Ask Fashion Girl

Dear Stacie,

I am so glad you wrote me before getting taken! Many unscrupulous talent and modeling agencies will lead you to believe that you have what it takes to be a supermodel. Unfortunately, many teens are victimized by fraudulent agencies promising money, exposure, and stardom. If you truly want to be a successful model, the first thing you need to know is that you should ABSOLUTELY NEVER pay a fee to model or be in a commercial! This is one of the biggest scams in the so-called "modeling industry" that preys on teens, especially teenage girls, who dream of being models! A legitimate modeling agency charges nothing to do your pictures, to sign you up, or to get you work. I am totally serious here. This type of thing is covered on shows like Dateline and 20/20 all the time. It's a total rip-off! They will take your money and give you nothing in return, except for maybe some worthless pictures that a real agency wouldn't want to use, anyway.

Make sure you only deal with a legitimate business that does not charge to get you work. Legitimate agents work on a commission. They don't get any money until you get paid for doing the work they have obtained for you. Professional modeling agencies have their own legitimate photographers and would not want to use a fake modeling agency's photos. A real modeling agency will actually accept a simple snapshot of you without makeup=D1they can tell that easily who is modeling material and who isn't! They don't want to see a fancy photo at all. They want to see your clean natural beauty; that means makeup-free skin, loose hair, and a simple fitted outfit, like jeans and a T-shirt or a bathing suit.

To stay clear of fake modeling, modeling agency, and modeling school scams, you need to keep a realistic outlook and do your research. Avoid any modeling agencies that advertise in newspapers. Fraudulent companies often place phony ads in the help wanted section that say something like, "new faces wanted" for commercials, movies or modeling or claim that "no experience is necessary." Your best bet is to go through the yellow pages and call the modeling agencies listed there. If you live in a small town, your local options will be limited so you should check listings of the nearest big city. For the well-known leading modeling agencies like Wilhelmina and Ford, all you need to do is send them two photos, one full-length shot and one face shot.

If you've never modeled before and can afford to pay for classes, modeling schools can definitely help you get the skills you'll need, especially for runway modeling. There are ethical and legitimate schools out there; again, you just have to look carefully, get recommendations, and do your research before signing up.

Many former top models have written books that deal with every aspect of the modeling industry. Take advantage of their experience! Here are a few titles that will help: Your Modeling Career by Skip Press and Debbie Press; and The Modeling Life: The One (And Only) Book That Gives You the Inside Story of What the Business Is Like and How You Can Make It by Donna Rubinstein and Jennifer Kingson Bloom.

You can find them at a library, bookstore, or online like at www.amazon.com.

Good luck, be extra-careful, and hope to see you gliding down the runways soon!

Sincerely,