The way you display your products on your website has a major influence on the purchase decisions of your customers. Being an online business, you must make sure to bring your products to life for your customers and demonstrate their utility as customers can’t touch and feel the products. This is especially important if you are a clothing or accessory brand.

Unlike other kinds of products, just photographing clothes and accessories from multiple angles won’t help your customers to understand their fit and size. And this is where mannequins and human models come in. They depict products in a real-life setting and help your customers to virtually experience and relate to them.

You must experiment with both mannequins and human models and decide which one works for you. To make it easier for you to choose one, here we have listed the pros and cons of using them both:

Mannequins

Mannequins are life-size artificial dolls. They are available in different genders, sizes, and age groups. There are different types of mannequins available, which are:

Realistic Mannequins

They come with all the features of human beings, like skin tone, facial features, fingernails, toenails, etc. Accessories, makeup, and wigs can be added to them to make them look lifelike.

Abstract Mannequins

They have the body structure of a human being but do not have the features, unlike realistic mannequins.

Headless Mannequins

They are equipped with all the human features except the head. There are different types of headless mannequins like bust mannequins used to display jewelry, and torso mannequins used to display outfits and accessories for the top part for any gender. Head and limbs can be attached to these mannequins. They can be mounted on a stand, and are made from fiberglass which makes them durable.

Pros Of Using Mannequins

• Available at affordable rates
• Available in desired sizes and features
• Easy to shoot with
• Minimal styling is required
• Fee charges that are applicable to human models are saved
• No need to wait for their availability to shoot as they can be purchased and delivered instantly, and can be used multiple times
• No need to go through the time-taking recruitment process that is involved in hiring human models
• Easy to maintain
• Easy to transport
• Ensure uniformity in look

Cons Of Using Mannequins

• Different poses cannot be achieved as they are not flexible
• It is difficult to get mannequins to resonate with viewers

Human Models

Using human models is a very common way of displaying products. However, it comes with its own share of pros and cons:

Pros Of Using Human Models

• Can be used to demonstrate how products fit the human form
• Easily relatable for viewers
• Make photos look professional
• Humanize your products and brand
• Can be styled in different ways
• Can pose in different ways and break the monotony in photos

Cons Of Using Human Models

• Expensive to shoot with as charges like fees and styling are involved
• Styling them is time-consuming
• Can take viewers’ focus away from products
• You might have to wait for them – sometimes for a long time – to make themselves available for your shoot
• Models of a different age group than that of your target audience can be hard for them to relate to
• Not affordable for small businesses or those on a budget