In Store Now ....

I have two great vintage Stockman mannequins from Paris in brilliant condition.  They are numbered and one is stamped (model number 50019). 

They are on a wooden stand, with the underlying form made from papier mâché and hand-covered in cotton.

Legendary French company Siegel and Stockman began making dressmaking or tailor's forms in 1867 and they are still used today in haute couture houses and in shop windows the world over.

Via SiegelStockman

It's an interesting thought, this long history of French fashion and dressmaking.  When you grab your size in the store or select it online - have you ever wondered where this standard clothes sizing comes from?

It was in 1877 that Fredric Stockman began to think it should be possible to standardize the shapes of the human body.

At a time when only the rich had tailors and dressmakers, and all clothing was made for the individual wearer, he began creating a standard sizing system for clothes (size 8, 10, 12, ...) with tailor's dummies.  This standardization of dummies sizing helped to pave the way towards 'ready to wear' clothes and modern clothing sizes today!

I still just love the look of the linen and matt black wood stand.

Hope your week is starting out well!
Jennifer.
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