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Get your Foot in the Door : How to be a Model 101
So you have decided that you want to be a model. Great Idea! Just be prepared for the hard work to come.
In the past month, I have been organizing my first fashion event and runway show, and being on the CASTING end of the modeling world has really changed my perspective on things. I have recently met some great ladies who want to model but don’t know where to start, which inspired me to write this article, How to be a Model 101.
Rule #1: KNOW YOUR MEASUREMENTS
Everybody knows their dress size, but this means nothing unless you know your measurements. Go to the craft store and pick up a measuring tape – you will be using it A LOT.
This video is a great guide on how to get your basic measurements:
In addition to your Bust-Waist-Hips, there are other measurements you will need to know, and numbers you should be familiar with. Here are my tricks of the trade:
Extra Measurements:
- Thigh circumference (widest part)
- Bicep circumference (widest part)
- Across back of shoulders
- Inseam
- Waist-to-floor
- Neck circumference
- Apex (from nipple, around neck, to other nipple – helps determine neckline sizes)
- High Hip (4″ below your waist)
- Low Hip (8″ and 10″ below waist)
Tips and Tricks:
- Industry standards state that anything size 8 + up is PLUS SIZE. Market yourself as such!
- The standard minimum height for models is 5’8″. Do whatever you can to get there if you’re close.
- If you’re shorter that 5’8″ and have the right look, your height won’t necessarily hold you back, but good luck if you’re under 5’6″
- In FIT modeling, the height for petites is 5’5″-5’6″ and for women’s regular 5’8″ and up.
- Male models should be at least 5’10”
- measure yourself before any go-see. They will likely measure you there, or ask you your measurements when you walk in the door.
- Keep your resume up-to-date – I update my measurements at least once a month
Rule #2: Model Mayhem is your Friend
I always thought ModelMayhem.com was a site for creepers and wanna-be’s, but most of the photographers I ave worked with were professional, open minded, and happy to shoot “TF” (meaning “trade for” pictures in exchange for credit). Still beware of creeps! get phone numbers, references, and make sure their portfolio matches your style of photography you’re seeking.
Rule #3: Comp Cards / Business Cards
Comp Cards (model version of a headshot) are probably the most important thing in your model bag. A comp card should have a headshot on the front, and various photos on the back, along with your measurements and contact information. I use Spotlight Printing for mine – they have the best prices and customer service. Here is an example of the most recent proof they sent me:
Front of Comp Card
Back of Comp Card
Business Cards are also very important. I give out business cards at every audition, photo shoot, go-see, or just networking. I have made many connections through business cards alone. You may not think you’re not ready for cards since you’re just starting out, but they will be what gets you the connections!
Rule #4: Building your Portfolio
After about three-four months of modeling, I starting printing out pictures from my shoots for my portfolio book. I chose 3-5 or my best shots from every photo shoot, and had them printed by Adorama Pix. Great quality prints at some of the best prices on the market. When I put my photos in my book for the first time, I really felt like a model!
Rule #5: Work for Free
Getting your face and name out there take a lot of time, hard work, and dedication. Fan sites for BBWs on Facebook will not make you a professional models. Do a lot of runway work if you can. They are a great chance to meet people and network, plus are a lot of fun! Eventually with enough experience under your belt, you will become in demand and payable.
Remember, this is no easy process, and event the most beautiful models take time to get known (ahem…. even Michelle Hilton, Annoula Dritsas, and Ayana Smith are all STILL working their asses off and they were born to be models!)
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- Michelle Hilton
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- Annoula Dritsas
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- Ayana Smith
Work hard, play hard, and keep your mind straight. Most important;y, be REAL!
Keep Curvy and Stay Curious
Related articles
- Work hard, Play hard? Yeah, right. (curvyandcurious.com)
- Modelling: Facts About Modelling Agencies (rythminunical.wordpress.com)
- Model vs. Model: Types of Modeling in the Entertainment world (entertainersunite.wordpress.com)
- Model mayhem – unreliability. (ninjadawsie.wordpress.com)
Overcoming Fear and Failure with Stacey Vornbrock – Tune In to “The Juicy Woman” TONIGHT (8/21/13) @ 8PM
Overcoming Fears & Failure with Stacey Vornbrock 08/21 by Andrea Amador | Self Help Podcasts
Call in LIVE at 8pm EST to talk to a professional psychotherapist TONIGHT on Andrea Amador’s LIVE Radio Show!
760-888-5736
Listen to internet radio with Andrea Amador on BlogTalkRadio
Does it feel like your feet are stuck in quicksand because you’re terrified of risking rejection or failure? Are you frustrated
with yourself because you’re just not going for it? Whether in business or relationships, the fear of success and failure are like
two sides of the same coin and if things aren’t clicking, either one of them could be shutting you down. Stacey Vornbrock is a
sports performance pioneer and psychotherapist who works with professional athletes to blow past their fears and bust through
mental blocks. Learn a simple diy stress relief technique called EFT guaranteed to turn your blocks into breakthroughs.
I met this fabulous woman and her daughter at Yotel in NYC at Sunday’s Brunch by Catherine Schuller. Andrea, AKA “The Juicy Woman,” the author, the radio host, has such a big personality! Her and her daughter both shine with confidence. I am excited to hear her show tonight, and happy to announce I will hopefully be welcomed as a guest on the show. Please call in with your questions! Tonight is a must-not-miss event!
Myself, Andrea, and Michele Hilton
Keep Curvy an Stay Curious
Listen to internet radio with Andrea Amador on BlogTalkRadio
ASHLEY STEWART Model Explosion – In-Store Show – August 17th, 2013
Myself and these other lovely ladies will be not only having an in store runway show, but also will be live mannequins at the store! Pageant contestants will be donning our sashes! Presented by D.I.V.A. NYC Pageant 2014!
Click the Pic for all the details!
Overcoming Anxiety – Just Do It?
“Get over it.”
“Just do it.”
These are words I tell myself every day – unfortunately I don’t always listen. That is because I am one of the millions of people discretely struggling with an anxiety disorder. In my last post, I spoke a bit about my struggles with my body issues and Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD). I will come out and say that I have Depression and Social Anxiety. There is a stigma in this country about mental illness, but sometimes the people, like myself, who hide it so well are the ones suffering the worst. Anxiety disorders come in a range of specific diagnoses, but we all have from anxiety sometimes.
Do you get butterflies in your stomach before making a presentation at school or work? Do you feel like everyone is staring at you when you enter the cafeteria? Do you sweat bullets when you’re the center of attention? I Do.
Socializing comes naturally to me, but deep down I am the most self conscious person I know. The reason I find this interesting is because I am more self-conscious of my personality than my looks. The silver lining in that is that I really am happy with who I am on the outside. The dark cloud is that I am not happy with who I am on the inside.
I was a social butterfly until I was about 20 years old, but I was able to push away my anxiety by drinking and partying. Gradually the monster of depression crept up on me. I slowly started isolating myself. I know that what really sent me into a downward spiral was my breakup, but the depression and anxiety were monsters deep inside just waiting for their chance to escape -and they took over.
A few years and many medication cocktails later – here I am. I am a strong, confident woman, who is carrying a dark cloud, but I am not trying to hide it anymore. I am pursuing modeling because I’m so confident in myself outwardly. The problem is, when the anxiety takes over, sometimes my body will just not let me do things. I’ve skipped countless casting calls and even turned down appearances because the thought of leaving the house terrifies me. I’ve learned in the past few months that in order for me to be successful as a model I MUST learn how to break out of my comfort zone, which I have been stuck in for nearly five years.
I have actually been following through with my self improvement plan. I have made friends. The next step is allowing myself to spend time with them so I am not so withdrawn. I am RSVPing to events and following through every time, because messing up once could be a career killer. Now I’m booked for live events for the next two weeks. When I’m thinking about it now, I get anxious, my stomach turns… But I will take it one day at a time.
I promise to myself and my readers to overcome this hurdle in my life, and show myself that I am stronger than I let myself be.
#IAmAFullBlossomBeauty – Click the Pic to check out FULL BLOSSOM MAGAZINE!
Keep Curvy and Stay Curious
I Weigh HOW MUCH?!? That Doesn’t Look Right..
When I look in the mirror, I don’t think, “So this is what 225 pounds looks like?”
When I look in the mirror, I do think, “So this is what I look like.”
Why the difference? Because for so many years I never felt like I weighed as much as I did. Maybe it was my lifestyle – the fact that I wasn’t bullied or made fun of for being fat – but I just didn’t feel like the fattest girl in school, but I was. This was all fine and dandy until one day riding the escalators up to the plus size department at Macy’s, looking at the wall-to-wall mirrors around us, I asked my mother, “Do I fatter than her?” She said yes.
I’m not mad at her for being honest. I think that moment changed my life forever (though not necessarily in a good way). From then on, I became obsessed with the number on the scale. I switched between anorexic and bulimic habits – starving for days, then eating more than anyone could imagine in one sitting, and sticking my fingers down my throat to make myself throw up. I don’t think anyone noticed the problem. I mean, duh, fat girls can’t be anorexic or bulimic! Anorexia is only for girls that look like this:
Right??
WRONG.
In my case, what I saw in the mirror was smaller than what I really was. I saw pictures of other people that weighed the same as me (290 lbs.), like her:
Jamie – 290 lbs.
But I felt like this:
Laura Johnson
But I really looked like this:
Me – 2008 – 280 lbs.
I eventually realized that, on top of my depression, I have some form of Body Dysmorphic Disorder. According to Wikipedia, BDD is…
“…A type of mental illness, a somatoform disorder, wherein the affected person is concerned with body image, manifested as excessive concern about and preoccupation with a perceived defect of their physical features. The person thinks they have a defect in either one feature or several features of their body, which causes psychological distress…”
BDD is known to effect 1-2% of the population. It is most usually linked to people with anorexia, and pretty much works like this:
Though, much less common, my case of BDD worked a bit in the opposite way, like this:
Weird, right?
Well a huge help for me was learning. Learning about proportions, metabolism, how medications effect my weight, etc. I think what snapped me back to reality was being integrated into the BBW/size acceptance world in my late teens. I HIGHLY recommend this website to give you an idea of how your weight looks proportionate to your height. It really gave me a great comparison, and helped me learn how to present myself (especially in modeling). Here is my comparison:
Jill – 5’7″ 225 lbs
So all in all, don’t be in denial of your body. Be aware of your height, weight, and proportions, only for the sake of dressing well! Try (as hard as it may be) to focus on whats really in the mirror as opposed to the number on the scale. Just like age, weight is just a number!
Stay Curvy and Keep Curious
Curvy and Curious 