If you're female
1. You should be between 15 and 22 years old, though probably closer to fifteen. Models don't have careers that last as long as say, doctors, so agencies tend to want to invest their time in someone young.
2. You should be tall, long-legged, and lean.
3. The minimum height is usually about 5'8", and average weight for a model is 108-125 lbs. These characteristics are partly aesthetic and partly practical: this type of frame looks good on the runway and in front of the camera (which, they say, adds 15 pounds); and a somewhat scrawny build drapes clothing nicely and ensures a good fit in the standard wardrobe.
4. You should be confident, mature, and have plenty of attitude (the good kind).
If you're male
1. You can start out a little later, roughly between the ages of 18 and 25. They won't want you to look too childish. The good news is that a man's modeling career usually lasts longer than a woman's, and since ten-year-old boys more often dream of blowing things up rather than strutting the Hugo Boss runway, this side of the biz tends to be less competitive as well.
2. Average dimensions for a male model are a height of 5'11"- 6'2" and a weight of 140-165 lbs.
3. You should be fit (not bulging with muscles, but definitely healthy).
4. You should be confident, mature, and have plenty of attitude (again, the good kind).
SoYouWanna know more? Check out our full-length article SYW be a model?
