Do You Have What it Takes?

There are a number of qualities and abilities that models should possess and then more specific specifications as required for the various avenues of modeling. The following are general qualities that models should have:

Love an audience

Whether the audience is the crew at the photo shoot or the masses of people watching as you do a live fashion show. The fact remains, a model should be able to communicate and convey a distinct image in front of a camera or any size audience. The camera is a tool that will convey your feelings and attitudes towards the public's eye. Learn to love the camera and learn how to use it to your advantage. Go here and see some examples to work with.

Work hard

And it helps if you love what you do. Loving something you do always makes the work seem less like work. A good level of endurance is needed, you never know how long a shoot will continue and weather conditions can always make a shoot unpredictable. Be prepared for whatever the day brings and your hard work will be noticed by those around you easily.

Extroverted?

This will make things a lot easier for you since inhibitions are less trouble to overcome and so you become more able to illustrate or convey a mood or personality that may not necessarily be your own. That's right, you could call it "Photo" acting. If you are a shy or reserved type, it will be necessary for you to overcome these restrictions and limitations. You may be asked to create a look or even provide your idea of that look.

Manual dexterity

It is important that a model has good balance and control over his or her body. A pose could be a difficult one to hold, but if that is what's needed, the model must strive to make the shoot a success. These skills can be improved by various non-contact sporting or dancing activities that sharpen coordination and dextral confidence. Grab your favorite glamour magazine and stand in front of a full length mirror and try to create the look you see in the magazine.

Self-starting

Never tire of learning and show a high level of confidence in yourself, during self-promotion. Read, watch, and ask professionals' advice. Also, be decisive and know what kind of assignments you will take, and which ones you will turn down.

I want to be a fashion model

There are some qualities that models should possess when wanting to venture into this field:

Non-distracting look

Models in this category should not appear so stunning that they pull attention away from the clothing or product they are wearing. A busty woman or overly muscular man may not suit this type very well. There is usually some height requirements for most high fashion runway jobs.

Physical specifications

Clothes look best when they are draped over a model. This implies that the model should have a certain body type that would be most conducive to this need - tall and slim. To give it to you in measurements:

• Female fashion models need to be around 5' 8" - 6' 0" tall and between 110 - 125 lbs. in weight. A body shape of 35A-23-35 is ideally suited.

• Male fashion models need to be around 5' 11" - 6' 3" tall and between 155 - 185 lbs. in weight. There body shape should be around 40-26-38.

There are obviously cases where models can stray from these averages. Especially when it comes to petit and plus-size modeling, so don't use these figures as hard facts, rather a general guideline.  With today's fast paced internet ads and modeling these norms are changing.

adaptable

These models should be able to get dressed and changed quickly into new outfits in sometimes difficult conditions. They should also have a natural respect for the product they are wearing.

I want to be a glamour model

Take note of the following qualities and specifications:

versatility

This probably is the most important quality of a glamour model because their assignments could be almost anything from running along the surf in a bikini for a tropical island brochure to showing off the latest office phone in an accountant's office.

grabbing attention

This can be achieved by being able to convey a mood or personality effectively and / or having the physical attributes that visually attract an audience. Your email address can also help immensely with this task by using a well defined email address that means more than "free email here". - See examples

physical specifications

As pointed out, these models use their physical attributes to grab attention and enhance a product or mood. Females tend to be more curvy and males more muscular. In figures:

• Female glamour models tend to be around 5' 5" - 5' 10" tall and around 115 - 135lbs. Their body shape will vary just as much, depending on the assignment, 36B-24-36 is an average.
   

• Male glamour models tend to be be around 5' 9" - 6' 1" tall and around 170 - 190lbs. They tend to be muscular with stats around 42-28-40.

Please note that these stats are definitely not a hard rule, many models excel in their careers outside these parameters. It may take extra effort but anything you accomplish will be because of your hard work and smart planning.

 

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