Plus Size Modeling - From The Client's Point of View

As the owner of a plus size clothing company, Curvy Girl Clothing, I receive no less than 10 requests per week from women who are seeking modeling opportunities. While I am excited at the prospect of such a large talent pool of beautiful plus size women, I have noticed an alarming number of unprofessional and dare I say, embarrassing submissions.

When I ask candidates why they chose the photos they did for their “portfolio” many admit they could not afford a high end photographer. You don’t need one. I promise. I can appreciate a good photographer as much as the next person, but you don’t need a fancy portfolio of photos taken at an expensive shoot to get started. Your mother, sister, boyfriend, husband, daughter can take a great photo of you. Remember, we are talking about initial submissions here. At some point, if you are considering modeling as a serious vocation, you will need to invest in a good portfolio. Let’s focus on what you need right now, to be considered for jobs early in your career. If you’re lucky, and you work hard enough, you will end up with a portfolio of great shots without ever having had to pay for a new wardrobe, makeup artist, studio time or an expensive photographer.

I will start by saying I am not a plus size model, nor have I ever been one. I have competed in a plus pageant, once, but that’s another blog altogether.

There are many websites out there dedicated to plus size modeling and I would highly recommend visiting some of the more credible ones to hear advice from other models in the “industry”. I am offering you my perspective, as a clothing company owner, on what we personally look for when selecting models for our shoots. Prospective Curvy Girl Clothing models should read this, of course, as I will detail exactly what we look for. For everyone else, I hope I have left you somewhat informed.

Earlier, I mentioned the word vocation. Yes, as in “job”. Modeling is a job. If you don’t believe me, ask a model how her back and feet feel after standing in awkward positions for 12 straight hours. In heels. Five inch heels. You know her feet hurt and her back is sore, but in the photos, you couldn’t tell. Why? That’s part of the job.

As in any job, you need to take it seriously. Show up on time. Be professional. Put your phone on vibrate and make (limited) calls or send text messages during breaks. Pay attention to the photographer. S/he will give you direction on what to do. As you become more experienced, you will learn the “standard” looks and poses. Yes, there are standard looks and poses. Ask questions if you are not sure, although, it is likely both the photographer and company representative on site for the shoot will be giving you constant direction and/or feedback and constructive criticism. Most important of all, “sell” the clothes you are wearing. You may put something on and hate it. It’s not your job to like the clothes you are wearing. It’s your job to look like you do.

How we select our models

I am going to dedicate an entire paragraph to the submission of photos. First impressions are paramount. It is a great idea to post your photos on MySpace or FaceBook. If you do so, however, please keep the following in mind:

- If your main profile picture is a photo of you giving the double middle finger to the camera, it may amuse you and your friends, it does not, however, amuse us.
- We do not want to search through pages of photos of your family and friends and your various life experiences. You should have the ability to create a subfolder. All modeling photos should be stored in a separate folder.
- You should be the ONLY PERSON in the photo. We do not want to know that you are the 3rd from the left. As cute as your husband or baby is, we are not considering them for modeling, but you. We want to know if you and you alone can hold our attention.
- You should have at least one current face shot and one current body shot.
- When I say headshot, I mean a full headshot. Don’t crop out most of your face. We want to see the top of the hair to the bottom of the neck.
- When I say body shot, it should be of you, clothed, in a form fitting outfit. We do not want to see you in a big hoodie sweatshirt. We don’t want to see you in your wedding gown. PLEASE, no wedding photos!!! Yes, it was the day you felt most beautiful. I was a bride, I know. We want to see how proportionate your body is and it is very hard to do it when you are wearing 20 pounds of bustled taffeta. Do not crop out your arms. If I had a dollar for every photo I have received with cropped arms, I’d be rich! You might have big arms. It’s ok, so do I! This is plus size modeling after all.
- Look at the type of items we sell. If you own something we sell, you earn brownie points for submitting a photo of you in it. If you don’t own something we sell, wear something similar to our styles. It is easier for us to envision you in our clothes that way.
- The photos should be in color. We want to see your skin tone, hair color and eyes.

On dating sites, many people’s biggest complaint is that the person they met was NOT the same person as in their ad photo. We feel the same way when a model shows up for work looking nothing like the photos she submitted. If you have changed your hair significantly, gained/lost weight, gotten a tattoo or piercing, aged (more than 5 years) or experienced any other drastic appearance changes, you need to update your pictures/portfolio accordingly. Your client needs to know if your hair is now a bright blue or that you now have a neck tattoo.

In plus modeling, we find the biggest discrepancy to be related to weight. If you tell us you are a size 18, it is imperative you be a size 18. Not a 14. Not a 22. Prior to a shoot, we pull clothes and shoes for the shoot. If our shoot is at a studio, we cannot go into the warehouse and simply grab another size. If you are smaller, that is usually easier because we can use rubber bands and clips to bring outfits in. In the case when you are bigger, this causes a lot of trouble as we will not photograph a model in an item that is too tight on her. Plain and simple, clothes don’t sell when it looks like they were painted on the model. The customer will think, “If that’s how it looks like on a model, how is it going to look on me?” It is likely we would have to cancel a shoot, costing us time and money. At Curvy Girl Clothing, we insist on our models providing current measurements prior to showing up for a shoot. This is because women view their size differently and we want to make sure we have clothes that will fit.

Other important considerations:

Get a MySpace or FaceBook account dedicated to your modeling pursuits.

NETWORKING IS KEY. Oftentimes, you are selected because another model or someone in the industry referred you. Go to plus size fashion events in your area (including: store events, fashion shows/trunk shows, model hunts, magazine/calendar parties). When you attend the event, bring your headshot (yes, this means to take your larger tote bag to store it in and have available at a moments notice). If you don’t have a headshot, no worries. Bring some recent photos of yourself. Same rules apply here as listed above. Make sure you are the only one in the photo and one shot should be of your entire body. Get business cards and hand them out. Have your headshot on your business card. Contribute articles and blogs to plus size publications.

Our samples are made in size 18 (2x). We give preference to women who are a size 16/18.

NOTE: We have noticed a disappointing trend in that when we use models larger than a size 18, the clothes tend to sit on the shelves a lot longer than when we use smaller size models. When they sit long enough, we will re-photograph the item on a smaller model, and based on our experience, the items sell at a much faster rate. As plus women, we want to show women of all shapes and sizes, but as businesswomen, we need to use what sells. So, if someone wonders, why doesn’t Curvy Girl Clothing use a size 24+ model, it isn’t because we don’t want to. As consumers, please take note of this and make it a point to buy items not because they look fantastic on the model, but because you feel it will look fantastic on you. Larger plus models will thank you for this as in doing so, you are helping them get more work.

We are looking for women who are very photogenic. This is modeling, after all. Unfortunately, being plus size is not the only requirement for plus size modeling.

You should have a proportionate body. We don’t mind if you are slightly top heavy or bottom heavy, but if you are more than 1 size difference between the top and bottom half (i.e. 16 top and 20 bottom), it is unlikely we would select you for our principal and stock shots. We may be able to use you for editorial work.

You should have healthy skin, hair and teeth. Your complexion should be free of scars and relatively, if not completely free, of blemishes and acne.

Most of our models wear a size 8.5 or 9 shoe, therefore, about 90% of our shoe collection is either of these sizes. Models with these shoe sizes will be given preferential treatment.

Location. Location. Location. If you live in Portland, OR or Los Angeles, CA you are given preferential treatment as we do not provide any travel expenses for any of our modeling shoots.

The average woman is 5’4”. Despite this well known statistic, clothes are designed for a 5’8” woman. We prefer our models to be between 5’4” and 5’9”. We know this is much shorter than modeling industry standards, but as tall women ourselves, we know that clothes are not designed with the tall women in mind. Most companies use taller models as they look leggier and thinner. So what! Not all of us are leggy and thin. We know that clothes fall differently on tall women versus average height women. Many times, on a tall model, dresses will appear to be above the knee or sleeves will look ¾ length, when they are, in fact, full length sleeves. To an average height woman who wants to cover her knees or have arms that go to the wrists, she will not consider this dress for purchase. As such, we have elected to show our clothes on models who are closer to the height/size of the average woman.

Just so you know, modeling agencies can be cut-throat. Generally speaking, they require all plus size candidates to be between 5’8” and 6’, 16-26 years old, and a size 10/12. Do we agree with this? Absolutely not. We realize they are simply signing what sells. Until clothing companies start using true/average size women (both height and size) for their major campaigns, the modeling agencies will continue to look for a specific type of candidate and not take a risk in signing someone that does not meet their strict requirements. As a consumer, you can help change this. Buy from clothing designers who use models that don’t look like they came off an assembly line. Write to the designers who don’t use a variety of models in different colors, shapes and sizes. Money speaks louder than words. Spend your money on companies who aren’t afraid to use shorter or bigger models. Don’t spend your money at places that don’t. Trust me, the message will be heard loud and clear.

Please let us know if you are signed with a talent agency of any sort and who your rep is (including contact information). It is not a requirement to be signed with an agency. In fact, we prefer unsigned/undiscovered models. If you are signed with an agency, you need to coordinate all bookings through them. They will go over this with you in detail. If you are signed, please submit your information as we have many projects going on, and some will require agency models.

You will need to sign a talent release prior to arriving for your photo shoot. This grants us full ownership to all photos. If you are under 18, your parent or legal guardian will need to sign this.

You need to let us know if you have taken racy photos (or videos). We will not use models who have been featured in any fetish or nudity websites/calendars/videos.

Inform us of any competitive products you have modeled for. Don’t worry, it’s ok to have modeled for a competitor. This is a small industry and we understand that many models appear on competitive sites.

We prefer our website models to be free of tattoos and body piercings. For editorial work, we may have a particular “look” in mind when these would be acceptable (i.e. rockabilly), so please submit your portfolios to us and note your tattoo and piercing locations.

Submit your age, height, weight, size, measurements (bust, waist, hips), and shoe size. Submit your current contact information (city/state, phone number and email). If you are hired for work, you will need to provide detailed address information as well as tax related info (such as social security number) and proof of ID as we need to submit forms to the IRS.

You earn huge brownie points by submitting your photos wearing something from our store in at least one of the photos. We would like to think that if you were not a model, that you would be wearing our clothes anyway.

If you commit to a shoot, show up (and on time). DO NOT CANCEL. If you cancel once, it is unlikely you will ever be asked to come back, no matter what the reason for cancellation. If you are a “regular” model, an occasional cancellation would likely be overlooked. If it is your first time working with a client, it is an absolute no-no to cancel.

Handling Rejection

There is no other way to say it. Sometimes, you are going to feel rejected. You are going to hear the word no in this industry. A lot. Get used to it. Whatever you do, DON’T GIVE UP. NEVER GIVE UP. While it may have been a no today, you may have been looking at a yes tomorrow. There could be many reasons for the rejection. It does not mean you are ugly or unattractive. We may be looking for a particular size, age or ethnicity for a specific campaign. You may resemble one of our existing models too much. Perhaps you need a better portfolio or photos that stick out.

As much as we’d like to, we are unable to respond to all modeling requests. If you did not take your submission seriously, it is unlikely we will take the time to provide you serious feedback. If we have interest in you, we will notify you, typically with an email to start. We may ask you to submit additional photos or email us again in a few months. Most times, we reject serious model submissions simply because they are not convenient (they are outside of the L.A. or Portland area). We receive new merchandise every day, so we are shooting on a very regular basis. As such, we need local talent to fill our immediate needs.

Prospective models have suggested we just mail our clothes to them and they will “handle the photo session”. A Curvy Girl Clothing representative is present at all photo and video shoots, for various reasons. Our photo shoots reflect our company brand, image and message. We cannot afford to risk “the farm” on an amateur shoot with someone we have never worked with. After we have worked with you several times, it is very possible this type of arrangement may work (we would have to approve all photographers used). That being said, if you have a great photo of you wearing something we currently sell, please send it our way. It is still possible we may end up using your photo (by submitting, you are giving us full rights to use the photo) on our website. In fact, we encourage this behavior and offer store credit vouchers (varies based on the item and quality of the photo) when we receive a useable photo submission.

Be a “Goodwill Ambassador” for the Clothing Line and Your Peers

I cannot tell you how many times I have spoken with models about competitive products and heard the model say, “The money was good and/or I liked working with them (or the photographer) but I would never (wear that *expletive*), (pay that much for their clothes), (recommend their clothes to my friends). Wow. Let me say it again. Wow. If you are bashing my competitors clothing, what are you saying about my clothing line? You’d be surprised how many of us (clothing companies) are friendly with each other and how often we talk about our models (including referring the good ones). Never bite the hand that feeds you. This holds true in discussions about other key people in the industry as well. Do not bad mouth other models, photographers or stylists (including hair and makeup). It’s like a really bad game of “telephone/operator” where your original message will be twisted and turned into something very different, and probably much more offensive than your original comments. You never know who people are friends with or who they will work with next. You don’t want to be known as the gossip or trash talker. It’s career suicide.

Opportunities for Modeling

There are many opportunities for plus models, if you are signed with an agency or not. It all depends on your location, availability and how well your market yourself. If you are considering modeling as a true vocation, you should do whatever you can to build up your portfolio and get signed with a reputable agency. You should also move to a city where there is a lot of work for models. (i.e. Los Angeles or New York City).

Some of the opportunities we offer at Curvy Girl Clothing for modeling are as follows:

Catalog/Website
This is for online website listings (all e-commerce sites including eBay). These shots are used to sell the merchandise in the item specifics pages.

Fit Model
This work can be relatively boring, but there is a lot of it if you are in Los Angeles or New York City. A fit model is used by designers to test the fit of their samples. Models used for fit purposes are generally perfectly proportioned as the clothes are graded/sized upon her body type.

Runway
Curvy Girl Clothing produces several runway shows per year. Sometimes, we are asked to show our line at a particular event that we are not producing (i.e. Fashion Week).

Editorial
These are the “fun” shoots. Many times, we can do high fashion type shots, similar to what you’d see in a fashion magazine. We use these for marketing and promotions, the front page of our website, banner ads and anything else that requires some really cool shots. When we do newspaper interviews, we will use these shots to go with the story. With these shoots, we are often looking for models with unique looks.

Television
Curvy Girl Clothing is featured regularly on shows like Better TV, AM Northwest, etc… Oftentimes, we have models as an integral part of the segment.

Acting/Sketch
Curvy Girl Clothing produces short comedic sketches that are posted in many online venues. This is perfect for the model who is also looking to do some acting and commercial work and needs a reel for her resume. There is a high value associated with the reel you receive from this work as all of our sketches are directed and edited by top professionals.

In Los Angeles and NYC, there are many wholesale manufacturers who put out catalogs on a very regular basis. There is a lot of work available in this area, it is just a matter of marketing yourself to the different companies.

What will you get paid? Good question. Not all modeling jobs are paying jobs. For our principal website models, our compensation includes a per hour rate and/or a clothing allowance. For tv, runway and acting/sketch our compensation is generally a clothing allowance, prints (or reel if it is acting) and meal(s), depending on the length of the shoot. You will become very familiar with the TFP (time for print) terminology in the modeling industry, and on occasion, Curvy Girl Clothing uses this method as well, generally for editorial shoots. Typically you will get a lot of exposure, and often times, Curvy Girl Clothing recommends you for other modeling work (to other people seeking models in our industry). We want you to have a successful modeling career and we do the best we can to help you meet those goals!

What to bring to a shoot

This depends on the client. For Curvy Girl Clothing, we will typically have all clothes, accessories and shoes for you. We will let you know if you need to do your own hair or makeup. For smaller shoots, our models generally do their own hair and makeup, but for full day shoots, we will typically have someone there for this purpose.

You will want to bring several bras and panties, as well as your body shapers, if you have them. It is unlikely the client will provide this for you.

Most importantly, bring a positive attitude and confidence. Have fun. If you’ve made it as far as a shoot, don’t obsess over your looks. Nothing upsets us more at a shoot when models complain about their looks or “flaws”. They are not flaws. They are not “problem spots”. Remember, you beat out a lot of other submissions and you are there for a reason. Bring it. Flaunt it. Own it. Most importantly, it’s your body. The only one you’re ever going to have. Love it.

After a shoot

Follow up with the client after the shoot. Make them remember you. Check in periodically, showing your interest for additional work in the future as well as your availability. We love it when you tell us how much you enjoyed your shoot and how you are telling all of your friends and family about our clothing. You may be lying, for all we know, but let us believe you live your life wearing nothing but our clothes. I’m just saying…it helps.

Before you start posting photos from your shoots, make sure you have permission from the photographer or company owner to do so. This is typically a no-no, especially when dealing with photographers. They will own the rights to the photos and need to give you express (and often, written) permission to use the photos in a public forum. Don’t think the photographer isn’t visiting your MySpace or FaceBook page either, they are. For Curvy Girl Clothing, we typically let models use their photos for whatever purpose they see fit, as long as they credit Curvy Girl Clothing somewhere on or near the photo (but they still need our express, written consent).

If you are featured on a website, in a newspaper or magazine, remember to pull out the photos of yourself for your portfolio. Scan the ones from print so that you can have a digital copy. These are your “tears” and they are an integral part of your portfolio.

What Next?

Take your photos! If your friend has a really great camera, ask if they can take some photos of you. I'd recommend going to the local salon and having your makeup done professionally and have your hair put in an "up do". We have sent some of our models to have this done prior to a shoot and the most we have spent is about $50 and we were always happy with the results.

Once your photos are taken, upload them to a public website (i.e. MySpace or FaceBook).

Research the various companies who use plus size models. Check their website for submission information and/or contact them to inquire about modeling opportunities. Be prepared for many of them to say they use agency models only.

Research articles on plus size modeling. Pay attention to how the women say they got started or what launched their careers.

Sign up with the online plus model websites and post your portfolio.

Research the various modeling agencies who sign plus models. While many do not require a professional portfolio to be be considered for signing, it helps to have some experience and professional photos prior to approaching them. Once you hear "No, thank you" from an agency, it is very hard to go in again for re-consideration. That being said, if an agency feels you have the right look for their clientele, they will sign you, whether it be based on a Polaroid or shots from a high end photographer. Once you are signed, however, you will have to invest in your portfolio (the agency needs photos to send to clients who are looking for models). This is generally an expense you pick up.

My advice is to try and freelance as you build your portfolio (at the clients expense). Once you have worked enough and built up a portfolio, bring it in to the various agencies. It will demonstrate that you have been working and that there is a demand for YOU and your look.

To submit your portfolio to Curvy Girl Clothing, please visit our page on model submissions.
https://www.curvygirlclothing.com/index.asp?PageAction=Custom&ID=12

Good luck!!

About the author

Lisa Toton is co-founder of Curvy Girl Clothing. She lives in Los Angeles, CA with her husband. When she is not obsessing over plus size fashion, she is writing sketches (some for Curvy Girl Clothing) or you can see her on stage at many of the top comedy clubs in the Los Angeles area where she has been performing as a stand up comedian for a better part of the last decade. You can contact Lisa at lisa@curvygirlclothing.com.

About Curvy Girl LLC

Incorporated in 2005, Curvy Girl LLC is a lifestyle company catering to plus size women. Curvy Girl’s first venture was http://www.curvygirlclothing.com/, an online boutique taking the plus size fashion industry by storm. We offer fashion forward trendy styles, in plus sizes (14+). Our flagship store will be opening in Portland, OR early in the fall of 2007.

NOTE: Curvy Girl LLC and Curvy Girl Clothing is not associated with curvygirl.com.