Display Torso: How to Choose One for a Lingerie, Swimwear and Sportswear Store
How to choose a display torso by garment cut: upper torso, hip form, lower body with thighs or full body, which size to display, which shade, and how to place it on a counter, shelf, wall and window.
The right display torso for a lingerie, swimwear or sportswear store is chosen by where the garment starts and ends on the body. A bra or a bikini top needs an upper torso. Briefs and bikini bottoms need a display bottom form. Boxers, high-waisted briefs and cycling shorts need a lower body form with thighs. A one-piece swimsuit or a bodysuit needs a full-body torso. Once the shape is settled, check that the torso's measurements match your display size, pick a tone that suits fabrics worn next to the skin, and decide where it will stand: counter, shelf, wall or window.
Display torsos: five shapes and what each one shows
Every shape has an upper line and a lower line. A garment that extends past those lines looks like it is hanging in mid-air, and a garment that ends well before them leaves a bare area that distracts the eye. The measurements here are taken from the product pages on our site.
Women's upper torso: from the neck to just below the bust line, without arms. The women's upper torso is 46 cm tall, with an 83 cm bust and 41 cm shoulder width, on a flat base that stands on a counter or shelf. Suitable for bras, bralettes, bikini tops, crop tops and sports bras. The angled neckline leaves room for a necklace or choker.
Display bottom form: from the waistline to the top of the thigh. The skin-tone display bottom form is 38 cm tall with a 79 cm circumference, and has a slot at the center of the base so the leg opening sits in place. Also available in matte pink. Suitable for classic briefs, thongs, Brazilian briefs, bikini bottoms and sports briefs.
Lower body form with thighs: from the waist, including the navel, to mid-thigh. The women's lower body form with thighs is 46 cm tall with a 90 cm hip circumference. Suitable for women's boxers, high-waisted briefs, thigh-length shapewear, cycling shorts and running shorts.
Full-body torso: from the neck to mid-thigh. The women's torso in matte white is 83 cm tall, with an 88 cm bust, 68 cm waist and 97 cm hips. The slim Lady Lean model is 89 cm tall, with an 85 cm bust, 65 cm waist and 89 cm hips. Suitable for one-piece swimsuits, tankinis, bodysuits, lingerie sets and short nightgowns.
Men's lower torso: from the waist to mid-thigh, fully sculpted front and back. The men's lower torso is 46 cm tall with a 96 cm hip circumference. Suitable for boxers, sports briefs, fitted swim trunks and short shorts.
How to match the torso to the garment's cut
The most common mistake in stores is choosing a single shape for the whole shelf. A few rules that follow directly from the cut:
Garments with legs: boxers, women's boxers, short leggings and shorts need a 46 cm lower body form with thighs. The display bottom form ends at the top of the thigh, so the garment's leg would hang empty.
Garments that end at the knee or below: full-length leggings, trousers and maxi dresses don't suit any of these shapes, because they all end at mid-thigh at most. For items like these you need a mannequin with legs.
One-piece swimsuits and bodysuits: only a full-body torso, because the garment stretches from the shoulder to the crotch and there is no way to show it on half a body.
Bikini sets or lingerie sets: you can dress a full-body torso, or place an upper torso and a display bottom form side by side. The second option takes up less height and works well on a counter.
Underwire bras: lingerie form makers around the world produce upper torsos by cup size (B, C, D), and some models have a subtle recess under the bust line so the underwire line shows. So it is worth measuring the torso's bust circumference against the bra you are displaying, rather than assuming every bra will fit.
Display size: one fixed size
Each torso shows a narrow range of sizes well. According to the product pages, the women's full-body torso suits sizes 36 to 38, and size 42 and up will look loose on it. Lady Lean suits sizes XS to S. The upper torso and the display bottom form suit small to medium sizes, and the men's lower torso fits roughly a size M.
Hence the recommendation: set one display size for each type of form and always dress it in that same size, even if the store sells a wide range. A garment that is too large can be gathered at the back with a small clear clip. A garment that is too small stretches and distorts the cut, and with Lycra fabrics it may also lose its elasticity. A store that specializes in plus sizes should check the form's measurements against its own sizes in advance.
Material and tone for fabrics worn next to the skin
The women's forms and the men's lower torso are made of rigid plastic or rigid foamed plastic, light enough to move between shelves, and they stand without a stand. The men's upper torso with arms is made of matte black fiberglass on an adjustable rod, and suits training shirts and jackets in a sports store.
Natural skin tone: shows lace, mesh and sheer fabrics as they would look on skin. For sheer fabrics, light from the front and sides, not from behind.
Matte white: doesn't reflect store lighting or camera flash, so the garment's colors look accurate. Especially well suited to product photography for your website.
Matte pink: for stores building a color identity for their lingerie area.
Two points worth knowing in advance. A dark garment with unstable dye may stain a skin-tone form during a long display, so change the garment every few days. And prolonged direct sunlight in a window may change the tone over time. Clean with a soft, damp cloth and a little mild soap, without alcohol or solvents, which leave shiny marks on a matte finish.
Counter, shelf, wall and window
Counter: the upper torso and the display bottom form stand on a flat base and take up little space. The upper torso's product page recommends a surface 90 to 110 cm high, so the bust line comes roughly to eye level.
Shelf: the display bottom form is low, so place it at the front of the shelf or on a cube, otherwise taller items will hide it.
Wall and rack: these forms are not meant to be hung. For a wall display, use a metal body hanger that hangs on a rod, rail or hook. Align the top piece with the bust line and the bottom piece with the hip line, and don't stretch the garment over the frame.
Shop window: a full-body torso that stands on its thigh cut is placed on a cube or platform, and a thin non-slip mat keeps it from shifting.
Briefs with back details, such as thongs or Brazilian briefs, are displayed at an angle of about 45 degrees toward the customer. In a group of men's torsos, you can turn every other form around so the back is visible.
Torso line-up by store type
Lingerie boutique: pairs of upper torsos and display bottom forms on the counter, a lower body form with thighs for high-waisted cuts and shapewear, and a full-body torso for bodysuits in the window.
Swimwear store: a full-body torso for one-piece swimsuits, an upper torso and bottom form for bikini sets, body hangers on the wall rail, and a men's lower torso for men's swimwear.
Sports store: an upper torso for sports bras, a lower body form with thighs for short leggings and cycling shorts, and a men's lower torso for shorts and sports briefs.
In each area of the store, keep to one family of forms and one finish. Display experts note that mixing different types of mannequins and forms in the same spot looks unprofessional and cluttered. A skin-tone torso next to a white torso next to a pink bottom form draws the eye to the forms instead of the garments. Another advantage of small forms is how quickly they can be changed: with no arms or legs, they are fast to dress, which matters in a store that switches styles by season or collection.
Dress from the bottom up: briefs and shorts are pulled up from the lower cut, one leg at a time. Tops and one-piece swimsuits go over the neck and shoulders, and a snug fabric is stretched slightly by hand before dressing. These forms are not meant for pinning.
In summary
All the women's forms are in the women's display mannequins category, and the men's torso is in the men's display mannequins category. You can see the forms at our showroom at 15 Kfar Giladi St., Tel Aviv. For stores and chains ordering several units of the same model, a wholesale quote based on quantity is available by phone at 03-9444226 or on WhatsApp at 055-2473993.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a display bottom form and a lower body form with thighs?
A display bottom form ends at the top of the thigh and suits underwear without legs, such as classic briefs, thongs and bikinis. A lower body form with thighs extends to mid-thigh and suits garments with legs, such as women's boxers, shapewear and cycling shorts. Our display bottom form is 38 cm tall and the lower body form is 46 cm tall.
Which torso do I use to display cycling shorts and short leggings?
A lower body form with thighs, which reaches mid-thigh and fills the leg of the leggings. On a display hip form, the leggings' leg stays empty and looks collapsed. Full-length leggings don't suit any torso and need a mannequin with legs.
How do I display a bikini set without a full-body torso?
Stand an upper torso with the top of the set, and next to it a display hip form with the bottoms. This way the customer sees both pieces together, and the display takes up less height than a full torso, making it suitable for a counter or shelf.
Which torso suits a one-piece swimsuit and a bodysuit?
Only a full-body torso, from the neck to the thighs, because a one-piece swimsuit stretches from the shoulder to the crotch. An upper or lower torso would show only half the garment. Choose a torso whose bust, waist and hip measurements match the display size.
Can you hang a display torso on the wall?
The rigid plastic torso in our catalog stands on a flat base or on the hip cut, and has no hanging mechanism. For wall or rail display, use a metal body-shaped hanger, which hangs on a rod or hook and displays swimwear and lingerie sets.
How do you display thongs and Brazilian briefs so the back is visible?
Turn the form about 45 degrees toward the customer, so the front and the back line are visible together. In a row of several forms, you can turn every second form with its back facing out.
Why does a skin-tone torso get stained by garments?
Dark garments with unstable dye can transfer color to a skin-tone form when they stay on it for a long time. To prevent this, change the garment on the form every few days and clean it with a damp cloth and a little mild soap, without alcohol or solvents.
Which underwear size fits a male lower torso form?
According to the product page, size M garments fit the male lower torso form approximately, with a hip circumference of 96 cm. A garment that is too small stretches and distorts the cut, so it's best to choose one fixed size for display.
How do you display lace and sheer swimwear on a torso form?
On a torso in a natural skin tone, lace and mesh look as they would on skin. Light the form from the front and sides, not from behind, so the light doesn't pass through the fabric and wash out the pattern.
Can you display necklaces on an upper lingerie torso?
Yes. The women's upper torso has a neck and a sloping neckline that leaves room for a necklace, choker or scarf, so you can display them together with a bra or a bikini top. Heavy items are better displayed separately.
