Dear Tall Girls,
I use the word “girls” very loosely because, truth be told, the majority of young ladies I work with are just 18, although this post can certainly apply to women of all ages.
You can’t be in the modelling industry and expect to not have some things from the work world spill over into daily life. I playfully think of myself as an unofficial model scout. When I’m out and about, I can’t help but look at men and women and notice bone structure, height, size, smile and all the other things that tend to fall under the “model-ish” category.
I usually keep these observations to myself but one thing that stood out to me recently is the amount of tall girls hunched over with bad posture. The sight of this type of body language motivated me to write this letter in the hopes that it will positively impact the ladies I am concerned about, whether you want to be a model or not.
When I see a beautiful young girl, who also happens to be tall, stooped over, it tugs at my heartstrings because of what this action/behaviour represents. It’s hard to deny that 9 times out of 10, they’re hunched over to try and conceal their true height—so they won’t tower over their peers in such an obvious way. This behaviour is so natural to many of these girls that they probably don’t realize they’re doing it. Or how bad it actually looks.
Maintaining healthy self-esteem is always hard, especially in your teens and whether a tall girl has aspirations to get into modelling or not, it seems the hunchback behaviour is something that comes with the territory of being tall. But it doesn’t (and shouldn’t) be this way.
When your mom nags you about standing up straight, she’s not just saying it for fun. Body language speaks volumes in its own way about who you are as a person. Each time you step out in public, the way you carry yourself is more telling than you realise. And it’s not about caring what other people think—on the contrary, it’s more about what you think about yourself and what you project.
Just because you’re tall, doesn’t mean you have to be a model. Just like tall guys don’t automatically have to be basketball players. The point I’m trying to make is that for myself as a working, semi-professional, short model in the industry, I’ve seen the good and bad of those who strive to make it in this business. I see a lot aspiring newbies who can’t help but feel the odds are stacked against them. From insecurity to doubts about whether or not they would be a good fit for modelling, I’ve heard it all.
Having true self-confidence won’t just take you far in the modelling industry, it will take you far in life. So don’t short change yourself (no pun intended). Practice good posture, hold your head up high and realize that being tall has its own advantages. We all want to change things about ourselves that other people would kill to have.
Girls with straight hair want voluminous, curly hair, while curly haired gals do everything in their power to achieve slick-straight hair. People with freckles would give anything to mask or disguise them, while those without praise how they look. Tall girls hunch over to try and appear shorter, while shorter girls go to the extremes to beat Mother Nature and genetics to gain just a half inch more.
People are always dying to have what they aren’t naturally born with. Realise your good fortune and whether modelling is in your cards or not, standing up tall and proud will always help you, start off on a good foot by standing tall and loving every inch you were given.
Sincerely,
A Short Model
xxx
