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Considered as a live 3D human being by a major chunk of people, Mannequins derive their origin from mannekijin, a Middle Dutch word that means little man, figurine. These articulated dolls have a rich past dating back to ancient Egypt. Mannequins have speedily evolved reflecting both, the way we should look and live. In the 18^th century, France was bestowed with the title of “Fashion Capital”, and these mannequins were made to boast their fashion and designs to the entire world. Their size varied from twelve inches to even life size ones.

Then, came the time when window shopping was the favorite pastime of people, and Mannequins displayed in the retail world were quite heavy in weight made of wood and wax with artificial teeth, real hair and eyes made of glass.

Mannequins took a new turn and form influenced by Hollywood. Artists gave them new dimension with realistic features and expressions animated specially to give the impression of popular heroes. Then, with the advent of World War II, mannequins changed with lives of the people demonstrating domestic, uptown ecstasy.

Time changed at a rapid pace and it changed the meaning, worth and utility of Mannequins as well. Today, old rules no longer exist and everything is in now. We have varied colors and structures in them. Since ages Mannequins have well depicted society, civilization, culture to different genres. As of now, their role is much beyond depicting the society. From business of point of view, Mannequins are very fruitful as they not only help retail store owners by making more money, but also save a lot of time and money. When people go for shopping, their buying decision often changes when they see a mannequin or a dummy wearing a new pair of jeans or an ethnic designer piece. A very strong marketing gimmick used by retail store owners to attract prospective buyers and hence boost sales. Moreover, these articulated figurines also help the consumers to locate the utilities that interest them. Mannequins also offer giant visual clues of the items kept in the store. Mannequins also grab customers’ attention on other products and promotions that the store homes.

The journey of mannequins from being a dummy to explain medical science students to reflect social attitudes to marketing tactics has been a fascinating one!