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If you are shopping our retail merchandising display catalogue, you may have noticed we carry a selection of mannequins. As most of our retail product displays fall under the categories of bins and shelving, we tend to focus most of our merchandising blog posts on incorporating these into your window and floor displays. Mannequins are an important part of both, however, and worth spending more time discussing.

In Part 1 of this series, I explained the basic set of steps for preparing a mannequin for display. In Part 2, I talked a bit more about how to choose a mannequin and pick the most appropriate attire to display. In this part, I will share some additional useful tips and tricks for dressing a mannequin.

• For whatever reason, store customers sometimes seem offended when an employee changes a mannequin out on the sales floor. Whatever the reason, it is best to take are of it in the stockroom.

• Never interchange the limbs on your mannequins or attempt to; you could damage something, and it just will not look right.

• It is a good idea to regularly give your mannequin a quick dusting.

• It can be helpful to cover your mannequin’s head with a plastic bag or some foam before you dress it. This protects the face from scratches. Wearing gloves can also prevent scratching or chipping.

• Make sure you have a soft surface to work on when you are dismantling and reassembling the mannequin.

• Save buttons and zippers and clasps for last. Only after your mannequin is fully dressed should you take care of these. Otherwise you can cause scratches.

• You should also wait until the end of the dressing to attach the hands. Hands on mannequins are delicate and may break easily. If you keep them out of the way, you are less likely to fracture them.

• Dressing up a mannequin can be a two person job, particularly when you are trying to pull the legs into a pair of trousers. Do not be afraid to ask for help.

• You will find that certain mannequins are not all that suitable for certain clothing items. For example, sitting mannequins can have a nice lifelike effect in a retail floor display, but they are really hard to get tight jeans onto. Bent arms can give you grief as well.

• Finishing is really important, and what you will likely spend most of your time on once you become skilled with mannequin dressing basics. Always check your mannequin from all angles to make sure that your display looks great from every point of view. Accessories, rolled-up sleeves, and make other small tweaks to attire and posing to make your mannequins look as lifelike as possible.

You now should have a pretty good idea of what you need to do to set up mannequins in your retail displays. You know how to pick out a mannequin, choose the right clothing for display, and dress your model. You also have a lot of tips and tricks to prevent damage and make your job easier. Make sure you also read onto How to Dress a Mannequin, Part 4: How to Clean and Maintain a Mannequin!