or should shop dummies not be given visible rib cages

[deliakate]

or hugely prominent collar bones and hip bones - all the signs of a very low bmi. OK, they are going to make them thin, because thin sells clothes at the moment. But to actually cast in these bones... its hideous to me. Who agrees?

I'm not sure that my bones ever stuck out TBH, and I used to be pretty slim (size 6/8). Surely it depends on a host of factors, not just on how thin you are. And for every woman for whom sticking out bones is natural and healthy, there will be another for whom sticking out bones will indicate that they are underweight.

Mannequins didn't used to have sticking out bones - now they do - is that a good development in light of our society and the various pressures on young women?

Many here seem to be saying "well my bones stick out so it's fine" but I think that's missing the point TBH.

Most mannequins are fairly unrepresantative of a 'normal' body shape. I worked in a fairly well-known chain and the dummies wore a size 10, but they had to be pinned and tucked around the waist because it was so disproportional to the size of their shoulders/hips.

erm

you can see my collarbone and my ribs too actually but my BMI is normal.

And the dummies wear the clothes that are on the shelves/hangers so no different than the smallest size they sell.

DITD - EduStudent just said above, the clothes usually have to be pinned and tucked to fit the dummies shapes. BUT nobody has really answered, why does a dummy need very obvious bones when it has no skeleton??? Because its become fashionable, and I don't think that's right.

I hate it.
With a BMI of 20 (size 8) you can just see my ribs if I breathe in. I'm not fat (or at least, I wasn't before I got pregnant!) and I HATE buying clothes because I look at them on a mannequin and realise that they are so far off my shape that if they look good on a body that shape they'll probably look crap on me. Last clothes I bought were about 2 1/2 years ago. My jeans are work through at the knee and I'll be off to oxfam where I can see them hanging on a hanger and not on some malformed female dummy.

or even worn though... oops

rants lose something when they have typos in them...

No wonder our society is so screwed up and I see so many patients with eating disorders if some of the attitudes here are typical.

*Golemmings" - why do you think you are fat just because your pregnant - your pregnant, not fat!

I'm a visual manager for a departmernt store chain so I spend most of my days working with mannequins.

Ours wear size 10 clothes with no pinning required - we only pin if we're short of smaller sizes and have to use something bigger.

Ours don't have visible bones but I do think their legs are disproportionately long for their bodies, though they stand on tip toe which as we know helps with this illusion.

Our lingerie mq's have D cup boobs, the others wear a 34B so not that unusual really - it's also our best selling bra size.

And yes, the men do have bulging crotches and six packs too! The easiest way to carry a mq around the shopfloor is to grab it by the crotch - I get lots of funny looks!

I used to work for a chain - the models were a small or a size 8/10 depending on the garment.

size 10 is a lot bigger than it was 10 or 20 years ago and women are on average bigger too so if mannequins are pressurising women to be smaller the pressure clearly isn't working.

Agree with the OP.

Can I just point out that if you have visible collar bones etc, you are not always in the "very" low BMI category. I can knock my collar bones with my knuckle and it sounds like someone is at the door! Just because someone is thin it doesn't mean they are underweight or unhealthy. I know you probably realise this anyway, but my opinion is that it would be nice to have a variety of shapes for shop dummies.

I actually know a real mannequin girl- alot of mannequins are 'perfectly' proportioned real women who get plaster-casted.
Shame she's a nice person too...

Im writing an essay on does retailing and media influence anorexia.

Some of the stuff on here is great, like that bit about topshop models!

And also how shop dummies dont reflect the national average size (16)

If anyone else has got bits of info like that I would be so grateful if you sent it to me.

[email protected]

:)