Why are there requirements for modeling?

Time and time again, a new or aspiring model will ask why there are certain physical requirements for modeling. They often seem unfair and make little sense to models who don't meet the standards.

So, who sets these standards? In short, the clients who hire models. Every skirt, jacket, and pair of jeans manufactured starts with one single garment that is the prototype for the whole production line. This prototype is called a "sample." Since clothing is shot for advertisements and used in fashion shows long before the full line is ever manufactured, models who are hired for the campaigns need to be able to fit into the sample items. This means, if a designer creates all of her samples in a size 18, chances are the models they use will be anywhere from a 14 to an 18. However, every designer is different. Some plus lines start at a sample size 8 while others start at an 18.

Taller models are used for a variety of reasons. The most common reason given, other than clothing production standards, is purely aesthetic. Photographers and art directors commonly cite that taller models photograph better. Designers claim that clothing just hangs better on taller women. However, most clothing samples are made for someone who is 5'8".

So, while it may be easy to blame agencies for height discrimination, the clothing designers are the ones who truly dictate the height and size of the models an agency represents. If no one is willing to use someone who is 5'3", it doesn't make much financial sense for an agency to have a board full of 5'3" girls.

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