The Best Dress Form for Sewing: Which One Is Right for You?

If you sew clothes, you might have thought about getting a dress form. With a few options out there, which one would be best for you?

I actually went a long time making garments before getting one. If you’d like to drape or fit your clothes, it might be a good idea. 

I’ll cover types to choose from, what to consider, and I’ll add my experience. This might help you decide what’s best for you.

When to Buy a Dress Form

You may wonder when a good time is to buy a dress form in your sewing journey. Maybe you have been sewing for years, like I have. 

And then one day it occurs to you to get one. I thought it’d make my process easier because I could fit my garments on it. 

When I was making clothes, I would constantly have to try on the clothes and take them off. I thought it would be much easier to have a dress form where I could put the clothes on it instead. 

I could pin and pinch on the dress form instead of trying to do adjustments while the clothes were on my body. 

This helps, but I still have to make mockups and try on garments. 

Having one has definitely helped me visualize my process. And I probably should have gotten one earlier.

And if you’re serious about fashion sewing and designing, you may want to consider getting one to make samples. 

If you sew a couple times a year, you may not need one. That is unless you just like the aesthetics of having one in your room. 

They look cool, right?

Types of Dress Forms

Most dress forms come in standard sizes. Mine doesn’t fit me exactly, and if your body isn’t standard, then you’ll have to find a way to make it fit or make your own.

Handmade Dress Form

Yes, you can make your own dress form! Many people have done this.

A long time ago, I followed a blog where the sewist made a handmade dress form out of paper and duct tape.

You can bet it took a long time, and a lot of tape! She actually got it to her size after many days.

Handmade ones would be good to fit clothes on, but you’ll have to figure out your stand. I didn’t want to make my own, so I looked for other options.

But if you search on Google or social media, you’ll find a lot of DIY dress forms made out of various materials. 

Ones I would consider making are out of muslin and foam. If you have the time, I say, go for it!

Display Form

This is a display form and handmade top from a family member. I believe he got this form at a thrift store.

It’s really cute, right?

These are great to try on clothes. Plus, you can use it to take pictures of your creations.

They also call these mannequin dress forms, and you may see them in clothing stores.

Some are made of plastic or linen, but since they are mainly made for display, they are harder.

So, you can’t stick pins in them. You’ll probably be able to duct tape padding on them to make them fit better, though.

Adjustable Dress Form

I saw this adjustable dress form at a sewing supply shop near me. Companies such as Dritz and Singer make these. 

The good thing is that you can adjust your size easily. So if you sew for different people, or you need to adjust your size a lot, you may consider this type.

I actually messed around with one on display in Joann Fabrics a long time ago. It had dials that you crank to adjust the size.

It also had a foamy fabric, so you can pin on it. Also, I picked it up by the stand, and it was very lightweight.

Although adjustable, I looked at my next option before buying.

Professional Dress Form

This PGM dress form is the one I ended up buying. They use these professional types in the fashion industry. 

They come as half-body, full-body styles, and pants forms. So some will have arms and legs.

You can also buy these as adjustable dress forms. The more features, the more expensive they can be.

The form itself has felt on the body with a linen cover. I can stick straight pins in it while draping and fitting. 

With a cast iron or aluminum base, they are pretty sturdy. The form is pretty heavy and stable, and mine has wheels.

Guess what? I’ve had it for over 20 years! The shoulders don’t collapse that well, but it still works.

What I Considered Before Buying

Before buying a dress form, I thought about it for a long time and did research.

I considered a few things, such as how I planned to use it and how much money I wanted to spend. 

The professional dress forms are more expensive, but they had everything I was looking for. Plus, I ended up getting one on deep discount.

But I’ll have to tell you about that in another blog post.

The standard sizing concerned me. I wouldn’t necessarily sew a lot of clothes for other people, so I didn’t need to change sizes.

But I wondered how I’d make this one-size dress fit my body. My measurements were close, but still not perfect.

For example, my dress form has a longer torso than I do. While the waist does fit (most times), the bust was bigger, and the hips smaller.

To work with that, I bought some padding online. And I’ll write a blog post specifically about how I use it.

When my size changed, I was able to add the padding to certain areas to make the form thicker. I also added a padded bra to add to the bust.

Deciding Which One to Buy

When making your decision, you may want to think of your most important factors. 

For me, a big one was money. Dress forms can be expensive.

I ended up buying the professional dress form because I got it on deep discount. Otherwise it would have cost me hundreds that I didn’t have.

But I knew it would be sturdy and last a long time. 

If I hadn’t gotten a discounted one, I would have searched for a used one that I could afford.

My second choice was to get the adjustable form. It was cheaper, and I could work with it. 

I’ve seen pretty cheap display forms, and you might find one in a thrift store.

Otherwise, if you’re down to DIY, making your own might be a fun project too. I thought about this, but I knew it’d take a lot of time.

And before I bought my dress form, I read reviews and looked around. You might ask fellow sewists what they use and their opinions.

That way you can gather as much information before making a purchase.

Notes

Fashion schools might have old dress forms on discount. There’s one near me, and they used to sell fabric and used dress forms.

While they no longer do this, it’s a good idea to check any community colleges, eBay, or other places.

If you opt to buy a new dress form, make sure there is a warranty in case it’s faulty. 

Certainly make sure you have the room to store it too. Mine takes up a lot of space, which might not be optimal if you don’t have any.

Overall

Getting a dress form was a nice addition to my sewing journey. However, I still have to make mockups and try on garments in my construction process. 

At the very least, it was helpful with fitting and visualizing my process. So, will you be buying a new one or upgrading yours? 

Read More

• What about making some fabric swatches to organize your stash? 

• I’ll show you how I organize my sewing room, and you might get ideas for yours.

• Let me give you some good fashion sewing tips for making clothes. 

Originally published: July 15, 2025