Professional Dress Forms - Do You Need Them?

If you’re a fashion designer, you know that a dress formis capable to make sewing apparel and costumes much easier. All you need to do is pin your patterns to the form and start altering. Although you know what a dress formis, and what advantages it has, there are still many things to know before you decide on buying one. So here we’ll show you a few things you need to pay attention to prior to making a decision. Once we finish sorting some things out, we’ll be ready to present you one of the options that you have – the professional dress forms.

A few things before you start

Now, before you even think about the type of dress formthat you would like to have, there are a few questions that you need to answer to.

1. Are you going to sew for different sizes?

This is an important thing to know, as it is a huge difference between sewing for a single individual, or for more. If you’re only sewing for one person – let’s say for you – then you may not consider it a priority to have an adjustable dress form. On the contrary, if you sew for more people, then you might need a form that allows you to change some of its measurements, to get the size you need.

2. How often do you plan to use it?

If you’re only going to use your dress formonce in a while, then there is no point in investing in an expensive one. But if you sew often, you’ll need to use your dress form regularly, so you need a higher quality one.

3. Whom will you be sewing for – men, women, or children?

As you know, each of them has a unique body shape, so it is important to know which group you will be sewing for, to select the right dress form. Dress forms for women are the most common, so you won’t have any problem with finding one for this category. However, if you need one for men or children, you may need to look for a more professional one, and it will also be more expensive.

4. What types of garment do you love to sew?

For garments that are created for everyday use, an adjustable dress form with dials works great. However, if you prefer sewing tight-fitting garments, then you’re recommended to use a foam rubber dress form, as it is not provided with dials, but it helps you to get the accurate measurements.

Professional dress forms

A professional dress formis more expensive, but it is also of a higher quality and more durable than a common dress form. However, not anyone has a budget that allows them to buy an industrial-quality dress form. So if you want to have a professional dress form, but can’t afford to spend a fortune on it, then you need to know that there are other options that allow you to enjoy a quality form.

You can look for a used professional dress form, which you can find online. You may find a retailer that is going out of business and wants to sell their form. Or you may find a mannequin liquidator who acquires used forms and sell them. Although some of them may not be in an excellent condition, their advantage is the price – you can even get such forms for fifty percent or more off their normal retail price.

Another good option is to buy a “generic” brand dress form. Although they are not really of the same quality as a professional dress form, they are still soft enough for pinning. One of their downsides is that they won’t have all the features of a professional form, so they might not be on a cast iron base with wheels, they may not have a neck cap, or they may not be adjustable.

Is a professional dress form a must-have for you?

If you are on a limited budget, or if you are an occasional sewer, and depending on your purposes, you may have a second thought on the idea of buying a professional dress form.Rather than spending a fortune on one, you should better consider an option that is more cost-effective for your needs.