Being a model has some great benefits. I get to wear beautiful clothing and jewelry, some that cost more than my entire college tuition, meet wonderful people, and attend some pretty lavish events. Overall it really is a great job. I mean I get paid to wear clothes. It seems like I shouldn't have anything to complain about, right? Wrong!
Almost everyone I know feels some sort of societal pressure to look and dress a certain way. Social media and the incredibly popular use of photo editing apps to change one's physical appearance don't help alleviate the overwhelming compulsion to scrutinize your own body.
By normal standards, I've always been tiny; but in the modeling world, standard tiny isn't enough. As a size two, I've been called curvy, wide, thick, and even big. Being called thick when I weigh less than 125 pounds at 5'10 is really difficult. It makes me feel worthless and incredibly self-conscious. Even if people don't comment on my hips or butt, it is hard not to compare oneself against other working models. I think "Wow, I wish I had abs like that" or "why can't my legs be that thin." For me personally, I am more muscular and other models have said they wish they were, while I wanted their perfect waist.
And let me let you into a little secret, I'm not the only model who thinks this way. Although no good can come from comparing ourselves to one another, it's still something we all do. How can we not when we literally get casted for shows and shoots based on our physical appearance?
While there are models who are proving body 'standards' are complete BS, and Sports Illustrated is working to be more inclusive, that isn't the industry standard. Agencies have a completely separate division for 'curvy' or 'plus-size' and women are told to either lose or gain weight to be on the mainboard.
In the end, we all wish there was something different about us and our bodies. Although it may be hard to resist comparing yourself to others, remember, there is always someone wishing they had one of your features. It could be your hair, eyebrows, legs, stomach, maybe even your eyes or teeth. Before we get carried away with the shape and size of our body, let's thank it for all that it does. Remember, no two people are the same and we need to appreciate what we have instead of focusing on what we don't.
