The mannequins at US bridal retailer David’s Bridal will soon be getting thicker waists, varied breasts and back fat to mimic the more realistic shapes of their shoppers.
The traditional tall and svelte mannequin silhouette seems to no longer resonate with the public who want to see clothes modelled on relatable figures and many retailers are making an effort to meet the demand.
“This will give (a shopper) a better idea of what the dress will look like on her,” says Michele Von Plato, a vice president at America’s largest bridal chain.
As a part of retailers efforts to make their silent salespeople look like those who wear their clothes, designers have been experimenting with a variety of skin tones, shape and even hair as studies confirm that mannequin shapes do matter.
Data collected by the research firm NPD Group Inc. suggests that forty-two per cent of customers surveyed say that store clothing displays have a strong influence on their buying behaviour. In fact behind friends and family mannequins ranked third in their purchasing persuasion abilities.
While some stores are taking a serious approach to their mannequin makeovers American Apparel recently made headlines for their cheeky new displays. The iconic teen retailer recently sported window displays that featured figures wearing lingerie with pubic hair and nipples poking out under sheer fabric.
“We created it to invite passers-by to explore the idea of what is sexy and consider their comfort with the natural female form,” said company spokesperson, Ryan Holiday.
American Apparel says consumer traffic in their flagship store in New York City’s trendy SoHo district has increased 30 per cent since the introduction of their attention grabbing exhibitions.
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