History on Display

Mannequins date back to the ancient Egyptian times where they were used as imitations of kings and other forms of gods. Contrary to modern day purposes served by mannequins of today, these held deep religious and historical significance. Having evolved from shapes and sizes of all kinds, mannequins have come a long way. 

Charles Worth created the first recorded mannequins for the use of display in Paris, France, during the 1840s. His goal was to make mannequin forms that resembled his customers so that they could truly observe the clothing from an exterior vantage.  These forms developed into forms made from wax, wood and heavy fabric that were kept standing by heavy iron feet. Sometimes they were shaped with papier-mâché or filled with sawdust. With the fashion industry booming, the demand for mannequins climbed bringing the use of mannequins to center stage. 

By the 1920s, mannequins had wooden expressions, which is why they were called "dummies." Mannequins began to emulate realistic portrayals of humans. In the silent film age, there was more focus on the face than the body. With the popularity of Hollywood movies, mannequins acquired more realistic features and animated facial expressions that mirrored those of famous stars like Mary Pickford and Rudolph Valentino. To complement their movie star looks, they were displayed with aspiration in make-believe situations such as having cocktails at the country club.  Mannequins followed right along with the shift in women’s roles in the 60s. On one end, there were the housewife mannequins with hopeful gazes. At the other extreme was the active, assertive woman, posing casually and confidently. This decade also gave us the Mod look which consisted of skinny, leggy figures epitomized by the Twiggy mannequin. With the 70s came the introduction of Black, Asian, and Latino mannequins, reflecting the growing ethnic mix of the country. To capture the times of the decade, mannequins started having facial expressions of pain, worry, and stress. In the 80s, a fad for exercise broke out in the country so mannequins began taking on running and leaping poses. Mannequins of the 1990s were athletic, with great body tone, firm abs and calves.

Today, the mannequin is an essential to any retail store display. They have shifted from mere dummies to iconic displays of today’s fashion trends. Walking through any department store, you’re bound to pass a myriad of different mannequins modeling the latest fashions. Looking at how mannequins have evolved through the years, we can see that they have reflected not only the ideal of how we should look, but how we should live. When it comes to mannequins today, the old rules are out, and anything goes. Mannequins have come to be different colors, crystal clear, headless, backless, and any form of concept. There is no ideal form, probably because there is no longer a consensus on an ideal vision of beauty. While we know that fashion design and mannequins are intertwined, it's fascinating to see how much these "dummies" can show us about our culture and history.