Whether you are preparing for an important interview, about to travel, in need of organizing your own personal closet, or preparing to display your wares to the public, finding the most appropriate clothes stand is an essential step that should not be bypassed. There are dozens of different types of clothes stands available, all of which have specific purposes to which they are best suited. The following paragraphs will look at some of the most common examples of stands and displays, especially those pertaining to the trade show industry, and discuss how to identify when and where they are the most effective.
Step One: Identify Your Needs
If you are interested in purchasing a clothing stand, you have likely already identified the need for one in some form or another. The first step to finding the best stand for you should be identifying what you would like to have it accomplish. For instance, are you looking for a stand to accommodate your personal clothing, and if so, how many pieces do you want it to house; one suit, several shirts, shoes? Perhaps you are comfortable with your personal set up, but are looking for a means to display clothes in a larger setting, such as a shop window or at a textiles show. In this case, will you be displaying several different types of clothing and accessories, or are you promoting several versions of one particular item? All of the scenarios listed above call for a different type of stand.
Step Two: Identify Your Options
Once you have determined exactly what you are looking for in a clothing stand, it is time to identify what options are available to you. Popular stands for personal and home use include valet stands, clothes towers, drying racks, and clothes tree stands or coat racks. Most of these options are available at a variety of price points, depending upon their construction and their unique features. For those individuals looking to display or store larger volumes of clothes in a retail or trade show setting, the options vary slightly. These are the options that will be discussed in more detail below.
Clothes Stands for Retail Display Settings
When looking to store and display clothing in a retail setting, the challenge lies not only in keeping the clothing tidy and well organized, but also showing off pieces efficiently and effectively, enticing potential consumers to come in and have a closer look at your wares. There are several means of accomplishing this task, including the use of the clothes hanger stand, clothing racks, mannequins, and creative shelving. The specific types of stands that you choose will necessarily depend upon the space you are using, and whether it is intended to be a semi-permanent or temporary display.
Clothes Hanger Stands
These types of stands are ideal for hanging a large volume of clothing in a limited amount of space. They typically include a base and a rack for hangers, and depending upon their design, may be have a round or a basic tower design. For groups or individuals that have to be able to move the racks frequently, many of the bases of these stands will be offered in wheeled varieties for easy maneuvering. Clothes hanger stands are useful in multiple settings, especially retail outlets, and are frequently used in the theater and on photo shoot sets. Their greatest advantage is their portability (providing they feature wheeled bases) and their capacity to hold large volumes of clothing items at once. Alternately, they are not ideal for displaying numerous unique items, since only the pieces on the ends will be immediately visible.
Shelving Units
Shelving units or towers are most useful in retail settings where the displays are at least semi-permanent. They are ideal for clothing items such as sweaters that do not need to be hung in order to maintain their form. When using shelving or tower units for clothing, it is optimal to have a more immediate visual impact of the clothing being housed therein through the use of a clothes tree stand or a mannequin.
Tree Stands and Mannequins
Tree stands and mannequins are the most effective means of displaying one or more unique clothing pieces. Because of their capacity to hold considerably fewer items than the stands listed above, they are primarily used to feature and highlight special items that are for sale and available elsewhere within the booth or retail area. These types of stands are generally easily portable, but do not facilitate the handling of wares by the consumer. As such, when using mannequins and tree stands, be sure to have some similar pieces more readily available for handling (and purchase) by the consumer.
There are countless varieties of clothes stands to choose from. The above article does not claim to have exhaustively covered every style available on today’s market, however it has (hopefully) demonstrated that using a variety of different styles and designs of clothing stands can be an effective marketing and promotional tool.