Form Types
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The dress form isn't a new idea, but it's taken experts more than a century to develop practical versions of the human body for designers and dressmakers. In the past, inventors created these forms from materials as diverse as woven wicker, molded wax, wire mesh and even inflatable rubber, but today there are three basic types: papier maché, foam and plastic.
Papier Maché Forms
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Sturdy papier maché dress forms, covered with padding and a linen or canvas outer shell, are preferred by pattern companies and other fashion industry professionals. These permanently molded forms are available from specialty companies, such as Dress Rite Forms and Wolf Form Co. Inc. (see "Sources" at the end of this article).
You'll find professional-style papier maché forms available in hundreds of stock shapes and sizes, including every misses' and women's size and men's and children's body types; you also can purchase forms with arm, leg and head options. Size charts are available from the dress form manufacturer to help you select the model closest to your figure measurements, but standard models can be customized in countless ways beyond the basic circumference measurements of the bust, waist and hips.
For an extra charge beyond the $400 to $600 base price, you can custom order a dress form with details that include your exact shoulder slope, posture, and chest, shoulder and buttock curves and hollows.
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Foam Forms
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In contrast to papier maché forms, a foam dress form derives its shape from a woven fabric outer shell; this type of form is available under the Uniquely You brand name and is especially popular with theatrical costumers who have nicknamed the forms "squishy Judies." To set up this form, you must alter the fabric shell to fit your figure exactly. When you put the shell on the form, the foam compresses or expands to fill out the shell. If your figure changes, you can easily alter the shell accordingly, so this dress form type is considered an adjustable model.
To find your size in a foam form, select the stock fabric shell that corresponds to your hip, waist and bust measurements; the shells come in 14 sizes from petite (29" to 34" hip, 29" to 35" bust) to large (46" to 50" hip, 45 1/2" to 51" bust). A single fabric shell is included in the $135 price, but additional shells can be purchased separately if you'd like to use the foam form for more than one person. In addition to the foam dress form, a foam pants form that duplicates the body from the waistline to above the knee also is available.
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Plastic Forms
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Plastic dress forms designed especially for home use also are adjustable. The type of plastic forms available through Dritz ("My Double" for petite to full-figure sizes, "Twin Fit" for misses' sizes 6 through 50, "Athena" for misses' sizes 6 through 22, "Miss Venus" for children's ages 6 through 10, and "Mr. Ardis" for men's sizes 36 through 44), have dials that expand the hard plastic sections at the bust, waist and hips. Depending on the model, there also may be dials to expand the form at the neck, waist length and other key areas. Covered in foam-back knit fabric, these dress forms usually range in price from $100 to $150. | |
 | Another plastic dress form type, offered by Fabulous Fit, consists of a molded polyurethane base available in three sizes (small fits bust sizes up to 36", medium fits up to 41 1/2" and large fits up to 57") and features a knit outer shell and 14 rounded fiber pads. You use the pads to sculpt the dress form to match your contours at key places, such as shoulders, bust, hips, thigh and abdomen; when the shell is placed over the pads, the dress form develops a smooth, natural shape that matches your body. You can purchase the entire system for about $300; or if you'd like to customize a dress form you already own, you can purchase the pad set and a knit cover separately.
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Page 3 - Sources
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