DALLAS, Jun 21, 1999/ FW/ --- Dress forms had been used since the time of the Egyptian pharoahs.

During the middle ages, the royalty of Europe had dressed forms made with their exact measurements so that their dressmakers can make clothes for them without bothering them.

With the rise of the middle class during the Industrial Revolution, the dress forms became affordable hence more popular. And with the rise of haute couture in Europe, dress forms became an indispensable tool to a fashion house for their rich clientele.

The technique called draping was developed because of the dressmaker form. It involves draping material (fabric) over a dress form. In places where the material bunches up the material is folded on itself and sewn down to form a flat surface.

Today, dress forms are used in many ways. The traditional dress forms still has the same function they had over 100 years ago. Then there are display forms used in stores to sell merchandise. Then there are those which are just used for decorations.

So what's in a form? A rich history of human civilization dating back from the Egyptian pharoahs. After the fashion dolls of Europe, the dress forms are the progenitors of modern mannequins.