Hey Guys! Today I am going to be talking about purchasing a dress form and showing you the one that I decided to get when I started out designing. This step is totally optional, you do not need to buy a dress form to make your own clothing but if you can get one it will certainly help. *Disclaimer: I am not a professional in any way but I thought that I would share my perspective and ideas with you guys and I hope it helps if you are just starting out.*
Purchasing the Right Dress Form:
I believe my dress form came from eBay but I am not sure as I got it as a present. However, I am positive that you can find them on eBay. Dress forms are adjustable but it makes it a lot easier if you buy one in roughly your size. The question then becomes...how do I know if I am going to fit the one that I found? Usually, they will be listed with bust, neck, shoulder, and hip measurements at the very minimum. To make sure that is the right one for you, have a friend or family member measure you in the above places with measuring tape and record your measurements. If your numbers match the dress form in most of the areas, then you are in good shape. I would say that the most important areas to match are the bust and the hips. When you Google "mannequin" you will get all different looking things. For my Bat Mitzvah, we bought Mannequins that were stick figures out of metal and hung my dance costumes on them for center pieces. This is not the type of mannequin that you want. You want one that has a full body and is soft so that you can push pins into it. You do not need to purchase a full length one with legs, I certainly didn't but you can if you want to.
Do I need a Dress Form?
No! If you are thinking about starting to sew, or you just learned how, you do not need to purchase a dress form. You can just measure yourself and cut accordingly. Personally, I prefer to have my dress form because I can continually try it on myself without having to get dressed and undressed a million times. Like I mentioned before, mannequins are adjustable. This is beneficial because you can make clothing for your friends or family and know that it will fit when you make it as you can try it on their size without them being around. If you plan to continue learning to sew and design like I do, I would recommend in investing in a dress form at some point.
Purchasing the Right Dress Form:
I believe my dress form came from eBay but I am not sure as I got it as a present. However, I am positive that you can find them on eBay. Dress forms are adjustable but it makes it a lot easier if you buy one in roughly your size. The question then becomes...how do I know if I am going to fit the one that I found? Usually, they will be listed with bust, neck, shoulder, and hip measurements at the very minimum. To make sure that is the right one for you, have a friend or family member measure you in the above places with measuring tape and record your measurements. If your numbers match the dress form in most of the areas, then you are in good shape. I would say that the most important areas to match are the bust and the hips. When you Google "mannequin" you will get all different looking things. For my Bat Mitzvah, we bought Mannequins that were stick figures out of metal and hung my dance costumes on them for center pieces. This is not the type of mannequin that you want. You want one that has a full body and is soft so that you can push pins into it. You do not need to purchase a full length one with legs, I certainly didn't but you can if you want to.
Do I need a Dress Form?
No! If you are thinking about starting to sew, or you just learned how, you do not need to purchase a dress form. You can just measure yourself and cut accordingly. Personally, I prefer to have my dress form because I can continually try it on myself without having to get dressed and undressed a million times. Like I mentioned before, mannequins are adjustable. This is beneficial because you can make clothing for your friends or family and know that it will fit when you make it as you can try it on their size without them being around. If you plan to continue learning to sew and design like I do, I would recommend in investing in a dress form at some point.
If you have any more questions about Mannequins, please comment below and I will try my best to help.
xoxoxo
Comments
Post a Comment