Do clothes sell better on a mannequin or person?

There’s a reason high-end designers hire top models instead of inexpensive mannequins to walk down the catwalks of London, New York, Paris, and Milan – nobody can sell clothes better than professionals! But unless you have an unlimited budget, supermodels are probably not a reasonable commodity for you. 

That doesn’t mean you can’t use people to sell your clothes. Getting friends and family to pose in your outfits is a great way to display your garments on real people. So, which is better, a perfectly proportioned mannequin for sale or a person with a unique body? 

Let’s discuss it! 

Why not put a clothes mannequin to the test?

If you have the time and money, conducting your tests is the best way to determine what will work for your target market. The method you choose to display your garments will depend on many factors, including your brand identity and the product you are selling, but ultimately, what your target market prefers is the best indicator of success. 

To test out whether you’d be better off with a clothing model or a full body mannequin, use your real person for half your range and one of our mannequins for sale for the rest. Of course, results will depend on factors like price, product quality, and fashion, but you can get a rough idea of success this way. If you continue to test for three or four seasons, you will soon work out which clothes sell better, and then you can decide if your model or our fashion mannequins are your key to better performance. 

For more precise data, you could advertise your clothing on a real model one week and a mannequin the next week and see which one performs better. Or, if you have colour options, put some on a person and some on a mannequin. 

Are you looking for a mannequin for sale to help you tell a story?

At Valentino’s Displays, we know storytelling is a great marketing tactic. And nobody can get a story across like a real-life model, especially if you are trying to promote a high-end, professional image. 

However, we have some mannequins for sale that we’ve placed in different poses, making storytelling easier. If your brand is more boho-inspired or artistic, our inexpensive mannequins with poseable limbs could be a great choice. 

Can fashion mannequins harm your business?

Placing clothes on a model or mannequin with a perfect figure is thought to have a short-term positive impact and a long-term negative one, as people start to realise the clothes will never look as good on them. 

However, when it comes to fashion mannequins, people already expect that the clothing won’t look the same on them. The same is not true for real people. At Valentino’s Displays, we sell clothes mannequins in all shapes and sizes, so you can display a couple of different ones to show your clothing in lots of different shapes, allowing your customers to build a better picture of how the clothes might look on them. 

Of course, you can also use a few different real-life models with different body shapes to help counteract the effect of aspirational shopping. 

What are your real-life model options?

While it is a great idea to have a range of body types to show off your clothes, you still need to have people who know how to model and make your clothes look good. If your real-life model slouches or isn’t comfortable in your clothes, then you’d be better off with a full body mannequin than a real person. 

However, if you’ve got someone with a flair for fashion and great posture, body type is almost unimportant as they will pose confidently. Think about your brand and the type of person you want to represent. If they’re unavailable to you, head to Valentino’s Displays and find a mannequin for sale there! 

When photographing your real-life model, don’t be afraid to pin clothing in place to ensure it fits your model perfectly. Make sure to take lots of shots in different poses so you can pick the one that best shows off your clothing and give your model a professional hair and make-up look so they look the part. 

Getting the right fashion mannequin photography

You can find mannequins for sale that will get you some incredible images for your online store. Mannequins are great for close-up shots but there are some rules to how you photograph them. 

Choose contrasting colours: When selecting your inexpensive mannequins, choose colours contrasting with your garments. For example, if you have a black top, you should display it on a white mannequin for the best effect. You want your clothing to stand out against your fashion mannequins rather than blending in. 

Choose a clothes mannequin that won’t distract from the clothing: The bolder and more detailed the mannequin, the more distracting it can be in photography. Headless mannequins are usually better for your model images. 

Shoot your full body mannequin straight on: You can take different angled images too, but a straight-on shot will get the best silhouette of your mannequin, showing the clothes at their best. 

Get the lighting right: It doesn’t matter which mannequin for sale you choose if you don’t take photos in a well-lit area. The right lighting can elevate your images, while the wrong lighting can completely ruin the mood and cast shadows across your clothing. 

The final say from Valentino’s Displays

There are arguments for and against selling real-life models and mannequins, but the best option is to choose one that works with your budget, brand identity, and customer preferences. You have made the right decision if you can confidently say that your choice fits all three criteria. 

And if you are looking for inexpensive mannequins to enhance your product photography, check out our online store!