A replica of a human form made of cloth, padded and mounted on a metal base that is used for draping and fitting garments. Dress forms, which are hand-crafted, have been made by the Wolf, Royal, and Modern Dress Form companies for the past 100 years. However, since the late 1990s, companies such as Shapely Shadow and Alvanon use bodyscanners to more accurately create each form. Technology has also advanced the dress form into the virtual arena. Through the use of specific software programs such as Optitex 3D, designers can now fit on a virtual dress form.
Historical Dictionary of the Fashion Industry. Francesca Sterlacci and Joanne Arbuckle.