Emaciated mannequins: a study of mannequin body size in high street fashion stores

BACKGROUND: There is concern that the body size of fashion store mannequins are too thin and promote unrealistic body ideals. To date there has been no systematic examination of the size of high street fashion store mannequins. METHODS: We surveyed national fashion retailers located on the high street of two English cities. The body size of ‘male’ and ‘female’ mannequins was assessed by two blinded research assistants using visual rating scales. RESULTS: The average female mannequin body size was representative of a very underweight woman and 100% of female mannequins represented an underweight body size. The average male mannequin body size was significantly larger than the average female mannequin body size. Only 8% of male mannequins represented an underweight body size. CONCLUSIONS: The body size of mannequins used to advertise female fashion is unrealistic and would be considered medically unhealthy in humans.