Hey Mannequin Man,
I caught an employee in the fitting room of my shop with a mannequin. What do I do?
»» Blown Away in Barstow

As long as the employee had three mannequins (or less), Federal law prohibits any further action by you.
»» Mannequin Man

Where can I find a dressmaker form?
»» Pinless in Pittsburgh

It's funny you should ask. We (that is, Northwest Mannequin) carry several varieties of dressmaker forms for display or work. I'd suggest you call Joe and talk to him. And don't forget to visit our page.
»» Mannequin Man

When do I know it's time to trade in my mannequins?
»»  Slave to Fashion

When you realize that your mannequins look like your mother.
»» Mannequin Man

Who the heck makes mannequins anyway?
»» Flummoxed in Flagstaff

Mannequins are made all over the world in such places as China, the Philippines, Korea, Los Angeles, New York, Belgium, the UK, and Denmark. Just to name a few. My favorite? Well... that's like asking a parent which child they love most.  
»» Mannequin Man

What is the reason for nipples on a mannequin?
»» Just askin' in Jackson

Well it does seem superfluous, but I'm all for them. Some manufacturers do seem a bit obsessed on detail, but the trend today is realism. Gone are the days of the flat abstract mannequin. Can I get a witness up in here!?
»» Mannequin Man

When is a "busy" time for mannequins?
»» Wondering Out Loud

The major department stores change out their window displays seasonally. This is also a happy time for Northwest Mannequin because the mannequins often get damaged in the shuffle and end up on our workbench.
»» Mannequin Man

Hey, Mannequin Man, there’s a girl I’ve been talking to on the bus who looks exactly like a mannequin in a department store window downtown. What gives?
»» Confused in Queens

Mannequin makers base most of their mannequins on real-live people, models and famous people. Also, you may be obsessing a little too much.
»» Mannequin Man

How do you brush your teeth, Mannequin Man?
»» Wondering in Wyoming

With a brush and a serious dose of white paint. 
»» Mannequin Man

Hey, my main mannequin man, do you ever get, you know... weirdoes calling you?
»» Concerned in Cleveland.

Not all that often, but occasionally. Once a guy called, asking for a home delivery at 10:00 at night. So I tell him, no can do, please call during business hours. He showed up at my shop the next day.

He seemed really weird from the first minute because he arrived by cab from some 40 miles away, then he went back and forth in deciding about ordering a mannequin, and then asked for a ride home. I couldn't because I had some other things to do, so the guy called his sister, then sat in the front of the shop for about four hours until she came to pick him up. We came and went, only to find him still sitting in the front most of the day.

Surprisingly enough, he was a young guy (~19). He finally did place an order for a mannequin that I had to special order, and I felt a little worried and asked him for a deposit. The guy, of course, didn't have a checking account and didn't have any money on him so he said he would mail it. About three days later, $250 IN CASH in small bills arrived bulging in a small envelope in the mail.

Actually, it wasn't a mannequin the guy ordered, but a form. Sort of like a dressmaker form -- torso only, no head, no legs, no arms -- except you couldn't stick pins in it like a dressmaker form. It's made of hard mannequin material.

After the guy got the mannequin, he started calling every day. He named the form "Donna" and referred to it as "she" and "her." One day he asked how to wash it. I said "Why does it need to be washed?" He said he took it to bed with him at night and it got "dusty." Finally, during one of his many phone calls, this guy admitted to "having a relationship with Donna."

After that, I got an earful. This guy actually took "Donna" on a skiing trip with his friend and his friend's parents. I asked if the parents thought it was weird and he said "Yeah, but I don't care, I love Donna too much to care what other people think." He said he was seeing a psychologist. I asked him what the psychologist thought about all this, and he said "she says it's OK as long as I'm happy."

He told me that "Donna" was British and spoke in a British accent. I asked him why he didn't ask real girls out, and he said "They think I'm weird" in a snickering "can you believe it??" voice. At one point, he asked me to paint a pair of eyes on the form's neck and later asked me to attach some feet to the bottom of the form (it has no legs). He also wanted me to fix water damage it got from taking it into the shower with him. Not wanting to get caught up in any of this sordid mess, I declined on all counts and tried to get the guy to quit calling. I didn't want to be a part of this madness. But it was sort of like passing an accident on the freeway -- you don't want to look, but still you catch yourself checking it out.

He reached a point where he needed to break up with Donna. He felt the relationship had to end, so he was going to bring her back to my shop -- I guess as a sort of symbolic "changing of the guard" exercise. This time he rode the over 40 miles on a bicycle. With Donna attached by bungee cord behind him. I took the form back, hoping the madness would end right there.

But, no. The guy called the next day and asked me to custom-make another mannequin -- one with its arms positioned like it was "carrying a basket" and with its legs slightly spread apart. I promptly referred him to someone in Texas, who does artsy stuff with mannequins, and told him for the jillionth time to stop calling. He called a couple more times just to throw it in my face that "THIS guy (the Texan) WILL make her for me." For a mere thousand-six-hundred bucks. The phone calls finally stopped. I think he's calling the guy in Texas now.
»» Mannequin Man