"It's basically a fat suit in pieces": Model calls out plus-size modeling industry

Brut America

This size 8 model is exposing the fat suits she's made to wear as a "plus-size model"...

Transcript

00:00You just stuff it through like this, which makes you look a lot bigger.

00:05If they like the face on the model and the model is a bit too small,

00:09they're like, okay, we can fix this with padding.

00:15I have to bring something called padding work, which basically is fat suits in pieces.

00:23It's these pieces like this, and then it comes with this kind of suit to put on the body,

00:31and then you put the sponge under it so that it keeps in place.

00:37And then you can have the clothes on top of it.

00:41This doesn't create only unrealistic standards, but really impossible ones,

00:47because how are plus-size women going to live up to models that are 38 in the face

00:53and then plus-size on the rest of the body?

01:03You know, the biggest beauty standard in modeling is to have very sharp features.

01:08And of course, if you're overweight, then the weight is going to be in your face too.

01:15That's just natural.

01:16But even plus-size brands want models with really sharp features.

01:22If that isn't enough, you just pin everything in the back.

01:26Oh, if the clothes looks really good from the front, it probably looks like from the back.

01:38Standard practice to buy this padding for plus-size models,

01:43and then they take it from a salary after, of course.

01:46And then you have to bring it to every plus-size job.

01:49And then sometimes it's used and sometimes it's not,

01:52but it's considered polite and professional to bring it to shoots.

01:56I didn't think that much of it then,

01:58because, you know, weird things happen in the modeling industry all the time.

02:10Before I started modeling, I had anorexia, so I was very skinny.

02:14In modeling, they're very fixated on hip measurements.

02:19So a high fashion model is supposed to be between 86 and 88.

02:24When I started, I was actually like 81, because I was so thin.

02:30But I remember one agent that I had, he was...

02:36Because they told me to actually gain a little weight because of it,

02:39because you need to be between those measurements.

02:42And he said to me, don't tell anyone, but I actually love that you're this skinny.

02:4786 and 88

02:51She was just like a dream

03:09I think everyone deserves to know what goes on, you know,

03:12and to know that the modeling pictures are not reality.

03:17It's a lot of fixing and tricking behind the photos.

03:21And then also, I've gotten a lot of comments about

03:24people thinking that models that do these kind of jobs are part of the problem,

03:29and that this will be solved if just everyone says no to the jobs.

03:34And I think that I can understand it.

03:37But also, if one model says no to the job,

03:40the next one in line, just like her, is going to take the job.

03:43My suggestion is just use real plus-size women.

03:46Models are not on top of the hierarchy in the modeling industry.

03:50And I think a better way to go if you want to make a change

03:54is to do like me and make a video about it and talk about it on social media.

03:58Because at least for me, that's the way that I've reached out to most people.

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