Mannequins are commonly known as the silent salesperson and although they do have several advantages, there are numerous other options that can be more effective for your business. Mannequins are super expensive. The cost can be anywhere between $200 and $3000 per mannequin and there is a lot of upkeep involved. They are extremely fragile and are easily scraped, scratched, and broken. Also, mannequins are trend sensitive as far as makeup and hair styling goes and need to be updated every few years. Another challenge is utilizing the same posture in a variety of different displays. But in this post I will share my five greatest tips and tricks on cutting the cost of mannequins by using other forms, trimming techniques, and innovative displays options.

        Forms are a great substitute to mannequins because they are less expensive and last longer. Forms are defined as a three dimensional representation of a part of the human anatomy. There a several different types of forms like a suit/shirt form, dress form, half form, three-quarter form, and a full body form. They are made out of more durable materials like wood and fabrics. Forms can also be easily adjusted for different heights like tall in a window or short for a table fixture. Dress forms are really popular because they are easily maintained and fairly inexpensive. They are sometimes seen as a decorative piece of art and can also give a vintage vibe off to customers. Chloe uses suit forms in this display seen below. The suit forms are different than what consumers usually see and are very interesting!

         Trimming techniques are another great way to cut cost and still expertly display the merchandise. Lay-down, pinup, and flying are the three different trimming techniques. Lay-down is when the merchandise is beautifully laid out, draped, or folded up in order to display it. This is also common technique used to show variations in color choices. Pinup is a creative way to show clothing as well. Using sewing pins or hooks merchandise is hung on a wall or in a window display and creates an animated and interesting position of garments. The flying technique suspends or hangs the merchandise on fishing line so it floats or flys in the store. The flying trimming technique is great for active wear like this Nike tennis shoe display. All angles of the product can be seen and it is a great feature piece to admire.

       My final recommendations for alternatives to mannequins are a little crafty and probably best for small boutiques. If you’ve tried using mannequins before and they have fallen apart over time creative displays using mannequin pieces like hands and legs are very visually interesting and can create the illusion of a full body. An example of this technique can be seen below in a Jazmin Chebar display. The hands show off the small accessories very well. Cut out and wire figures are also great options. These could potentially be made by the creative members of your staff and can look very whimsical and cute. Bonpoint effectively uses wire figures to their advantage and they have become a recognizable aspect of their merchandising.

      I shared five easy and cheap alternatives to mannequins. Forms, trimming techniques, using parts of an old mannequin, wire figures, and cutout figures are interesting options that do not break the bank. Consider these tips when you are about to refurbish or purchase a new mannequin. Stop and think about the money you can save and the story you can tell using these visual merchandising alternatives.