When we think of models, we normally imagine the female catwalk model, strutting her stuff on the fashion week runway. But the mens modelling industry has exploded in recent years, with the rise in popularity of male grooming, and as it become more normal for men to take a strong interest in fashion.
With many types of male celebrity, from musician to footballer now modelling, the pursuit has undoubtedly been glamourized. This has turned the idea of male modelling, from a quasi – embarrassing dream, to a viable aspiration for today’s men. However, there are still a lot of misconceptions that are commonly held about men in the modelling industry. Here are some of them.
All male models have to look strong and butch
This is not at all true. Many of the most successful models are very skinny and feminine and some are even androgynous. There is some call for men with rippling muscles, but the ‘looks’ that are in demand will vary as much as the tastes people have – and will reflect the markets. Some products modelled and promoted by men will have a target audience of straight twenty-something men. Others will be aimed at thirty-something wives with kids and others might be aimed at gay middle aged men. The thing that appeals to each of these groups will vary greatly.
Models have to be classically good looking with a big white grin
As with the misconception about big muscles, it’s a bit more subtle than that. Being good looking helps, but you can also be a successful male model if you look unique. This is true for female models to a certain extent, but much more so for male models. Also, not all pictures of these models will have them offering a cheesy grin. A lot of the time male models are asked to look broody, sad, thoughtful, dreamy – you get the idea. So being able to ‘act’ different emotions is more important than having a Colgate grin. Emotions come from the eyes and are backed up by posture, you can merely smile but it may come across as insincere.
Becoming one is easy
This is a mistake that all kinds of models make – thinking that modelling is easy money. And many people who appreciate that female modelling is very tough, still make the mistake of thinking that male modelling will be different for one reason or another. This is, of course, a mistake. If you want to become a male model, you have to brace yourself for rejection. Pretty much everyone gets turned down at first – some successful models got turned down by every modelling agency in town before finding success.