Garment to model AI, straight from the hanger

Most clothes already live on hangers. Photographing them there takes seconds: no floor space, no ironing a flat lay, no mannequin to dress. For a seller listing dozens of pieces from a rail, a closet or a sample delivery, it is the quickest photo there is.

Gravity also helps. Linen, satin, viscose and anything that creases hangs smoother than it lies, and the garment's full length shows from collar to hem. That gives Garmo a clear view of the cut, the colour and the details it needs to keep.

If a garment is too heavy or stretchy to hang well, a knit or a jersey dress, lay it flat instead and use flat lay to model. If you already dress a form in the shop, mannequin to model AI starts from that photo.

Fit at the shoulders. A hanger is narrower than a body, so shoulders slope and oversized cuts look shapeless. On a model, a dropped shoulder reads as a dropped shoulder.

Volume and movement. Pleats close, flares fold back, wide legs hang like tubes. Walking and three-quarter frames show the garment open and moving, which is what shoppers want to see in a skirt, a dress or wide trousers.

Length on a person. On a hanger a midi and a maxi can look the same. On a model it is clear where the hem falls, though it is a presentation, not a size guide, so keep the length in centimetres on the product page.

Hang the garment on the top of a door, a rail or a wall hook, at eye level. Do up the buttons, close the zip and tie the belt the way it is meant to be worn. Step back until the whole piece is in frame with a little space around it, and shoot straight on.

Side light from a window is ideal. A bright window directly behind the garment, like the shirt above, still works, but the colour comes out more accurate when the light falls on the front. Avoid a yellow ceiling bulb if you can, because it shifts whites and blues.

Swap wire hangers for wooden or padded ones when the shoulders matter, and keep the hook from covering the collar. Clip hangers are fine for skirts and trousers; make sure the waistband is straight and the clips do not hide a detail. Add a second photo of the back if it has a print, a yoke or a slit.

Shirts, blouses, dresses and coats keep their shape on a hanger, so a photo on a door hook is all they need; jacket on model AI and dress on model AI cover what to check in each. Heavy knits and jersey stretch when hung, so lay them on the floor and use flat lay to model instead.

Trousers work either way: clip them by the waistband or fold them flat, as long as the whole leg is in the frame. The pants on model AI page covers what the model shot then shows.