Vintage French Stockman Mannequin - Wonderful Antique Dress Form

This gorgeous vintage Stockman French mannequin dates from around the 1920s/30s. I just love it when I find antique mannequins in this wonderful condition - gently aged, with all the signs which make her a genuinely vintage piece, but with no serious damage to the fabric covering.

The fabric covering has that lovely age darkened look, with some rubbing and fraying at the shoulders and neck. The Stockman markings can be seen at the bottom of the torso and also embossed into the original turnkey on the stand. I love her finial - more ornate than usual - and the warm colours of her stand.

You can see and read more about this lovely vintage mannequin here:http://www.vintagestylemannequins.co.uk/item_177/Vintage-Antique-French-Stockman-Mannequin-c1920s30s.htm

My Latest Vintage Mannequin Additions

I was very lucky to find two superb c1890 vintage wasp waist French mannequins lately and have just added them to my site. One is a classic antique Stockman mannequin and all the superb workmanship of this premier make of mannequins is evident in the exacting seamwork. The other is a name I have not come across before - she is made by E.A.Merle and the makers mark can be seen on the fabric at the base of the torso, along with the address of the street in Paris where she was made. It is always fascinating to find new makes of antique mannequins, especially the wasp waisted variety! I can only think that this was an independent shop which made bespoke dress forms for individual customers, unlike Stockman, who produced mannequins across France. Who knows? But I would love to think that this beautiful wasp waist form was made specifically for a partucular lady, who could have then had her seamstress tailor her wonderful dresses using it.

I have also added a wonderful 1940s/50s antique Stockman mannequin.

To see these three vintage mannequins please click below: http://www.vintagestylemannequins.co.uk/category_31/Vintage-Antique.htm

My New 'William Morris' Collection

I love the designs of William Morris! I think they are so classically elegant. I have been itching to tailor some mannequins in a range of Morris fabrics for a while now. Finally, I have been able to find some time and so I have been busy at my sewing machine over the past week. Here they are! I am really pleased at how they have turned out. To see more pictures click this link http://vintagestylemannequins.co.uk/category_40/William-Morris-Collection.htm

Breate in Everyone!

Just thought I would stop by to add some pictures of this wonderful vintage mannequin. I just love the wasp waist mannequins of this era, they are so evocative of tiny waists and beautiful dresses. What a gorgeous silhouette, but imagine being the women who used to have to wear the dresses designed on these mannequins - it makes me breathless just thinking about it!

This mannequin has just been sold, but if you are looking for a vintage mannequin then you could join my mailing list and I will notify you when new ones are added to the website.

Laura Ashley 'Tatton' Vintage Style Mannequin

At Christmas my local Laura Ashley was covered in this wonderful fabric. It looked so striking that I knew that it would make a lovely mannequin, so I bought a few metres and got to work. She turned out exactly as I had imagined she would!

The pink fabric in the picture is cotton, but it also comes in a beautiful woven jacquard available in cerise, duck egg and charcoal.

I was lucky enough to be able to work with the charcoal woven jacquard for a lady who ordered a mannequin in this fabric, finished with a traditional tailored back.

Further details and pictures are available here http://www.vintagestylemannequins.co.uk/item_93/MTO-Tatton.htm

Cath Kidston Florals

Well, the sun is shining, the sky is blue and the daffodils in the garden are out. It is still very cold! But it is days like today that thoughts my go to towards Spring. It seems to be Winter one moment, then suddenly the days become longer and I am no longer getting up in the pitch black! I have to say that lighter mornings make it so much easier to get up in the mornings.

I think Cath Kidston fabrics are just perfect for this time of year. Her beautiful florals are so feminine and complement both modern and country styled interiors wonderfully. I will have a new range of Cath Kidston mannequins coming soon - I can never resist the introduction of a new fabric!

But for now, here's an old favourite - 'Washed Roses' You can see more details at http://www.vintagestylemannequins.co.uk/item_30/MTO-Washed-Roses.htm

A Wonderful Find!

I have been searching for a long time for a book charting the history of mannequins and dress forms from their earliest days. I knew one must exist, but I just couldn't seem to find one - no matter how much I googled!

I found a lovely little hardback book called 'Counter Culture - The Allure of Mini-Mannequins' by Steven Heller & Louise Fili. It has lots of wonderful pictures detailing their personal collection of vintage mannequins, but didn't really go into the history in much detail.

Now, given that the name of the wonderful book I have found is called 'Mannequins', you wouldn't have thought it would have been that difficult to find! Never mind, I have it now ... and I love it!

It is a substantial hardback book and in between making my mannequins, I haven't been able to put it down. From the inside of the dust cover ... 'In this first international history of the mannequin, the result of over three years of concentrated research, Nicole Parrot describes its aesthetic developmet and the highly refined techniques of its production from its first appearance in the sixteenth-century Venice to today's hyperrealist models.'

It has lots of wonderful pictures and is a must read for anyone interested in vintage mannequins and dress forms. Some pictures from the book below ... enjoy! (p.s my pictures aren't great - but the book is!)