Looking for innovative and unusual ways to display clothes at a craft fair/market

[KatyMac]

I'm hoping to sell at craft fairs and makers markets

I sell upcycled jackets and clothes made from vintage household fabrics

I am really struggling with transporting the in the car and then displaying them well

I have a few children's clothes, some adult clothes, some completed jackets plus plain jackets with a basket of pictures to put on them (sort of mix and match)

I have a smallish car to transport them in, various sized tables, a gazebo, 2 rails, a room divider, a concertina clothes airer, 3 wire mannequins, 4 dressmakers dummys, a shop mannequin and a nervous breakdown!

I can't carry a lot at once so I also have a trolley to put things on

It ends up looking a bit of a jumble sale

Oh and I need to sort out signage too - help?

I don't think Washi tape is very robust and it would get grubby.

Thanks - I was going to try a couple and see - but i think you are right

Floristry tape is another option - I wish I could buy a pile of used ribbon and use that!

I spent some time googling stalls before posting yesterday (I so need to get a life!) and the thing that struck me was all the hangers were the same so the clothes hung at the same level. It looked neater.

From my memories of Renegade London and Kirstie's hand made fair, the clothing type stalls tend to have a U shaped set up with rails on either side and a table at the back.

WRT stock levels, maybe have a selection on display and more sorts by size in boxes under the table. If someone is interested in looking at things in a particular size you could find something for them easily.

I'm not sure there is a guaranteed right way though, only something you come up with after tweaking your set up through experience.

I don't think I could cover them in cloth - beyond my skills!

That is clearly nonsense though :o

I’ve exhibited at fairs and run them OP, I’m not an expert and some of this is repeating what’s already been said but...

Matching hangers
Use rails instead of clothes airers (I’d be scared of knocking over on an airer)
Use a tablecloth-you can get stretchy non iron ones on eBay for around a tenner
Ask for a wall space where possible to hang your outfits front on
Use a max of 2 mannequins
Try and either colour block or group where possible
If you want smaller price point items, what about reusable totes or hair scrunches/turbans?

**I don't think I could cover them in cloth - beyond my skills!

That is clearly nonsense though **

So hard to do! @DoesntLeftoverTurkeySoupDragOn

OK some decisions - only going to display what I want to sell not what everyone thinks I should sell!

Bought a new (2ndhand) rail from the charity shop
Paint my children's hangers purple & maybe my cardboard mannequins too
Carry on thinking about making the adult hangers purple
Work on my signage - People really don't have a clue what I am doing or why!

On a separate note I accidentally bought a treadle sewing machine so I can do mending tables at venues with no electric

The pin boards aren’t adding anything. The display will also look 100% better if you colour sort everything.

I’d also just switch to wooden hangers. You can get cheap ones from Willko or Ikea.

No I've stopped using them already - no-one bothered to read them (which goes back to the signage issue - no-one realises everything is recycled or re-used unless I explain)

@BonnyConnie I don't buy anything new - well only thread and poppers for baby clothes

I'm sure I remember that adding PVA glue to poster paint means it will stay on plastic?? For your hangers?

Try facebook market place? We occasionally have people selling wooden hangers in our area.

www.ikea.com/gb/en/p/ekrar-hat-and-coat-stand-white-10415594/
These are quite sturdy and reasonably priced. Display selected items on white coat hangers, hanging from these, placed one each side of your stall. Eye catching, simple and you can easily change over the selected pieces.

If you don't take all your stock with you how about a folder of photos of what you currently have available. Or you could have some stored under the table but not on display?

Sorry I got side tracked by sewing again

When I ran the nursery I loved all the admin/organisation but now I'd rather just sew!!

My first this year is on the 16th so I'll see how the changes I have decided on work- if I get organised I will set out a 'stall' in the garden and take photos of it......but not today - a leak in the bathroom and a family dinner sadly take precedent

But my dress is coming on lovely!!

Today went a bit better; sadly the space I booked was cut by the venue not the organised.

Still have too much stuff despite my plans

The children's clothes looked good - so did the mannequins and the cardboard mannequins

But despite the jacket thing working it looked messy and I still need to improve my signage

Moving clothes on the rail withheld was a gamechanger!!

And I sold the same today as at half my fairs before Christmas added together