Mannequin Mania!

We are bitten by the shopping bug. Malls are packed with tireless shoppers through the day. It is the clothes store that draws the maximum crowd. The attraction is instant! It happens the moment you see the mannequins. The wooden dolls draped in elegant saris and trendy menswear drag you to the store, as though an irresistible magnet.

Mannequins come in different flavors- some stand in attention, while others are animated. These days, mannequins have hinged limbs that can be propped in different postures. Lady mannequins sit down, their legs crossed and the hand stylishly resting on the chin! Male mannequins stand tall and upright, with their broad shoulders and chiseled features.

Modern art has entered the mannequin space too. The trend is to see mannequins with no facial features whatsoever. It is as though the craftsman suddenly ran out of patience when he came to the face. The head is a full egg, with no eyes or nose or hair. The mannequin stands like a Martian, wearing designer clothes in earthen colors!

Another modern twist to mannequins is to slice them at the waist leaving only the legs standing! Multitude of such legs decorate the shop entrance- all in tight-fitting jeans and colorful leggings. At times, these leggy mannequins hang from the ceiling! It looks as though they tried to escape by drilling through the ceiling, and were caught midway through the act! Perhaps, on the upper floor, the heads of these mannequins will jut out from the ground- an image straight out of a horror film!

The fascination for mannequins takes extreme forms. Captivated by the mannequin’s outfit, you tell the salesman you want to purchase that mannequin dress. The salesman pulls out similar outfits by the dozen, but you reject them summarily. Seeing you fixated on that dress, the salesman is forced to take the extreme step. He tells his attendant to take the mannequin inside, disrobe it and get that dress for you. The mannequin’s outfit is in your hands. But now, the mannequin is back in place, wearing a different dress. Seeing that, the mind is again in a tizzy. “Do you have that color? It looks better than this one!” you shuffle your feet. This time, the salesman’s reaction is curt!

Back home, you wear the mannequin outfit and scan yourself in the mirror. The mannequin looked so charming in the same dress, but the reflection is unflattering!

Thankfully, the brooding subsides, and good sense prevails. For all its dainty features, a mannequin can look good, but do no more. It stands cold and emotionless, with no feeling or empathy. End of the day, a mannequin is what it is- an attractive, wooden, doll!