There are records as early as 1300 BC of mannequin forms in ancient Egyptian tombs. There were life-size, miniature and oversized replicas of the human form. Some imitated kings and others the forms of gods. The purpose of these was obviously not the display of clothing, but rather they held deep religious and historical significance. Though these tomb vigils were not designed for the purpose of clothing, other very early mannequins were used exclusively for tailoring and storing clothing items. Though they were not used for display purposes, these early mannequins of wood, wire, wicker, leather, and fabric were very close to the purpose of their descendants.
As human development and commercialism progressed the need for sales displays grew. Charles Worth created the first recorded mannequins for the use of display in Paris, France, sometime in the 1840’s. His goal was to make mannequin forms that resembled his customers so that they could truly observe the clothing from an exterior vantage. These developed into mannequin forms made from wax, wood and heavy fabric that were kept standing by heavy iron feet, planting them to the floor. Sometimes they were shaped with papier-mch or filled with sawdust. These forms were costly to produce, but as the market for expensive clothing climbed, so the production of mannequins increased and became the center stage for clothing display.