How it works
Height requirements come from sample garments: designers make one sample of each look for a particular height and proportions, and models have to fit it. That is why height matters most at fashion weeks and in high fashion.
Agencies publish their own limits for open calls. Supermodels, for instance, invites women from 170 cm and men of 185–190 cm. Other agencies give similar figures, a few centimetres apart.
Commercial advertising, beauty, parts work, plus-size and petite lines have different requirements. A shorter person can be a model, just not in every field.
In practice
A sixteen-year-old comes to an open call and is measured at 171 cm. The agency explains that this may not yet be enough for the runway, but she may still grow, and her face suits commercial and beauty work. She is signed to the new faces board, and a year later she is measured again.
What to watch for
- Measure barefoot, in the morning, against a wall.
- Never lie about height: it is measured on day one.
- Teenagers are still growing: agencies take that into account.
Related terms
Frequently asked
01How tall do you need to be to model?
For fashion and runway, usually from about 172–175 cm for women and 185 cm for men. Commercial work has no fixed limit.
02Can you model at 165 cm?
The runway is hard, but commercial, beauty and petite work is possible.