Measurements Pressure Still Exists, but Models Prove It’s Outdated

I worked in Asia with 88 cm hips — and also with 95 cm! These days, China actually prefers hips in the 93–95 cm range over smaller ones.

A Milan agency said they would only sign me if I lost 3 cm from my hips. They told me, 'We hear that 95 cm is your maximum for your health, but unless you can lose 3 cm, we can’t book you jobs. That same day, I met another agency who wanted to sign me immediately — just as I was.

It depends on the agency. My old mother agency told me to lose weight on my hips — I was 94 cm, and they wanted me at 90 cm. But then they would send me to castings, and clients would say I was too skinny. Some mother agencies still focus heavily on hip measurements, even though the market has actually shifted its standards these days.

I work successfully in the EU, UK, and Turkey with 93–94 cm hips and a height of 180 cm.

When I had 92 cm hips, I walked in over 10 shows at London and Paris Fashion Week. In my experience, they don’t care about exact measurements — they care more about your overall look and proportions.

I’ve somehow always worked better with bigger hips — around 92 to 95 cm. I was even up to 96 cm once and still worked well, even in China. The only place it ever limited me was Japan, but even then, my agency was surprisingly lovely and always supported me.

I have 93 cm hips and work as a fit model for most of the major fashion houses in Paris, as well as doing styling, e-commerce, and other jobs.

Same here — I was tired of hearing that I needed to have hips under 90 cm, and now I happily work with 92–93 cm.

I’ve been living in the USA for the past two years and was working the most when I had 99 cm hips — even at 97 cm now in NYC, I’m making good money! It really depends on the market and the clients.

I’m 97 cm and working every day in London.

I have 95 cm hips and my agency doesn’t mind at all — it’s really just about finding the right agency.

I’m in Milan with 93 cm and working well. Funny enough, when I was 90 cm, I actually lost jobs.

Well it’s depends of proportions and depends of type of a model. Some model can be curvy and looks gorgeous, some type of model if gain weight and cm will be not that cool for jobs unfortunately.. and also as can see, model agencies wants to have that skinny (under 90 cm hips) type or plus/curvy type(what is much bigger), but not between.

And yes, model agencies who is thinking to sign model and bringing her in town wants to see the measurements they want to see. And also depends of level. If it’s top agency, they will ask more.

I saw situation when model was 93-94 cm hips and all top agencies in Milan didn’t sign her even she has amazing and super gorgeous face. After many years she lost this a few cm and got big show for the debute.

If agencies are still asking this measurement standards, so they fell it’s works better and they can provide jobs

Of course, there are always exceptions. But they are so minimal that it is not very reasonable to think that an exception will happen to you. I do not want models to think that these 2-3 cm do not affect anything and that the mother agency is simply looking for a reason to pick on the model and do something bad to her for some reason. The mother agency would be happy if all models were easily confirmed and got all contracts and jobs everywhere. But all this happens because of huge competition. Agencies who are bringing models in town still working with the rules.

Oh man there’s sooo much I could say about this. I’ve been a size 0 and a size 6. I was constantly pressured by agencies to stay tiny but ironically I worked better when I wasn’t. Recently I re-signed in nyc and when I was doing all my agency meetings, I immediately disqualified the agencies that would take my measurements and then tell me I need to lose weight. I chose one of the agencies that immediately wanted me as is

From my experience in the New York market, they mainly focus on body proportions rather than just measurements. I’m 34-26-37, (hips 94 cm) and work a lot. What really matters is how the clothes fit

As a 5'11 girlie (181cm) with an 84cm hip measurement, not sure but this might explain why i don't always get picked. I've grown to accept that. To love who we are is a long journey and a privilege especially in our current society. Not everyone or client will take (and accept) you for who you are right here and right now. A lot of them are stuck in a "lack" mentality where all they can say is what you do not have, which is very easy to say but usually has nothing to do with us, nor does it ever defines our own self worth. Measurements aren't "everything" as they are merely a fraction of who we are and they shouldn't dictate our lives, even though it is one of the hardest things to change/learn. Your mental health is worth more than measurements ever will be, so does your happiness (and everyone else around you if you're fortunate enough to have a support system, if not you are loved no matter what xx).