4 Myths About The Fashion Industry And How To Fake It Like A Model

photo by Ehren Joseph

1. Models Are Like Barbies.

Just like Barbies would have to walk on all fours with those proportions, models in real life aren’t built that way. It’s true that models that are size 2 were blessed with tiny waists, but generally not much fat elsewhere for those curves you may see in when you’re browsing through catalogs and when you shop online—especially in the chest area.

FAKE IT:

Unless a model has had breast augmentation surgery (and I can totally tell when I see that), I’m often filling out their bras for catalog and e-commerce shoots with a range of what we call “chicken cutlets,” which are essentially like silicone implants but cost way less and are removable.

2. Clothes Always Look Perfect On Models.

There’s a lot of prep that goes into making clothing look good like ironing, steaming, pinning, taping with Topstick, etc. to make it work for a shot you see selling the fashion. Even sometimes wrinkles are inevitable when models move around (linen is my enemy on shoots!), so sometimes I have to spray new ones with wrinkle releaser or they are even photoshopped out.

FAKE IT:

Try steaming your clothes before you wear them with this pro steamer or travel version or even try my favorite trick when I’m lazy, which is hanging your clothes in the shower to let the steam release the wrinkles.

3. Models Always Have Beautiful Thick, Full Hair.

Totally false. I can’t tell you how many times that models come in with their hair pulled back and there’s not much there to work with. Because their hair is styled so often, it can be quite damaged. Most of the time when you see gorgeous locks, hair stylists have spent an hour making that happen with a plethora of products—and most of the time with extensions and even wigs for African American ladies.

FAKE IT:

Try to deep condition your hair once a week (coconut oil is amazing for this). Also a thickening spray and dry shampoo like this one recommended by a hair stylist I work with when you style your hair will give it some life.

4. Models Have Perfect Skin.

No one is perfect. Yes, models are often close, but I’ve seen so many models before they sit in the makeup chair that aren’t. Not to sound like your favorite tabloid, but models are just like us. We all have our bad skin days. I was actually on a shoot years ago where the client decided to never hire the model we were working with again because she had a small breakout on her face! He only knew this because he saw her before she went into makeup.

FAKE IT:

Drinking water often is the best way to have model-like skin. Of course, many models don’t do this and you can see the effects even on their skin, which I’ve had so many makeup artists tell me that there’s nothing they can do to make it look better in that case. For breakouts or the inconvenient zit that pops up, a good concealer like this one make up artists swear by is key.