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Answering a Reader Question #213

Courtney Wrote:


I'm 6'2 and about 130 lbs. I'm very thin. I'm very interested in high fashion and runway modeling. Alot of people have told me I should model since a very young age because of my look and especially my height. I never really pursued it because despite what people said I was insecure about being so tall, especially in high school. Now I love my height and am ready to pursue modeling, the only problem is I'm now 23. I still think I look young, and I feel like my height and weight requirements are okay. I'm just worried about my age! Please if you could give me some helpful advice, and if my age isn't an issue could you recommend some agencies that would be a good match for me? I don't know what to do! 

Hi, Courtney! So first I want to apologize because I could not tell from your question/comment whether you are a male or female (I know both men and women named Courtney and there are male models I know of who are that height and weight). Since I don't know that info, I will answer your question for both genders:

If you are a female: Unfortunately, there is such a thing as being too tall for fashion/runway/editorial. Agencies list their cut off for female models at 6'0". Are there some exceptions to the rule? Yes, but for you being 6'2", that is too much of a stretch. Just as the industry complains that having a shorter model among taller models doesn't look visually appealing, they believe the same about having a female model that is taller than their tallest models. You're definitely still welcome to submit yourself to agencies (in fact, I would encourage it because to put yourself out there is the only way to find out if you've got a shot) but be prepared to hear that you're too tall. As far as your age, 23 isn't too bad and is still definitely doable. Many agencies list the maximum age for fashion models around 21 or 22 so being off by one or two years probably wouldn't hurt you, especially if you do what many models do, which is fudge your age. :-)

If you are a male: 23 isn't too old for male models and your height is good, too. The cut off for male fashion/runway/editorial models is typically 6'2" for agencies so you are right at the maximum height. Male runway models are able to lead longer careers than female runway/fashion models because they tend to age better physically. So in your case, you more than likely don't have much to worry about.

In order for me to help you find legit agencies to submit to, I would need to know your city/state of residence. The rule of thumb is to submit to agencies that are no farther than a 2 hour's drive from where you live, unless you're willing to relocate to another market. If you'd like help finding agencies close to you, shoot me an email: daniadenise@gmail.com.
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Anonymous said…
It seems like the age limit for female and male models, even for fashion modeling, has pretty much extended itself. It used to stop at the early to mid twenties but now it's going beyond that like to the later 20s, 30s or 40s.
October 31, 2011 at 2:15 PM
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