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For aspiring models
How to Become a Model
Only runway has a height requirement — every other segment has none. Here is what agencies actually ask for, the four digitals you shoot on a phone, the red flags to walk away from, and a free GetModel profile casting directors already search.
Free · No agency required to start
GetModel Editorial · Reviewed 2026-09-16
Who is already here
83
open castings
894
agencies listed
1,200+
models in the directory
latest casting: 2026-10-26
Requirements
Requirements by segment
Only runway has a hard height floor. Every other segment has none at all — which is why "I'm not tall enough" is usually wrong.
| Segment | Height | How open |
|---|---|---|
| Fashion / runway (women) | 175–180 cm (5′9″–5′11″) | Strict — the only segment with a hard floor |
| Fashion / runway (men) | 180–190 cm (5′11″–6′3″) | Strict — suit sizing drives it |
| Commercial / e-commerce | No requirement | Open to every height and age |
| Curve / plus-size | 168 cm+ typical, not a rule | Open — size, not height, is the brief |
| Petite | Under 170 cm | Open — height is the qualification |
| Parts (hands, feet, hair) | No requirement | Open — the part is the portfolio |
| Fitness | No requirement | Open — condition, not centimetres |
| UGC / creator | No requirement | Open — camera confidence is the skill |
Portfolio
Your first digitals
The four frames every agency asks for. Shoot them on a phone in daylight — no makeup, no retouching, no stylist. A paid test shoot before anyone has seen your digitals is money gone.
- 01
Face, hair back
Hair off the face, chin up, eyes into the lens. Shows bone structure with nothing hidden.
- 02
Face, hair down
The same frame with your hair as it naturally falls — your real look, not a styled one.
- 03
Three-quarter
Head to knees, arms relaxed at your sides. Shows proportion.
- 04
Full length
Head to feet, flat shoes or barefoot, straight posture. Shows height and line.
What you get
A real foot in the door
GetModel puts your face where the industry is already looking. We can't promise you work — but we can make sure you're visible to the people who hire.
Be seen by agencies & clients
Your profile sits in the same catalog that casting directors, photographers and brands search every day.
Get casting invitations
When a casting matches your look and city, you can be invited to apply — no agency gatekeeper required.
Receive booking requests
Clients and agencies can reach out to you directly through your profile to discuss work.
A professional profile page
A clean, shareable profile with your photos and stats — the link you send when someone asks for your portfolio.
How it works
Three steps to get started
01
Create your profile
Sign up in a couple of minutes, add your photos and your basic stats. It's free.
02
Get discovered
Agencies and clients browsing the catalog find new faces by city, look and specialty.
03
Receive invites & requests
Pick up casting invitations and direct booking requests as they come in.
Open right now
Live castings on the site. You can answer them without agency representation.
Money
What you actually earn at the start
- $0–150
- Per job in a first year — tests, TFP and small local work that buys a portfolio, not income.
- $200–500
- A new face's day rate once an agency starts booking her.
- $500 / $1,000
- Half day and full day on commercial work in a major market.
- $0–5,000
- Total first-year earnings for a new face in a regional market.
- 10–20%
- The agency's commission — taken from work it books, never charged up front.
Bands are public industry reference points (Forbes, Backstage, agency-published rates) plus our own market-by-market breakdown. They are reference points, not a promise: pay depends on the city, the segment and what an agency actually books.
Agencies
How to approach an agency
- 01
Pick agencies that match you
Read the board. An agency with no curve division will not sign a curve model however good the pictures are.
- 02
Send digitals, not a portfolio
Four unretouched frames, your height and measurements, your city and your age. Nothing else.
- 03
Use the agency's own channel
Most run an open call or a submission form with stated hours. Those beat an email to a general inbox.
- 04
Expect silence, not rejection
Agencies answer what fits the board right now. No reply is not a verdict on you — resubmit when your digitals change.
The stats to know
- Height
- Barefoot, back to a wall, heels together. Agencies verify it, so round nothing up.
- Bust / chest
- Around the fullest part, tape level, arms down.
- Waist
- At the narrowest point, usually just above the navel. Do not hold your breath.
- Hips
- Around the fullest part of the seat, feet together.
- Shoe (EU)
- The size you actually walk in — fittings are booked from it.
Age
From what age, and until when
- Under 16
- Child and teen modelling runs through a parent or guardian, who signs and attends. Registration here starts at 16. →
- 16–17
- You can register, but a parent or guardian must approve the public profile and be part of every conversation about work.
- 18–25
- The window agencies scout hardest for fashion. Commercial and e-commerce have no such window.
- 25 and over
- Commercial, e-commerce, fitness, parts and UGC book at every age — 'too old' applies to runway, not to the industry. →
Safety
Red flags: when to walk away
Beginners rarely lose money to rejection. They lose it to "agencies" that earn from them instead of for them.
- Asks you to pay for representation, a contract or a place on the board. A legitimate agency earns on commission — 10–20% of work it actually books for you.
- Requires a paid course or modelling school before signing you. No reputable agency conditions representation on tuition.
- Insists on nude or lingerie photos at the first contact, or asks a minor for them at all.
- Wants an expensive test shoot with their photographer before anyone has seen your phone digitals. When you do need a test later, choose the photographer yourself. Independent photographers →
- Reaches out claiming to represent GetModel or an agency and rushes you. Verify who they are before you reply; if you are under 18, tell a parent first.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need experience to start?
No. A GetModel profile takes no experience, no portfolio and no agency: four phone digitals and your basic stats are enough. There are 83 open castings on the site right now, and applying to them does not require agency representation.
How tall do you have to be to be a model?
Only runway has a hard floor: roughly 175–180 cm for women and 180–190 cm for men. Commercial, e-commerce, curve, petite, parts, fitness and UGC work have no height requirement at all — those briefs are about look and camera confidence.
Do I need a photographer for digitals?
No. Digitals are shot on a phone in daylight, with no makeup and no retouching — that is exactly what agencies want to see. A photographer comes later, for a test shoot, and you should choose that person yourself: independent photographers and makeup artists are listed in GetModel's crew directory.
How much does it cost to join?
Nothing. The profile is free, GetModel is free during the launch and ranking places are not for sale. Each client's first 10 deals carry no commission; any future commission would apply only to deals concluded through GetModel and would be announced in advance. Anyone asking you to pay for representation or a contract is not an agency — that is the oldest scam in this industry.
What is the minimum age?
You can register from 16, but under 18 every conversation and booking goes through a parent or guardian — which is exactly why the form asks for your date of birth. No legitimate agency asks a minor for lingerie or nude photos.
Do I need an agency first?
Not to start. GetModel lists 894 agencies and a profile helps them find you, but you can answer castings without representation. If an agency signs you later, the profile stays your working shop window.
How much do models earn in the first year?
The honest answer is usually very little. A first year mostly buys a portfolio, first tests and first agency relationships rather than fees. Market-by-market figures are in our earnings breakdown.
What happens after I register?
Your profile enters the same catalog casting directors, photographers and brands search, and becomes the link you send instead of a portfolio. A profile with no photo is not indexed and does not show in the catalog — which is why adding photos is the one step that matters most.
Start here
Start here
- How to become a model with no experience
- How to start a modelling career, step by step
- Digitals and polaroids: how to shoot them yourself
- What goes on a comp card
- Is this agency legit? A red-flag checklist
- How tall do you have to be to be a model?
- What agencies actually require
- How much models make, by market
Ready to be discovered?
Create your free GetModel profile today and put yourself in front of agencies and clients.
Free to join · Takes a couple of minutes