Are You a Mannequin Shopper? And What To Do About It

Since Sister House offers a Boutique for TG shoppers, I’m always trying to learn what attracts my customers and how do they make buying decisions. This brought me to some research in which I saw myself, the “Mannequin Shopper.” You know, no creativity, no thoughts of my own. I liked what I saw so I bought it and I didn’t need to figure out what went with what. I was stuck in the framework that the mainstream fashion industry was shoving me into.

And while our feminine side is stronger than most born male, we still often think and act like men in our buying habits. In other words, men like to get in, get what they need, and get out fast. Men aren’t major comparison shoppers and they’re willing to pay a little more to speed up the process than to spend time hunting down bargains. I’m not that way now, but I still see the differences when I look at how my wife shops. She’ll spend endless time in comparison shopping and I’m fortunate, she’s taught me some of the tricks. Retailers are especially adept at triggering emotional purchases with store design, display, and pricing. As a consequence, normal habits of comparison and evaluation are ignored, often to the detriment of the shopper whose impulsively purchased product is inferior in quality, exorbitantly priced, or of little use.

And did you know that department store mannequins are watching you. A well-dressed, picture-perfect mannequin stands still in a middle of a department store. She looks like any other life-size figure you’ve seen in stores for so long, except she can see and hear. It has cameras for eyes, audio recording capabilities, an embedded computer to analyze shoppers’ faces, and a modem to upload the data to a server. Called the EyeSee Mannequin, the EyeSee can tell if a shopper is male or female, his or her age range, how much time you spent looking at it and its outfit,”

Is this a bad thing, well no. But can you do better, perhaps improve on the results or buy outfits more tailored to your personality. Marcy Guevara is a plus-size blogger, fashionista, model, and industry spokesperson whom I admire. She has gone the route to an improved image. What does that mean to us. Well Marcy was a mannequin shopper too. And her lessons learned apply to many of us as we struggle to learn women’s fashions and create outfits that reflect our personality.

Marcy said: “Then one day, I discovered this fabulous, lively, thriving industry that is the plus-size fashion world. A world full of amazing products, inspiring indie designers and women who didn’t give a damn about the fashion rules and broke every single one. This attitude was freeing and I readily embraced it. I chose striped dresses that my mother had always banned from my wardrobe, colorful pants even though I am a “pear” shape and even leggings and skinny jeans. I began to dress in a way that made me happy and expressed my personal style.

Marcy Before and After

As a big girl, it can be easy to get stuck in ruts, wearing unshapely clothes or settling for what the mainstream stores deem appropriate for plus-size women. Even the fabulous Diane Von Furstenberg recently suggested tunics as the best option for a plus-size reader asking her advice. If covering as much of your body as possible is the best advice this style icon can give, I fear that Tim Gunn is correct in calling the current state of plus-size fashion “repugnant.”

I’ve written extensively about fashion rules in my book, “Top Ten Fashion Mistakes by Crossdressers and How To Fix Them” Now fashion rules are important because they prevent the ludicrous, but fashion rules are also meant to be broken in some cases and there is much to be learned by breaking the rules of plus-size fashion (ladies — that is most of us e.g. size 14 and up). You need to be a bit fearless.

Though I love to play with style and break some rules, there are three major tips I use for curating a wardrobe that works for me and prevents that dreaded “I have nothing to wear” feeling, or for many of us, “I’ll wear what is short and tight.” You can come close and still look fabulous without giving it all away. Not all of us are curvy girls like Marcy, but her advice resonates with me.

Marcy being glamorous

• Show your curves! Many women are afraid of figure-skimming clothes. Skinnies are great because they do just that — make you look skinny! That’s not necessarily the goal, but my point is that drowning your curves in fabric won’t flatter you and will only add weight to your frame. Use a scarf for a bold pop of color and a fab heel to elongate your figure and elevate your posture.

• Show some skin! Many women want to cover up but showing a little skin is sexy and keeps you cool too. I suggest showing a little leg or a little cleavage, but not all at once.

• Get glam! I believe that you can never be overdressed. Don’t be afraid to show a little sparkle, add a heel or pump up the lips. Glamour makes me feel put together, ready for anything and ready to run into anyone! Casual clothes are very common nowadays, so look for classic pieces to add to your closet that can be dressed up or down.

Lastly, don’t be afraid to try something new! We all know what we like, but dare to experiment with new cuts, prints or fabrics. Ease into color with scarves or even a bright lipstick. Try accessories like belts or wedges that you might have never considered. See how much there is out there and be willing to try anything (at least once). Need some ideas. Check out our Pinterest page with over 30 boards dealing with fashion of every genre. Talk about impulse buying, I would go broke buying all that stuff.

We are in the process of restocking our Boutique, so take a look at what is available. If you need some hints on best places to buy things online, check our Stores section as we’ve listed the types and ranges of clothes for each store and soon there will be a link to that store’s measurement chart for easy reference on your sizes.

Hugs…..Tasi

If you enjoy this article you might also enjoy my other articles on TG Forum or my blog that relate to this post.

CD Shopping Delight
Shopping, If It’s hard For Them, It’s Hard For Us
I Love That Dress, But It’s From China
Do You Think I’m Sexy?

Tags: Boutique, break the rules, crossdressers, fashion, fashion tips, featured, mannequins, Marcy Guereva fashion mistakes, plus size, Sister House

Category: Style, Transgender Fashion