Vintage Style Mannequins

New Vintage Mannequins Added Today

2011-10-29T14:01:00.000-07:00

I have added a couple of vintage mannequins to the site today. I was lucky enough to find this lovely child mannequin a little while ago and have finally taken photos of it! The Christmas rush seems to be starting early this year, but I am determined to make new mannequins with the mountain of new fabrics I have collected, along with keeping up with orders. Lucky that I have a job which is also my hobby!

The mannequin below is a lovely example of a Stockman tailors form. You can see more pictures of her here:

http://www.vintagestylemannequins.co.uk/item_330/Vintage-Stockman-French-Female-Mannequin--c1940s.htm

Hope everyone has had a good half term. Speak soon, Julie x

Deadly is the Female

2011-10-10T06:07:00.000-07:00

Claudia from 'Deadly is the Female' sent me these pictures of her window displays. I love it that some of my mannequins are part of such a creative and individual store! Her store is in Frome, Somerset and you can check it out at www.deadlyisthefemale.com. The first picture is an Alice in Wonderland theme and that's Claudia dressing it - she's not Alice!

This one is a Burlesque theme - love it!

I'd love to see any other pictures of my mannequins in action, so if you do have any then do let me know and email them over.

Julie x

Thankyou to Ideal Home Magazine & 25 Beautiful Homes

2011-03-14T09:44:00.000-07:00

I didn't get chance to add these pictures at the time and so I thought I would do it now.

The first two pictures show my Florence mannequin in a room set for the Ideal Home Magazine Feb 2011 issue. It's great when I get to send off a mannequin for a photo shoot as I always look forward to seeing how she has been used and styled.

This one was a romantic, French chic setting. I can't wait to see how my Austen mannequin has been used in the room sets of the Ideal Home Show. I'll remember to take my camera when I visit and take a few pictures.

The pictures below were from the Jan 2011 issue of 25 Beautiful Homes.

I'm always willing to send pictures for articles, or loan out mannequins for photo shoots, so do get in touch if there are any projects you need a mannequin for.

Speak soon, Julie x

New Fabrics for the Retro Collection

2011-03-12T04:17:00.001-08:00

I've just got back from the post office with some great new fabrics for my Retro Collection.

http://www.vintagestylemannequins.co.uk/category_55/The-Retro-Collection.htm

I have chosen these four fabrics, which I think are bold and unique - just what I was looking for!

This one is called 'Como' and is a stunning design of butterfly wings and peackock feathers. Can't wait to get started on this one!

This one is called 'If She Sews She Knows'. My 'Home Sewing is Easy' mannequin has been very popular and this one is a similar theme, so hopefully she'll be a hit too!

Love this one - 'Peace'. Can't wait to see what she looks like made up.

When I saw this one - 'Dressforms', I couldn't resist. Well I do make mannequins, so how could I not buy a fabric covered in them!

I'm in the middle of a few big orders at the moment, but as soon as they are completed I have decided to focus on the Retro Collection for a while. I have a pile of fablous fabric just waiting to be made up and I need to complete the mannequins in this collection. Oh to have more hours in the day!

Julie x

New Vintage Mannequins Added Today

2011-03-09T05:43:00.000-08:00

I love unpacking my new mannequin finds and discovering what kind of condition they are in. It was such a joy to pull back the bubble wrap of this lady and see her looking so lovely - I think she must have the best condition fabric for a mannequin of her age I have seen in a long time.

She has a tiny 22 inch waist and such lovely tailoring. She is a French Stockman make and must have been used to tailor and display such wonderful gowns.

You can see more pictures and details by following the link below:

http://www.vintagestylemannequins.co.uk/item_315/Antique-Vintage-Stockman-Wasp-Waist-French-Mannequin--c1900--22-Waist.htm

The mannequin below is a French Stockman c1940s mannequin, again in great condition.

More pictures and details can be seen here:

http://www.vintagestylemannequins.co.uk/item_316/Antique-French-Stockman-Female-Mannequin--Superb-Condition--c1940s.htm

It has been such a busy and fulfilling start to the year! There are lots of orders to be completed, as well as exciting ideas for the future and new fabrics to tailor with. I'm off to the Ideal Home Show in a few weeks to get lots of ideas and also to see one of my mannequins being used in one of the room sets! More about that soon.

Julie x

Male Mannequins in the Theatre!

2011-02-07T07:40:00.000-08:00

Sometimes, when I tell people that I make mannequins they say either "Wow that must be really interesting ... I've always wanted one of those." or "Wow, that must be really interesting ... but what do people use them for?" Over the years, I have sent them all over the world and for many different purposes, from attractive displays in homes, for retail purposes in boutiques, dressmaking and photo shoots, to name a few.

As far as I know though, they have never been on the stage ... until now!

I was contacted a few months ago by a theatre company in Slovenia, who needed some male mannequins for their new production of 'The Emperor's New Clothes'

They were duly completed and dispatched ...

How happy and appreciative was I to be sent these photographs of their debut! I love the colourful costumes and am sure the play was a great sucess.

Well, back to the sewing machine I must go ... a few interesting projects are on the go.

Have a lovely (if windy!) day.

Julie x

A New Home for Two of My Ladies

2010-10-26T06:42:00.000-07:00

These two lovely ladies are all set to start their new lives in Next. They are both destined for two branches of Next on Oxford Street - the Bond Street and Marble Arch shops. How exciting, I wonder what they will be used to display?

They are tailored in Austen Natural and if you would like to see more pictures and details, just follow this link:

http://www.vintagestylemannequins.co.uk/item_67/MTO-Austen--Natural.htm

I definately think a trip to London is in order. I can use Christmas shopping as an excuse, but really it will be to see how my ladies and gents are getting on.

Hope you are all having a lovely (if rainy!) day.
*
Speak soon, Julie x

Shame on You - Developers of the 60s!

2010-10-20T14:54:00.000-07:00

The village I live in has a lovely promenade of local shops and lots of Victorian and Edwardian buildings. The majority of it looks, I would imagine, quite unchanged from the early 1900s. The far end of it, however, suffered from the 60s habit of knocking down beautiful buildings and building featureless boxes.

The picture below shows Birkdale Town Hall and library as it looked in 1910 - beautifully well built, with stunning features - clearly a focal point of the village at the time. This lovely building was knocked down and replaced with ...

... this.

How could it have ever been allowed? At least now, thank goodness, there is a recognition of the value of old buildings to our heritige and this happens much less often.

More news to come soon about a particular building in the village ...

Facebook Free Giveaway Decided!

2010-10-13T12:21:00.000-07:00

I have decided on the giveaway prize! The first 300 people who 'like' the page will be entered into the draw to win a £170 gift voucher for the website. You can use this voucher to buy, or put towards, a mannequin of your choice. I know I'm aiming high, but hey, why not! So pass this onto friends and maybe you, or they, could have an early Christmas present. Or maybe you know someone who would like a mannequin for Christmas.

Click HERE to go to the page.

Good Luck, Julie x

New Mannequin Added to the Retro Collection

2010-10-12T12:09:00.000-07:00

Is it possible to become addicted to buying fabric?? I keep seeing gorgeous fabrics and think "Oooh, that would look great on a mannequin!" and then just have to buy some. I have an ever growing stock of fabrics and am slowly working through them to add new mannequins to the site.

I discovered Alexander Henry fabrics a few months ago now and just love his bold designs! This one is called 'Inked' and I think the scale of the design is just right on the mannequin - I'm really pleased with how she worked out.

I have some more of his fabrics in the collection and am now working on making them up into mannequins. It is so difficult to get a sense of scale when it is just a picture of the fabric, so I must get the mannequins in this collection completed. You can see more pictures of 'Inked' by following the link below:

http://www.vintagestylemannequins.co.uk/item_270/MTO-Inked.htm

If anyone knows of any more retro styled fabrics that they think would look great on a mannequin, then I would love to hear your suggestions!

Don't forget, that if you 'like' my facebook page you will be entered into a free giveaway draw. Full details to be announced tomorrow.

Click HERE to go to the page

Have a lovely rest of the week! Julie x

Fabulous Facebook Giveaway!!

2010-10-10T08:20:00.000-07:00

To celebrate the fact that I finally got around to adding Vintage Style Mannequins to Facebook, I am launching a

FABULOUS FACEBOOK GIVEAWAY!!

To be entered into the draw and have a chance to win all you have to do is 'like' the page. I haven't decided what to give away yet, but the more 'likers' the page gets, then the more fabulous the giveaway will be!

To go to my Facebook page, just click the picture below.

I will confirm the details in the next few days.

Good luck! Julie x

Vintage Style Mannequins on Facebook ... at Last!!

2010-10-09T11:24:00.000-07:00

So finally, today I got around to making a Facebook page for Vintage Style Mannequins. It's still a work in progress, but I'm so happy that I have made a start. With lots of orders to complete, it has been hard to find the time and so I set aside today to get the job done.

Click on the picture if you would like to take a look and I know I will be so excited if I get some 'likers'. If there is anything you think would be helpful to add to the page, your comments would be very welcome!

Have a lovely weekend, I think we are forecast some good weather!

Julie x

Male Mannequins - The Pin Stripe Collection

2010-10-05T11:45:00.001-07:00

I've always thought that a pinstripe fabric would look great on a tailored male mannequin - very classic! I'm looking forward to finding new fabrics for my male mannequins and I think stripes suit them very well.

You can see more of the male mannequin collection here:

http://www.vintagestylemannequins.co.uk/category_53/Male-Mannequins.htm

Just a quick visit today as I have a couple of orders to finish off for tomorrow - better get back to it.

Julie x

The Old Corset Shop - A World of Wasp Waist Mannequins

2010-10-02T05:34:00.000-07:00

I was browsing the internet last night and came across these wonderful old pictures of corset shops. I love old pictures and sometimes they don't seem quite real somehow. But this picture was only a moment in time for the ladies above and once the picture was taken, they went on with their daily lives. I wonder who they went on to serve that day, what their families were like and what it was like inside the shop.

The pictures above and below show corset departments on large department stores. Just look at the space and feeling of openess! How lovely to have the time to sit at one of the chairs at the long counters and be shown different corsets and look at the models. You can see all the boxes stacked behind the counter. I love the thought that some of the wasp waisted mannequins I have sold in the past may have started their lives in such a way. If only they could talk - what stories they could tell!

I love the picture below! Look at the curves on those mannequins. It is no wonder that so few of these kind of wasp waist mannequins remain, as they were usually covered in silk and were intended for daily practical use - not really a good combination for longevity!

If you are looking for the kind of female wasp waist dress forms you see above, then my new range of new wasp waist mannequins might be for you. See the new range here:

http://www.vintagestylemannequins.co.uk/category_56/New-Wasp-Waist-Mannequins.htm

I have some exciting new mannequins coming soon, which hopefully I will be able to complete this week. I love working on new projects, so I should probably get back to it!

Speak soon, Julie.

New Wasp Waist Mannequins! - French Stockman Inspired

2010-09-28T11:39:00.000-07:00

These wasp waist mannequins have been a long time coming! I have been wanting to reproduce antique French waspwaisted mannequins for some time now, but a combination of searching for just the right materials and completing orders (which have to take priority!) has meant that it has taken until now to launch them.

They have been formed from an original antique wasp waist Stockman torso from c1900 and they have a tiny 18.5 inch waist! My aim in producing these vintage styled mannequins was to replicate as closely as possible the tailoring and wood work of the originals. Most importantly, the torso itself is made in the original way and is a thick papier mache construction - so no foam or polystyrene.

It has been hard work and very much a labour of love - but worth it in the end! I can't wait to get my hands on new fabrics and make some more. There is such a wide choice of lovely fabrics at the moment, it's difficult to know where to start. If you have any ideas, then do get in touch. You can see more pictures by clicking the following link:

http://www.vintagestylemannequins.co.uk/category_56/New-Waspwaist-Mannequins.htm

Have a lovely week, Julie.

A Project ...

2010-09-11T11:35:00.000-07:00

The fabric of this lovely French Stockman wasp waist mannequin was extensively water stained when she came to me. A customer asked me to recover her, restoring her to how she must have looked when she was new, all those years ago.

I have used the Austen Natural fabric from the Natural Collection and tailored the fabric to replicate the original seam work exactly.

The original fabric is still underneath, incase someone in the future wants to take her back to her original condition.

You can see more pictures of her here:

http://www.vintagestylemannequins.co.uk/item_278/Vintage-Antique-French-Stockman-Wasp-Waist-Mannequin-c1895--Recovered.htm

If you are interested in having a vintage mannequin recovered in this way, then do get in touch. info@vintagestylemannequins.co.uk

A Weekend of Decoupaging

2010-08-08T14:11:00.000-07:00

I have had a few people recently ask about the vintage decopauged mannequins, so I set aside this weekend to get busy decoupaging! I only ever remove the fabric of antique mannequins if it is damaged beyond repair and decopauge in genuine original newspapers - never reproductions. What a joy it was to remove the fabric on this lovely mannequin to discover the original newspaper intact underneath. She even has the original date - 1912. You can see more pictures by following the link below. http://www.vintagestylemannequins.co.uk/item_274/Antique-Vintage-French-Stockman-Waspwaist-Mannequin--1912--Original-Newspaper-Covering.htm

The waspwaist french mannequin below is an original Stockman, decoupaged in french newspapers from 1895. http://www.vintagestylemannequins.co.uk/item_276/Antique-Vintage-Stockman-French-Mannequin--c1885--Decoupaged-in-Original-French-Newspapers.htm

Vintage child mannequins are so cute! The one below is a French Stockman child mannequin. It is decoupaged in the same newspapers as the adult female and is from the same period. I think they make a lovely pair - mother and child together. http://www.vintagestylemannequins.co.uk/item_275/Antique-Vintage-French-Stockman-Child-Mannequin--Decoupaged-in-Original-Newspapers.htm

Miniature Vintage Buste Girard Mannequin

2010-08-01T13:47:00.000-07:00

I have kept this lovely miniature mannequin for a while now, but I think the time has come to let someone else enjoy her. She is in super condition and you can see further pictures of her here:

http://www.vintagestylemannequins.co.uk/item_273/Vintage-Antique-Miniature-Buste-Girard-Mannequin.htm

It has been a lovely day today and everyone seemed to have the same idea and head to the local garden centre. I now have a nice selection of plants ready to be potted tomorrow. Hope the sun is shining like today!

Pretty Green Opens it's Doors in Carnaby Street

2010-07-30T04:39:00.000-07:00

I do love my job! I get to tailor mannequins for all kinds of lovely people, for many different situations, using great fabrics. It's very rewarding to know what they are going to be used for and many customers send me pictures and let me know. I put these on my 'Where Are They Now?' page http://www.vintagestylemannequins.co.uk/pages/where.htm

Pretty Green opens today on Carnaby street and a few of my male tailored mannequins get to have a brilliant view and watch the hustle and bustle of that busy iconic street.

Well, must get on ... in between completing current orders, I am planning on making new seat cushions for the garden furniture out of my ever growing pile of fabrics. If it ever stops raining, we might actually get chance to use them! Pictures to come soon ... hopefully!

have a lovely day, Julie.

Vintage Style Tailored Male Mannequins at Carnaby Street!

2010-07-27T05:11:00.000-07:00

How exciting! I was recently asked to tailor some male mannequins for 'Pretty Green', the classic British clothing range owned, founded and designed by Liam Gallagher. The new store is due to open on the 30th July 2010 and is situated in Carnaby Street - this 60s inspired print is perfect for such an iconic location!

I'm so pleased that my boys will get to be displayed in such a wonderful store ... hmmm ... I think a trip to London might be in store - it is the holidays after all!

You can buy your own male display mannequin, or have a mannequin tailored in your own fabric choice by following the link below:

http://www.vintagestylemannequins.co.uk/category_53/Male-Mannequins.htm

Introducing - Vintage Style Tailored Male Mannequins

2010-06-05T12:54:00.000-07:00

I have been meaning to add male mannequins to the collection for ages, but time just seems to run away - where does it go! So this week I set some time aside and am pleased to introduce my first male mannequin! Its always nice to try something new and I think they complement the female and child mannequins nicely - it feels like I have completed the family at last!

I am hoping to add to the collection over the coming weeks and find some exciting new fabrics. In addition to using my own fabrics, you can send me your own fabric to tailor your mannequin if you wish.

To see the new tailored male mannequins you can follow the link below:

http://www.vintagestylemannequins.co.uk/category_53/Male-Mannequins.htm

Hope you all had a good half term - not long to Summer now!

Julie x

New Tabletop Vintage Style Mannequins

2009-11-14T13:03:00.000-08:00

I have had many requests for tabletop mannequins, both vintage and new, over the past year. So given that vintage tabletop mannequins come along so rarely, I have created a range of new mannequins which are designed exactly in the style of the originals.

They are ideal for displaying jewellery or favourite scarves and their size means that they can be displayed anywhere, without the need to find precious floor space. As with my floor standing mannequins, my main aim was to reproduce these new mannequins to as closely resemble the original vintage mannequins as possibe, both in design and tailoring. To this end, the stand, neck cap and finial have been individually hand made to mirror exactly the vintage models. These mannequins are 94cm from the top of the finial to the floor, but are height adjustable and so can be made taller than this. They can be tailored in any of my current fabrics and are a size 10/12. I can also tailor them in any fabrics you would like to provide.

I am really pleased with how they have turned out - I hope you like them too! You can see more details here http://www.vintagestylemannequins.co.uk/category_44/New-Tabletop-Mannequins.htm

Vintage French Stockman Mannequin - Wonderful Antique Dress Form

2009-09-20T08:39:00.000-07:00

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

2009-09-18T08:46:00.000-07:00

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

2009-08-01T13:38:00.000-07:00

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!

2009-07-29T13:48:00.000-07:00

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

2009-03-15T07:03:00.001-07:00

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

2009-03-14T09:18:00.000-07:00

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!

2008-11-03T14:51:00.000-08:00

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!)

New Mannequin Range!

2008-11-02T10:57:00.001-08:00

I have had lots of requests recently for vintage style mannequins to be tailored in plain fabric covers ... so, I have been a busy bee with my sewing machine!

I now have a new range of plain fabric mannequins covered in a beautiful soft linen fabric from Laura Ashley called 'Austen'. The mannequins in the pictures are covered in natural and chalk pink, but other colours available are: cream, biscuit, duck egg and charcoal.

Each mannequin comes with either a corset laced back finish, or a traditional tailored back finish. Stand finishes are available in natural beech, black or ivory.

Please do get in touch if you have any ideas for other fabrics and types of finishes - I love a challenge!

Welcome to my Brand New Blog!

2008-10-04T04:51:00.000-07:00

Welcome to my New Blog!

The purpose of these pages is to share my love of all things vintage, and in particular my passion for vintage and antique mannequins.

I just adore vintage manneqins! They are all so different and unique. From the wasp waisted mannequins of the 1800s through to the more realistically shaped mannequins of the 40s and 50s, each one has it's own individual personality.

They are a window to a time gone by and give us glipses into the lifestyles of the women who lived before us.

It will also give me a place to share news and updates relating to http://www.vintagestylemannequins.co.uk/, my website, where I sell hand covered, vintage inspired, female and child mannequins.

A wonderful vintage French Stockman mannequin, displayed with a 1920s Art Deco plaster display head.

Beautiful 1930s plaster, counter top display mannequin.