Yesterday in the Toronto Star was an interesting article by Shopping writer David Graham (”Dummies reflect all shapes and sizes”) about the dominance of the high fashion mannequin in retail stores. The article, in brief, discuses the fact that despite the emergence of custom-made mannequins and the increasing popularity of the J.Lo booty mannequin, the wafer-thin, svelte mannequins of Club Monaco still reign.
My issue with the mannequin is not the oh-so-unaverage six-foot-two height or the only airbrush-achieved chiseled abs, but rather the artful pin tucking, folding, and origami-like techniques that merchandisers use to fit the clothes to the models.
I’m sure you’ve all experienced it. You walk by a store window and see the most beautifully cut blouse/shirt you have ever seen - sharp shoulders, quality fabric, perfectly cut through the torso - only to walk into the store, behind the display, and see that it is been tucked more than Joan Rivers’ face.
Blogger I am Rainbow (http://iamrainbow.wordpress.com/) shares their story of how. “The new VM [visual merchandiser] requires us to pin the back of blazers & shirts as well as the bottom of the pants at the back…it’s misleading to our customers when the display shows the blazer with slim cutting when our blazer is not slim cut!”
I am Rainbow said it best - it’s misleading. So now not only is the mannequin’s body proportions a lie, but so is the fit of its clothes. I swear, with the up-front dimensions and rotational viewing abilities, Internet shopping has never looked so good.
