why i love models

Yes, they're annoyingly perfect and photogenic. They're not afraid to take photos in the first place, which I envy, but I have looked up to models for most of my life. This sounds bad, I know, but I never had any crazy eating habits or any kind of body dysmorphic disorder because of it. It was all because of how tall they were. It was required of them, in fact, because that's the "standard" of beauty (in the fashion world, most of them time anyway). So when kids in school told me that I was a freak, it was a relief to hear otherwise for once. Being a 5'10" girl since age 12, models were the ones who made me feel better about being different.

I was teased all throughout middle school. Everyone called me "the big girl", "the tall girl", "stilt woman" and any other colorful nickname they could give me. My release was reading fashion magazines and noticing how "big" these girls were. I had never realized that having long limbs was actually a good thing and even an enviable quality. "I wish I were taller," people would say to me longingly. What?! Where were you when I was getting ridiculed for wearing high-waters in 7th grade? All I could do was hope one day I would grow up and be like the supermodels. What sweet revenge to all of my pygmy classmates who laughed at me.

My favorite model when I started to pay attention was Shalom Harlow. I thought she looked like my mom, and in my eyes, there's nobody more beautiful than Mum. She made modeling look like art. I will never forget her face or how she made me feel like there was hope for gangly, awkward me.

I wonder if anyone ever teased her...who's laughing now, sucka? 

xox

Jessica