First of all, I haven't been sewing for all that long, and would consider myself somewhere between beginner and intermediate as far as skill level is concerned.
I wanted a dressform for the following reasons:
1) so that I didn't have to keep getting undressed to try on a garment in process for fit; I can use the dress form to confirm the fit
2) to use to check out the lay of the garment (front and back), placement of zipper, hem, etc. Without it, I had to try to work with a mirror, and, of course, couldn't work the back to pin/mark or work the garment in any way
3) to use to hang my work in process on (so as not to wrinkle it, etc.)
4) to use to photograph my finished product
5) someday, perhaps, learn to use the form to drape/design my own patterns
I did some internet research, and decided on this style rather than the kind that a) has knobs and dials to adjust the size b) has separate pieces that come together (and leave gaps or joints). I like the fact that it is foam all over, which means I can pin anywhere on the form and there are no distortions to the shape. I was also concerned about the knobs on other models being hard to work and/or getting stuck or breaking, as some reviewers indicated.
You buy the form in a small, medium, medium large or large size, then customize it to your body by putting the "cover" or sheath over the foam form, which compresses it in all the right places. There are instructions on how to resew the seams on the dress form to get a more precise fit. I found that I could get by with just a couple of small adjustments to the form (I didn't want to go to all the work of ripping apart the whole sheath, so I kept my adjustments simple). Now, putting the sheath on to the form is a challenge (it's quite a tight fit), I needed help to do that (someone to hold the form while I pulled the sheath on). I tested out the results by putting a dress onto the form that fit me to a tee ... and the fit was just a bit snugger than the dress fit on me. Also, it's harder to pull a tight garment over a fabric-covered form than it is to pull a garment over skin. I decided to leave it as is, because it's close enough, and I didn't want to risk messing up the shape of the sheath by doing even more alterations to it. Besides, I figured it was better to make the form a little bigger than I am just to ensure that garments I make don't end up being too small.
Once you cover the foam with the sheath, you can see that it's quite a tight fit. Even though the sheath is strong fabric, and the stitching is strong as well, it does look like it's bursting at the seams. Because of this, and because of the "drag" when you pull, say, a cotton garment over the dress form, I decided to buy one of those body-girdle products (Maindenform WYOB Full Slip Firm Control Flexees Shapewear to be precise) to put on the form. The lingerie fabric makes it easier to slide clothes onto the form (in the torso at least, the shoulders are still uncovered), and I figured the extra compression would help keep the form sized as it is. I found this helpful.
My specifics: I am 5'6", 120 lbs, barely a 34B and not what you would consider curvy in any way. I normally wear a size 6. I bought the form in a SMALL and the cover size in a 4. I was concerned about being able to compress the form's generous bust into my size, but it worked out just fine.
Once mounted on the stand, the form is relatively stable (I'd love to have a sturdier base, perhaps even one with wheels, but it's ok as is). There are 2 dials on the post: one to raise/lower the form to the right height and another to lock it into place. On the latter, it does take extra work if you try to put a skirt on the form from the bottom (you have to unscrew the form from the base), but I can live with that.
All in all, it meets all of my needs, and it feels like a product that will last for a long time.
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