How Mannequins Set the Standard in Retail Spaces
- Kayley Williams
- Jan 14
- 3 min read
Updated: Jan 19
Mannequins are often treated as background objects in shops. We walk past them, glance at them, and rarely question them. But their job goes beyond displaying clothes. In shop windows and store displays, mannequins quietly shape what our brains start to code as a “normal” body.
We rely on environmental cues to orient ourselves. We scan our surroundings to work out what is typical, valued, or expected. When retail environments repeatedly present a narrow body type as standard, those cues start to shape how we evaluate both clothing and ourselves. This process is largely automatic and often happens without conscious awareness.
The Problem with Unrealistically Proportioned Mannequins
Most mannequins are not realistic representations of average adult bodies. They are usually taller, slimmer, and more narrowly proportioned than most of us. Those dimensions are often chosen because they allow garments to hang smoothly, reduce creasing, and make designs look visually “clean” on display.
A study published in the Journal of Eating Disorders found that if mannequins used in some high street stores were people, their measurements would place them in a medically unhealthy range. That means the body being presented as the retail standard is not simply uncommon. It is often a body type most of us could not realistically attain or maintain in a healthy way.
When the same body type appears repeatedly across shop windows, in-store displays, and marketing materials, the brain responds in a predictable way. One body type starts to function as a visual baseline for what counts as “normal”. Once that baseline is established, other bodies are evaluated in relation to it.
Because mannequin bodies are idealised, real bodies can start to register as deviations from the standard. This does not require aspiration or conscious desire. Over time, these automatic comparisons shape self-perception. We often do not realise that the feeling of inadequacy is being triggered by the environment itself, not by anything “wrong” with our bodies.
Exposure to narrow body standards can shape shopping behaviour in predictable ways. We may try on more items, look for garments that conceal or reshape, stay in the store longer, or make extra purchases to settle the discomfort. From a psychological perspective, these responses make sense. When the brain detects a mismatch between expectation and reality, it tries to regain control. In retail settings, buying can become the quickest available way to do that. Over time, repeated exposure to idealised mannequins can reinforce self-evaluation patterns and body dissatisfaction outside the store too.
So why do stores continue to use unrealistic mannequins? Mannequins were designed to optimise sales. Their proportions were chosen to make clothing appear aspirational. Narrow body standards have long been linked with desirability and social aspiration. As a result, they have become the default across retail. The effects on body image are often treated as incidental rather than as the result of a design choice. And because these displays can still drive revenue, they are rarely questioned or redesigned-- even when the harm is clear.
What a Safer Approach Looks Like
Some retailers are beginning to challenge this model. By using mannequins with more realistic proportions, a wider range of body sizes, and natural, less stylised poses, the pressure created by narrow standards drops.
These environments can still meet commercial objectives. The difference is that we are not measured against an artificial baseline before we even engage with the clothes. Attention shifts back to evaluating garments rather than evaluating ourselves.
Mannequins may seem insignificant, but they help shape beauty culture. They influence which bodies are centred, which are pushed to the margins, and how we interpret ourselves in public spaces.
Naming the mechanism matters. It helps us spot when feelings of inadequacy are being created by environmental design rather than personal failure. It also gives shops a clear route to creating environments where shopping focuses on clothing, not constant self-comparison.
Index:MH and Body Image Safe Certification
At Index:MH™, we set standards for retail spaces that reduce appearance-based comparison. Body Image Safe translates that into practical, observable changes that shops can implement.
For mannequins and visual displays, our standards focus on realistic proportions and a range of body types, rather than a single narrow default. They also prioritise neutral poses and styling that keeps the focus on the clothing itself, not the body wearing it.
Our criteria are informed by research on how visual cues shape perception, self-evaluation, and shopping behaviour, and guided by specialist input on how beauty standards affect mental health in real-world settings. Shops can adopt these standards while staying commercially viable, without relying on avoidable psychological pressure.
