question!

To draw in customers, you need to have a killer window display. But while you could hang up some stunning outfits on the rack, nothing draws the eye more than a realistic display.

In fact, research shows us that mannequin displays give the shopper a complete visual experience. This gives off positive vibes. And when a customer feels positive, they are more likely to spend.

But while a mannequin may look realistic, dressing up mannequins is harder then it looks. Pants get stuck at the calves, arms fall off while you're pulling on a sweater. It can be a real nightmare!

So, how can you dress your clothing mannequin (or manny) without giving up? Read on for five pro tips on how to dress a mannequin in style.

1. Pick the Right Manny

Before you start thinking about how to dress a mannequin, you need to pick the right manny. Mannequins always come in some version of the human body. But the look of mannequins ranges from being very realistic to looking abstract and arty.

It all depends on your branding and who your customers are. It also depends on which style will best display your products. Try to consider what you're selling before you buy a clothing mannequin.

For instance, stores selling athletic wear may opt for modern-look mannequins. They may also position them into sports poses. This makes it easy for the customer to envision wearing the clothing.

Realistic-look mannequins are a great choice for fashionable clothing brands. This is because they have the power to sky-rocket your sales. How so?

You can buy mannequins in a variety of skin tones, different ages, and diverse body shapes and sizes. This helps your target audience to see that the clothing's made JUST FOR THEM!

Even Rihanna jumped on the bandwagon and is using curvy mannequins to promote her Fenty clothing line

2. Showcase Your Mannequin in Style

When you're dressing up mannequins you can't just grab an item from the shop floor. You need to find the right outfit and prepare the clothing to wear.

Think about which clothing will give the wow factor. And try to choose clothing that reflects the current season. Displaying new stock is always a good option, and if something is particularly hot, use it!

On the other hand, don't be afraid to choose clothing that's not proving successful. It may not look good on a hanger. Showcasing the outfit on a mannequin might trigger more sales.

Once you've chosen the outfit, you may need to steam or press the mannequin clothes to get rid of wrinkles and folds. You also need to make sure the price and security tags are unseen. If you have to remove them, make sure to put the price tag in the pocket in case someone wants to buy the outfit.

3. Preparing Your Mannequin Model

So the mannequin clothes are ready, what's next? Time to prepare your "model".

Make sure your manny is dust free and clean. You may need to give it a wipe down before displaying, especially if it's been off the shop floor for a while.

Of needed, dismantle the mannequin and carefully place the body parts on a soft surface. Mannequins are easily damaged, so be careful.

If there are damages on your manny, don't try and fix it yourself. Ask a professional or you may accidentally turn your stylish model into a horror movie!

4. Get the Order Right for Your Clothing Mannequin

How to dress a mannequin without arms and legs flying everywhere? You can do it in 5 easy steps:

1. Dress the bottom half. This is much easier to do when the legs are separate from the torso. After adding the pants or skirt, finish them off with some fancy footwear.
2. Attach the legs to the floor base. Using a calf rod is the best way to attach the legs to the floor, as this does not damage any chosen footwear. Using a food rod entails putting a hole in the shoe.
3. Place the torso on the legs without the arms and head (if it detaches). Dress the torso in the chosen clothing.
4. One at a time, thread the arms through the neck into the sleeves. Thread them through wrist first without the hands attached.
5. If you're using a jacket or a button-up shirt, you can usually slide the clothing onto the mannequin arms while they're attached.

If you struggle when dressing up mannequins, try to use clothing in a larger size. Then pin the back of the garment to make it fit.

5. The Finishing Touches

Time for the final step when dressing mannequins. Take a step back and look at your mannequin. Ask yourself, does it look complete? What do you need to do to create a realistic feel?

Make sure everything's zipped and buttoned up, and that all the seams of clothing are in the right places. You may want to roll up the sleeves, pop the collar or tuck in a shirt to make it look more lifelike.

If the clothing falls in an unnatural way, try pinning or clipping the clothing to make it fit better. As long as the pins or binder clips stay out of sight, of course!

Accessories are also essential to complete the look and add realism to the manny.

For example, some mannequins may look better with a wig. Make sure it's styled and fits well or it might ruin spoil the overall styling. You may also choose to use a hat, jewelry, scarves, and belts to complete the look.

Bring Your Clothes to Life!

Yes, using a clothing mannequin will bring your clothes off the rack and into reality. Not only will the customer be able to visualize what the clothing looks like, but the mannequins will reflect the diversity of your customers and boost your sales.

It's a win-win both for you and the shopper!

But now that your mannequins are in order, what's next? You've got to think about the rest of the shop floor. Click on the link to find out how to create compelling retail displays that get sales.