Trying to decide what type of full size mannequin to buy?  Here's the most valuable information you'll ever read! First let's look at the Pros and Cons of full size mannequins so you can make sure this is the right option for you:

Pros:

• Usually looks the best in photos of dresses, coats, etc. Heck, everything looks amazing on a good quality, correctly-chosen mannequin.  At a minimum, we can all agree it looks a heck of a lot nicer than laying the shirt on a bed:

• Buyers can get an idea of how short or long the garment is. This also applies to demonstrating the length of a purse strap or necklace:

• Mannequins now look very life-like! With correct angles you will end up with photos that look like an actual person. This allows buyers to truly envision themselves in your merchandise, which means you absolutely WILL sell more product with a great mannequin.
• You WILL cut back customer inquiries about the product when it is on a mannequin because it is just easier for people to understand.  Compare the 2 images below to see what I mean:

Now compare the pink colored polo on the bust mannequin to a similar polo shirt on a full size mannequin:

See how it is so much easier to understand the overall "fit" of the polo on the full size mannequin? 

• Mannequins make you look more professional
• You may consider this a "con" but I gotta put it in the "pro" section:  Price!  Mannequins were soooooo expensive 15 years ago!  I bought my very first mannequin in 2006.  It was over $500! Today you can get an AMAZING mannequin for under $200 total:

Cons: 

Royal pain in the ass to dress and undress.  There really isn't any mannequin that is "Easy".  With that being said, as time goes on you will get used to the process and it will go faster.

Mannequins can be VERY, VERY heavy!  If you are short, like me, the mannequin is going to be taller than you, which also makes dressing and undressing interesting. A plastic mannequin is going to be the lightest weight material.

Depending on the material the mannequin is made out of, it may chip and even crack! Once it chips and cracks it looks terrible!

Mannequins with bent arms can be VERY hard to put sweaters on.... And even more work to take the sweater off. The more the arms / body bend, the more of a disaster it will be:

Mannequins with fingers that are spread apart can be a disaster to clothe. The fingers can get caught on mesh, lace or other delicate fabrics and rip them.

TIPS: 

I advise only purchasing straight-arm mannequins, especially if you have a lot of wardrobe changes (all of the mannequins shown below are approximately $200 total on Amazon!):

Avoid pasty-white mannequins. In photos they look bad. Instead aim for a deep tan mannequin. It’s a fact that tan/ colored skin is more attractive to the human eye than pale-ivory. For some reason humans associate ultra light ivory with sickness whereas tan / colored skin is associated with health.  Specifically LOOK at the listing.  It will say "Skin Color: Tan":

Always avoid chrome / mirror / shiny mannequins. These are not for photo purposes, these are for retail stores to create displays. These mannequins will make photography a nightmare, but they do look super cool!

Get a mannequin that detaches from the body at the shoulders. Also be sure the waist detaches. It can be much easier to slide the arm into a sleeve then to try to maneuver a sleeve up an arm.

Get a fiberglass / plastic mannequin so it doesn’t chip!

Consider the weight. If you have to lift the mannequin to put on, and take off, pants and such.  If you get a plastic or fiberglass mannequin it should weigh around 50 pounds, perhaps less.  However, if you have back problems or unable to lift 40+ pounds constantly, a full size mannequin may not be the right choice for you.  

THINGS TO CONSIDER:

Bust Size! If you primarily sell bras, you may find yourself having a tough time with a traditional full size mannequin because the average bust size is 32-33"!  You may instead want to purchase a "VOLUPTUOUS" mannequin, like this one:

The mannequin shown above has a 38" bust, which makes (literally!) a BIG difference! It is better to have a bra look too full than baggy and loose. Could you imagine the Victorias Secret models prancing down the runway with a bra looking like this?!?!:

Mannequin Size in General:  Most mannequins are VERY slim.  The VOLUPTUOUS mannequin we discussed above has slightly more "normal" measurements.  Her hips are 38 inches but her waist is only 23 inches.  The other mannequins we saw earlier in this article also have 31-32" waists but the hips are only 34-35". So it really depends if you want curves or not.  EITHER WAY, you need to purchase some clothing clips.  These will help you make any garment appear to fit normal.  Simply use your clips on the backside of the mannequin and it will look great.  You can get 40 high quality clips off Amazon for $14:

The reason you want to buy these specific types of clips is because they have a special rubber on the inside that won't damage your garments. 

WIGS

Most mannequins online come with a free wig.  The wig is usually junk and will only last a couple times if you're using it for online listings.  But, your mannequin needs hair, and a bad wig will absolutely ruin all of your efforts. 

Wigs can be a nightmare unless you invest in a good wig that you can brush. Avoid perms or other styles that will turn into the “I just crawled out of bed after a night of drinking whiskey” frizzy, tangled mess hair.  You want to aim for a wig that is EASY to style.  Here's a couple suggestions:

This one comes in 3 different lengths and ranges in price from $39 - $47, based on length.  It is real human hair so you should be able to use it for YEARS:

Whats great is that it comes with the adjustable cap (the part that goes under the wig), which will help it stay put on your mannequin! 

This wig is about the same price.  It is made from synthetic materials but has very high ratings and is very, very beautiful.  The downside is that it will need to be brushed often due to length.  You will have to plan on spending 4+ minutes every wardrobe change styling the hair:

Theres's seriously tons of wigs on Amazon. Just make sure it is easy to brush and designed to be durable. 

And lastly, you may want to consider buying a decent wig brush.  This one is 5-stars and only about $5:

A wig brush a narrow, so it's designed specifically for a wig.  A regular paddle brush is wide and, when used on a mannequin, can pull the wig right off!

Next, read our blog post about TORSO MANNEQUIN Pros and Cons!